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Posts: 1270
| I just picked up my first fiberglass boat (Skeeter 1775) and am curious how the rest of you launch a glass boat with a bunk trailer by yourself. I always had aluminum with roller trailers and just winched the boat up on the trailer but I am afraid that this boat is to heavy to do that with.
I have no problems with 2 guys but am curious about doing it by myself.
Also is it possible to winch the boat on without using the motor to help the boat onto the trailer? I like to fish some lakes that do not allow gas motors and do not know if I will be able to get the boat on the trailer without power loading. |
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Posts: 32953
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | I'll give you some advice, but BE CAREFUL with this. Launch the boat, and then pull the tailer up into the lot. While the bunks are still a bit wet, spray the completely with spray silicone lubricant. Go fishing, and by the time you return, the bunks will be dry.
The boat will slide onto the trailer easier, allowing you to winch the boat up, and will literally fall off the trailer as soon as the winch strap is detached. DO NOT take the bow hook off until you have the rig backed down into the water. Simply attach a bow line, unhook the bow hook, and give the rig a little shove. It'll fall off easily. |
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Posts: 44
Location: St. Louis, MO | Take Steve's warning to heart! I have personally seen 2 folks (different time and location) un-hook their rigs while waiting to put in and have seen their boats slide off the trailer. Not a prety picture as one was a $30k Triton with less than 20 hours on it.
Time on the water and in this case, the ramp, is the best advice to give you. Soon you'll be a master!
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Posts: 1270
| Steve, Thanks for the tip. Do you need to spray the bunks everytime out or does the silicone last for a while? |
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Posts: 32953
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | it will last for a couple months. |
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Posts: 2427
Location: Ft. Wayne Indiana | unhook the bow hook, back it in the water, jump in, drive it off. |
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Location: Contrarian Island | Here is what I do....
having owned both roller trailers and bunk trailers I do pretty much the same routine...at the boat launch do all your pre launching BEFORE you tie up a pier/launch spot...get out, unhook back straps, take transom saver off, get rope attached to front cleat of boat
make sure plug is in ( i never take mine out but still look)
do not unhook safety chain or strap from boat...esp. rollers! you guys that have done that know why! lmao.
then pull up to open spot, back in about 3/4 of the way or just about where your back bumper is a foot or so in front of the water line..that should be good ..get out, unhook boat, grab rope, now give it a good shove..if it's not far enough in you can get in it and power off usually..if you can't do that, what i have done is a couple different things, if you have backed it in to the drivers side (so the pier is on your side) simply take the rope still attached to the boat, get in truck holding rope and back it in til it slips off...you are holding the rope so it can't go anywhere, simply put in park, walk out on pier and tie up to pier...go park truck and hurry back if launch is busy/getting full...nothing i hate more than seeing some lolly gagger taking a sunday stroll 150 yards back from his truck when there are 10 boats waiting!
on the loading part, i'd say just fire up the big motor for the 5 seconds it takes to load...now if you think you could get a ticket or p*ss someone off then don't..but i do...sorry if thats' not PC but if you don't do that you are going to have to back in the trailer pretty far and do some crankin!
practice makes perfect
i think i could load and unload boats in my sleep
Edited by MSKY HNR 4/27/2006 8:21 AM
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Posts: 656
Location: Forest Lake, Mn. | I have a question about loading the boat back on to the bunk trailer. I have an Alumacraft Tournament Pro 185 with a 90 horse tiller and a 15 horse kicker on a Eagle 4 bunk trailer. I don't have any trouble launching the boat, but getting it back on the trailer stright is a problem, it seems to always load off to one side or the other. Why?
I've asked my dealer about this and was told that because the kicker is on one side, the extra weight on that side will cause the boat to load off to that side and to just steer the back end of the boat towards the opposite side once I've got the boat on and the bow hook hooked up. Seems like a cop out to me and that something isn't right with the trailer as I thought bunk trailers are supposed to load the boat on straight.
A buddy of mine has a big dual console Crestliner with a 200 horse and a 8 horse kicker with a 4 bunk Eagle trailer and his always loads on straight. So why does mine load off to the side? |
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Posts: 32953
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Your hull isn't tracking on the bunks until you are almost all te way loaded up. Try not backing the trailer in as afar, just by a foot at each try, until it loads right and straight. |
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Posts: 5874
| I have an Eagle bunk trailer, and I have never, ever, had a problem loading my boat. It loads straight, and perfect every time. I think if you are having a problem, you may be in too deep. The short bunk should just be in the water. I back mine in until the fender tops are just sticking out of the water, and drive it on. One thing I do is to back the trailer in farther to wet the full bunks, and then bring it out to til the fender tops are just out of the water. This help make the bunks slipery for easier loading. |
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Posts: 656
Location: Forest Lake, Mn. | Thanks Guys!
That makes sense, I thought I was in to deep also. But when I don't put it in as deep the motor wouldn't power the boat up on the trailer, so I kept going deeper until I have the problem I described. So I will get some silicone on the bunks and also wet them down first then pull it back out a little before trying to load. Makes sense now. Thanks again.
Still getting used to the rig I bought last year, didn't use it much and there is a learning curve with this. A lot different than the old roller trailer. |
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