boat and tightness of winch strap?

[ThomasL]

I have noticed something that concerns me after i have loaded my boat,when i take out i am still using the trolling motor to guide it on and hooking the strap and winching it on,still leary of driving it on even with a drive on trailer.I pull the bow up to the roller,pull the truck,boat out and get everything ready to leave(put transom saver on,hook both back straps,etc)After going a mile or so i notice the front bow of the boat bouncing in my rearview mirror.I stop get out and the winch strap is a little loose and i can literally lift the front of the boat right off the roller,so i'll winch it tight which i also must go to the back and retighten the back buckle straps and off i go.Is it that i am not driving the boat on the drive-on trailer and letting the bow front strike the front roller?

[DMB Fan]

I know the feeling of not wanting to drive the boat on the trailer with the big guy,but you should get comfortable with it.  I usually leave about two feet  on the trailer and hand cranck the rest of the way up.and snuggg it .It might be time for a new winch, or the locking do-hickey thing is bad. still not sure get a new one. A bounching boat is not good, and a winch that fails on the raod is worse.

[bassboy1]

Nothing wrong with driving on the trailer, so long as you stay at idle speed.  When you are pushing it on with 1/2 throttle, it just makes me (and many others) mad.  But, idle speed power loading ain't a problem.  

Also, crank your winch down tight.  At the bottom of the ramp, you can't always get it tight, as the back of the boat is floating.  Once at the top, go ahead and crank her down tight.  You won't break anything by cranking hard, you will actually break more by leaving it loose.  Once at home, release some of the pressure, but don't forget to crank her down tight before leaving again.

[fishfordollars]

Just power load it and snug it down.

[Crestliner2008]

The problem with power loading - in a lot of cases - is perception. Here in MA, it's unlawful to powerload at all public launches. The reasoning is that full powerloading blows out the bottom of the launch area, making launching difficult for some users. However, I usually power on (at just above idle speed) about 1/2 way on the trailer, leaving it in that position until I go forward and hook up the winch; then I shut down and use the winch to get the boat the rest of the way on. I still get some dirty looks from time to time, but no one has reported me.....yet!  

[Team_Dougherty]

I do not rely just on the winch to hold the boat on. I also use a separate bow hold down strap.

[Minuteman]

I had this problem too. I went to BPS and got one of these for $7

This solves the bouncing, but I don't consider it good as a safety strap. I tie a knot below the buckle so it can't work its way loose, but I don't know how well it would work in an accident or winch failure.

[Olebiker]

The problem with power loading - in a lot of cases - is perception. Here in MA, it's unlawful to powerload at all public launches. The reasoning is that full powerloading blows out the bottom of the launch area, making launching difficult for some users.

Sounds like they are not building their launch ramps far enough into the water.

[HPBB]

First thing is you MUST make sure your straps are tight as they can be. If the rear ones are tight and the front is somewhat lose the boat still should not slide back. Take all of your winch strap out and reel it in tight. there might be a lot of play in it.

Also, what kind of boat is this? on your trailer do the bunks go to the end of the boat? or end a few feet before the boat ends? Do you have those teflon slider on your bunks?

On my boat I don't use a strap on the winch. I switched to a cable ( because at a few TM only lake I fish alot I can not power load the boat and I had several straps rip when trying to winch the boat up on the trailer) I also use "boat Buckle's" on the rear. these are the best thing ever. Not only fast and easy, but really makes the boat tight to the trailer.

If you have those teflon strips on your bunks. they might need to come off. I know they help launching boats easier, but I have seen to many boats fall off the trailers with those. the boat just slide to much with them.

On the bunks. I know when I bought my 14 foot V hull. the trailer had small bunks on it which did not go all the way to the back of the boat. With a 15hp motor 6gal of gas and 2 batteries back there, hanging past the bunks. the weight would help to lift the bow. If i didnot have the bow strap really tight the boat would do what you just said your did. and to make matter worse when you tighten your rear straps down your helping to pull the back down more. I had to move the winch mount forward a foot and add longer bunks that go al the way to the back of the boat. Infact I made them to be 4-6 inches longer than the rear of the boat. THis helps hold the back of the boat steady, and the bouncing stopped.

[Redlinerobert]

I drive my boat up on the trailer as well.  I usually crank up the last foot or so by hand.

[cart7t]

I've had this situation happen before. It was usually caused by one of a couple things.

1. I had just put a new strap on.  Regardless of how tight you think you've wound that thing it becomes apparent the first time you trailer your boat that there was still room for the strap to wrap a little tighter around the winch spool.  Anytime I put a new strap on I'll stop a couple times on the way to the lake and check the tension.  Invariably it has loosened.  

2. If I've put the trailer in too deep and the boat doesn't snug into the bunks when reloading.  This happens most often on very steep ramps, lousy ramps or where there is a problem, usually due to obstructions off the end of the ramp where I can't get the trailer right in the sweet spot.  I've had to re-back the boat into the water more than once and re-snug it into the bunks to get it right.  The last thing you want is a boat bucking on the trailer.  If it starts doing that you're losing the center of gravity and this could lead to handling problems as you're driving.

I would definitely suggest learning to power load your boat onto the trailer.  Wait for a time on the lake when the ramp is not busy and practice doing it a few times.

[ThomasL]

The boat is a new xpress sv17 on a backtrack trailer with drive on bunks that are carpeted.The side rails as i call them are under water when you back the trailer in so it's hard to see them if you drove the boat onto the trailer.When loaded only a inch or two at the most extends past the back of the bunks and as the boat loosens it slides forward which loosens the winch strap and i have to retighten.The rear of the boat will then be dead even with the back of the bunk.of on the water level notice i am in NC which is drying up!