# Difficulty launching my skiff & getting it back on the trailer.



## el9surf (Dec 23, 2008)

Wax your bunks to start. Take the two ears off the bow roller just leaving the smaller center part of the bow roller in place. That will eliminate the hang up and still protect the bow. Or you can just manually lift the bow up over the bow roller, that's what I did.

You are backing the trailer down too far. Back down till the stern is deep enough to slide the boat in the water with out the bow catching the rear crossbeam on its way off the trailer. Otherwise you will be fighting more than just the weight of the bow if you have backed down too far. If it is a float on sold with the SC it should be pretty easy to load / unload.
I backed mine down to where the first side bumper upright met the water and it would slide on and off pretty easy.


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## makin moves (Mar 20, 2010)

First use gulf wax on your bunks. Second it sounds like you are going to far in the water. Thats why the boat if moving around on you and the front isnt clearing the roller. The boat is floating above the trailer and isn't on the bunks.


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## richg99 (Nov 28, 2009)

I don't know your trailer, but, the addition of Pipe- PVC side posts solves the wind-blown stern issue.

Just yesterday, I cut some PVC strips, countersunk them, and screwed them on top of my carpeted bunks. Sliding on and off will not be an issue any more.

richg99


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## el9surf (Dec 23, 2008)

His trailer should have lateral side bunks rather than the pvc guide post you mentioned Rich. If he's floating over top of them he's backed up about 5 ft too far.


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## RonBari (Jun 30, 2012)

X 3 or 4 on backing it in too far... AND waxing the bunks. Had similar issues with my Float-on and Native SUV-17 until these simple adjustments were made.. Now perfect... can easily launch single handed.


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## CurtisWright (May 9, 2012)

My old Skiff had the same problem. I would just tap the breaks a little when I was backing down in the water to help it slide a few inched down the trailer before the stern started floating. 

I wasnt smart enough to put wax on the bunks.


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## Paul_Barnard (Oct 28, 2011)

It's hard to say without laying eyes on your set up. Find a vacant ramp one day and practice backing it in to various depths. Most people have trouble because they are backing too far.

When you recover the boat, back in to where only about two feet of the bunks are submerged. That should provide a good starting point. You can finesse it from there.


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## MariettaMike (Jun 14, 2012)

If your trailer is like the one pictured on the Ankona site I can see why you would have a problem if you back too far like several have already predicted. I had the same problem with my Dolphin until I learned to do the following.

Loosen your winch strap about 6" to a foot before backing down the ramp. Then while your're backing down the ramp tap the brakes to slide the boat back past that bow roller. Then continue backing slowly until you see the boat transom go down into the water about the same or a little more than when the boat floats without anybody in it. Then get out, loosen the winch enough to unhook and she should slide into the water with minimal effort. If she's not sliding put the Gulf wax on the bunks after the trailer has sat in the sun for a while.

For loading back the trailer down until the last foot of your trailer bunks are out the water. This is usually higher out the water than launching. Then drive the boat onto the trailer straight and centered at a speed that kinda beaches the boat on the bunks that are out of the water. Then depending on your driving skills, motor HP, and ramp conditions you should be able to driver her up until she hits the bow stop without the bow hitting that roller. If you can't driver her up, then step out of the boat onto the trailer and winch her the rest of the way.

Learn to use your trailer fenders as an easier to see benchmark for unloading & loading in the dark.

When you get all that figured out, then learn to back the boat down really close to the dock on the passenger side so you can step on/off the boat or trailer from the dock. This can save you from getting your feet wet at some ramps. The drivers side doesn't work at some ramps because you can't open the door.


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## Hunt and Fish SRQ (Feb 10, 2014)

I have the same boat/trailer as you have, and I dry launch my boat all the time, and have done so on a wide variety of ramps. Wax on the bunks certainly makes this possible and I like the idea mentioned above, I'll be giving that a try when I'm launching the skiff tomorrow for some duck hunting action.


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## copperhead (May 30, 2008)

Even tho' backing down too far is part of the problem, if the angle from the winch stand to the roller is off a bit, it will cause difficulties. Please give us a call at the shop to go over the details and we will get it taken care of. Fishing is supposed to be the hard part, not getting the skiff on and off the trailer 

Mel


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## Capt. Eli Whidden (Jun 7, 2012)

Your backing the trailer to far down the ramp for starts. Now you need to adjust the bow stop and/or the wench stand.


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## lopakapence (Jul 20, 2013)

I am having the same trouble with my Shadowcast18.  Called the trailer guys and they suggested using Vaseline on the bunks.  I have bought some bunk spray lubricant but you have to apply this stuff when the bunks are dry, which means I have to launch the boat and then wait till they dry.  Tried it one day with the trailer in the sun for four hours, they were still wet.  I have to back the trailer in till the fenders are under water to get the boat off.  I did cut my finger between the roller and the bow once, real bad.  So now I loosen the strap a few feet and back in hitting the brakes when almost all the way in to get the bow off the roller.  I don't have much trouble putting it back on but I bought some guide posts.  I don't put the bow on the roller, I wait till I am out of the water up the ramp before winching it all the way up.  Some one told me I could dry launch the boat, but I can't pick the boat up with one hand and throw it in the water.  Not sure how others are doing it, but I have to back in real far, farther than I like.


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## Demeter (Nov 16, 2011)

Thanks for all the replies.


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## JRP (Sep 24, 2012)

I use vegetable oil to spray the bunks when boat is off trailer at ramp .Put it in a spray bottle and spray the bunks while your out fishing and trailer is baking in the sun . You may have to spray it again a few months latter its so easy and works great.


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## KeepingItSimple (Mar 20, 2011)

Here's another view, occasionally at one of the ramps I put in at my SUV 17 will want to hook under the front roller. I just hook the safety chain (so there aren't any catastrophes), pull the truck up a little until the boat levels itself on the trailer (usually this means the back end is initially floating and then comes to rest on the bunks when I pull up), get back out and winch it the rest of the way up. Smooth gliding bunks obviously help with this.

As for "dry" launching and retrieving (esp retrieving) a SUV 17 with the floaton trailer, that's another story. I got some big dings in my front nose gelcoat that were a little painful when I tried to do this. I just back it until the roller in the middle support brace is at the waterline and the back half of the bunks are under so I'm not tempted to curse again... If anyone has this figured out (dry launch/retrieving the float-on SUV) I'm all ears.

Alex V


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## RonBari (Jun 30, 2012)

> Here's another view, occasionally at one of the ramps I put in at my SUV 17 will want to hook under the front roller.  I just hook the safety chain (so there aren't any catastrophes), pull the truck up a little until the boat levels itself on the trailer (usually this means the back end is initially floating and then comes to rest on the bunks when I pull up), get back out and winch it the rest of the way up.  Smooth gliding bunks obviously help with this.
> 
> As for "dry" launching and retrieving (esp retrieving) a SUV 17 with the floaton trailer, that's another story.  I got some big dings in my front nose gelcoat that were a little painful when I tried to do this.  I just back it until the roller in the middle support brace is at the waterline and the back half of the bunks are under so I'm not tempted to curse again...  If anyone has this figured out (dry launch/retrieving the float-on SUV) I'm all ears.
> 
> Alex V


I have the exact same boat and set up.  Launch/retrieve with the trailer submerged just past the axle, but NOT with the wheels/tires submerged  This is deep enough for the boat to slide off the trailer when launching, and shallow enough for the boat to engage the bunks early enough to keep it straight when loading (adjust a little as necessary to ramp steepness).  Make sure you have the wider forward bunk roller..which is what they come with now.    If it's one of the earlier set ups (2010-2012?) it will have a narrow one.. Change it.  Wax the bunks by rubbing with Gulfwax.. Lastly.. make SURE you leave your bow hook engaged until you have it in the water.  My brother has an identical SUV with Float-on .. left the bow completely unhooked, and dumped his brand new boat on the concrete ramp as he was backing it in.    Don't be "that guy".


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## paint it black (Nov 3, 2007)

Definitely backing in too far...


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## KeepingItSimple (Mar 20, 2011)

Thank you for the reply. And sorry to derail the thread just a bit as I know this wasn't the exact intent of the original poster. But maybe it will help somebody from taking a nice hunk of the front of their brand-new SUV. I was going to wait until I had the boat about a year and do a review but this is something that probably needs to be said sooner than that. If I don't back the bunks in at least halfway (my easy point of reference is waterline just at the roller on the mid cross support), the edge of the rear cross support (which has a plastic bumper on the top which I think was supposed to fix this problem) will take a nice notch out of the front nose/keel of the boat when you try and retrieve. This is not a dry launch/retrieve trailer. A good trailer, yes. Dry launch, no. And yes I have the wide front roller.
Point of definition, dry launch in my book means axle and at least most of the rim is not in the water.

Alex V


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## RonBari (Jun 30, 2012)

> Thank you for the reply. And sorry to derail the thread just a bit as I know this wasn't the exact intent of the original poster. But maybe it will help somebody from taking a nice hunk of the front of their brand-new SUV. I was going to wait until I had the boat about a year and do a review but this is something that probably needs to be said sooner than that. If I don't back the bunks in at least halfway (my easy point of reference is waterline just at the roller on the mid cross support), the edge of the rear cross support (which has a plastic bumper on the top which I think was supposed to fix this problem) will take a nice notch out of the front nose/keel of the boat when you try and retrieve. This is not a dry launch/retrieve trailer. A good trailer, yes. Dry launch, no. And yes I have the wide front roller.
> Point of definition, dry launch in my book means axle and at least most of the rim is not in the water.
> 
> Alex V


As with all boat/trailer combos, there is a "sweet spot".  I will agree with you that when it comes to the SUV/Float-On set up, the "dry launch" scenario you are describing ain't it... but neither is dunking it too deep with the wheels submerged.


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## Megalops (Oct 23, 2011)

Hey Demeterof,

No experience with the Shadowcast but I do have a Float on.  Ditto on what everyone has recommended but also a couple points.  I usually don't fish alone and just have someone drive the skiff off/on the trailer.  However, when launching alone or with my youngest, do not grab the very tip of the bow!  Good chance of pinching your fingers under the nose right at the roller. Grab on the side away from the nose and pull/push. 

When loading, depending on ramp angle, I usually have to lift the nose a tad to clear the roller.  Just put your knee under the gunnel and do a "seated calf raise" using your soleus muscle that lies underneath the gastrocnemius muscle.  It's very powerful and you'll be surprised how easy the bow clears vs trying to pull up with arms only, plus it frees you up to crank the winch.  

Every ramp is different, really depends on the angle and tide level.  Sometimes you have to lift the nose sometimes she just rides on there like a dream.  Good luck.


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