Boat Buddy??? What is this?

[mobiusLSV05]

Can someone tell me exactly what a boat buddy is and does. Is it really that hard to crank up the boat onto the trailer. Is this another term for an automatic winch? Info appreciated.

[Jon]

A boat buddy is this system that attaches on your trailer where the roller for your wench is. It is a pin that locks through your boat's bow eye. You put the pin the the open "set" position and when you pull your boat up on your trailer, it locks once the bow eye is all the way up. That way you won't have to get someone to get in the water and attach the strap and crank you up. Just drive the boat on the trailer, here the click and tell the driver in the vehicle to go.

[OnTheH20]

I noticed your comment about it being hard to wench up. I've got an LSV and couldn't budge it the last few inches with the wench. The only reason we tried wneching is that we couldn't power those last inches up either.

The trailer was in over the fenders, wife gave it full throttle and it still wouldn't power up onto the trailer more. Any recommendations?

[Jon]

I would think the problem would be with the angle of the ramp. If I were you, leave the fenders barely out of the water and try to load your boat. Once you get posititoned on the trailer, back down a little more and crank and give it gas at the same time. This should get you up there. When pulling out, take it slow and make sure you don't drift over on top of a fender.

I always make sure the bunks are wet .Put the trailer all the way down and then come up to what is normal for you.Just my .02.
John

[seanpatsdad]

Make sure the bunks are totally wet works well also.
John

[mobiusLSV05]

Hey, thanks for the info, Im still a little confused, By the sounds of it you have to "power load" the boat onto the trailer, that is heavily frowned upon in Michigan(fines). If I am mistaken could you please go into more detail. What happens to the winch--looks like mechanism replaces roller and strap/winch assembly? If Im wrong do you all recommend getting one (not that expensive if it saves time)

[Jon]

The boat buddy system is there and the winch and roller are there as well. When the boat buddy is locked and you have the strap attached, you are connected twice to your trailer. Just a safeguard I guess.

You do have to drive the boat onto the trailer, all the way up to the roller. I feel sorry for the person having to do the cranking if you can't do that in Michigan. I can't imagine doing it that way.

[seanpatsdad]

Mobiuslsv05
Go to www.bassproshop.com and do a search using this number 38-550-675-00.It gives a description of what it is and a picture.
John

[jburnside]

Guys,
I load my current '03 Outback LS using the standard winch and have done so on probably 20 different ramps and have never had any real problems. I follow the recommendations shown in the owners manual and it works every time. Jon's thought about the angle of the ramp is probably correct and the fenders should not be totally submerged.

MobiusLSV05,
You're correct it's illegal in Michigan to power load but I see people do it all the time in front of DNR and County people. I guess as long as you're not churning up the bottom to bad while you load it's not a big deal? Like I said above, I still hand load our boat and plan to do the same with our new LSV when it comes in. The difference in weight between my current boat and the new boat is only 50lbs, no big deal. Good luck.