If you have a roller trailer used in salt water....check this....

[JimS123]

deleted...not worth the bandwidth

Go ahead and say it. As long as it's just an opinion, it's what the novices need to hear.

As I have said before, what works for one may not work for others. Different boats, different ramps and different levels of knowledge.

I gave you the respect of not criticizing your opinion, and never said you weren't knowledgeable. Maybe you aren't, I dunno. Makes no matter to me. All I know is that when I'm at the ramp I look like a pro.

 

[bruceb58]

All I know is that when I'm at the ramp I look like a pro.

It's easy to look like a pro when launching a small boat.

 

[JimS123]

It's easy to look like a pro when launching a small boat.

That's funny, because different areas must have boaters with different levels of experience.

In my area the big go fasts and the few trailered Express Cruisers are the ones that usually show the least amount of hassle. It's the 19' I/Os that usually require backing in until the exhaust pipe is bubbling (at least that's what they think.....LOL).

Our largest experience was with a 26' Crownline. My son could load that single-handedly. My biggest issue is is with my widdle jetski. It's so short that I actually have to take my shoes off and get my feet wet!!

 

[Lou C]

If you’re boating in lakes & have a good steep ramp then no issue with a bunk.
If you’re in a costal area where the tide swings are 1’-2’ and good steep ramps same thing. If you’re on the east coast mid Atlantic to New England with 6-8 feet tide swings and a steep ramp, OK to bunk. Shallow ramp you will have a hard time & be limited to the two high tide periods a day whenever that falls. 12 hrs between high tides & 6 hrs between high and low.
This reminds me of a funny experience I had at The Sand Hole in Oyster Bay Long Island not far from where LI native Billy Joel lives. We were in the Sand Hole hanging out then it was time to head back. Low tide. Some folks in the 50’ boat near by asked “when is the next high tide we can’t get off this sand bar…” to that person we responded “well folks you got about 6 hrs”. With that they threw some steaks on the grill and made the best of it. They would have had to wait till about 11 pm. Here all your boating revolves around tides….

 

[dingbat]

If you’re on the east coast mid Atlantic to New England with 6-8 feet tide swings and a steep ramp, OK to bunk. Shallow ramp you will have a hard time

Roller trailers are few and far between south of the Mason Dixon.

Have launched pretty much every major point of access between Rehoboth, DE to Morehead, NC over years. Not once have I had concerns about getting the boat on or off the trailer. It's not an issue. The concern is always the direction of the tide to facilitate safe passage out of the inlet and over bar.

The confines of the LI Sound play a huge roll in the exaggerated tide swings you experience. Head out to the open waters of Montauk and you have the typical 3' tidal swing which is easily accessible using a properly designed ramp.

Per DWR....a properly designed ramp should have a slope of 12 -15 degrees with no less than 3' depth (5' for power loading) at the end of the ramp at mean low water.

12-15 degrees makes for a long ramp but one that give you 3' to 5' of water to work with even at mean low water.

 

[Lou C]

I know that no one uses roller trailers in the south or on most lakes but they are much more common here; so people have to be aware of their local conditions. If you listen to internet opinions with no knowledge of your conditions then you can wind up with smithing that won’t work for you. LI Sound is a huge boating area encompassing all of LI, north Queens & Brooklyn southern Westchester & Connecticut. A local trailer dealer told me he rarely sells bunk trailers here.

 

[bruceb58]

At lake Tahoe, Big Bear Lake and elsewhere in so cal...not one roller trailer to be found.

My latest boat is a Coblat....NO Cobalts get sold on roller trailers....NONE!

 

[Lou C]

They’re lakes
Lakes don’t have tides
We have tides
If you don’t pay attention to tides you WILL be aground. My brother was a lake boater now he’s in Long Island with me so I taught him about tides. And why he can only use the deep town ramp with his bunk trailer.

 

[bruceb58]

They’re lakes
Lakes don’t have tides
We have tides
If you don’t pay attention to tides you WILL be aground. My brother was a lake boater now he’s in Long Island with me so I taught him about tides. And why he can only use the deep town ramp with his bunk trailer.

Elsewhere in So Cal means ocean. We have over 7 foot tides at times. Today we have a -1.6 followed by a 6.8 later.

As far as launching at high tide vs low tide, our ramps are the same angle no matter when you launch so it really doesn't matter if you launch at high or low other than the amount of moss on the ramp.

 

[tpenfield]

I'm re-building my small trailer used for the Boston Whaler. It is an older trailer (Yacht Club brand). The frame is galvanized, but many of the component parts are regular steel. Leaf springs and associated hardware have a certain life span in salt water. The roller mounts have some nastiness going on, and those will get replaced once the boat is launched.

I bought new trailers in 2004 (for my Formula 24) and 2021 for my CY 338. The latest one is pretty much all aluminum with torsion springs and stainless steel hardware. It seems like it will stand up to the salt.
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This is my triple axle 15,600 lb capacity trailer used for the CY 338. It has been in the salt for about 4-5 launch/retrievals

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Our launch ramp is best described as a road that gradually goes into the water. I sure wish the town would re-build it with a steeper grade, but that tends not to be a thing around here.

I'm more of a fan of bunk trailers, since rollers can/do leave indentations in the hull, particularly when the boat is stored on the trailer for long periods of time. Of course roller trailers generally have an advantage for launch & retrieval, being you don't have to go as deep.

 

[JimS123]

I'm re-building my small trailer used for the Boston Whaler. It is an older trailer (Yacht Club brand). The frame is galvanized, but many of the component parts are regular steel. Leaf springs and associated hardware have a certain life span in salt water. The roller mounts have some nastiness going on, and those will get replaced once the boat is launched.

I'm more of a fan of bunk trailers, since rollers can/do leave indentations in the hull, particularly when the boat is stored on the trailer for long periods of time. Of course roller trailers generally have an advantage for launch & retrieval, being you don't have to go as deep.

Because of the type of hull construction, Boston Whaler specifically states NOT to use a roller trailer. The rollers can cause a hull / foam separation. However, their Owner's Manual specifies that the optimum is a combo bunk / roller setup. That is, full keel rollers with carpeted side bunks. (The keel is built to handle rollers). They don't ship it that way from the factory, though, to suit everyone's tastes. With 2 side bunks, the trailer works "OK". But when I added a full set of self-centering poly keel rollers it made for quite a slick operation.

Rollers "can" cause dents in the hull. It all depends on how many rollers there are, and how much weight each is carrying. My current SeaRay only carries 85# per roller and you can literally turn each one by hand. My past boat sat on rollers for 35 years with no issues at all. You get what you pay for. EZ-Loaders back in the 1970's had rollers everywhere. As competitors came in the market they reduced the numbers to lower cost. Those "cheaper" roller trailers are the source of many problems.

Just like Cobalt, SeaRay sells all their boats on bunks. When I was negotiating the deal I told the Sales Manager that I would not accept a bunk trailer. He smiled and said I could have anything I wanted as long as I was willing to pay for it. Then he brought out a book of pictures showing recent trailers they modified. THAT was what solidified the deal. It wasn't cheap, but boy does that boat launch!

 

[Lou C]

While Four Winns also sells all their boats on a factory bunk trailer, the dealers here give you a choice, and most use the roller. We have had a few hurricanes come up the east coast and I was glad that I had the roller that gave me the freedom to pull the boat when I needed to, instead of waiting 6 hrs for the tide to come in!

 

[tpenfield]

I don't care what Boston Whaler recommends . . . I'm keeping the roller trailer . . . maybe I'll get bunk rollers as a compromise

 

[Lou C]

There are 2 pump out boats that are both Whalers over in Huntington Harbor and both have been on roller trailers for years.

 

[JimS123]

As I've said before, I've owned MANY boats over the last 55 years and my Whaler is the best of the bunch. Their ads say "Upscale"and they aren't kidding. Maybe their "requirements" are legalspeak. I dunno. The longevity by some on roller trailers speaks for itself. My Montauk will follow me to the nursing home, and I suspect it will live on after me.