Loading '89 Saltare onto trailer

[dalemac46]

I'm having a bit of a problem when retrieving the boat. The bow wants to come in under the V-stop. I can see where this has apparently happened to the previous owners. Am I not getting the trailer far enough into the water or is it something else I'm doing incorrectly? Thanks for any help.

[Jetlink]

You probably have the trailer too deep. When I am pulling the boat out of the water, we dunk the trailer to wet the entire bunk then pull the trailer out until the fender is usually just at the surface as that gets about a 1/5 to 1/4 of the forward portion of the bunk are out of the water. This will usually ensure that the hull hits the bunks and allows the bow to rise up to clear the bow stop.

[dalemac46]

I'll give that a try. Thank you.

[dalemac46]

You probably have the trailer too deep. When I am pulling the boat out of the water, we dunk the trailer to wet the entire bunk then pull the trailer out until the fender is usually just at the surface as that gets about a 1/5 to 1/4 of the forward portion of the bunk are out of the water. This will usually ensure that the hull hits the bunks and allows the bow to rise up to clear the bow stop.

Do you then winch the boat to the bow stop or float it?

[MJHKnox]

Follow what @Jetlink suggests. If you use the same ramp, it's gets easy b/c you can look to see where the trailer is in/out of the water to get the position for the bunks and the boat goes right on.

I see many people that do not dunk the trailer for few seconds to get all the bunks wet. That really helps.

[dalemac46]

I'll certainly try that. I was asking if at that point you can just float the boat onto the trailer and winch it to the stop, or do most drive it on?

[Jetlink]

Do you then winch the boat to the bow stop or float it?

My trailer does not have a winch on it at all so I am all power load for the ski boat. We also have a big 24 foot Cobalt that has a winch but we dunk the trailer the exact same way and it works with no issue. It is funny because the Supra can go from floating to on the trailer out of the water in about a minute or less but the other boat takes a few more minutes usually. With regards to the winch, you will probably find it more useful to guide the bow eye to the correct spot rather than using the winch for all the work. I have found that using the boat powertrain to do the "heavy lifting" as it were is easier. Just be mindful of others around you, especially behind you and your throttle application. It should not take too much power to get the boat loaded up. If it does you are probably doing something wrong like not getting the bunks wet enough or the trailer is too shallow.

[dalemac46]

Many thanks. My previous boat was a 1954 Chris Craft and I stood in the water and floated the boat up to the bow stop while someone held the mooring lines. Doesn't sound like that will work here because of the configuration of the hull/bunks. Always good to hear how others do it rather than learn from my own mistakes!