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Bow Roller
JHartsfield
Member Posts: 1 ✭
We bought this boat last spring with an unmatched trailer that was too short. We purchased this new trailer and everything is great, just have a question about the bow roller. When we come in to load, no matter how shallow or deep the trailer is, the bow roller hits the front of the boat and we have to "power" over the roller to get on top of it. Is this normal for these type of boats? As you can see in the picture, there's not much room to lower the roller stand. I'm afraid we will end up doing damage to the front of the boat if we continue having to do this.
Comments
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I just experienced a similar situation after launching my '92 FD226 for the 1st time. I had a V-Block for bow stop, and it flopped-over putting a nice gouge in the hull under the bow. I've ordered a poly roller to replace it, and will be lowering the winch post to put the roller below the bow eye. I also use a ratchet to tie the bow eye straight down to the trailer, and live 5 minutes from the lake. Something else I plan to try is, I have a 2 speed winch, and it will easily slide my boat on the wet bunks in low gear. I'm going to stop short, pull up to set the rear on the bunks, and winch it the rest of the way forward. If that will allow me to leave the bow stop above the bow eye, I'd prefer to have it that way, and cranking the last foot or so by hand would be worth it for me.
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JHartsfield, I found that my FD196 was too heavy to winch into position with the weight of the boat resting on the bunks. The best method I found for loading it without damage was to back the trailer in deep enough that the boat can float right up to the bow cushion at the proper height, then fasten the winch strap and drive out of the water so that the boat settles down onto the bunks as the trailer rises. If it is not in correct position, back in and refloat it enough to move. (Full disclosure: After about three trips to the ramp I got a slip at the dock and leave my boat on a lift all summer to avoid loading / unloading.)
