Drive on/off or Float on/off??

[deerfield]

With low profile Outback, float on/off. This is the only way I can ensure never taking a chunk of gelcoat from the bow accidentally smacking the winch. Trailer setup on my Nautique was completely different, allowing power on/off.

[KG's Supra24]

All good then, lol.

around here I seem to have the opposite problem of powerloading. I have the new boating couple with their new pontoon and trailer backed to deep who need 5 attempts.

I give the fisherman the award for most creative techniques as I have seen some impressive performances from single unloads/loads

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[Cigars n scotch]

I can understand how you broke a winch strap mike. There is no way I could winch my boat up. Plus the fact with the boatmate design I don't think it is physical possible to use the winch and clear the boat buddy.



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I use my winch everytime to load my boat into the boat buddy, never had an issue (though I do hate the boat buddy).

I do everything myself. River where I board has a current and i am a control freak. When unloading I just back in until the boat is floating, unhook, and move it down the dock (wife and friends do this part) so the next person can drop in. To load, I sink the bunks to get wet and the fenders almost covered and I get it centered and winch it up the last few feet.

Our ramps are a joke, poor design and cheap and there's a drop off on both sides but we have to deal. My friends and I with inboards can ONLY launch at high tide and load in between low and high. If its low tide you're waiting a few hrs more unless you want to tear off your prop or rudder. I wish we had a lake. There's nicer docks and launch area further south down the river but it's a ways out of the way.

My buddy who has a SANTE 210 drives off and on his trailer. Everyone's process is different I guess.

[mmandley]

Broke the winch strap? How did you trailer the boat home?

I was cranking her up, almost at the D ring when i herd it rip, and the boat when sliding off the trailer, that was the last time i float and winch up my boat.

To get her home i powerloaded the boat, then used the strap to tie and anchor knott on the D ring. It was a major bish cutting it off, then i had to replace the strap.

Odly enough the straps are only rated for 2500lbs or 5K lbs and the 5k wont fit in my winch. So this explains part of how it broke. The other part is my boat used to load crocked and caused the strap to rub the edge of the winch. Since then i had the bunks raised and aligned at the dealer and the problem has some what been fixed. The winch is still out of alignment but im planning on going with a Fulton to match the new jack i put on this year.

[KSmith]

Lauching I'll back the trailer down the ramp until the water is about at the tops of the trailer fenders. Unhook bow strap, jump in, start up and back boat off trailer, under power yes but not much.

Loading again I back the trailer down the ramp, dunk the bunks, pull forward so the water is again at the top sof the fenders, wife drives boat on at idle, cuts power once she passes the guide poles, I hook up the bow strap and winch it in. If there is a inch or so yet to go I have the wife give it a little throttle so I can get the last inch or two winched on tight. Otherwise when we pull out the boat will not be tight to the bow roller.

Our ramps are long concrete as well so not overly worried about what little power we are using. We certainly don't rooster tail or gun the engine.

[rdlangston13]

i was at the launch at the river today and i was waiting in line to back my buddies rig in to get his boat and these morons in front of me got in the middle of the ramp, stopped 3 feet from the water and then decided to put in the bilge plug, take off the transom straps, load all their gear ect ect. stuff that should be done in the parking lot, not the launch ramp. there were also some people loading the boat on the trailers who only backed in about 1/3 of their trailer and power loaded like crazy. doesnt make sense to me. i got all the way down in there and the boat basically floated to the roller and i winched it tight. the guide poles kept it centered and we were off...

[jpetty3023]

@Mike, sometimes my strap buckles over a bit and folds. I can usually let some out and push the bow around to align but sometimes not. I'm also looking to upgrade to the Fulton set up. Lots of plans for this summer, well see how much actually gets done. I just hope my strap never snaps, WOW

@David, You should have walked down the ramp and threw their truck in reverse for them! That would have learned 'em

[rdlangston13]

ill stash this away in my bag of tricks for the future. then i will stand off to the side and yell "Your truck is sinking!!!"

[bergermaister]

I've always power loaded and unloaded, (unless it's dangerously shallow) but very slowly and gracefully to the point where you'd hardly notice and I can be in and out faster than most. I push the front eyelet right up to the roller and leave it in gear idling, walk up and lay down over the front, hook the winch, crank it a few times until snug (I'm tall), kill the boat or have some one else do it. Climb in the truck and drive away. Whole operation from passing through the guide bunks to driving away can take as little as 30-45 seconds when all goes as planned.

I'm not in a big hurry, rather just like everyone else can't stand the guys dicking around clogging up the lanes or acting like it's the first time they've ever seen a boat being loaded or launched before.

[sandm]

I'm with mike m at loading/unloading. always make sure she starts up before giving the final "shove" with the truck and finish unloading. loading I float up to within a foot of the boat buddy and winch the rest of the way then drive out. once in a while it doesn't center on the trailer and is off by a few inches. a quick tug on the boat and it'll settle right down onto the bunks..

we have really long and wide concrete ramps so power loading here is not an issue. my cousin powerloaded his tige to the point that the boat was usually pushing the truck up the hill for the first few feet. not my preferred way, but he had the large "goalposts" at the front for the nose of the boat.

I will agree with the single fisherman statement. some of them are a real treat to watch. lots of years of learning and skill..

I'm pretty good at doing it myself. when we camp on long weekends, I usually take 1/2 day off and go up early thursday am by myself and set up camp. I can be from trailered to on the water underway than most families on weekends. nothing better than a nice quiet day at a campsite enjoying a beer before the weekend partying.. some think I'm crazy, but it sure is relaxing once or twice a year..