Yarcraft 186 trailer issues

I bought a 2021 Yarcraft 186 and got the single axel option for the trailer. I love the boat but loading and unloading is a royal pain! To launch, I not only need a deep landing but I need to back way in until the Yukon’s back tires are pretty close to in the water. It begins to float off but then hangs up when the deep bow slides against the bunks. I can live with that but loading is worse. I need to back the trailer in so the side guides are just visible and then gun it a little. Then I crawl out and hook up the straps and begin cranking. There is no way to to pull it up farther unless I back it in a couple of feet more. When I do that the boat is essentially floating again and if there is a cross wind or current the boat is not on straight. I have tried backing in deeper to start with but then the boat has no guides to get it lined up and you can even miss the front hook up. I am not sure what can be done. A drotto wouldn’t solve it because you need to be so deep to get the ring in the catch that the boat will float to the side as you pull away. You guys have any ideas? I called Yarcraft and they acted like I was the only one to have this problem. I know this is not true because I have seen another guy have the same issues. Thanks. Mark.

If you aren’t doing some cranking, you are doing it wrong.

Is this true at various landings or are you using one landing exclusively? It’s been a bad year for a lot of landings due to the drought. A shallow or a steep landing can really change how you load or unload a bunk trailer.

Sounds to me like the landing is either pretty flat or shallow in general. It’s perfectly normal to have to crank your boat up some. That’s what it’s for.

It might take you a year or more at various landings to really get the hang of how to do it well.

Disconnect your winch strap and safety chain. When unloading hook a line to the boat, either a cleat or the winch eye. Make a loop around your winch stand with all the slack rope coiled and laying on the trailer frame. Back into the landing until the boat freely floats, the boat will float off the trailer. Once clear of the trailer put the truck in gear, pull forward until the winch stand is just out of the water. Put the truck in Park and go grab the rope off the winch stand. Pull the boat back to the dock and tie it off.

When loading, back the trailer all the way in and submerge all the bunks getting them wet. Pull forward until you see the top of your fenders just under the water. Hop in the boat and power load it up the the winch stand and connect your strap and safety chain with the motor running and slightly pushing against the winch. Slightly. Go shut the motor off, trim up and pull out. Pull out slow, if the boat has shifted it will align it’s self.

This will work for any and all fiberglass fishing boats on a launch thats deep enough. If it doesn’t work it’s the launch, not the trailer.

Agree with above not a trailer issue. You will get the hang of it eventually.
If you are not used to a bunk trailer it takes some practice. Landings are super low and shallow this year which makes you practice probably worse.
I have my ranger dialed in to the point of coming within 2 inches of the hook. You will get it.
It is harder to explain than it is to do, but I guarantee it is not a trailer issue.

Ripjiggen wrote:

Agree with above not a trailer issue. You will get the hang of it eventually.
If you are not used to a bunk trailer it takes some practice. Landings are super low and shallow this year which makes you practice probably worse.
I have my ranger dialed in to the point of coming within 2 inches of the hook. You will get it.
It is harder to explain than it is to do, but I guarantee it is not a trailer issue.

^^^^^^^This

Have you ever had a bunk trailer before? They can be a little tricky, but once you find the sweet spot they are a breeze.

Once you’re lined up and coming in on the trailer (before you have touched a bunk), give it a shot of throttle to pick the bow up. The vee will land centered in the bunks.

It’s not really powerloading and won’t wash out landings like true powerloading does. It also lets you keep the trailer a little shallower.

Sir, I don’t think it’s the trailers issue, yarcraft acted like that because you load and launch wrong. I appologize but you push to deep

I have a bunk trailer and have to crank it up maybe 2 times to load. It’s the launch for sure not the trailer.

Bunk trailers are the best and only trailer I’d ever consider. Once you have your routine down they are so much easier to deal with.

To unload:

I simply watch until I can see the back just begin to float and know I’m in the money spot. Jump out and it will shove off with a finger push. I crawl onto the front and tie off to the dock I’m next to without even starting the motor (if nobody is around). If someone is there, I fire up and move to a rock free spot to beach or tie off on the other side of the dock after backing up.

To load:

I coast into mine at forward idle…let it settle on the bunks (you can feel it center if you are at the right depth), then bump the throttle ever so slightly to get it within about 6″ of the roller on the winch. I climb to the front, hook the chain, crank it maybe one time around, and pull out. Even if someone is with me, they don’t have a job to do. It’s easier to do with 1 person than 2.

I watched a guy yell at his kid yesterday because he backed in the water too far and the kid pulled the boat right into the bow eye with his rope. Clunk.

Get longer drop on your trailer hitch can sometimes help.

I have loaded bunk trailers for 25 years. My old Yarcraft Storm would do everything, just like you described. I have tried it on 10 different landings. This rig cannot be cranked more than an inch if I pull on with an inch of side guides out of the water. The only way to get the bow up to the post is to back in farther, once it’s hooked up and then it floats off center if there is any crosswind. I am wondering if I need to move the post back a couple of inches. The boat would hang over over the back bunks by an inch or so.