Time to Admit I Need Lessons

[MontanaAardvark]

I think it's time to stand in front of the group like it was AA and say "Hi, I'm Bob and I have a problem. I suck at the ramp". I can launch OK, it's just that I've never retrieved it without going shin deep in the water and coming home with wet shoes. The boat is a 16' Starcraft side console fishing boat with an EZ Loader trailer.

It has been 20 years since I last owned a boat. My first boat, over 30 years ago, was a big Dusky. 20' center console, over 2000 pounds, and automation was the answer. It had a power winch and poly rollers (the golden color ones). Put the trailer in the water without even getting the hubs wet, walk down the trailer to hook up the cable and back, pull a pin so that the trailer could tilt and then hit the button on the power winch. Boat rolls up the trailer to the bow rest in perfect alignment. As they say around here, "wah lah". Throw on a strap and ready to roll - never got wet. Easy-peasy.

My next boat was almost identical to the one I have now: a 16' Alumacraft. That trailer also had rollers, but with a manual winch instead of power. Pull the boat onto the end, walk down to hook up the strap, crank the winch. Throw the strap over the stern and off you go. Never got wet.

Today's trailer has bunks instead of rollers. I can get the boat into the water by removing the chain and unhooking the bow eye, then backing down until she floats. My wife is on the dock with the ropes and guides her back. To retrieve the boat, I have to dunk the trailer until the boat floats on, but nothing holds her and she just slides back off if I try to pull the trailer. I have walked down the trailer to the winch and just gotten slightly wet. One time, I walked down the trailer, climbed onto the boat and added some power to slide her farther up. That didn't work well. The bow was way off the bow roller for months after that.

So in the old days, my hubs didn't even get wet. Now I not only submerge the hubs, I submerge the entire tire and the fender above them. This is progress? (Yeah, I know the hubs are supposed to be able to take that).

Can anyone point to videos or lessons on how to retrieve? I've looked at one or two, and I seem to be more or less right, but I'm just not getting it. Maybe I need to change the way something is set up?

It's not that I really mind getting wet, it's summer and the water is 85 degrees. I just don't want to do it in the winter. And I especially don't like getting back in my truck with salt water soaked shoes and dripping salt water. I don't want my floor to rust out under my feet.


Bob

 

[UncleWillie]

Re: Time to Admit I Need Lessons

Have you considered help from Capt. Hook?

 

[MontanaAardvark]

Re: Time to Admit I Need Lessons

Have you considered help from Capt. Hook?

Never heard of it, but it sounds good - assuming I could crank the boat up the bunks. Tried that once and it wasn't very pleasant.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Time to Admit I Need Lessons

you are experiencing first hand why the roller trailer, especially the tilt trailer, is far superior to the bunk trailer.

Bunk trailers are cheaper to make, and grew popular among fresh water boaters in hot weather, where a sunk trailer or wet feet is not a big deal.
Now they sell them to everyone and claim it's all rust proof and water tight, but we know nothing is.

Back in the day, if you dunked a trailer in salt water, the crowd on the docks would shake their heads (the polite ones) or laugh and point. Also, on the coast, not as many people kept the boat on the trailer, especially not the big ones (the big ones often have to be dunked).

Hate to say it, go back to a roller. Treat yourself to a power winch (the cost of the power winch will be less than replacing your hubs, springs and axles a few times).

You may be able to power winch your boat onto the bunks; we did with a flat bottom skiff. cut an angle in the bunks at the rear. Add plastic slides. You can retrieve dry; with the slides you may be able to launch dry, too.

You can also make the end of the bunk tilt, just like a roller bank, or put a roller bank at the end.

With the popularity of bunk trailers even on the coast, I bet you could trade your new bunk trailer for an old roller trailer to someone who doesn't know better.

 

[UncleWillie]

Re: Time to Admit I Need Lessons

I have bunk Lube on my bunks. (Slydz-On)
18ft Fiberglass Bow Rider. ~3000lbs Fueled and Equipped.

The Bunk are completely out of the water on launch.
Unhook the winch strap and give the boat a good shove, it goes right in.

To recover, only the last 3 inches of the bunks are are in the water.
I pull the boat as far on as I can by hand with a bow line on a cleat.
Hook up the strap and winch it the rest of the way. (~6-8ft.)

Bunk lube works better than advertised.
Do not unhook the bow eye until you are prepared to launch or you may find the boat dry docked on the concrete!

 

[acarter92]

Re: Time to Admit I Need Lessons

I have bunk Lube on my bunks. (Slydz-On)
18ft Fiberglass Bow Rider. ~3000lbs Fueled and Equipped.

The Bunk are completely out of the water on launch.
Unhook the winch strap and give the boat a good shove, it goes right in.

To recover, only the last 3 inches of the bunks are are in the water.
I pull the boat as far on as I can by hand with a bow line on a cleat.
Hook up the strap and winch it the rest of the way. (~6-8ft.)

Bunk lube works better than advertised.
Do not unhook the bow eye until you are prepared to launch or you may find the boat dry docked on the concrete!

I've never tried it, but I've heard of people under estimating this stuff like you said. They unhook the bow and back down and the boat slides off (minus the water).

From what I've heard, that stuff makes bunk just as easy as rollers.

Austin

 

[bonz_d]

Re: Time to Admit I Need Lessons

You didn't mention or I didn't see it but is this an all bunk traier of a keel roller bunk trailer?

I have used both and with both there have been times when I've gotten wet getting back on the trailer. I'm not a power loader because the ramp I use is just too shallow to allow it so I have to use a tilt and a winch every time. So I'm biased towards keel roller or full roller trailers. I too am not a big fan of dunkin my trailer all the way up to the ball hitch.

 

[MontanaAardvark]

Re: Time to Admit I Need Lessons

You didn't mention or I didn't see it but is this an all bunk traier of a keel roller bunk trailer?

I have used both and with both there have been times when I've gotten wet getting back on the trailer. I'm not a power loader because the ramp I use is just too shallow to allow it so I have to use a tilt and a winch every time. So I'm biased towards keel roller or full roller trailers. I too am not a big fan of dunkin my trailer all the way up to the ball hitch.

Not a single roller on the trailer - except for the one that doesn't roll at the bow end.

A couple months ago, I started looking into converting it to a roller trailer, but just ran into thread after thread of "why would you do that?" implying it's a bad thing. I think "Home Cookin'" has a good suggestion there, about trading trailers, or getting a tilt trailer locally.

 

[Thalasso]

Re: Time to Admit I Need Lessons

I think it's time to stand in front of the group like it was AA and say "Hi, I'm Bob and I have a problem. I suck at the ramp". I can launch OK, it's just that I've never retrieved it without going shin deep in the water and coming home with wet shoes. The boat is a 16' Starcraft side console fishing boat with an EZ Loader trailer.

It has been 20 years since I last owned a boat. My first boat, over 30 years ago, was a big Dusky. 20' center console, over 2000 pounds, and automation was the answer. It had a power winch and poly rollers (the golden color ones). Put the trailer in the water without even getting the hubs wet, walk down the trailer to hook up the cable and back, pull a pin so that the trailer could tilt and then hit the button on the power winch. Boat rolls up the trailer to the bow rest in perfect alignment. As they say around here, "wah lah". Throw on a strap and ready to roll - never got wet. Easy-peasy.

My next boat was almost identical to the one I have now: a 16' Alumacraft. That trailer also had rollers, but with a manual winch instead of power. Pull the boat onto the end, walk down to hook up the strap, crank the winch. Throw the strap over the stern and off you go. Never got wet.

Today's trailer has bunks instead of rollers. I can get the boat into the water by removing the chain and unhooking the bow eye, then backing down until she floats. My wife is on the dock with the ropes and guides her back. To retrieve the boat, I have to dunk the trailer until the boat floats on, but nothing holds her and she just slides back off if I try to pull the trailer. I have walked down the trailer to the winch and just gotten slightly wet. One time, I walked down the trailer, climbed onto the boat and added some power to slide her farther up. That didn't work well. The bow was way off the bow roller for months after that.

So in the old days, my hubs didn't even get wet. Now I not only submerge the hubs, I submerge the entire tire and the fender above them. This is progress? (Yeah, I know the hubs are supposed to be able to take that).

Can anyone point to videos or lessons on how to retrieve? I've looked at one or two, and I seem to be more or less right, but I'm just not getting it. Maybe I need to change the way something is set up?

It's not that I really mind getting wet, it's summer and the water is 85 degrees. I just don't want to do it in the winter. And I especially don't like getting back in my truck with salt water soaked shoes and dripping salt water. I don't want my floor to rust out under my feet.


Bob

Your backing in to far.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Time to Admit I Need Lessons

the people who say "why would you do that?" just don't know. If you are getting wet, if your vehicle is getting wet, you aren't doing it right, or your boat and facilities and trailer don't match. Which is to say, there are exceptional circumstances, but they should be the exception, not the rule.

 

[MontanaAardvark]

Re: Time to Admit I Need Lessons

the people who say "why would you do that?" just don't know. If you are getting wet, if your vehicle is getting wet, you aren't doing it right, or your boat and facilities and trailer don't match. Which is to say, there are exceptional circumstances, but they should be the exception, not the rule.

Which is why I came here to say, "teach me!".

 

[bonz_d]

Re: Time to Admit I Need Lessons

I've heard all the bunks are better arguements and I still don't agree. Just to limiting in my opinion and a proper roller trailer provides support just as well as bunks.

 

[bonz_d]

Re: Time to Admit I Need Lessons

Which is why I came here to say, "teach me!".

Some folks just want it easy. Submerge the trailer, drive'er on and away you go. Never have to get out of the boat. Never have to get wet and never have to use a winch.

When winching on a boat I've never had one go on crooked unless of course it was an uneven gravel ramp.

 

[sstone]

Re: Time to Admit I Need Lessons

Launching I feel is similar with anything, back it in, unhook, float it, done. (freshwater at least)
Loading will be different for any boat/trailer/ramp combo. For my rig (keel roller, bunks aft) steep ramp needs a little more backing in, broken too many straps trying to winch it up. Shallow ramp, back so the roller is just underwater, hit the roller, ease it up close to the winch, tighten down.

I have no experience with salt water and trying to preserve the trailer from corrosion, or with the bunk lube. Kind of scares me though, without the bunk friction that's a lotta pull on that bow strap

On a slow day, try different amounts of trailer submersion and different amounts of boat-on-trailer before winching and see what works best with minimal effort and minimal getting wet.

Disclaimer: I have no idea what I'm talking about outside my own rig

 

[roscoe]

Re: Time to Admit I Need Lessons

Definitely backing in too far on retrieval.

Back in till the front of the bunks are about 4" out of the water.

This will allow the keel to center between the bunks, and allow you to float the boat almost to the bow stop.
Reach out, clip on the winch strap, winch it in the remaining 2 feet.

Yes, sometimes you will get your ankles wet. Depends on the ramp and the trailer.

 

[Lakes84]

Re: Time to Admit I Need Lessons

Another idea is to watch others at the boat ramp and see what they do. Take notes. Like others have said, I think your pulling in too far. On my rig, my rule is bunks 3/4 submerged. I back them in as far as I can to pre-wet them, so it's easier on cranking, then pull out till bunk are close to 3/4 out of the water, then.....well, you know how to do the rest. I really think it's just about the trailer placement for you, otherwise I think you got it down pat. -Joe

 

[MontanaAardvark]

Re: Time to Admit I Need Lessons

Another idea is to watch others at the boat ramp and see what they do. Take notes. Like others have said, I think your pulling in too far. On my rig, my rule is bunks 3/4 submerged. I back them in as far as I can to pre-wet them, so it's easier on cranking, then pull out till bunk are close to 3/4 out of the water, then.....well, you know how to do the rest. I really think it's just about the trailer placement for you, otherwise I think you got it down pat. -Joe

Interesting feedback. I don't think my boat will go on my trailer if the bunks are just 3/4 out of the water, which I read as the back 1/4 is underwater, and the front 3/4 are dry - just wetted down. I'll have to try. I guess the hull shape would make a lot of difference, this one is a fairly flat bottom with a slight Vee. More than a flat Jon boat, but not lie a real deep vee.

When I got my boat, the dealer took us out and we did a test drive, but I didn't watch this part. The strap on the winch was never let out a long way, though, they dunked the trailer, drove the boat up to the bow rest and then hitched it up, maybe one or two cranks of the handle. I found out why a few months later, it was so weak and rotted that it was only about 1/4 of the normal width. I replaced it several months ago.

At the ramps, I see virtually everyone leaves someone in the boat that drives it up the trailer after someone else backs down the trailer. My wife isn't much help at anything that requires strength, and, at 4'10" can't really see out the back of the Explorer well enough to back down the trailer. It's pretty much a one man show, although she takes the ropes while I'm sliding it off the trailer and getting it back in place.


Bob

 

[UncleWillie]

Re: Time to Admit I Need Lessons

... can't really see out the back of the Explorer well enough to back down the trailer...

Hint:
Raise the rear hatch and flatten the back seats.
TURN AROUND AND LOOK out the open hatch.
You can see everything!

Easy, Breezy!

 

[southkogs]

Re: Time to Admit I Need Lessons

... I really think it's just about the trailer placement for you...

I tend to agree. Sounds more like a practice issue. Take some time to go to the ramp when there's not much traffic. Back the boat in and see how far you have to go to effectively launch it.

For mine - I watch until my rear guides are just about to submerge. At that point, the stern is pretty much floating and the bow is just resting on the roller. Unhook the bow strap, and back the boat right off. Comin' on can gently approach (no power loading ), bump that roller and know the bow eye is about 24" from the stop roller. Took me about 2 runs to figure out my target.

BTW - I have a bunk trailer ... and I intentionally get my ankles wet most of the time that I launch or recover. I've just always done it that way. The little bit of cold weather boating I do, I can get off and on without getting wet if I need to.

Practice. Other than being safe and smart, there aren't really any extra points for style.

 

[bryanwess2000]

Re: Time to Admit I Need Lessons

I don't have alot of experience with bunk trailers but I know there are different types. If you post a pic of your rig and maybe how deep your backing in to retrieve the boat some of the guys can offer better guidance. It may be the trailer is not setup right for your boat and some guys on here can help you set it up better.