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Boat trailer drive on bunkie boards
rusty hook	#1  Posted on 03/04/10 - 6:47 AM
Member Posts: 52 Comments: 0 Joined: 01/01/10	My trailer only has the 2 underneath bunkie boards on the trailer for hull support. It has the rollers down the middle, and I have installed the side guide on boards with the high lights to be out of the water. My problem is I fish 90% of the time by myself and try to drive on and the boat keeps getting off to the side and scratching my hull. Some of the ramps where I live are real steep and the trailer has to backed far down into the water. So when you try to drive on, you are halfway up on the trailer before the 2 side boards help at all. What are some suggestions as to solve this problem. I have thought about installing some more boards beside the rollers at an angle to form a cradle for loading. An suggestions for this problem, thanx, Doyle MY favorite two days of the week for fishing are TODAY & TOMORROW.
mattgeiger	#2  Posted on 03/04/10 - 7:04 AM
Member Personal Page Posts: 310 Comments: 2 Joined: 02/22/07	I was having the same issue. I didn't bother with side guides because it was the bow I figured I needed guiding. I added a pair of bunk boards forward on the trailer and fairly close together. This has worked really well, and it adds a little more support for trailering/storage. http://www.whalercentral.com/images/p...119_lr.jpg Cape Dory 28 Hobie 20 Miracle A Class Catamaran
rusty hook	#3  Posted on 03/04/10 - 7:19 AM
Member Posts: 52 Comments: 0 Joined: 01/01/10	My Whaler is a 1976, 15' model, and the bunk boards turned at an angle was what I was thinking also, thanx, Doyle P.S. I was the ol rascal that was thinking about putting a 90 hp on the back of my 15', but decided against it from all the comments from this forum and the 2coolfishing forum, I powered with a 60hp Evinrude, and glad of it, really great performane and power. Great advise from yall, thanx again. MY favorite two days of the week for fishing are TODAY & TOMORROW.
JohnnyCW	#4  Posted on 03/04/10 - 8:10 AM
Member Posts: 684 Comments: 0 Joined: 08/16/09	mattgeiger wrote: I added a pair of bunk boards forward on the trailer and fairly close together. This has worked really well, and it adds a little more support for trailering/storage. I did the same with mine and it made a considerable difference.
DWinter	#5  Posted on 03/05/10 - 5:08 AM
Member Personal Page Posts: 252 Comments: 0 Joined: 01/02/10	You're sinking your trailer to far. If you are using a bunk trailer and the bunks are originally set up for your Whaler, Back the trailer into the water leaving about 6" of the forward end of the bunks out of the water. Ease the boat between the bunks until it stops (hits the bunks). Allow the boat to settle between the bunks on its own and KEEP YOUR WEIGHT CENTERED. Then trim motor up slightly, go into gear and ease it forward all the way to the bow stop. You can adjust any alignment with the bow eye and bow stop with minor steering corrections. I know you can't see the bow eye, but align the forward nav lite with a spot on the center of the vehicle your hooked to Trust me, I teach this method to my new customers during in water deliveries on trailers without guides and it works, even in high wind and current situations. The bunks if properly set will center the boat for you. Duane G Winter 1984 BW Sport 15 Center Console
tedious	#6  Posted on 03/05/10 - 8:17 AM
Member Personal Page Posts: 1072 Comments: 2 Joined: 09/07/08	Maybe the solution would be to quit the power loading. I don't think it takes me more than 15 seconds to winch my 15 onto the trailer - you can pull it most of the way by hand. Tim
JohnnyCW	#7  Posted on 03/05/10 - 8:30 AM
Member Posts: 684 Comments: 0 Joined: 08/16/09	I rarely ever power mine up to the bow chock anymore. Even with my 17', I can winch it with only the first few inches of the main bunks in the water as long as I splash the bunks first. The keel rollers make it pretty easy but I'm also still relatively fit with no disabilities though I do nurse old rotator cuff injuries in both shoulders.
kamie	#8  Posted on 03/05/10 - 12:30 PM
Member Personal Page Project Albums Posts: 2975 Comments: 3 Joined: 11/04/05	rusty hook, quit power loading. Here is what I do to load my 18 Outrage solo on an old Cox trailer with keel rollers and bunks. 1. back the trailer so the first keel roller is under water ( not an absolute requirement) 2. hook the winch strap to the boat and push the boat as far back as the winch strap will go 3. crank like all heck so the boat starts to track toward the trailer. 4. keep cranking like heck, as the boat straightens out and rolls up onto the trailer. 5. once the bow passes the second keel roller, your home free I have had to do it a couple times when either really bad cross winds or currents pushed the stern around but usually it comes up straight.
JohnnyCW	#9  Posted on 03/05/10 - 1:58 PM
Member Posts: 684 Comments: 0 Joined: 08/16/09	A lot more control and much less chance of damage using the winch. Because my Outrage is relatively small, I find myself using much more sketchy ramps than I would ever consider using with my larger cuddy. Steep ramps, uneven, whatever... I've learned the value of the winch. For anyone just using bunks and no keel rollers, the winch is gonna take a whole lot more effort. Ideally your Whaler should have some significant portion of its mass supported by keel rollers anyway.
DWinter	#10  Posted on 03/05/10 - 3:43 PM
Member Personal Page Posts: 252 Comments: 0 Joined: 01/02/10	Power loading is not his problem, PROPER power loading is. I teach this to people every week and thankfully have never had a customer do any damage. They may not have got it right the first time but they got it. Duane G Winter 1984 BW Sport 15 Center Console
JohnnyCW	#11  Posted on 03/05/10 - 4:29 PM
Member Posts: 684 Comments: 0 Joined: 08/16/09	Guess I've been doing it wrong for over 30 years.
kamie	#12  Posted on 03/05/10 - 7:18 PM
Member Personal Page Project Albums Posts: 2975 Comments: 3 Joined: 11/04/05	DWinter, You must have better ramps then the ones I use. If I tried to sink my trailer so only 6" of my bunks were showing, I would be off the end of the ramp and never pull the trailer out of the water with the boat on it. My ramp is a very short wooden ramp with metal grates for some type of traction
JohnnyCW	#13  Posted on 03/05/10 - 8:08 PM
Member Posts: 684 Comments: 0 Joined: 08/16/09	There are several factors that come into play. The ramp, wind/tide, and most importantly is the trailer appropriate and setup correctly for the vessel. I've been boating on a regular basis for a good deal of years but I'm not so arrogant to say that sometimes things don't go the way I expect. As far as successfully sticking the boat to the trailer, all the skill in the world wont always overcome an improperly setup trailer.
rusty hook	#14  Posted on 03/05/10 - 9:04 PM
Member Posts: 52 Comments: 0 Joined: 01/01/10	Power loading How is your trailer set up? Mine had two bunks and rollers in the middle. I dont think this trailer is for this boat. My last boat had a bunk board on each side of the rollers and 2 more closer to the fender wells. I just came back from the boat ramp, and most new trailers are set up like that with 6 bunk boards that make a cradle for the hull. But most boats down here are fiberglass and center consoles. I live on the Gulf Coast near Houston and we have tidal flows all the time. So sometimes you go out fine and when you come in the tide had gone out, and some of these ramps are extremly steep. Im 69 years old, and have had a heart attack and a five way by pass, 4 stints later in my heart, one stint in my leg, carothode artery surgery on both sides of my neck, so thats why I try and load that way., "POWER LOAD" Also, I was at the boat ramp one day and a man tried to load his older boat and the bow eye pulled out, what a mess he had. My Whaler is a 1976, 15"model so I try to be nice to her! After seeing all the newer trailer set ups at the boat ramps today, Im going to add bunks to the middle next to the rollers at an angle and also 1 more toward the fender wells. I will also try the way some have suggested about only having 6" of the bunk in the water. Also, we fish down here "YEAR ROUND" so getting feet wet in 30 degree water is not an option. LOL Edited by rusty hook on 03/05/10 - 9:09 PM MY favorite two days of the week for fishing are TODAY & TOMORROW.
Joe Kriz	#15  Posted on 03/05/10 - 9:57 PM
Site Owner Personal Page Personal Album Photo Albums Project Albums Posts: 11434 Comments: 452 Joined: 03/18/05	Here is a photo of a fairly common setup for a trailer. All of my trailers have been setup like this. 2 long bunks close to center and 2 short outer bunks. Center keel rollers and side bunk guides. This particular photo shows side roller guides instead of the bunk style guides. [img]http://www.whalercentral.com/forum/attachments/trail-rite_trailer.jpg[/img]
rusty hook	#16  Posted on 03/06/10 - 6:59 AM
Member Posts: 52 Comments: 0 Joined: 01/01/10	After looking at your trailer set up, I believe this is the way for me to go. My trailer is for sure set up very wrong. Thanx for all yalls help from the Whaler family, Doyle Edited by rusty hook on 03/06/10 - 7:10 AM MY favorite two days of the week for fishing are TODAY & TOMORROW.
fredbrillo	#17  Posted on 03/06/10 - 1:29 PM
Member Posts: 14 Comments: 1 Joined: 03/24/08	Lately Ive seen alot of trailers that have a special Y shaped device that replaces the forward most keel roller. If you happen to get mis aligned, the Y shaped device (its made of aluminum or galvanized steel and covered with some of that new composite low friction material) causes the boat to realign itself on the trailer. Prior to getting one of these I was getting deep gouges in the gel coat from getting off of alignment and the forward most keel roller bracket would make contact with the hull. Down in South Florida or the Florida Keys, we have the worlds worst ramps...hard to believe with so many boats here, but its true...particularly down in the Keys...
JohnnyCW	#18  Posted on 03/06/10 - 5:00 PM
Member Posts: 684 Comments: 0 Joined: 08/16/09	fredbrillo wrote:Down in South Florida or the Florida Keys, we have the worlds worst ramps...hard to believe with so many boats here, but its true...particularly down in the Keys... I'll vouch for that!
rusty hook	#19  Posted on 03/15/10 - 8:55 PM
Member Posts: 52 Comments: 0 Joined: 01/01/10	Ok this is the conclusion of my bunk boards forum discussion that happened Sunday. Added 2 bunks down the middle set at an angle beside the rollers and 74" long mounted toward the front of trailer first. Drove to the boat ramp, approx 3 miles from my house, backed boat and trailer and unloaded the boat. Pulled the trailer out and covered the two bunk boards with black carpet. Backed trailer down until approx 6" of the first bunk was under water, drove boat up and on the trailer with no problems. Tide was way out so a little problem, but the boat slide to the middle on the rollers just like it was supposed to. Thanx for all yalls help. MY favorite two days of the week for fishing are TODAY & TOMORROW.