Boat position on trailer?

[Slow Ride]

I need to move the bow stop or bunk or whatever you call it, to a lower point on the boat. The problem is that as I move down on the boat, the distance increase away from the front of the trailer. I have enough room to move the boat forward the 1 - 1.5 feet needed to make up the difference but I'm concerned about tongue weight. I don't know how much it is now but I do know it is heavy! The trailer needs to make contact below the black part of the boat. This is not the original trailer for this boat. I checked on new boats from this manufacturer and they are always set up the way I want to do it. Should I move the boat forward or rebuild the front end of the trailer?

Sorry for the lack of terminology, "bow stop." I really have no idea what it is called. LOL

 

[Fed]

Re: Boat position on trailer?

If you're getting hung up on the bow stop roller then you are launching & retrieving too deep.
Floating the boat on & off causes this.

 

[gdeangel]

Re: Boat position on trailer?

A lot of trailers have an adjustment to move the font post forward or back, in addition to railing or lowering the point of contact with the bow stop. You could just lower your bow stop, and then move back the front post till the stopper contacts the hull (seems to me I can even see the bolts in your second picture).... HOWEVER, looking at your setup, the keel of your boat isn't supported on the bunks at all. You look to be at least 6 inches off the back of the bunk, even before the hull lines cut upward. I would move the boat forward. There are plenty of pages that tell you how to find your tongue weight. You can try moving the boat forward, check the tongue weight, then compare to what your vehicle / hitch are rated for.

 

[Slow Ride]

Re: Boat position on trailer?

It does do that some times but only when the tide is really low. I have it set up for the average tide but it swings about 1.5 - 2.0 feet in this area. That's not really my issue. The bigger issue is that the roller damages the wrap above the metal and no amount of TLC when launching and retrieving seems to help.

 

[Slow Ride]

Re: Boat position on trailer?

Yes, the hull is a bit above the two forward bunks. I added those after I got the boat to assist in getting the boat lined up for contact with the bow stop. They never really have any weight on them. In fact, they are way to small to do any real good as far a load goes. It has always had a fair amount of weight directly on the bow stop. And, yes the bow stop is adjustable but it is already all the way aft as far as it will go. I think Im going to move the boat forward and see how it does..... unless there is a reason not to that anyone can tell me about.

 

[Fed]

Re: Boat position on trailer?

The bigger issue is that the roller damages the wrap above the metal and no amount of TLC when launching and retrieving seems to help.

The roller should never touch the wrap above the metal, you're launching & retrieving too deep.

 

[Noltz]

Re: Boat position on trailer?

I wonder if something like this wouldn't solve your problem more easily? You could remove the front roller bow-stop completely. Seems this would spread out any load a lot better. Also seems you'd be better served by using those forward bunks to support some additional weight. The bow stop, as I understand it, shouldn't be supporting much at all.

For your tongue weight, this website gives you a neat way to measure what you've got using a bathroom scale and some scrap hardware.

 

[Slow Ride]

Re: Boat position on trailer?

Fed, The trailer is set up so that the roller ONLY touches above the metal. That's my point! I want it all below the metal.

 

[Slow Ride]

Re: Boat position on trailer?

Noltz, Exactly what I thought I would do in the beginning! However, I'm having trouble finding that particular piece of hardware locally. Suppose I'll keep looking!

 

[Fed]

Re: Boat position on trailer?

Looking at your picture SR both rollers appear to be ON the metal?

 

[Slow Ride]

Re: Boat position on trailer?

The boat makes contact at the very tip of the bow and then slides all the way up to the metal and stops when the rollers hit the eyelet for the strap.

 

[Fed]

Re: Boat position on trailer?

The boat makes contact at the very tip of the bow and then slides all the way up to the metal and stops when the rollers hit the eyelet for the strap.

because

you're launching & retrieving too deep.

 

[Slow Ride]

Re: Boat position on trailer?

Fed, Perhaps I don't understand the term "launching too deep?" I will say that the water is not "too deep!" I have the most trouble when the tide is low and I must back way down on the ramp where it is steep. Normally I have to get the boat about half way on the trailer and then have someone back the truck a few feet because the boat is already lifting out of the water and trying to use the wench from that point is just impossible, way to heavy. Its like 15-20 feet to go still. As I said before. The trailer is set up (by the dealership) to function this way. The bow stop is chest high to me. It's simply too tall and needs to be lowered. As it is set up now, it is impossible for the rollers to be below the eyelet for the wench strap...... impossible! I have tried again and again to figure out how to float the boat into that position and it just wont work, it's to tall.

 

[Fed]

Re: Boat position on trailer?

If you can't winch the boat along the trailer then it's never going to work properly.
Have you tried any of that slippery stuff on the bunks?