Boat slipping on trailer - coming out
 

Is it pretty common to have boat slip back a few inches on the trailer as you 're coming back up the ramp after loading? This is a new boat/trailer for me; first time I got the boat on, winched it up and connected a safety line to the bow eye - I told wife to pull up the ramp "easy"....safety line snapped and boat slipped back on the trailer about 4".

Couldn't re-load...got it home, got it back in the lake two weeks later with a new (heavy duty, 3800lb.) ratchet safety strap...got it on the trailer, winched it up, ratcheted up the strap tight to the roller stop and had the wife pull the trailer out (slowly) again. Up in the lot - damn if it hadn't slipped back again, about 4-5" short of the roller stop. Safety strap and winch strap were OK.

The first time I saw the boat slip and heard the safety strap break. Second time I thought everything was OK until I got up to where she stopped in the lot and looked at it.

What -Do I need to use a chain on the bow eye instead of a ratchet strap? Boat is just an '87 Formula 242 LS. I don't like towing it 4" short on the trailer...it's not going anywhere, but I can tell the difference when towing - and with the tongue weight.

Is a safety chain a special item?

Hi,move the boatstop on the trailer 3" forward.
Do not strap the boat down real hard on the ramp, do that after it has settled in the trailer correctly on the parkinglot.
And i quess you solved the problem.
all boats have a angle on the ramp ferses the trailer,so no matter what kind of strap u gonna use it will not hold the boat up there. Because the boat is not sliding back it is just laying down on to the trailer,when pulling of the ramp.

thats my quess.:cool-smiley-011:

A new winch strap can stretch AND needs to be wound tight. You need to keep winching that thing TIGHT. You will be able to watch the spindle and the inner folds spin for several rotations without the boat moving, while just sitting there on the trailer.

You might also opt for a stronger winch strap. You would be better off with 5K lbs. rating. Try a truck stop.

Most of us have a safety chain that gets hooked before the boat comes up the ramp when pulling out.

I also run a 10K lb. ratchet strap between the bow eye and the trailer before hitting the road.

Are you sure it's slipping or are you just on a steep ramp and the angle changes once you pull forward? I try to look when launching at the spot just before the boat comes off- that way I can load in that same spot. The bunks will rub the chines and center the boat and you can winch that last couple inches.

Is it a really steep ramp?

Hey BIG Daddy use a 10K lb. ratchet strap between the bow eye and the trailer ,never had one snap or come loose yet ...

I'll be sure to check for that spot next time out - I suppose it could just be an angle problem...the ramp doesn't seem all that steep, however. When I idle the boat up and back onto the trailer, it doesn't seem like the trailer is at a very steep angle, and I've got it pretty far in the water. I will just have to watch it more carefully next time to see what's going on, I guess...

Thanks, Guys! :cool-smiley-011:

It happens on mine as well. As you pull boat out, but some is still in water, winch it forward more. It is difficult to get a tight fit on longer boats becasue too much weight comes out of the water before it settles, then you cannot winch it

This may not be the best advice, but once you are out of the water, crank down on that bi%^#, travel about 2 miles or so and do it again, repeat until boat is snug on stopper. The vibration on the road will allow the boat to move forward until it hits the stopper as long as allot of tension is on it.

We have had to do this sometimes due to the ramp angle. As for safety YES use a strap and chain and anything else you have. Seriously I had a dock line save one of our boats before.

WILL:evilb:

Post a picture of your winch / front end of trailer while launcing / retrieving. Sounds like you have an angle issue that if corrected could save your trailer as well your boat. I had this same problem but did a few mods to the trailer and it is now a non issue.

Do you have bunks or rollers?

If bunks than you probably have an angle problem. I have to get my cafe further than I THINK it should be so that when I pull it out of the water it sits properly - otherwise it is 6 inches shy of the bumpstop - and no amount of winching is goign to move that thing.

If rollers - than yeah you probably are rolling back down...

Exactly.

Well, it seems to be an angle problem; I put it in the lake today. Guess the ramp is fairly steep after all -- anyway, after I backed into the water, with the winch and safety strap tight as can be (albeit 4" short of the stop) - I got out and the safety strap was loose and the bow was right up against the stop! What mods did you guys make to solve this?

IT IS WHAT IT IS.:eek:

Maybe try to tighten it after your of the ramp on a flat spot.
But thats what i tought.

Can you post a picture of the boat on the trailer, close up of the bow and bow stop? It's not an unheard of problem, but 4 inches is extream, and a lot to have to correct on a flat spot of the parting lot.

Don't back in so far. Go on a slow day and inch in slowly. You don't have to float the boat off completely, you just need enough buoyancy to get it to slide off. Have someone backing in and ride on the tongue of the trailer. Ease back and see at what point you can slide the boat by hand.

You can also mark your strap stop point- make a mark where it should be relative to where you want the boat on the thrailer and stop winching when you reach it.

also and old trick i learned was to put dawn dish soap on your two forward most bunks. Always back your trailer down past them to get them wet, then pull forward and drive the boat on. winch up the last few inches and viola' there ya go. the dawn aslo stops crud from getting stuck on the boat as it sits and dries as well.

WOW, thats a cool idea.
Washing while launching.:eek:
No ,serius i have to remember that myself.:rolleyes:
Thanks

Last summer, leaving a poker run in central Ohio, a Cig 38 left the trailer, slid over the tow vehicle and impaled a vehicle in front that stopped short, causing a fatality. No straps and wet bunks cited as the cause.

If you're going to make your bunks slippery, you'd better have straps on the boat.

It never ceases to amaze me how often I see boaters using nothing more than a winch cable and gravity to keep them on the trailer.

ok, first off the little bit of soap on the forward bunks helps with loading only and cuts bacteria in the water in both fresh and salt which in turn cuts down fungis from the bunks. to equal that amount of lube it would be like two drops for a 300 lb chic...definately not enough... always use straps, even on the 300 lb chic...load shift is deadly...wet the bunks, well duh, moist is good, don't believe me explain dry humping as a replacement to intercourse maybe I'll listen...most of all use common sense, even though it's not as common as it used to be, if you question it, you probably need to be a bit safer...:D

[QUOTE=offshoredrillin;2583258] always use straps, even on the 300 lb chic...load shift is deadly.../QUOTE]

New sig line?

[QUOTE=Chris Sunkin;2583271]for Dave :evilb:

[QUOTE=Chris Sunkin;2583271]LMAO.... If nothing else, I think drillin just got a new nick name.....:D

Thanks to all you guys for the advice. Didn't put the trailer in quite so far...re-adjusted a couple of times coming up the ramp and the results were much better. Still maybe an inch short of the stop, but much better weight distribution on the trailer...and I can tell the difference towing. Didn't think a few inches would make that big a difference, but it seems to. I have a few other tricks for next time so I should be able to get it up to the stop. :cool:

And people wonder what it's worth paying for a membership on this site. I dunno - what's safety and peace of mind worth? :D

On our old Formula 18 with small block, I would notice the same slippage with a good 10k strap on the winch. I found out that I was pulling up the ramp too fast, even when I felt I was just creeping up.
Started to inch up the ramp (steep) and boat settled on the trailer with hardly any slippage. The boat bow eye would be all in the front roller when pulling up and then when the angle changed the eye would be above the front roller as the stearn settled down on the bunks.

After that Slow and easy.

Did the same with the Fountain in Fl, the diesel had to be gently let off the brake and power applied or it would "slip back" as well. Go easy and it stays in place.