How far to back into water

[FYN409]

Looking for some advice on retreving my boat. We have done it several times, but have not found that "sweet spot". We just purchased a Sorrento 25, and it is on a newer bunk trailer. I have not figured out a good way to get the boat on the trailer without having to winch it a long way (3').

What do you do? How far in do you back the trailer? How far do you winch? I realize it depends on the ramp, but looking for general advice.

Thanks,
Ryan

 

[wish2fish]

you don't say but I assume you have tandem axel trailer.

A lot depends on conditions at the time of retrieval and whether you power load or not. We usually put the rear fender just under the waterline and the front fender just above the waterline. Power onto the trailer and then crank the last foot with the boat still in idle. Usually move fairly easy. I put the trailer all the way in to assure the bunks are wet for easier sliding.

 

[Buckeye Boater]

Ryan,

I too have been looking for that "sweet" spot. What I have found works best is to back the trailer in far enough to wet the bunks. I then pull foward so that the wheel fenders are just below the surface of the water. I then pull the boat forward as far as possible and connect the winch.

I have found that if I back the trailer in too far, the boat has a tendancy to float off center when I pull forward.

 

[FYN409]

Yes, that is what I am fighting with. If I go in to far the stern is floating all over, also the bow pulpit comes real close to hitting my truck. If I keep it out more, I have to winch a long way, maybe even more that 3'. The boat has bottom paint on it, so the long winch is not good for the paint.

I once was told that with a bunk trailer you should never have to winch more that about 1'. Has anyone else heard that?

Sorry, yes it is a tandem axel trailer.

Thanks,
Ryan

 

[MAKC]

i've found the sweet spot is leaving the fender wells of the wheels closest to your truck JUST under the water. This leaves the most forward part of the bunks just out of the water and gives you something to line up to. i "drive" the boat into the center of the bunks meaning im under power just until i get to where the bunks reach the boat. The inertia moves me up the bunks enough to keep the boat held in place. We attach the winch line and crank it until its starts to get a little tough to turn. Then i back the truck back just a little (maybe a foot or 2) and winch it until it rests on the forward rubber pieces. I then slowly pull the truck out while the person on the boat moves to either starboard or port to make sure the boat comes out level on the trailer. The whole process takes less than 5 minutes to retrieve or launch. But dont rush. If you need to take a few extra minutes to make sure its set right, its all good. Just make sure you secure the boat AWAY from the loading ramp. Thats not somethign you need to do on the ramp. Once the boat is secured with the winch line and leveled, you can do the rest of what you need to do off to the side so others can load or unload. Hope this helps

 

[FYN409]

Do you have bottom paint on your boat? Does it seem to effect it?

I know what you mean about finishing tying down away from the ramp. I do not expect anyone to rush while launching/retrieving their boat but the launch is for just that, launching and retrieving. What bugs me is when people will wait in line at a launch and only once it is there turn to launch they will start "loading" the boat with all of their supply's, coolers,ect. Holding everyone else up when this all could have been done while waiting in line.

I also have seen several people retrieve their boat, just get the trailer out of the water and stop and un-load everything, tie everything down ect. while others are waiting.

Ok, sorry enough ranting, don't want to take this post in the wrong direction.

Thanks,
Ryan

 

[Sorrento 25]

I have the same boat on a bunk trailer and I back in until the fenders are just underwater at their highest point, and I do have to winch a good 3' every time.

Once I didn't back in far enough on a steep ramp and the bow pulpit smacked the gooseneck coming off. No damage but watch for that too especially with bow water tank full.

 

[Dave M.]

My 96 270 is about the same as the earlier 250's, I think. I also put the front axle fender just under the water. My trailer is a triple axle. At that point, with the ramp I normally use, I power the boat up to the bunks, let it hit them and stop. Then, when it is done moving around, I use power to straighten the boat out on the trailer. Then I normally ease it up the the bow roller under power. So I power it on. Both loading and unloading are times when I have to be sure the bow anchor chute does not get hung up in the winch. I have spent many hours adjusting the winch position to try and get maximum clearance.

If it don't power on, it is more than a 3 foot pull to load it. I need to spend more time learning to do it by hand, as that is the 'proper' way. But where I launch, there is no chance of a sand bar build-up due to power loading. It is large rocks, and drops off very quickly to 15-20 feet. But I need to learn to do it right, for the time when it does matter.

I have bottom paint, and I don't see that as too serious a problem. I think it does wear the covering on the bunks faster, but the boat can still slide on the bunks if I need it to.

Also, I have wire rope on the bow winch. I am curious if others have this also. When you get more than three feet of it strung out, it really wants to curl up, tangle up, and go anywhere except to the bow eye on the boat. Plus the coils still on the winch unwind, then don't lay down properly. Then if you pull very hard with it, the layers that should be on top get wound under looser layers, and then won't unwind next time. :smt013

 

[Sorrento 25]

I have never felt comfortable powering any boat onto a trailer so I always winch it on. My wife keeps the stern centered with my "in" and "out" commands while I eyeball the alignment from the front. My old cable had the problems you describe, but I have since replaced it and the winch with a Powerwinch 912 and so far it's cable is behaving.

 

[Sundancer]

The distance you back the trailer in is a balance of cranking and floating. More cranking means less floating and less cranking means more floating. So, if you have folks to center the boat as you are pulling it out, less cranking is OK.

I figured 3 feet or less is a warm up, more than 3 feet is a nice aerobic work out!! :grin: On a familar ramps, 3 feet or under is no problem. On a strange ramp, I'll go farther because I know I'll get it right the first time.

 

[brian2001ss]

We have found our sweet spot and it has to do with the rear tire of the truck just at the water line. This always puts the trailer on our ramp where, like mentioned in earlier posts, the trailer bunks are not to far in the water to allow the stern to float all over after its winched, but not to far out of the water where we need to winch more than a foot. We never power load, and the girls always get the boat pushed out and headed in the right direction when they throw me the rope and I pull it on the trailer. Winch a foot or less and pull the boat and trailer out. I have a 2500 Dodge 4x4 full size Cummins.

I bet this didn't help you at all, did it? :wink: