Anyone have the Drotto Boat Latch system on their trailer ???

Got a Drotto Boat Latch ... but have yet to put it on, and probably won't until Spring. I won't be using the boat until then, so I'm keeping it off of the boat & out of the weather until then.

I have the Large Drotto Boat Latch w/roller & the security lock. I've read the warnings about not trailering the boat with the release handle attached, as bumpy roads may engage the handle & open the latch. Since I will still have the winch strap attached, I don't see that as a major problem, but I may still use a small bungie cord to hold the handle in place.

I'm just asking for experiences from members that have this latch system on their trailers, and what pros/cons they've dealt with.

I had on my last boat I sold and Loved it !!!! main reason was launching alone and when my wife would fish with me ,she does not know how to back a trailer so I would get it close so all she had to do was back me in the water a little I would pull launch lever the boat would slide off into the water !!! best thing was putting the boat back on the trailer I would back it in , get out and drive the boat on the trailer until I heard it CLICK tell the wife pull all the way up
to the loading area !!! Best moneys I ever spent !!! and I will have on my next Boat too for sure !!!!!

I am pleased with my Grotto, it's as simple as you can get to launch the boat. Getting it hooked up to pull boat out of the water for me is a little challenging but not because of the Grotto. My problem is my trolling motor sticks out so far I have a hard time centering the boat. Once it centers it's a piece of cake, you hear it latch and you're good to go. I would definitely buy another if I ever change boats

I installed a drotto on my boat this past summer. I swapped to composite runners on my trailer and they are so slick that it was a challenge to launch. My wife also fishes with me and I’ve tried to simplify my trailering as much as possible. I cannot recommend it enough, it has made launching and recovering much simpler, once we got the trailer depth figured out. She will finish backing me in and I release the latch and she goes to park. For recovery she will or I will back down the ramp and I load the boat and she pulls me out, either at the waters edge I’ll hook the strap or wait until we get to a parking area, it is a very secure latch and I’m confident that if it’s latched it will hold to the parking area.

Don't know how to share, but. Bullseye quick load I think.

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Originally Posted by Mbsbeek

Don't know how to share, but. Bullseye quick load I think.

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Those center trailer guide-on posts of Bullseye do look interesting ... but I'm talking about an automatic latch system. I already have rear guide-ons on my trailer & they do the job.

A few decades (& a couple of boats) ago ... I had the Boat Buddy auto latch system. It worked fine for quite a few years, but I ran the boat up on the trailer a little too hard & a few too many times and bent the pin to the point where it was very hard to pull it open so I could launch the boat. It also musta had a soft/base metal pin, because it was grooved a bit where the boat eye rubbed it when being trailered.

I would not have a trailer without one. I have never had it come loose unless I pulled the handle. I have the winch hooked up if it ever did. Had mine 5 or more years without a problem.

I have one on my boat. I take the handle off while I'm towing it. It works great , I have a 12 ft rope tie the handle so after starting up motor I just pull rope and boat starts sliding backwards. No problems so for.

Have one on the my boat.

Still use the winch strap to snug the boat up after retrieval and also use the safety chain.

I leave the handle on and have not had an instance of an accidental release of the mechanism, but this may be due the snug winch strap and less force on the mechanism latch.

I remove the winch strap and safety chain during launch prep and just launch the boat with a pull of the rope that is attached to the release handle with a brass spring clip.

Unclip the rope and stow when parking the trailer.

Easy Peasy

Interesting, thanks.

best thing i have ever bought for the trailer, it makes loading so so so much simpler!!! when trailering it i still attach the strap and i leave my handle attached aswell, i think keeping the strap attached keeps the boat nice and snug with no room for movement, without the strap there is room for play when trailering and i drive hundreds of miles at times, love the drotto and when folks see how simple it was to load i usually have one or two walk over and ask me about it

When I back in my back tires are at the water so to unhook my winch I would have to wear boots or get my feet wet. I let my tailgate down and back in until the back of the boat floats. I step on the running board then the tire and over in the bed of the truck, then step from the tailgate to the front of the boat and pull the rope to release the boat. When I load, I drive on until the boat latches, step from the front of the boat to the tailgate and off on the ground without getting my feet wet.