Bayliner wont load straight on the trailer

markh28

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
May 12, 2008
Messages
93
Had my "new to me" Bayliner Capri out this weekend. It is a 1986, 16' with an 85HP Force outboard. Trailer and all seem to be in excellent condition. Problem is on the loading. It is extremely difficult to get the boat to load straight onto the trailer. It always wants to shift and tilt to one side, forcing me to back it back into the lake and try again. I ended up having to go stand in the water and push on the boat as my wife was pulling it out in order to get it to sit straight. The dock and ramp are in good condition and there was not excessive wind or waves. I have loaded my other boats many times with no problems. I am obviously doing something wrong. I know its not supposed to be this hard.
 

batman99

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Sep 13, 2012
Messages
393
To help align boat on a trailer (especially in current and/or wind areas), recommend installing "guides" on the trailer. These guides can be steel posts with pool noodles slipped over them, can be steel posts with PVC pipe slipped over them or rug covered horizontal boards. I installed steel posts with noodles on my trailer and they work great. Better than slice bread. (giant smiles)

re:
- http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w251/Spike99-Pictures/Boat Pictures/IMG_0012.jpg
- http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w...s/IMG_0006.jpg

Small boat loading with rugged horizontal board guides on the trailer. re: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wHmxHvxvos

.
 
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smokeonthewater

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Dec 3, 2009
Messages
9,838
Two things LOTS of folks get wrong...

First you are most likely backing in too far...
Second.... Put your body in the center of the boat when loading onto the trailer... By sitting off to the right you cause two problems.... First you make the boat sit deeper on your side and second and MOST importantly to your issue is that you are sighting across the tip of the bow to your trailer... That is an angle that will cause you to approach too far to the right every time.

Guides are nice but technique is FAR more important.
 
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MTboatguy

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Jul 8, 2010
Messages
8,988
Smoke hit it on the head, first thing that came to mind, is the trailer is too deep.
 

Frank Acampora

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Jan 19, 2007
Messages
12,004
I have a Caulkins trailer with a 21 foot cuddy. It NEVER loads correctly. I have tried different roller positions and different depths of the trailer. I added side guides--nothing works. YET---When I had my 18 footer on the same trailer it loaded correctly every time, no matter what I did. So, it is nothing that you are doing wrong. Some boats simply don't like some trailers.

However, putting the trailer too far into the water is usually going to make it difficult to load straight. I did find with my rig that having the rear roller just slightly above the water level helps some but I still need to get into the water and push the hull sideways a bit. If you don't have a rear keel roller you need to experiment with how the rear sets of rollers contact the hull as you first start to load.
 

JimS123

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Jul 27, 2007
Messages
7,952
Most fiberglass boats have sponsons on the bottom, and tinnies have side "keels". Even crappy bunk trailers can be made to work if the bunks line up with the insides of 2 of the sponsons, provided they aren't backed in too far. When winched up the sponsons help guide it. If its windy or wavy the "guides" take care of that.

I suggest that the trailer may not be adjusted correctly.
 

60sboater

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jun 18, 2015
Messages
307
I have a used rig too and it's bunks are wider than the 14-foot semi-v aluminum riding on it. I've only had it out once and did a minor "adjustment" after it was out of the water by jerking the stern to the left a little. Can't do that if the boat is much heavier. I'll mod it to fit....good info here.
 

keith2k455

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jul 23, 2012
Messages
558
Yep....aim from the center of the boat. Also if you don't get it right the first time, you may not have to back of, just let the boat float off the trailer a little and try again. I just get mine close, let it drift and the hull lines itself up well on the bunks pretty easily.
 
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bspeth

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Aug 30, 2013
Messages
756
Do you have a bumper hanging in the rear? On mine the bumber gets wedged in between the poles on the sides and causes this if I forget to pull it in.Just a thought.
 

four winns 214

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Oct 25, 2008
Messages
757
I have a deckboat that gave me fits getting it to load straight. The trailer had factory installed side guide bunks on flimsy stanchions. The rear stanchion the right side had been bent by the previous owner. I've seen several trailers by this manufacturer with bent stanchions. Anyway, I took the trailer to the local guru of such matters and he cut off the old flimsy stanchions then fabricated and welded on very substantial new ones. End of problem. Completely.

As others have said, your issue could also be backing the trailer in too deep.
 

fhhuber

Lieutenant
Joined
Jun 19, 2014
Messages
1,365
Not mentioned....

If the bunks / rollers need adjustment it can be a real "pita" to get the boat to sit correctly on the trailer.

That "new to you" boat may not be on its original trailer and the trailer may need adjustments.
 
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