How to load a boat on a trailer

When the bow is snug against the winch post attach the safety chain. Loading your boat onto a trailer starts with backing the trailer into the water.

If your trailer has brakes attach the safety line to the tow vehicle.

How to load a boat on a trailer. Carefully Drive the Boat onto the Trailer. With the trailer appropriately submerged its now time for the actual loading step. The trick to doing this easily in a single go is to keep the vessel straightened out.

Position it in a way that youll be able to drive the boat in. The following is a simple method that works with any boat. Tie up your boat to the dock.

Then attach a single long line to the bow and stern cleat. Back the trailer down deep enough that you can float the boat most of the way onto the trailer. Using the line you can control the boat as you walk down the dock.

Loading a Boat onto Your Trailer. Back the trailer in so the bunks get wet completely. Wetting the bunks reduces friction between the bunks and the hull.

Dont skip this step save your gelcoat. Pull forward to a point where roughly a third of the center bunks are out of. At this point either you or the driver needs to position themselves on the trailer tongue to attach the winch strap or cable to the bow eye of the boat and crank the boat fully onto the trailer.

When the bow is snug against the winch post attach the safety chain. While loading the boat youll know you have the correct trailer depth when there is some resistance between the boat and the trailer bunks. You should need to apply some throttle to get the boat to drive up the last few feet.

The goal is to be at or within about one inch of the trailer bow stop. I have a few options to help with loading the boat on the trailer but the best would have to be the CE Smith Keel Roller for Boat Trailers part CE29505. In order to mount them youd need the Roller Shaft with Pal Nuts part CE10727A and CE Smith Panel Bracket part CE10305G.

I would stick with the same type of roller for the front and rear of the boat trailer. Before backing the boat trailer down the ramp it is important to verify that no boaters are waiting to load or unload before you. Have someone stay in the truck at all times if at all possible.

When the tow vehicle is in position its a good idea to set the parking brake and have the driver hold their foot on the vehicles brakes while the. Now its time to start towing. Drive slowly below 55 or 50.

Also you should know that the weight of the tongue should only be around 7 of the weight amount of the loaded boat and trailer and fuel in gear. Use a 44 4. Ft pile of blocks and a.

How To Launch A Boat By Yourself Bunk Trailer - YouTube. At this point you should be ready to load your boat on the trailer. Drive the Boat Up the Trailer and Attach it to the Trailer Winch.

Once you are free from the dock and have shoved the boat away from it you want to slowly and steadily drive the boat up the trailer until the front is close enough to attach the winch to it. After the boat is on the trailer and is not going to float away jump down from. Yes normally it is a good rule of thumb to load 60 of your weight towards the front of the trailer but it all just depends on what you are towing and it varies between each and every load.

You should not load 60 of your weight onto the front of your trailer and call it good. You should be keeping your tongue weight of your trailer between 10. In your boat approach the trailer from downstream keeping the bow pointed forward against the wind or current.

When you just barely pass the centerline of your trailer turn your bow and allow the current to nudge it onto the trailer. Going into the current causes your boat to slip past the trailer without giving you time to steer into it. Heres how to trailer a boat.

Align the hitch and ball then lower the trailer hitch down over the ball. Close the latch and insert the safety pin. Cross the safety chains and attach them to the truck.

If your trailer has brakes attach the safety line to the tow vehicle. Lester simplifies the boat loading and unloading process with a Trick Step marine trailer step from Mark Peiser Manufacturing. The three- or four-step device attaches to the boat trailer and makes it much easier to climb in and out of the boat at the ramp or in the garage.

For more guidance on trailering a boat alone check out the Mercury Dockline video of Brandon Lester loading his boat after a. Loading the Boat onto the Trailer. We feel like the easiest way to learn how to load is by using the wind to your advantage.

In this case we suggest starting out upwind from the trailer while aligning the boat parallel with the trailer. Then allow the wind to move you inline with the boat. While the wind is moving you in line with the trailer.

3 Fasten the trailer. Securely fasten the tongue coupler and lock the trailer latch using a cotter pin or lock. 4 Fasten the boat.

Using tie down straps securely fasten the boat to the trailer. 5 Attach the safety chain. Attach the winch cable andor winch safety chain to the bow eye of the boat if so equipped.

6 Check the chain. In this short boat launch video you will see how easy 1 person can unload a boat using the Drotto automatic boat latch. In this boat launch video the chains and straps on the boat have been unhooked in the pre-launch area.

The Drotto secures the boat to the trailer without the straps and chains hooked up. You may then back down into the water. When loading the boat it is important to ensure that the bunks are raised enough to properly seat the boat on the trailer.

Start by backing up the trailer in the water and submerging the carpeted bunks completely in the water. Pull forward until approximately 6 to. Loading your boat onto a trailer starts with backing the trailer into the water.

The tow vehicles wheels should almost reach the waters edge according to Ted Sensenbrenner the BoatUS Foundations assistant director of boating safety programs. The trailer should be submerged with the bunks andor the rollers wet so that.