Boat Buddy: Anyone like it?

[jonyb]

The Boat Buddy thing on the bowstop of the trailer seems like a good idea: Trailer's in the water, you pull up on the trailer, bump the bow on it, the pin releases locking the bowloop, and the truck pulls the boat out of the water. Okay, then when you launch the boat, you've gotta have the whole trailer underwater and the truck bumper submerged to get the pressure off the boat to release the pin. When the boat's pulled out of the water it jams the bowloop against the pin and gets in a serious bind. For the last few weeks I"ve just been using the strap and not even messing with the pin.

Is there a trick to this, or is it just a PITA?

[Pdowling1]

It sounds like yours isn't installed right. Mine has no contact with the bow eye when sitting on the trailer. See if tou can loosen the mounting bolt & adjust it.

[jonyb]

So what happens when you pull the boat out of the water without the bowstrap and just the pin? Does the boat not pull back against the pin? Or do you go up and use the bowstrap before pulling out? If that's what you do, then the boat buddy is pretty much useless.

[vintner]

Took mine off. But.... I don't have an inboard trailer. The standard trailer and boat buddy with the drop nose of the Supra did not work.

[jonyb]

Like I said, it seems like a great idea, but when the boat is removed from the water it jams the bowloop against the pin making it impossible to pull the pin back out.

[IndyMatt]

I dont drive my boat into the boat buddy. I know that was the idea behind it but I think it puts too much strain on the bow eye. Remember that energy is absorbed and distributed throughout the gelcoat and fiberglass of the hull of your $50,000 toy. I load my boat until the bow is approximately 12" away from the boat buddy and then I attach the strap and crank it in until the spring loaded pin snaps. I guess I use mine more like a saftey chain. Here again not the intended use but seems to reduce the difficulties in loading/ unloading

[jonyb]

Problem with that is that the bow of the boat is so low, the trailer has to be partially out of the water. If not, the bow goes under it.

[IndyMatt]

Obviously pitch and loading angle will be affected by the overall pitch of the ramp and water levels etc... Sounds from your comments that you may be putting your trailer too far into the water. The front quarter of your boat should be hitting bunks and lifting it upward before the tip of the bow reaches your boat buddy. Typical rule of thumb on the tandem axle trailers is back in until just the front of the fenders are visable. You may need to experiment with different trailer depths. Are you in the southeast at all? I know water levels are down significantly which would certainly change loading techniques. If this doesnt work, you may need to add some height to your bunks (aluminum or wood spacers between the bunks and supports) Good luck.

[jonyb]

I have the trailer backed into the water so the fenders are barely under water. The tip of the second bunk is sticking up from the water. When the boat approaches the trailer, the keel hits the bunks, aligns the boat, then I've still got about 4-5 feet to go. Winching would be impossible from that far away.

[Ed G]

I absolutely love my boat buddy. Best accessory I have ever purchased.

I use it with a 2003 Moomba Outback. I never have to get out of the truck.

I back my trailer into the water until all carpets are soaked and then pull forward until fenders are about about 1 1/2 inches out of the water.

When the boat is about 2 feet from locking into the boat buddy, the wife just powers the boat up until it locks in. She gives me the thumbs up when the boat buddy is locked in place and we are ready to go.

I then pull the boat up the ramp, get it out of the way of others and then put on the straps.