New boat to me.
I was going to put a cleat on the bow and a cleat on the trailer for launching/loading on steep ramps so I can release the winch without the boat flying down the trailer
when someday down the road I don’t have the motor rpm high enough, or let’s say the motor quits or rotates.
Then I looked at my trailer, and I’m scratching my head how I can do this.
Advice?
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The eyelet where your safety chain is hooked is a GREAT place to hook a rope to so you can tie off your boat to the trailer and release the strap and lower your boat slowly in the water by hand.Loading you just drive up on trailer keeping throttle up some and walking forward to hook safety chain and the back to shut off motor,it will only go back a few inches ,hook strap and ratchet forward.
This has worked for me in the past loading and unloading by my self on an incline.(16′ Lund 40 hp)
What motor do you have ?
New boat to me.
I was going to put a cleat on the bow and a cleat on the trailer for launching/loading on steep ramps so I can release the winch without the boat flying down the trailer
when someday down the road I don’t have the motor rpm high enough, or let’s say the motor quits or rotates.Then I looked at my trailer, and I’m scratching my head how I can do this.
Advice?
99% of the time I launch and reload my boat on a roller trailer by myself. I am getting to a point where I too wanted a better way than depending on the motor to hold the boat in position while I hooked something up, whether it be a rope or the winch strap. I recently purchased a Drotto boat latch. (www.drottoproducts.com) I have used it several times now and can tell you I am happy with my purchase. Drive right up to the latch, click, the boat is secure and I can immediately shut down the motor. Works like a charm and easy to install. No, I don’t get a commission for recommending this product, all I can say is it works for me and I wish I had bought it years ago.
like others have said, permanently tie a rope to the bow loop, and put the trailer cleat on the side of the winch post. I’m right-handed, so I put mine on the starboard side.
You just need to get the boat close enough to attach the winch strap to, so having the “pull rope” off to the side slightly is no big deal.
HRG
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They make a hooking system that auto latches a pin through your bow eye when you hit it. I forget the name but will do some searching. This would only help when loading though I think, I’m not sure how it releases.
Kodiak boat buddy
I load/unload my 18 ft alumacraft 90% of the time. While unloading I tie a rope to side clevis and pull it tight to the winch. Then wrap the rope around the area between front roller for bow of boat and winch. Dont wrap the entire rope just 3 ft or so. Hold on to the loop end and start to unwind the winch. The boat will roll some but only until the rope becomes tight. Disconnect the winch rope and let go of the rope making sure it doesnt entangle with the winch. After a few time doing this you will love this method.
It’s a 70hp motor. 17′ sylvan
Loads great and unloads great too, but I do have a loose steering wheel, meaning it tends to turn easily. Not a big deal on normal ramps, I haven’t used a steep ramp with this boat yet and am trying to avoid and issues.
I’m 6’7″ and its quite a reach to the eyelet. I’m thinking the trailer cleat on the winch post will not only allow the boat to slip down the trailer a few inches, which is fine, unless your on a steep ramp and accidentally let go of the handle.
I fish ALOT, so figure it’s bound to happen.
Maybe if I put a cleat right on the bow, and have a rope tied close to the hitch of the trailer, or maybe even a carabineer attaching to the truck hitch safety chain hook.
That should be at a low enough angle where it will stay tight when the which is released, and I can easily access the bow cleat to undo the rope and slip down the trailer.
Or, and this might be better, attach rope to winch post at the same height as the winch.
Attach carabeaner to eyelet
Run rope through beaner and tie off at the cleat that’s about 2′ back from the bow.
This would be better for unload than it would be for load, but I think I wouldn’t need this much for loading.
I’ll have to take a look at that auto hitch thing.
Guess the title of thread should have been unloading since I can always crank up to load on a real steep landing. Just trying to avoid the broken wrist from the winch handle – that I’ve heard many stories of
Dual speed winch is fantastic for cranking the boat up. Dutton makes some good ones. Very easy on the arms even if you need to crank them a long ways.
Guess my rollers are stiff enough that even on some very steep ramps Im still pushing the boat off by hand or using the motor to pull it off the trailer. Maybe some trailers roll easier than others. Did have one ramp when trying to load is was steep enough to keep rolling the boat back. Was lucky enough to holler at someone walking by to hook up the front end for me.
Have power loaded by myself a few times and it worked. Still dont care to do it. Worried that when this doesnt work well its going to go bad in a big way and very quickly.
The only ramps I have had issues at are on the rainy river. Birchdale comes to mind.
Guess the title of thread should have been unloading since I can always crank up to load on a real steep landing. Just trying to avoid the broken wrist from the winch handle – that I’ve heard many stories of
That’s the nice thing about the Drotto boat latch, no swinging winch handle to deal with. The winch is still there but you don’t have to use the winch to launch your boat.
What I do is back the trailer down close to the water. Unhook the safety chain and winch strap. At this point the boat is going nowhere because it is held by the latch. Back the rig on into the water to the point I would for any typical launch. Get out grab the bow/docking rope which is not under any tension and release the latch. Presto the boat is now free to roll off the trailer.
If I wish to load by hand rather than power load, no problem. Just hook the winch as normal and start cranking. Once you reach the latch, the bow eye enters the latch and, click, it closes.
The latch works very much like the door latch on your truck or car. Very simple yet secure.
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>fishbloodrivermud wrote:</div>
Advice?
99% of the time I launch and reload my boat on a roller trailer by myself. I am getting to a point where I too wanted a better way than depending on the motor to hold the boat in position while I hooked something up, whether it be a rope or the winch strap. I recently purchased a Drotto boat latch. (www.drottoproducts.com) I have used it several times now and can tell you I am happy with my purchase. Drive right up to the latch, click, the boat is secure and I can immediately shut down the motor. Works like a charm and easy to install. No, I don’t get a commission for recommending this product, all I can say is it works for me and I wish I had bought it years ago.
X2…..they work great, no more wet feet either!
I have ran across a few people that replace the front roller with a set of small bunks to help keep their boat from rolling when it is not time.
I put a cleat on the bow works great for me. You can also use the cleat for the anchor rope.
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I guess there is something to be said about my SmokerCraft bunk trailer. I enjoy easy loading and unloading.
Thanks for all the suggestions guys.
I’ll try to implement something this week.
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