Trailer Woes

[downhilldad]

Anyone have a suggestion on how to keep my 1998 22i off the side fender bunk of my 1993 SB sports tandem trailer when taking the boat out of the water?

I just had fiber glass work done and had the side bunk replaced after we crushed it last year.. now again this year same thing.. when taking the boat out of the water it never seems to sit between the fender bunks quite right, gets hung up on one side and sits down hard on the fender..

this time it put a 5 inch gouge on the new gel coat work we just had done. ouch!

[bfrank]

How far are you backing in?? I back in so the top of the wheel well is just out of the water, and drive it on, and winch it the rest of the way. I leave the first bunks out and a little of the second bunks out so the boat has to follow the bunks.

[Tequilasun]

Originally posted by bfrank
How far are you backing in??

I think bfrank is on the right track here. We back in just far enough to sink the rear bunks. The waterline is just a little over the fenders. Then power on up. Recently I have been using the winch to pull the boat up too.

My Father in law backed the trailer a little too deep the other day and we had to re-float the boat so that it sat on the trailer correctly. He sank the trailer a little too deep, then came out of the water a little too quickly, so the boat did not have time to settle.

But as I am writing this, I don't think there is a way to set my boat on the fender, it would have to be way off line.

So questions:

Do you have guide poles at the rear of your trailer?

Is your trailer perhaps too narrow for the boat? (sorry, unfamilar with that brand and type)

[smendez]

I keep the fenders of trailer just above the water line when retrieving the boat from the water. Then use a combination of power on and winch all the way to the top.

That's how we ensure that the boat is straight on the trailer. Otherwise it can get off center and bad things happen. I know from experience.

[ghollow]

Sounds like your trailer is not set up properly for your boat. The guide poles draginass mentions are important also. Is the ramp you use real steep? If it is you may have to put your trailer in a little deeper and guide the boat onto the trailer as you slowly pull the trailer out of the water.

[Tige M.D.]

is the boat centered on the trailer? the rudder should be lined up with
the centerline of the trailer. if it is, is it still closer on one side?