Winching boat tight to bowstop

Sorry, I don't have any pics, but here is my question. When loading my boat, I use the winch to pull it onto the trailer the last couple of feet. When the bow hits the bow roller, the bow eye is still about 6 inches(maybe less) below the bow stop. I then proceed to winch it up until the bow eye is snug under the bow roller. Should I lower the bow roller down? When I crank it up, I am literally raising the front of the boat up.

Re: Winching boat tight to bowstop

geeco1 said:

Should I lower the bow roller down?

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Certainly sounds that way to me. I'd rather be pulling the boat down than up. You especially don't want the boat to be "hanging" from the bow stop. You want it's full weight on the rollers and/or bunks.

Re: Winching boat tight to bowstop

I don't know if this is the right way to do it or not, but this is what I do with mine. I pull it as far in as it will go when I winch it in from the water. Then when I get up to the staging area, I back the winch off and losen the strap and then pull it until it is snug but not with the amount of pull on it that I had used to get the boat out of the water. I have never seen my boat shift though while doing this.

I am just trying to take some of the stress off the strap. When I get home I actually losen the strap. One of the things on my check list is to retighten the strap before towing. I do this when I am putting the trailer on the hitch. I want the weight of the boat on the bunks not on the strap and winch.

Re: Winching boat tight to bowstop

X 2 with JimKW.

Prolonged stress is releived from the bow eye area and the strap.

I'm so anal I even have a magnetic note on the forward edge of the winch stand "Outdrive is Down" (viewable from the truck's mirrors) when the V-20 is parked in the yard!!!

Re: Winching boat tight to bowstop

I moved my bow roller. After I load the boat (usually float it on and then attach the strap) I tighten the strap to keep the boat from slipping back on the trailer as I pull out. I don't drag the boat across the bunks using the winch. All that does is scratch up the bottom of the boat. After we are out and tieing down then I loosen the winch strap a bit and attach a safety chain from the bow eye to the trailer.

I really look at the trailer winch almost like an emergency brake. I'll use it if I have to when things go wrong. I have to admit I almost always get wet loading the boat and will probably add walkways to my trailer later so I don't have to wade so much.

Re: Winching boat tight to bowstop

dbkerley said:

I moved my bow roller. After I load the boat (usually float it on and then attach the strap) I tighten the strap to keep the boat from slipping back on the trailer as I pull out. I don't drag the boat across the bunks using the winch.

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What do you mean float it on? I have seen some boats that come in and the roller is higher than the boat when they float in. Appears the trailer is to far in the water.It makes a awful sound when they hit the trailer with the boat just below the roller. Kind of wonder what damage they did to the boat, but I never get to see it. They then have pull the trailer further out of the water because even winching it up puts the roller above the bow.

I usually approach the trailer just over idle speed and let it slide up the bunks most of the way. Then winch it up to the roller the last foot.

Re: Winching boat tight to bowstop

kailec00 said:

What do you mean float it on? I have seen some boats that come in and the roller is higher than the boat when they float in. Appears the trailer is to far in the water.It makes a awful sound when they hit the trailer with the boat just below the roller. Kind of wonder what damage they did to the boat, but I never get to see it. They then have pull the trailer further out of the water because even winching it up puts the roller above the bow.

I usually approach the trailer just over idle speed and let it slide up the bunks most of the way. Then winch it up to the roller the last foot.

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I have a 2007 Caravelle 237 that has this exact same problem where the bow roller is higher than the bow of the boat when the boat drives on the trailer. Except for me, it happens when the trailer isn't backed in far enough into the water. I end up hooking the winch strap to the bow eye, and then back the trailer in the water even further! Then, get out and winch it in the rest of the way. With this, there's no stress on the strap because I've had to back in so far to get the bow above the roller, the boat is still completely floating.

Re: Winching boat tight to bowstop

geeco1 said:

Sorry, I don't have any pics, but here is my question. When loading my boat, I use the winch to pull it onto the trailer the last couple of feet. When the bow hits the bow roller, the bow eye is still about 6 inches(maybe less) below the bow stop. I then proceed to winch it up until the bow eye is snug under the bow roller. Should I lower the bow roller down? When I crank it up, I am literally raising the front of the boat up.

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I had the same problem with my boat when I first got it. Do you have two sets of Bunks? I had to lift mine so far that it came off the front set of bunks. I adjusted the bow stop down and back to keep the boat in about the same balance point on the trailer. If you just lower the bow stop the boat will move further forward and increase your tounge weight, so if the boat trailers nicely now you can mark/measure the position of the boat on the trailer and adjust the stop to keep the boat in the same place.

Re: Winching boat tight to bowstop

geeco1 said:

sorry, i don't have any pics, but here is my question. When loading my boat, i use the winch to pull it onto the trailer the last couple of feet. When the bow hits the bow roller, the bow eye is still about 6 inches(maybe less) below the bow stop. I then proceed to winch it up until the bow eye is snug under the bow roller. Should i lower the bow roller down? When i crank it up, i am literally raising the front of the boat up.

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remember one thing!!
If your boats eye and strap are not pointing down, and its pointing up, what happens if you slam on your brakes or hit another car?, ya got an air born missle heading right towards your head called your boat and motor!!