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Boat Launching Question


cmcgee82

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Hello Malibu Crew,

After backing my trailer and boat into the water (submerge the trailer wheel wells almost to complete/95%), unhook the tow straps, and start the boat up and begin to back off the trailer the problem/concern begins. I have to get on the throttle extremly hard (almost and sometimes full throtle in reverse to get it started to move) to get my boat off the trailer. Its to the point where i am worried that my e brake will pop loose and everything come into the water. This can not be normal is there something that i should put on the running boards of my trailer, am i doing something wrong? I look foward to reading your solutions and advise. THANKS!!

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1) If it's a shallow landing, you may have to back in a bit further.

2) You can start the boat (leave it in neutral) and either get out and rock the front up and down a bit to get it started, or use a second person for it. Being that you have a bigger boat than mine, this may or may not work.

I find that I usually back a bit further in to unload than when I am loading. You have pole guides on the back of the trailer to keep you from going sideways, and are in no danger of doing damage to the front of the boat from pulling too far onto the trailer too quickly, like when you are loading.

Basically:

Float off the trailer. (Trailer deeper)

Power gently onto the trailer. (Use your 95% rule)

Edited for clarification.

Edited by jk13
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Back in deeper, If you are on a steep ramp keep the wench strap connected until in the water, flat ramp not really needed. Back in until the back of the boat starts to float up then start and back off, You shouldn't have to use a lot of power to get off or on the trailer. Keep in mind that all ramps are different, gennerally speaking from my experance the steeper the ramp the more difficult it is to load and unload. I have actually had to get all four tires on the Surburban in the water a couple of times, usually just the rear though.

Hope this helps

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Hello Malibu Crew,

After backing my trailer and boat into the water (submerge the trailer wheel wells almost to complete/95%), unhook the tow straps, and start the boat up and begin to back off the trailer the problem/concern begins. I have to get on the throttle extremly hard (almost and sometimes full throtle in reverse to get it started to move) to get my boat off the trailer. Its to the point where i am worried that my e brake will pop loose and everything come into the water. This can not be normal is there something that i should put on the running boards of my trailer, am i doing something wrong? I look foward to reading your solutions and advise. THANKS!!

Are you launching solo or with someone???

Solo- Leave the winch strap hooked. Start blower. Back the trailer in until the boat starts to float! Unhook strap, give boat a shove, climb on, start. Back away easily.

Partner- Put partner in the boat. Have them ready with the blower on, boat completely unhooked. Back in until the boat starts to float, hit brakes. They start the boat as it's sliding off the trailer. You pull away, and the trailer is in the water for less than 30 seconds....

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If two people are launching you shouldn't have to power off the trailer. As noted above you can use your truck to back up a little them hit the brakes giving the boat a 'bump' off the trailer. We do start the boat while still hooked on trailer with the bow eye to avoid a floating non-start situation. Once boat is started I unhook, then give the slight bump with truck to launch off the trailer.

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You can put some bunk lube on yoour bunks, but if you do that you need to be real sure that the baot is secured to the trailer when you pull it out.

As others have said tough, just get the trailer a little deeper and you should be fine. I need to get the trailer wheels all the way under at our ramp.

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Go deeper young man go deeper..

You can also go deep and pull it back up some it will wet the bunks and brake the boat lose.

Edited by Sixball
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It depends on the ramp and the water level too, my ramp is steep if the water is high but levels out pretty flat when water is low so it is good that you judge by the fenders. I almost always take the boat off with at least one other person to help, but with a private ramp I don't have to worry about leaving my truck and trailer at the ramp when I unhook so if you are doing it solo you have to keep that in mind.

You should be able to back the trailer into the water, put the e-brake on, release the strap, and push the boat loose from the trailer (sometimes if the runners are very dry it can be more difficult and you may need to back down the ramp another foot or two). With two people you should be able to have someone in the boat to back it out and take the boat for a light warm up while you park the truck and trailer. However, you should not be in full throttle in reverse, backing off the trailer, always push the boat loose and if you can't do that another foot backing up should be enough to release the boat.

Hopefully you have a 4 wheel drive truck, I have seen two wheel drives that have got there back wheels wet and they start spinning like crazy trying to pull their boat out.

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You can put some bunk lube on yoour bunks, but if you do that you need to be real sure that the baot is secured to the trailer when you pull it out.

As others have said tough, just get the trailer a little deeper and you should be fine. I need to get the trailer wheels all the way under at our ramp.

You can use any silicone spray on the bunks, but be careful. The boat will back off much easier - perhaps easier than you expect.

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martinarcher

Are you launching solo or with someone???

Solo- Leave the winch strap hooked. Start blower. Back the trailer in until the boat starts to float! Unhook strap, give boat a shove, climb on, start. Back away easily.

Partner- Put partner in the boat. Have them ready with the blower on, boat completely unhooked. Back in until the boat starts to float, hit brakes. They start the boat as it's sliding off the trailer. You pull away, and the trailer is in the water for less than 30 seconds....

Right on. Exactly how we do it. It frustrates me to see people taking 5 or more minutes on the ramp.

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I back up the Jeep until the muffler is almost touching the water. can't really go any further than that. Weight in the back helps. Maybe try filling your rear ballast tanks if it gets real bad.

Are your front ballast tanks full?

I wouldn't worry about completely submerging the trailer but maybe someone heard different.

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If two people are launching you shouldn't have to power off the trailer. As noted above you can use your truck to back up a little them hit the brakes giving the boat a 'bump' off the trailer. We do start the boat while still hooked on trailer with the bow eye to avoid a floating non-start situation. Once boat is started I unhook, then give the slight bump with truck to launch off the trailer.

This is generally the plan. Just remember to push in the little silver button on the throttle if you have been working on the boat before sending Wifey on a float with a running boat and stuck in nutral.

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This is generally the plan. Just remember to push in the little silver button on the throttle if you have been working on the boat before sending Wifey on a float with a running boat and stuck in nutral.

I dont get it......... :unsure:

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I dont get it......... :unsure:

It's the neutral safety switch on the older throttles. Yours is drive by wire & doesn't run the same.

BTW, I usually have to get my trailer fenders an inch or two under water before the boat will float off the trailer. Depending on how steep the ramp is, the truck will have at least the back tires a little in the water. Sometimes all 4 tires if it's not terribly steep.

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It's the neutral safety switch on the older throttles. Yours is drive by wire & doesn't run the same.

BTW, I usually have to get my trailer fenders an inch or two under water before the boat will float off the trailer. Depending on how steep the ramp is, the truck will have at least the back tires a little in the water. Sometimes all 4 tires if it's not terribly steep.

Gotcha! Unfortunately i have rear drum brakes (if you have them then you know where i am coming from). Anytime they get wet they have a tendancy to stick and lock up. It is a real pain in the #$$ when this is your everyday vehicle. :mad:

I am considering the bunk lube deal!

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martinarcher

This is generally the plan. Just remember to push in the little silver button on the throttle if you have been working on the boat before sending Wifey on a float with a running boat and stuck in nutral.

Been there done that. Whistling.gif Whoops....

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Are you launching solo or with someone???

Solo- Leave the winch strap hooked. Start blower. Back the trailer in until the boat starts to float! Unhook strap, give boat a shove, climb on, start. Back away easily.

Partner- Put partner in the boat. Have them ready with the blower on, boat completely unhooked. Back in until the boat starts to float, hit brakes. They start the boat as it's sliding off the trailer. You pull away, and the trailer is in the water for less than 30 seconds....

:plus1: doesn't get any easier than that

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Go deeper young man go deeper..

You can also go deep and pull it back up some it will wet the bunks and brake the boat lose.

:plus1:

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Back in deeper, If you are on a steep ramp keep the wench strap connected until in the water, flat ramp not really needed. Back in until the back of the boat starts to float up then start and back off, You shouldn't have to use a lot of power to get off or on the trailer. Keep in mind that all ramps are different, gennerally speaking from my experance the steeper the ramp the more difficult it is to load and unload. I have actually had to get all four tires on the Surburban in the water a couple of times, usually just the rear though.

Hope this helps

I'd like to see that. :rofl:

I agree, back in farther! I back in far enough that the boat slides off like butter sliding off a hot knife.

Edited by MalibuTime
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I wouldn't use silicone spray--it gets on the bunks and won't come off. Can make for some scary launches. I do use Pledge furniture spray on the carpet. It is cheap, and won't make the bunks too slippery. You may have to reapply it a few times during the season, but it works great. Also sounds like you aren't quite deep enough as others have said.

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If you back the trailer in far enough so the boat starts to float there should be no need to lube the bunks. Besides, you can only lube the bunks when coming out of the water setting up for the next time you go out. Won’t some of the lube wash off as soon as the trailer enters the water?

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I launch at a launch that is great during high tide (fenders in 95%) and boat comes off. Low tide I need to get them under becasue of the crappy grade.

if you are having to give it that much throttle I would just go in a bit deeper

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What to you guys do for loading? I know you wet the bunks completely, but do you have any tips or process to reload the boat without winching the boat up the bunks? Don't want to scatch the hull or power load.

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Need help, scratched the Bu again yesterday loading it on the trailer. We load the Bu on a steep ramp at a natural lake. The ramp runs out before the fenders are under water or 95% under. So the trailer seats un-level on the lake bottom. The main bunks are not problem it is the v bunk that supports the bow. The v bunk scratches the hull right under the bow eye. If I pull the tailer out more to where the fender are 85% to 95% out water the winch and I don't have enough power to pull it to the bow stop.

Trailer is an Extreme Single Axle, all bunks are clean and wet when loading.

Thanks

Keith

Edited by CumminsBu
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