Loading on your trailer

[Summers420us]

Ok, so when I bought my boat, I was taught to power load. Now I see that it can cause damage to the ramps, and it can throw sand on your bunks causing excessive abrasion to your hull etc. So, I gave a shot winching the last 3 or 4 feet, but there were a few popping sounds coming from the hull. Is this normal?

Also I would like to know if you power load or winch and why?

 

[haknslash]

It depends on the ramp if powering up is ok. I do it at my public launch because it's concrete a good ways into the water. I do not like trying to pull a boat along the bunks with just the winch. Seems a good way to do damage to your bow eye, winch or break the strap ....or all three at once if you have the worst luck. Hope the popping was not cracking fiberglass from all the stress on the bow eye. If you don't want to power up you should be retrieving deeper in the water but if you don't have trailer guides the back of your boat is not going to set right and will be over your fenders.

FWIW I always power load as I don't want to do damage to my bow eye, winch or strap.

 

[Crlos16]

This was also my main concern, did not like power loading the boat, I would get the stink eye look from people waiting on the ramp, so ordered this and what a huge difference, I no longer have to power load when retrieving the boat, just enough to be able to hook up and use the winch, "just glides right up" and launching is a lot easier as well.

https://www.amazon.com/BUNK-SLICKS-BLACK-piece-kit/dp/B000KOPV5U/ref=sr_1_13?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1470624675&sr=1-13&keywords=roller+bunks

 

[haknslash]

I've seen those things and always wondered if they really worked. Good to know. Do they leave any marks on the hull over time?

 

[Crlos16]

I had those bunk slicks on my previous 21ft boat trailer for over 6 years never left a mark, I'm fairly new to the Yamaha world, so far they been on my MFI trailer for 2 months so far no marks.

 

[SCSX190]

I have only taken my Yamaha out once since purchasing new last month (I have a wet slip) and used the winch for the last 3/4 feet as you did. I will use this method going forward as well since I believe it to be the safer method of removal.. I heard some popping but that is just normal friction between the hull and carpet. My last boat trailer had rollers and loading was a breeze so I may switch to rollers in the future.

 

[McMark]

Maybe have the Mrs back the truck in a little to take the weight off the boat while you winch it up?

 

[SCSX190]

Maybe have the Mrs back the truck in a little to take the weight off the boat while you winch it up?

In my case our Hyundai Santa Fe sits low to the ground so we can only back up so far before the exhaust tips get submerged. That and the shallow slope of the ramp at the Marina make it impossible to escape winching up.

 

[Ronnie]

I power load almost all the time. I haven't been to a ramp yet that prohibits it, at least not that I know of. For me it's a matter of convenience as power loading takes less time and is easier. If for some reason I can't line the boat up correctly because of the traffic at the ramp I will walk the boat onto the trailer and winch it up instead but those are rare occasions.

 

[Edward]

My wife and I do a little bit of both. I have to get out and back the truck down for her but I typically dunk the whole trailer and then pull it enough knowing I won't be able to power that last foot or so. This ensures I don't have the trailer too deep to allow the boat to center on the trailer. Then I give one quick bump to get it up a bit, usually ends up about a foot shy. Then turn off engines, hop in the bed and winch up. As the winch gets tougher I have the wife back down more to help ease the stress. This seems to work pretty well, however, I do feel the winch is weak and will be replacing in the off season.

 

[AZDANSX230HO]

Most all ramps in Arizona are concrete that extend pretty far back into the water due to varying lake levels, so I always power load my boats, only have to winch the last few inches to snug it to the roller.

 

[scokill]

The trailer and boat are actually designed to power load....at least that is what is in my manual. There are a couple of things. The winch isn't usually spec'd to "drag" the full weight of the boat up the trailer and I wouldn't expect the bow eye to be reinforced to that level either. If you couldn't power load I would make sure you are deep enough to minimize the strain on winch and boat but shallow enough to self center the boat on trailer. You could also back down just enough after centering on trailer.

 

[d_coyne1984]

The issue with power loading is not the is not necessarily the ramp itself, it's that it erodes the silt at the bottom of the ramp, blows it backwards where it settles and begins to create an artificial sand bar where deep boats can hit. Poor bastards with deep boats... That's why I bought a Yamaha. Haha! That said, I never powerload. I back the trailer in until the wheel wells are submerged, my wife drives it on and I winch it up. I can usually get it within an inch of the bow eye that way and then after I pull out, de-weed, I get some rolling momentum and give the brakes some abrupt decent pressure to bring the boat up roller to eye. Then she just need a little more tightening on front and back.

 

[d_coyne1984]

Does anyone else notice that their boat seems to settle quite a bit during the first mile or so back on the trailer? I usually stop a mile down the road or so to give the bow and transom straps one more good snugging up. I still usually find some slack in my transom straps when I get home then too. I have boat buckles on mine so they shouldn't loosen, maybe stretch a little though. This is my first boat so maybe it's normal? Or maybe it's our trailers? Or more than likely, I'm doing something stupid...

 

[haknslash]

Does anyone else notice that their boat seems to settle quite a bit during the first mile or so back on the trailer? I usually stop a mile down the road or so to give the bow and transom straps one more good snugging up. I still usually find some slack in my transom straps when I get home then too. I have boat buckles on mine so they shouldn't loosen, maybe stretch a little though. This is my first boat so maybe it's normal? Or maybe it's our trailers? Or more than likely, I'm doing something stupid...

All boats and jet skis settle a bit after you retrieve and go down the road. It doesn't matter how tight you get them at the boat launch. The road from the interstate to my lake is 8 miles and it's a rough country road so by the time I get back to the interstate I pull off and re-tighten my transom straps. I have boat buckles too and the boat bucklers are not self-ratcheting so there is no way for it to automatically take up the slack. All straps will have some slack from the time you retrieve to the time you've gone down the road and hit a few bumps or pot holes because the bunks will settle a bit as will your boat on the bow roller. Just make it part of your retrieval checklist to re-tighten them a bit down the road.

 

[Gonrcng]

 

[Summers420us]

I like all your replies... And I am now curious if the popping sounds that I have hear were from the winch or the boat on the carpet. Does anyone else get a pop sound when winching?

 

[Crlos16]

That popping sound is most likely the strap settling. Especially if is a new strap

 

[njmr2fan]

We can't power load, err well your not supposed to. I do my best to idle it on fast enough to get close and winch the rest. The piping you hear is most likely the boat sliding along the wet carpeting. That's what I hear when winching. Might try those plastic plates from Amazon.

 

[Sacamano]

Popping sound could be the winch arm rocking back a bit on the trailer, I have had that happen. I usually power load and get looks at the ramp (it is allowed). We get more looks when my son blows out the engines as I am pulling away from the ramp. When I pull the boat out of the water the strap tightens around the winch a bit and the boat slides back and inch or so. I stop quick at the top of the ramp to get the boat to slide up to the bow eye, get out and tighten the winch.