OT: Trailering a boat

SHIPREC13 · 06-24-2005, 02:23 PM

This will be my first year trailering our boat . Just wondering if the guys on here who do this have any advice for a novice. I've researched launching and retreiving procedure online and after our first attempt launching is pretty easy. Retreiving on the other hand, thats where its gets interesting.
The boat is a 19ft. center console on a Load Rite roller type trailer.
Any advice is greatly appreciated.
Mark

P.S My username has nothing to do with boats.

Clint · 06-24-2005, 02:27 PM

Most important for your truck. Tow only in fouth gear in tow haul mode. Second if this is your first towing with the Titan you must drive at 50mph or under for your first 500 TOWING miles. It's to season the rear gears.

Clint

gf2020 · 07-06-2005, 11:19 AM

Quote:

Retreiving on the other hand, thats where its gets interesting.

How so?

I have a 20' center console that I launch and retrieve regularly by myself with no difficulty. I have an aluminum float on style bunk trailer which is used a bit differently than a roller trailer, but the procedures are generally similar.

What are the issues that you are encountering?

kvoman · 07-06-2005, 11:38 AM

I launch and retrieve the boat by myself also since my wife has to keep an eyes on our two little boys. I have learned a trick to retrieve my boat (an 18' Sea Doo Utopia 185, about #2800 wet) and have it centered also - back the trailer into the water so the water cover the bunk tips then pull it out with the bunk tips about 6" exposed (wet bunks make the boat slide on them easier). This way, there's not a whole lot of weight on the bow tie but still give me the ability to center the boat as it is rolled onto the bunks. I also have to drop the tailgate to see the empty trailer when I'm backing down the ramp.

FLA-Titan · 07-06-2005, 12:15 PM

With my boat, a 20' CC, I can load and unload it myself. Retrieving is easily done by winching the boat up. With a small boat, there really is no need to drive it up on the trailer, it is just quicker to do it that way. When winching, you need to make sure that 1/3 of the bunks are submerged and just float the boat on to the trailer and winch it tight. (In Palm Beach County most ramps have docks paralleling them, so it makes this easier.) Just make sure your engine is up before you pull out and your done. For a larger boat, it would definately be a two man job and you would have to drive it onto the trailer and have someone crank the strap to tighten it. As always, make sure you have Bow and Transom tiedowns on your boat, as losing your boat on the road is not fun.....

DeTitan · 07-06-2005, 12:31 PM

I used to launch and retrieve a sailboat with a retractable keel. The best thing is to have an extend-able tongue on the trailer, that way you can let the trailer go 5 feet or more further into the water depending on the extension, mine was just shy of 10 feet!

This way the tow vehicle can stay high and dry and out of the slippery muck.

If you get the extension then another sweet thing is a front hitch. I did this after spending a long day at the airport and watching all those folks push air planes around!

With the front hitch-ball, when I got to the pre-launch prep area, I would hitch the boat to the front, and could literally tango it around any obstacle with perfect control and vision.

The trailer was designed such that the extension slid into the larger center tube of the trailer itself.

There are some after market extensions out there.

With the trailer nicely submerged one can motor right into the trailer!

Bhudda454 · 07-06-2005, 01:37 PM

SHIPREC13,

This is just my 2 pesos worth here. When showing new owners how to trailer the boat we find it easiest to have the husband back the trailer into the water. Just deep enough to get the water above the tire, but not the fender well. This is on a gradual slope, if it is steep go ahead and get the fender under too. This will keep your truck on good mainly dry ground. Have the boat come in slow using the shifter to "Bump" the motor into gear. This will allow you to keep momentum, but not too fast. The outboard will steer as long as you are moving. COme in as straight as possible. Use the front navigation light as a reference to the whinch post on the trailer. The boat should glide up the rollers fairly easy, the you can just apply enough forward throttle to get it to the whinch post making it easier to which it tight. If there is low water in the marina, be sure to trim up about a quarter. This should keep you from banging the prop. Now, the reason I said have the wife trailer the boat. They hate wasting money usually, and pay a whole lot more attention when doing tasks requiring finesse. Drop me a line if you need anything else.

SHIPREC13 · 07-06-2005, 06:29 PM

Thanks for the replys. As usual TitanTalk has provided Good advice. I wasn't so much having problems seeing as how I had only launched and retreived once when I posted, I was just looking for some experianced advice. It was windy that day which made it a challeng to line the boat up. My sescond attempt was better still windy but we dunked the trailer further and that made it easier. Since it is a roller trailer it's not to bad to winch. I'm sure like anything else the more practice I get the easier I'll be doing it. Who knows maybe soon I will be able to do it solo.

Bhudda454: I let my girlfriend pull the boat and trailer up the ramp. At first she gunned it and spun the tires but then let off and pulled us up the ramp. At the top a guy was directing us to park between two other truck and trailers. My girlfriend looked back at me and said "do you want to drive it" I said no go ahead. She pulled it in perfectly, it was great. Again thanks for the advice

Mark