Which method do you prefer when retriving the boat from the slip.
Place end roller (last roller engine side) in the water and winch the boat or
put trailer in the water as far as possible as one could and winch boat last 3 feet say.
For the previous two boats i had (not to heavy) i used to put the last roller half submersed than winched the boat up. For heavier boats it seems that the prefered method is to put the trailer in as far as possible and retrieve the boat from say half the trailer onwards.
what method do you use. any side support (long bars covered in pipe) pipe tickness etc. any other methods to counter swells etc
I think it is not advisable to put the trailer down as you said "as far as possible" because you never get the boat in the middle of the trailer. I think the best option is to put the last roler in the water and start pulling the boat onto the trailer with the winch.
Depends how many rollers you have and where the support is coming from. As Shaftbomb said if you go down too far the boat doesn't align well.
I'm all rollers so we don't need to go down too far.
Depends on the winch you have too and the slipway :)
best method in my opinion of course is to be 2 people one to drive the car the other to winch the boat. u leave last roller out of water and start to pull boat when it tightens the car driver backs a little bit while the one on the winch keeps winding keeping the boat tight continue this till u have the boat in its place. This method ensures that ur boat stays straight and relieve stress on the winch and boat.
The way I found best is to put the first roller (closest to the winch) half submersed and guide the boat through all the other rollers by hand and then just winch the last few feet to fasten the belt.
Chris 8)
previously i used to keep the last roller half sumbersed and pull up the boat. The last 2 boats i had i used this method and never had any problems in fifteen years, but these were nt heavy boats. I was planning with this boat to put the middle roller close to the water i.e last roller fully submersed mid roller half submersed than winch up from the mid roller to the front one.I think this should keep the boat in the middle and backed up with the side front rollers. Pull up by car and the last part which would than be supported by the water sits down slowly in place.The reason i am asking and not intending to do as before so that i avoid putting to much stress to the trailer back.
Some ppl use another method - put trailer up to mid roller in water and then drive boat up the trailer making sure that you drive exactly in the middel of the trailer. I never tried this myself though.
What I recommend is that trailer would have only rollers at sides and have a winch with 2 speeds. A good winch is made for that stress so dont worry about that.
My trailer has solid blocks at the sides and boat tends to stick to them so I am planning to change them to rollers.
I have a heavy boat and was even heavier with the double bottom fuull of water 1000Kgs extra weight, and the best metod is the one you find the best,
Do what you find easy there is no fixed way some prefer to get the fist roller down but if the boat is heavy then u have a problem, so you have to experiment with the boat, and the trailer, one thing for sure take a block of wood to put on the trailer wheel as you come up if you use the chain to the tow bar to get the length.
Last year Shanook and myself were putting down boats every single week in fact we were going to open a company just putting down and puling boats up. one thing remember dont hurry but remember that there are people behind you so don't be selfish and clean the boat on the slipway .
thanks