trailer walking plank?

[bigdogg1]

Anybody care to share a pic of their trailer mod to get their winch cable/strap to the boat's eye bolt? This particular roller trailer and boat combination requires a fait length of strap to reach the eye. I back in far enough sou there is still enough terra firm to get to the trailer winch but the boat is a long way back on the first set of rollers. If I back in more, I run out of land behind the truck and trailer and if I go in less, there is even more strap needed. Regardless, I have to do the I Beam balancing act to connect the winch hook to the eye and would like to put in a walking plank.

I have considered a grate material, PT 2 x 10, etc but thought I would put to this forum to see what others have done that they have found useful in case I am missing anything.

 

[Sharphooks]

 

[walleyes]

I don’t understand what people need this for, drive your boat onto your trailer, I seldom have to winch any boat more than a couple
inches. Whether I’m alone or with someone makes no difference, it just makes life so easy.

 

[bigdogg1]

Thanks Sharphooks (what a beautiful looking vessel and plenty of security with the double tiedowns at the front!). The walkway looks solid and simple - PT 2 x 10 and carriage bolts? Walleyes, I have thought about the drive on method but am too chicken to lift the leg to keep the keg clear of bottom. Perhaps I should trim it up in the water to see how long it keeps drawing cooling water.

 

[walleyes]

Trimming up is needed yes for sure. I’ve never found it to be a problem, keep in mind as your boat goes on the trailer it pushes your stern down keeping your leg in the water, hence the reason we need to trim up. Also the few seconds it takes to tag the front even if your leg is out it’s not going to cook your engine of course common sense has to prevail here. Also when trimming up you have to keep your clearance in mind. I’ve never found a situation I haven’t been able to tag up in yet and I see a lot of different boat launches in a season with a few different boats. Just takes some practice and confidence.

 

[scott craven]

I don’t understand what people need this for, drive your boat onto your trailer, I seldom have to winch any boat more than a couple
inches. Whether I’m alone or with someone makes no difference, it just makes life so easy.

That works for bunks, roller's not so much unless your buddy is ready to clip
the winch strap on quick.
otherwise you're rolling back off.

 

[bigdogg1]

That works for bunks, roller's not so much unless your buddy is ready to clip
the winch strap on quick.
otherwise you're rolling back off.

Ha, that's exactly what happened when I tried it (trailer has rollers) - I then became 'that guy' at the launch as I had to increase the throttle to hold the boat in position. Luckily there were no boats in the queue at the dock behind me...

 

[walleyes]

That works for bunks, roller's not so much unless your buddy is ready to clip
the winch strap on quick.
otherwise you're rolling back off.

Been loading my 26.5” with rollers all summer with no issues, solo a half dozen times. I just leave the engines in gear pushing it into the front roller. I crawl over the front and hook up and suck it up tight, go back up, shut engines down and trim them up. What I do need is a ladder to make it easier to get over the front. Doesn’t take much just something to hold it in place.

 

[scott craven]

wow , seems like a recipe for disaster leaving the helm with engines running in gear

 

[easydoesit]

Every launch guideline I've read says not to gun your motor to power your boat the last bit onto the trailer. Reason? It erodes the ramp , Other than concrete ramps where it can erode the area off the end of the ramp. Then people retrieving their boats can get stuck on the ramp when their trailer wheels drop off the end. It's happened to me, and yes I got a bigger truck, but I also give a lot more thought to launching and retrieving, especially beach launches and river launches.

As an example, the launch at Captains Cove in Ladner was repaired in August with very coarse crushed rock for fill. By the end of the month gaping holes had reappeared and the launch wasn't really much better than before repairs.

 

[Stosh]

Keep a pair of hip waders in your tow vehicle. When you go to get it, put the hip waders on. Then, just walk into the water, hook up the winch, put on the safety chain. Keep a towel under your front seat and wipe your waders off just before you get in. I had been doing it that way for over 20 years - waders finally leaked! Never have to worry about slipping off the plank.
My 2 cents
Stosh

 

[RiverBoy]

Discovery Launch in CR threatened to ban me for powering my boat on. now kill motor, trim leg up and walk it onto trailer. jump onto my truck tailgate from dock,pull out hook, clip, wind, gone. never get wet, and the leg is already secure.

 

[Drink]

Thought about making or purchasing an extendable boat hook retriever as reaching my eye hook was always a chore or I was either getting wet or walking the plank. But again some eye hooks are tight with a halibut anchor rope attached, etc.

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?...3570E4EA3EFF2C9107313570E4EA3EFF&&FORM=VRDGAR

I was comfortable driving the boat onto the trailer on a quality ramp but then again I was only as good as my partners ability to lock and load the clip or backing up the trailer without submerging the strong arm winch battery. Stuff happens at the ramp as we all know.

 

[tubber]

shorts and flip flops

 

[walleyes]

wow , seems like a recipe for disaster leaving the helm with engines running in gear

Everything is dangerous for some people. Whats it going to do, drive over your truck or storm the marina lol. Anyways,, carry on all, happy boating.

Watching people struggle at the boat launch is always entertaining, frustrating when your in line but entertaining nun the least.

 

[walleyes]

Every launch guideline I've read says not to gun your motor to power your boat the last bit onto the trailer. Reason? It erodes the ramp , Other than concrete ramps where it can erode the area off the end of the ramp. Then people retrieving their boats can get stuck on the ramp when their trailer wheels drop off the end. It's happened to me, and yes I got a bigger truck, but I also give a lot more thought to launching and retrieving, especially beach launches and river launches.

As an example, the launch at Captains Cove in Ladner was repaired in August with very coarse crushed rock for fill. By the end of the month gaping holes had reappeared and the launch wasn't really much better than before repairs.

No gunning involved, just a steady rate and speed and they roll right on, then just leave the engine idle and it holds in place. But each to their own I guess.

But way off topic folks.

 

[Cmiles]

Bought the walkway at metal supermarket a couple of big u bolts works fantastic

 

[profisher]

I had a friend make up an aluminum grated walkway for my trailer. If you travel around using different ramps you can't always drive the boat on. Some are to shallow if the tide is not at an ideal level when you want to come out. Besides I don't want to sink my trailer any further into salt water than I have to. My trailer is 15 years old and 75% of it has never been in the water and still is as new. Never had wiring issues, light issues etc. I'll take a pick of mine and post.

 

[profisher]

Here are pictures of mine, tried to take enough to show how it was made. Very strong, you can jump up and down and its solid. As I said the trailer is a 2004 so 15 years old and still like new.

 

[Trophy]

My solution, rubber boots and my homemade “Trophy Winch Hook Thing A Mig Jiggy”.
Still have to use the frame if launch/tide deep but can easily hang onto boat railing and reach the boat eye without reaching. Patent Pending...haha