What's the proper way to luanch and trailer your boat?

[boneil]

I have "boat buddy" that is spring loaded and will lock the D-Ring to the trailer once the boat is all the way on the trailer...  $50 bones at bass pro... ye haw

When launching and trailering should I sink the trailer deep or really drive on / drive off.  Getting ready for perfect pass and am curious if I sink it deep there will be enough side to side "play" to mash the paddle wheel.

With lead in the bow I really struggle to drive on the way my dealer told me I should.

B

[phenom_1819]

Don't go too deep or you'll be forking up the dough for a major trailer repair.  With the trailer deep, 96% of the time you will load the boat onto the trailer without a problem.  But that 4% of the time can get expensive. 

I took my old trailer too deep. ***Note - I said OLD trailer.  When the truck pulled forward, the boat shifted and came down right on top of the wheel well.  We had to use a hammer to pound out the wheel well to get it driveable, and given the condition of my brakes, bearings, and rust -- I opted for a new (used Malibu) trailer. 

So... I wouldn't recommend going too deep.  I was told that the top of the wheel-wells should just be peeking out of the water -- now I know why. 

[lesman01]

I stopped using the boat buddy function the first year i had the boat. It is just too hard on the boat/trailer/tow vehicle.

If you do as most suggest where the trailer is just peaking out of the water, it takes a lot of force to slam it up far enough to engage the boat buddy.

Now, i just run it up a little and then use the harness to crank it up. I still have marks on the bow from the boat buddy to remind why why i don;t just slam it up there.

Plus, the torque of the engine will try to foece the bow off center.

If you go deep enough with the trailer to make the BB work without a "hitch",(pun intended) which is getting both wheels fully underwater, then you run the risk of the boat coming down off center like what happened to Cal when you pull it out.

With a deep trailer launch, If you have someone in the boat holding one guide post.. centering the boat while you pull out, it helps, but I don;t risk it....

[skiboarder]

When I bought my boat the marina drove us down to the lake to test drive it and when we pulled it out he was way to deep and it was right on the wheel well. They kinda fixed it before I bought it but I got to see what happends when you put the trailer in too deep,  right away befor I bought it. I back the trailer in so that the wheel wells are just under water and then push the boat by hand onto it then whinch it in. I have never drove my boat on a trailer cause I see retards everytime we luanch f*ck up there boat doing it. They are always slamin into the winch or fish tailing it into the pier besides I think its way faster to crank it in.

[ScarabEpic22]

We (either myself or my dad) drop the trailer deeper than we do for our Scarab, but we always have someone (read me or my mom) sitting on the sundeck who holds the boat centered between the guides and makes sure the boat doesnt rest on the wheelwells.  Never had a problem in 7 seasons, and its a ton easier with 3 people (driver + 2 on the sundeck) but it can be done with 2.