low water trailer up or just trim all the way up??

[dkorzun21]

when pulling up to a sand bar with only about 4 feet or sow of water do you just trim the engine up or do you trailer it up a little bit and drive it in. Please help im a new boat owner and dont want to mess my lower unit up. Its a I/O larson.
Dave

 

[marine4003]

Re: low water trailer up or just trim all the way up??

having your lower unit in the sand is bad..very bad, First your sucking sand into the cooling system,that can ruin the impeller,Overheat!! second jarring the outdrive unit can result in separation in the seal between the outdrive and transom...leaking. And then there's the possibility of completely shearing off the unit, think of 4 thousand pounds coming to a dead stop..being stopped by your drive unit. when your within 4-5 feet of the sandbar...as long as there's no major current or wind, stop the engine..trim up the drive ALL THE WAY. float on bar.Anchor. Also dont engage forward or reverse with the unit trimmed up beyond 1/3...real bad on the gimble .

 

[capt sam]

Re: low water trailer up or just trim all the way up??

well yeah trim it up but not all the way before you beach it, proceed slowly, drift on to the sandbar as you kill the motor. I personally leave the motor down alot as it holds the boat in place in the current, the skeg acts as an anchor.

 

[ziggy]

Re: low water trailer up or just trim all the way up??

if ya got 4' of water i'd think ya don't need to trim up too much. unless ya draft more than 4'. i draft 3'. that said. when i come into the beach i do trim up. not all the way. but pretty high (into trailer mode, above trim height) compared to how i normally run it. i also come in very slow (idle) if at all possible. the last 4 or 5 feet i turn the engine off and let momentum carry me onto the beach. in the last 4 to 5 feet is when i bring the drive all the way up, after i've turned off the engine, as i'm floating into the beach.

myself. i never put my drive in the sand on purpose. not that it hasn't happened. but not on purpose. a case in point for me was when i got blowed up on the beach sideways last summer. drive all the way up and was still 8'' into the sand. after assistance arrived to get me off the beach, i forgot the drive was in the sand. the boat was pivoted at the stern and the bow swung out into the lake. the drive made a big nasty hole where it was in the sand. i was concerned about the sand in the impeller for sure and concerned about the stress i put on the drive doing the pivot to get free. but i came out issue free after the indecent. perhaps i got lucky. i'll take it too. i'm sure i was really stressing the drive doing that. but conditions were less than pleasurable... it did take the stress though w/o ramifications... not that i'll ever do that again i hope...

 

[dkorzun21]

Re: low water trailer up or just trim all the way up??

Ok So when Im pulling up to the sand bar just hit the trim buttom all the way up, And slowly idle in then when Im about a couple feet away from being really shallow like a couple feet turn the eninge off and trim it up even higher with the trialer but? At this point should I have some one jump out and pull the boat in closer to the sand bar so the front bottom of the boat hit the sand? And anchor? If so let me know. or what I should change. Then when leaving should I lower the prop down as much as a can and then raise it only to as high the trim buttom will take me not the trailer button have some one push me out and reverse on out then lower the unit once I get deep enough. All help would be great so that I dont have a costly mistake. Please let me know how you do it. Its a 20 ft larson bowrider v6 i/o, dont want to mess anything up.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: low water trailer up or just trim all the way up??

suggest you read all of these. http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=300472

 

[dkorzun21]

Re: low water trailer up or just trim all the way up??

suggest you read all of these. http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=300472

Im not looking to beach my boat just pull up to and sand bar. Do I lift the motor with more the the tilt button? Should I us the trailer button to bring the engine up more. Just want to make sure I dont mess my lover unit up here. Not sure how you guys do it. Im I safe to say I can just pull up into 3 feet of water with my trim all the way down and no trim up or even trailer button it up higher?? Please help

 

[marine4003]

Re: low water trailer up or just trim all the way up??

having your lower unit in the sand is bad..very bad, First your sucking sand into the cooling system,that can ruin the impeller,Overheat!! second jarring the outdrive unit can result in separation in the seal between the outdrive and transom...leaking. And then there's the possibility of completely shearing off the unit, think of 4 thousand pounds coming to a dead stop..being stopped by your drive unit. when your within 4-5 feet of the sandbar...as long as there's no major current or wind, stop the engine..trim up the drive ALL THE WAY. float on bar.Anchor. Also dont engage forward or reverse with the unit trimmed up beyond 1/3...real bad on the gimble .

read again.....

 

[dkorzun21]

Re: low water trailer up or just trim all the way up??

read again.....

Yeah I already read it but it doesnt answer my question so you dont hit the trailer button at all when pulling up to a sand bar just trim up a little bit and I will be good? You sure my lower unit isnt going to hit in just a couple feet of water. Doesnt really sound right. CAN SOME ONE PLEASE HELP
I JUST NEED TO KNOW WHEN I PULL UP TO A SAND BAR DO I.

A) TRIM UP THE ENGINE SO THE LOWER UNIT DOESNT HIT THE BOTTOM
B) DO I TRIM IT UP AND THEN TRAILER IT UP A LITTLE BIT HIGHER?
C) JUST HIT THE TRAILER BUTTON FOR A COUPLE SECOUND AND HOPE TO F.... IT DONT HIT.
PLEASE HELP

 

[dkorzun21]

Re: low water trailer up or just trim all the way up??

Yeah I already read it but it doesnt answer my question so you dont hit the trailer button at all when pulling up to a sand bar just trim up a little bit and I will be good? You sure my lower unit isnt going to hit in just a couple feet of water. Doesnt really sound right. CAN SOME ONE PLEASE HELP
I JUST NEED TO KNOW WHEN I PULL UP TO A SAND BAR DO I.

A) TRIM UP THE ENGINE SO THE LOWER UNIT DOESNT HIT THE BOTTOM
B) DO I TRIM IT UP AND THEN TRAILER IT UP A LITTLE BIT HIGHER?
C) JUST HIT THE TRAILER BUTTON FOR A COUPLE SECOUND AND HOPE TO F.... IT DONT HIT.
PLEASE HELP

NEED TO KNOW CUZ I CANT WATCH THE LOWER END AND DRIVE THE BOAT AT THE SAME TIME.

 

[dkorzun21]

Re: low water trailer up or just trim all the way up??

read again.....

SO AT A COUPLE FEET OF WATER SHUT ENGINE OFF , RAISE TRIM ALL THE WAY AND JUMP OUT AND PULL YOUR BOAT ALLL THE WAY IN? IS THIS RIGHT.

 

[SuzukiChopper]

Re: low water trailer up or just trim all the way up??

NEED TO KNOW CUZ I CANT WATCH THE LOWER END AND DRIVE THE BOAT AT THE SAME TIME.

Do you have a depth/fish finder?

Why not do this, practice on the trailer first if you're that worried. Trim up as far as you think you need to get the skeg within inches of the bottom of the stern of your boat. Take note of how much you had to trim. Next time you're on the water and want to anchor at the sand bar, go in at an idle to get some forward momentum, shut off the motor and start trimming to what you practiced on the trailer. Done and Done.

The point that everyone is trying to make is that you want to idle in, shutdown far enough away from the bar that you can trim the motor to where ever you want. You can put it all the way up if you so choose but don't run the motor like that. Also keep in mind that if you know the sand bar well enough and come in at the right angle, the stern of the boat should be in deeper water then the bow.

Practice makes perfect and a lot of people have hit harder things then sand with their skegs and survived to tell the story.

 

[marine4003]

Re: low water trailer up or just trim all the way up??

SO AT A COUPLE FEET OF WATER SHUT ENGINE OFF , RAISE TRIM ALL THE WAY AND JUMP OUT AND PULL YOUR BOAT ALLL THE WAY IN? IS THIS RIGHT.

Yup..sort of.what you want to achieve is a safe mooring position..practice this...10 feet out from the sand bar..drop a rear anchor with about 20' of scope....at 5' from sand bar..crusing at 2-3 mph...shut off the engine.let momentum bring you up on the sand bar...use control box button to raise outdrive all the way up...at this point deploy the front anchor...get off boat set front anchor..back in boat take up slack from rear anchor...THERE,your boat is secured,the drive unit is protected...time to play. No matter what ANYONE says..NEVER use your outdrive unit to anchor the boat..Ever look at what one costs to replace + labor..Its alot cheaper to use anchors.When in doubt..raise the drive..PS dont let motor get above 1500-2000RPM while motor is trimmed up..you will damage the drive.

 

[IVAZ]

Re: low water trailer up or just trim all the way up??

This weekend I wanted to get to a shallow area at the lake. I basically did it the way marine4003 described. I did push my boat in a little closer and pushed it back out in the deeper area when I was ready to go.
I definitely agree with NOT using the skeg as an anchor. It was never designed to act as an anchor and is one of the most expensive parts on the boat. You also run the risk of ruining the transom seal or transom.

 

[SuzukiChopper]

Re: low water trailer up or just trim all the way up??

I definitely agree with NOT using the skeg as an anchor. It was never designed to act as an anchor and is one of the most expensive parts on the boat. You also run the risk of ruining the transom seal or transom.

The skeg is hardly one of most expensive pieces on a boat. I actually broke mine and don't have one anymore. Now the outdrive that it's attached too is expensive. Definitely do agree though to not use the skeg as an anchor. Not worth it.

 

[rjlipscomb]

Re: low water trailer up or just trim all the way up??

I'm from South Florida and motoring up to sand bars is a way of life. We do (did) it several times every weekend. Marine 4003 described it perfectly. Always use 2 anchors - 1 stern and 1 bow. Keeps you straight and prevents you from washing up on shore when either the tide pushes in or from other boaters wakes. Practice idling in and killing the engine before you hit sand in the front, the drive should still be in deeper water. Raise the drive (engine off). Have fun.
I don't ever use my drive to secure the boat, that's not what it's there for.
I'm not sure if your in a lake or tidal water. If tidal, get the drive up and keep an eye on the outgoing tide (beached boat). Lakes not a problem.
Watch the water near the shore line for submerged dangers. I hit sunken trees and stumps with my drive by accident, fortunately, no damage.

 

[capt sam]

Re: low water trailer up or just trim all the way up??

using the skegs to anchor boats is a commmon and old practice here, if you do it in such conditions that could possible break it, which by the way in 40 years of boating I've never seen one break from this, then you shouldn't be operating a boat anyways.

I seriously question some of the real lack of experienced boaters on this forum who have any kind of real world, hundreds of hours a year run time that post on this forum.

QC Edit: Let's be a little more respectful please. Some people with good skills are simply more paranoid about mechanical damage than others. Might not be valid, but it is not unsafe or necessarily indicative of a lack of experience.

 

[IVAZ]

Re: low water trailer up or just trim all the way up??

The skeg is hardly one of most expensive pieces on a boat. I actually broke mine and don't have one anymore. Now the outdrive that it's attached too is expensive. Definitely do agree though to not use the skeg as an anchor. Not worth it.

I did not mean the skeg was the one of the most expensive parts, but what it?s attached to.

 

[dkorzun21]

Re: low water trailer up or just trim all the way up??

using the skegs to anchor boats is a commmon and old practice here, if you do it in such conditions that could possible break it, which by the way in 40 years of boating I've never seen one break from this, then you shouldn't be operating a boat anyways.

I seriously question some of the real lack of experienced boaters on this forum who have any kind of real world, hundreds of hours a year run time that post on this forum.

No need to bash people I just need some help. Y would I possible do somthing that might harm my boat when I can figure out how to do it the right way.
Dont be debbie the downer over here bud.

 

[marine4003]

Re: low water trailer up or just trim all the way up??

using the skegs to anchor boats is a commmon and old practice here, if you do it in such conditions that could possible break it, which by the way in 40 years of boating I've never seen one break from this, then you shouldn't be operating a boat anyways.

I seriously question some of the real lack of experienced boaters on this forum who have any kind of real world, hundreds of hours a year run time that post on this forum.

Well..lets see. APBA class P throttleman/driver 5 years. Yacht delivery LICENSED captain,east coast from cuddyunk MA to keys.have owned boats from 14yo to now= 47. presently have a 38 Scarab..17' Stratos..13 BW. 24 Celebrity.I own a Marine Construction firm..spend 20-40 hrs week on the water. Experienced? yea,i'd say so,experienced enough to know not to use my outdrive to anchor boat....not when i own 10 perfectly good Danforths.........capt !