1995 Grady White Sailfish Trailer Setup Help

[Plankton]

Good Day,

I'm hoping someone on this board has had a similar issue to me and can give me some advice. Boat in question is a 1995 Grady White Sailfish (272). Trailer is a rolls dual axle all aluminum trailer with pvc guide polls. We fish here in Southern NC, Carolina Beach in particular and the ramps are not bad at high tide but very steep at mid and low tide.
This is our 3rd fishing boat and the other 2 we never had trouble loading on the trailer.

Problem arises when we go to put the boat on the trailer. You can see in the pictures that the forward bunk comes to a V and the deep V of the bow get stuck in between the 2 bunks. We always get these forward bunks wet but we have to give the boat a ton of RPM's to get it up to the winch. Several times we have hit the rubber guard which should be just below the stainless hook and have broken the gel coat.

Friends have recommended installing bunks long ways but I'm not sure this will fix the issue. Any advice would be much appreciated.

 

[DennisG01]

A couple thoughts come to mind that might help...

- You may not be getting into the water far enough. Since you have the PVC guide poles, you can back in further and the poles (if adjusted properly) will keep the stern end from floating away to the left of right. Although that will change the angle of the boat on the trailer, and focus a little more towards those front bunks, it will also take some of the weight off the rear bunks (and likely still a little bit off the front) and it could allow you to float on a little further and need less power.

- Those front bunks look to be weight bearing. They are awfully small for being weight bearing. I'm not referring to them being over their capacity, but instead to surface area. There's a lot of weight being put on those bunks - larger bunks would spread the weight out over a larger area and allow the boat to slide easier.

- Changing all of the carpet to plastic bunk "slicks" will drastically reduce the surface tension between the hull and the bunks. They will definitely allow the boat to slide easier.

- Changing those front bunks to longitudinal ones could help. But you'll need to add another crossmember to support them. There are 4', pivoting, longitudinal bunk setup out there that could support the weight, but it appears that some of the weight is currently being supported by the frame. Without checking with the manufacturer, I would be worried that one crossmember would not be strong enough.

- You mentioned the ramp changes angles... does this mean it's a gravel ramp? You should not power load on a gravel ramp as it destroys the ramp. You might want to invest in a power winch... which will solve all the problems you're having, too.

 

[ROBERTH]

I had some sticking issues also on the carpet, but spray now with the bunk spray and issue goes away. Easy fix. Launch boat and when coming back from a day of fishing, carpet dries out, then give it a good spray before re-loading the boat and you will see a dramatic difference in the loading and lauching next time.

 

[Plankton]

Thanks for the advice guys. I'm going to put target bunks on the trailer next week and I will buy some spray for the carpet.

 

[Clockwork]

replace carpet with slicks. don't use that spray, it leaves an oil slick that can give you trouble if the wrong person sees it.

 

[ROBERTH]

Interesting. First I heard of this slick. The Mary Kate Liquid Rollers seems to dry up and I have never noticed a slick in the water. It takes most of the year for it to wear off, so likely if it does leach some oils in the water, it is likely way less than the Grease and WD 40 coatings from trailers and motors, etc.

Without this, my boat would stick bad enough that I nearly couldnt get it off the trailer until I sprayed. Thinking of using some furniture polish spray which is wax, but not sure how well it will last.

Slicks are very scary to use as if a screw back out, you won't notice it until after a gouge in the gelcoat. There is another spray that looks a lot like Armor All, but is is called slydze I think. This I did not like and bet it would leach too much into the water.

 

[DennisG01]

I love slicks - they are wonderful. But I agree with you on the screw thing, however... The reality is that the screw won't back out enough during launching to cause any real damage since the boat is already sitting on top of it. The only time it could really cause an issue is when loading, but... a screw won't "all of a sudden" back out that far and if the person driving the truck/trailer is doing their job then they are giving the trailer a quick inspection every time they park the rig and every time they retrieve it.

But, there are also bunk slick designs that are more of a 3-sided cap and they wrap over the edge of the 2x - with that design, the screws are attached into the side of the 2x... nothing on top. That's actually the design that I usually use, myself, on various trailers.

 

[ROBERTH]

Agree Dennis, I haven't found the wrap arounds that fit the boards that I have. They are bigger than 2X4's. The bunks are huge.

Also, not so sure I want it to be too slick especially during a hard braking or accident. That is a lot of weight to allow movement so easily. I also don't trust remembering to check each time coming back after a long day offshore to stop and look at the screws each time.

I know these are nice option to have for most folks. I just think the extra cost and maintenance, and other risks outweigh for me at least, just an occasional spray that works quickly and easily without too much slickness. I like the control I still have after releasing the hook, that I just nudge in reverse to slide off and not have to power forward to hold it before unhooking.

 

[DennisG01]

Tie Down makes some that fit 6" wide boards. They're no more 'slick' than a roller trailer would be (as far as emergency stopping goes). As far as maintenance, there's actually less since you're not replacing carpet and there's pretty much zero chance that you'll get sand or grit stuck in the carpet to scratch a hull. But, sure - absolutely - whatever works best for someone is the best way! Everyobody has a way that they like and one way is not "better" than the other - just different.