Pontoon Boat & Deck Boat Forum

I have absolutely no problems launching my boat, other than finding a landing big enough, but when it comes time to load her up I'd rather go through a root canal. Every time I load my boat onto the trailer I have somebody guide me to make sure I'm lined up properly, drive it up to the vertical post up front, latch my safety chain and wench down the strap....the problem come when pulling it out of the water. I can drive the boat perfectly straight onto the trailer, but EVERY TIME I pull it out the water it ends up crooked on the trailer and I have to put my shoulder into it and shove it back into place. If I wasn't such a big guy it would be a major problem, but it's a big time headache having to do this.

I assume this is occuring because the boat floats over the trailer and it's such a long boat that it doesn't stay straight when I pull out (LOL, yes I said pull out). Do you guys think I should put some sort of guides on the rear end of the trailer to keep it lined up, and if so can you recomend any certain brand? Pics would greatly help if you guys have guides on your trailers.

Also, this is a Trailstar trailer with only one verticle post in the front...if it had 2 posts I might not have this problem.

Trailer is to deep and you might want to add some guide posts on the rear, I had the same problem a time or two till I learned not so deep and just power it on.

JM... This is my first year with a pontoon and I have done exactly what you did. Get the boat all the way up and then when you get back in the parking lot and she's cockeyed on the trailer..( yes, I said "cockeyed" ). Agree with previous post, trailer's too deep. What I do is have my wife back the trailer down as far as possible to get the bunks wet, then pull up alittle... once I've got the toons lined up, just giver enough throttle to get her all the way up.. then, before we even start to think about pulling off the launch, hook up that strap and tighten her down. It's a learn as you go process. You'll get it in no time. Good luck with the new boat..

Yep, had same problem. I hated loading the boat!!! My trailer was too deep like Herb says and I started using procedure Roland describes. I will work well with a little practice.

Have fun with the new toon!

I trailered our boat extensively and visited a lot of different ramps, rivers, and lakes in our travels. And since ramps and conditions were always a new and sometimes eventful challenge depending on wind, river current, and ramp steepness and depth, we also sometimes had some of the same issues already discussed on this thread. Our first attempt to resolve the problem was purchasing these.
As a word of experience save your $$$$$, because they are tea-total-worthless in real world application.
The photo above shows a guide something similar to what we have now. I more or less made mine out of shear frustration and failure to find something made commercially. It's Not all that difficult to do at all and now I can back down and load the boat in any and "all conditions" as fast and easily as a jet flea. It works perfectly and takes all the apprehension out of the ramp experience.

I have these on my trailer. http://www.overtons.com/modperl/product ... 008&r=view They help me. You have your trailer backed in too deep as well. You shouldn't be floating right up to the stop. Either power up with the motor or use the winch to crank up the last few feet and you logs should be resting on the bunks instead of floating around in the rear.

Too deep.
Yup, i said it.
Too Deep.

If you use the 2' pvc covered pipes on the inside also use 4' pvc guides on the outside and leave about a maximum of 2" between the pontoon and the guides. When the front of the pontoon goes between the four upright guides you will always be in line with the bunks.

Thanks for the advice guys. I guess I couldn't figure it out as I've never had a problem with going in too deep! I'll try to power it up there next time and see what happens. It get so frustrating I paid the $15/night dock fee instead of loading/unloading everyday for the week I just spent in Grand Isle, LA. I'll be taking her out for 4 days on Toledo Bend Resevoir next weekend, so I should get plenty of practice.

Bamby, I really like the extended bunkers in that last pic, I may try to do something like that.

We have to trailer our pontoon every time we use it. The camp ground we are in is just across the road from the access to Pelican Lake. I back in the trailer and my wife drives up the boat. The bottom runners are just barely covered by water - maybe 4 - 6 inches. She just drives the boat right up to the stops. It doesnt move very fast with the resistance of the bunks. I just hook up the winch strap crank it once and away we go. we can do it in a minute now. I really struggle with boat ramp issues when boats sit in the water and futz around while a line up behind them want to get theirs into the lake.

if the ramp concrete does not go FAR out into the lake, when you powerload
you will be contributing to the washout holes at the end of the ramp and you
may get slapped with a big fat fine. powerloading is illegal in many states.

Don't have to worry about that in Florida, all we are is sand and it don't blow no where and you can power load anywhere if you do it right, get the speed up some and don't use full throttle at the last second or at all.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission doesn't agree with you.

Power loading has caused many of the State's ramps to age prematurely. Early ramps were not built to handle the prop wash caused by power loading. Many ramps have been undermined by prop wash and collapsed. Also a sediment berm or delta is formed waterward of the ramp by power loaders and can block boater access to adjacent waters during low water periods. New ramp designs are utilized by the Commission to reduce damage caused by power loading. However, it is preferable not to race your engine while loading.

http://myfwc.com/RECREATION/boat_FreshwaterRamps.htm

doesn't look like they've made it illegal yet. i suppose they just keep raising your launch fees to cover all the repairs needed because people are too lazy to winch their boat onto their trailer.

herb> you can power load anywhere if you do it right, get the speed up some and don't use full throttle at the last second or at all.

i agree with you on that, herb, but that's not "power loading", at least not the kind that's being made illegal in many places.

from florida website