Trailering without powered help

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DaveInGA

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Planning on fishing Sandy Creek Park near my home for bluegills. I'm used to using my 75 HP motor to "power" up onto the trailer, but will not have this at Sandy Creek. I do have an bow mount trolling motor, but don't think that'll do much for trailering.

I know this might be missing the obvious, but how do most folks trailer their boats that fish in electric motor only lakes/ponds? I could pick up a transom mount trolling motor, but I doubt I'll be fishing there enough to justify the cost.

Thanks,

Dave
 
Dave,
The landing at Sandy is real nice. Run in on your trolling motor on the left side to the ramp and pull it up about 10' out and let your boat beach. Put your trailer in and attach a rope about 20' long to your bow fitting. Hold the rope and give the boat a shove out so it runs past the end of your trailer, then just pull it on as far as it will go, hook up the winch strap and crank it on the trailer. You will get wet :LOL2:

Have a great time.

Mike
 
[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=320843#p320843 said:
gillhunter » 01 Jul 2013, 18:11[/url]"]Dave,
The landing at Sandy is real nice. Run in on your trolling motor on the left side to the ramp and pull it up about 10' out and let your boat beach. Put your trailer in and attach a rope about 20' long to your bow fitting. Hold the rope and give the boat a shove out so it runs past the end of your trailer, then just pull it on as far as it will go, hook up the winch strap and crank it on the trailer. You will get wet :LOL2:

Have a great time.

Mike

I have to do this alot because of some of the places I put in at are shallow at the ramp. I have yet to get wet though :LOL2: Just be careful and you will never touch the water.
 
[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=320843#p320843 said:
gillhunter » Mon Jul 01, 2013 6:11 pm[/url]"]Dave,
The landing at Sandy is real nice. Run in on your trolling motor on the left side to the ramp and pull it up about 10' out and let your boat beach. Put your trailer in and attach a rope about 20' long to your bow fitting. Hold the rope and give the boat a shove out so it runs past the end of your trailer, then just pull it on as far as it will go, hook up the winch strap and crank it on the trailer. You will get wet :LOL2:

Have a great time.

Mike

Mike,

Thanks again for good information. Obviously I'm doing the retired engineer thing and over thinking the process. Way too simple and obvious.

Dave
 
I think all these guys that keep saying they get wet launching and loading there boat are trying to keep it a secret but I know the truth of it. Deep down they wanna get wet and play in the water but they feel like they need an excuse to get wet so the wives won't get mad at them. :lol: :lol:
 
Until recently I got wet all the time when launching and loading. Now that we've gotten some rain down here it's much easier. I keep a pair of high rubber boots for when the water is cold and a pair of crocs for the summer months. I use a line tied to the bow to pull the boat onto the trailer and winch it up the rest of the way.
 
back your trailer in untill the fenders are just covered - float your boat right on

and -- dont power onto the trailer- it tears the foot of the ramp up and causes a drop off - longer trailers will drop off and be stranded--
 
Retired engineer should be able to figure out how to lower his bunks on his trailer so he doesn't need it as far in the water. :)

As said above, 20' rope makes life simple enough and a catwalk of diamond plate aluminum down the center line of the trailer keeps you from 'bottoming out' when your feet hit the wet ramp slime.
 
[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=320969#p320969 said:
Rich27028 » 02 Jul 2013, 17:52[/url]"]back your trailer in untill the fenders are just covered - float your boat right on

and -- dont power onto the trailer- it tears the foot of the ramp up and causes a drop off - longer trailers will drop off and be stranded--


Yes to me that is the proper way to trailer a boat.
 
[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=321198#p321198 said:
Ranchero50 » Thu Jul 04, 2013 1:36 pm[/url]"]Retired engineer should be able to figure out how to lower his bunks on his trailer so he doesn't need it as far in the water. :)

I don't think I said how far I needed it in the water. :)
 
I like the idea of a catwalk on the trailer which is safer than a surprise surf ride down a slippery boat ramp.
My main gripe is with the winch, which are usually designed for larger boats, and geared so low that it takes 3 or 4 turns to retrieve 12".

I was thinking a single small pulley with a hook for the bow eye would be faster.
Attach the terminal end to the winch tower, hook the pulley to the boat, and standing at the
winch, pull the tag end putting the boat on the trailer. Over engineered, but much faster. :)
 
Any where these days to get simple cotton rope? All I can find is this dang crappy nylon stuff. Hard to handle compared to the stuff of my youth.

I've looked at adding one of those catwalks, but I haven't come up with an attachment method I like yet.
 
Dave, here's my current trailer setup. My river is very shallow at the ramp during late summer so I set the trailer up to get the boat safely wet and dry.

First time I pulled the boat out I went off the end of the ramp and ended up ripping the axle out from under it. I ended up making a wider axle and flipping the axle from under the leafs to over them. I also welded on a set of 'skis' so when I back off the end the trailer will ride down and up the 'skis' without damaging anything.

The fenders are cut from the bottom of a 55 gallon poly drum. The boat slides across them and they act as side guides if needed.

My bunks are simply 1/2" x 4" x 24" chunks of cutting board screwed unto pine 2x4's. My flotation pods aren't supported but the original transom is. I kept the original back roller in place and use it to guide the boat up the centerline of the trailer. The mid roller is gone. I replaced with with a 3/4" x 1" 8" piece of UHMW that acts as a foot stop for my 1/4" x 18" x 6' catwalk so I don't slip off the end while pulling the boat on the trailer by hand. I still have the front and bow rollers and can pull this 600lb hull onto the trailer easily. The big catwalk is just held on with the original U bold that holds the tongue to the trailer frame and where the rear UHMW screws to the cross brace. The side of my hull is 18" off the road like this.

DSC01637_zpsee3825ba.jpg


DSC01636_zps55499283.jpg


DSC01633_zps5889b3ea.jpg


To splash the trailer I just back off the end of the ramp and the momentum carries the boat away from the trailer. If I'm solo I'll put the bow rope around the winch stand and pull it up on shore when I pull the trailer back out. To get it out I just back until the back of the bunk is wet, then push the boat off and walk out on the trailer. Let the current carry it down stream over the bunks and while using the rear UHWM as a foot rest pull the hull up on the bunks. I'll use the U bolt and front roller as foot rests to pull the boat further unto the trailer. I can almost do it one handed.

If you want I'll try to get some better pictures this evening when we get it wet.
Jamie
 
[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=321285#p321285 said:
DaveInGA » Yesterday, 14:55[/url]"]Any where these days to get simple cotton rope? All I can find is this dang crappy nylon stuff. Hard to handle compared to the stuff of my youth.
Something like clothesline? Try Ace Hardware Jerry
 
[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=321289#p321289 said:
Ranchero50 » Yesterday, 15:42[/url]"]Dave, here's my current trailer setup. My river is very shallow at the ramp during late summer so I set the trailer up to get the boat safely wet and dry.
First time I pulled the boat out I went off the end of the ramp and ended up ripping the axle out from under it. I ended up making a wider axle and flipping the axle from under the leafs to over them. I also welded on a set of 'skis' so when I back off the end the trailer will ride down and up the 'skis' without damaging anything. Jamie
Nice rig Jamie, and I really like the ski/skeg idea incase of a ramp overrun....great idea.
 

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