1997 Sunsetter on Elete single axle,. Help Load the Boat

[GaryB]

 

Happy Independence Day! 

We need a better strategy for loading the boat. In order for the bow of the boat to miss the "v" rubber winch roller, the trailer has to be very deep in the water, so deep that none of the hull is in contact with the bunks.  Makes lining anything up a bit of a guess. 

 

We're used to loading on our vintage correct craft trailers, which are darn near idiot proof, put the top of the fenders even with the water, drive it on, self centering, easy. 

 

Anyone else have this combo, could you describe you loading process. 

 

Thanks! 

 

Gary

[oldjeep]

Load shallow and winch. If the whole boat is sitting back on the bunks then it isn't going to wind up under the bow stop.

[MadMan]

18 minutes ago, oldjeep said:

Load shallow and winch. If the whole boat is sitting back on the bunks then it isn't going to wind up under the bow stop.

Had a '93 Sunsetter we would load like this, couldn't use the "float on" method.  Just got to find the sweet spot where it's just shallow enough to lift the bow over the "v".

Edited July 4, 2016 by MadMan

[jk13]

Same here, Echelon LX on an Elete. Fenders just showing above the water, as well as the front tips of the long bunks. Floats on about halfway and winch the rest. Previous owner(s) punched up the nose and rub rail pretty badly loading too deep.

[GaryB]

Thanks for the advice, I tried putting just the tops of the fenders showing and it still put the bow into the roller. I'll try leaving three or four  inches of fender showing, and winch it the rest of the way. 

 

We had the boat so crooked on the trailer, I was sure my new Acme was going to be toast. Doesn't help that we have an unfamiliar new boat and trailer, and are simultaneously teaching my teenage daughter to load the boat. 

 

Gary

 

 

[jk13]

6 minutes ago, GaryB said:

Doesn't help that we have an unfamiliar new boat and trailer, and are simultaneously teaching my teenage daughter to load the boat. 

The exact reason we didn't repair the rub rail and front gel right away. I've boated my whole life, but my wife and kids hadn't until we bought ours. There's already some nicks and scrapes, less stress moving forward if it happens again. Wife and son can load it on the trailer, daughter will as soon as she has her boater's safety completed. 

[curtish]

Same situation with the 95 Sunsetter we just got.  My wife was burying the trailer much too deep and the boat was contacting the bow roller before the bunk.  Not what you want.  Had her pull out so the fenders were 2" above the water and then I just drove it on.  Easy peasy.

[Steve B.]

You can kind of "pre-load" too.  My 95 I'll get it started. Winch a bit, get it past that roller issue, then back trailer in a bit farther to make winching easier. No biggie.  My 2002 can be in pretty deep and just winch up the whole way.

Steve B.