How to set up a trailer to power load

I have had several boats and trailers and I usually go fishing alone. In addition some of the places I launch require a drive-on trailer to load the boat (very steep ramps). It has always been easy to load all my other boats on the trailer by simply backing my trailer down the ramp, cranking up the kicker then motoring up onto the trailer. The boat I have now has me stumped. It is is an old 16 foot bowrider . When I got the boat the trailer had rollers down the middle of the trailer that contacted the keel and two very short ( 2ft. long) two by four bunks at the back of the trailer. With this set up the only way to load the boat was to winch it on the trailer which meant wading out waist deep to help guide the boat on the trailer. If the wind was blowing or the current was moving This was a difficult thing to do! I replaced the rollers with two full length bunk boards about two feet up the side of the boat. The hull shape goes from flat at the stern to a deep V at the bow. I left two rollers on the trailer for centering the keel. One of those centering rollers at the end of the trailer and one keel roller at the next cross brace on the trailer. This is much better but I still can't consistantly center the boat on the trailer or drive it completely on. I also have two upright Guides at the back of the trailer. Can anybody help by telling me how to set up my trailer for a bow rider hull so I can drive all the way on my trailer withour going full power? I'd like to be able to center the boat each time and drive on without using a lot of power. Thanks for the help!

A few pictures would help a lot but it sounds like you need a bunk on each side instead of, or to work along with the vertical guide posts to help center it up. Also, the depth you back it into the water can make all the difference in the world and every setup is different. So, it may take some trial and error to find the correct depth that allows it to stay center but also gives you enough water to drive it on.

might consider some of those bunk slicks, would help in the loading process but might make it worse on the launching since I've read those things are slicker than snot. You should be able to drive further up on the trailer with less power, and then winch it the rest of the way.

I use a steep ramp at times, but don't have the slicks on my bunks, I can back my trailer in deep enough to where I can just drive on within 6" of the front roller/winch under low power (a bit above idle). That is something else to consider is how deep are you backing the trailer in when loading up. Try dunking/wetting the entire bunks/carpet which may help as well or adjusting the depth of your trailer (back in further) when loading. If the trailer is not "made " for the boat, its a trial and error thing until you can figure out what works at certain ramps.

Some are just tough to load on basic trailers. Longer bunks might help with alignment, and side guides- the small 2x4 bunks that guide the side of the hull helped me a lot with my old boat. I used 10 or 12" centering rollers , kinda v shaped, and that helped the v stay centered. They were about 1/8" clear when the boat was loaded eliminating pressure points that wear either the roller or the hull. The bunks carried the weight. There is definitely a sweet spot for the depth of the trailer when loading. The top of My fenders are at water level when it loads best, yours might be different. And some trailers ride the boat higher and you may need to get a pair of boots to help it load. Pics would help, good luck with it.

Those slicks are great until it comes time to power load the boat. What happens is you drive on the trailer up to the stop but as soon as you shut the motor off the boat slides back and often off the trailer. The way I have to do it when by myself is keep the motor running in gear just fast enough to keep it from sliding back until I can get up there and connect the strap. There has to be an easier way but it works.

Bill, I've seen some auto connect devices that catch the bow eye on contact. Ever look into those? I saw them on large salt water boats, made loading much easier for those folks.

Thanks for all the good ideas. I know it's hard to respond without pictures. I do have the side bunk guides on the boat and they have helped a lot. I haven't tried the slides but I did spray some silicone spray on the carpet on my bunkboards and yes it loaded right up and then slid off before I could hook up the winch hook. I also know of a guy who had his boat slide off his trailer on a cold day when there was apparently ice on the bunks making them really slippery. He backed his boat down the ramp and heard the boat sliding off the trailer onto the ramp. Luckily it didn't go all the way off and the motor was trimmed up so the only damage was to the bottom of the boat and to the transducer. I saw the whole thing from my truck and was able to winch my...er I mean HIS boat back on the trailer! I think I'll just get some waders for when the water is cold weather and deal with it. I can't afford a new boat yet but you can bet my next boat will have a low casting deck on the front so I can load it myself.

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Originally Posted by skeetbum

Bill, I've seen some auto connect devices that catch the bow eye on contact. Ever look into those? I saw them on large salt water boats, made loading much easier for those folks.

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Yes I have but Some of the write-ups about them shot them down a lot. This was quite a while ago so maybe they have been improved.