R-21 Trailer Loading Tips

[Kamalani]

I just want to get a sampling of opinions as to how some of you go about loading the R-21 onto your trailer. Do you drive it on or winch it on. What is the best position of the trailer in the water, relative to the bunks, say. (meaning would you submerge 3/4 of the bunk's length, more, less?) Are there any other tips a first-timer should be aware of? Believe me, it's a lot easier to make a fool of one's self at the launch ramp than out on the water. 😳
Thanks.
Alex, "Kamalani"

 

[rt11002003]

Alex, I have an aluminum trailer, a FloatOn. It has vertical guides in the back to help align the boat. I always have to remember to remove the boat fenders before trying to get on the trailer. 😉

I need to have enough water to cover the front bunks. They tended to catch the hull (and the raw water intake) until I shortened them by about 6 to 8 inches and beveled the leading edges. The ramp I use at my sailing club has a bit of a shallow angle and I've always used the engine to load/unload the boat. If I could get the front of the front bunks under water by six inches I think the boat would float on.

We have a steeper ramp that I may use next time. The trick will be to keep the vertical guides out of the water and the front bunks under water.

Gene

 

[Kamalani]

Gene - sounds like the FloatOn trailer is a different breed of cat than the typical boat trailer. However, if you power the boat onto the trailer, and you are working alone, how do you safely depart the boat without having secured at least the bow to the trailer winch?

 

[tuggertoy]

Hi Alex,

At most of the ramps which my wife and I have launched, or I should say loaded, our 2006 R-21 Classic we have found that if the keel roller on our King single axle, bunk style, trailer is just under the water, my wife and I can guide the boat by a bow and stern line onto the bunks and onto the keel roller to within about 3 to 4 feet of the winch post. At this point the bunks kind of have a hold on the vessel and I am able to walk out on the frame of the trailer to hook up the winch strap without having Tugger Toy leave the trailer unexpectedly. Once the strap is hooked up I just winch her the rest of the way on. I have tried power loading a few times but if you miss the keel roller the boat ends up on the frame of the trailer and as we all know once you need to use reverse the prop wash pushes the stern to port and what started off looking like a slick way to load the boat on the trailer turns ugly in a hurry. Especially if you have a vessel at the neighboring ramp on your port side. The other thing that I don't like about power loading is that if you read the Yanmar manual they highly recommend that you let the motor idle for about 5 minutes to cool down after a run. If you power load the boat the last thing you are doing before shutting her down is revving up the motor. Now, once we are tied up at the dock one of us goes for the rig and the other stays behind and lets the motor idle to cool down and this seems to work out well. If you have a different trailer than ours, and I am sure that you do, you will have to experiment a bit to see where the sweet spot is in the water for your setup.

Eric

 

[johnniethek]

Hi Alex,

I have an R-21 EC and here's how I load the boat onto the trailer:

I back the EZ Loader, one-axle trailer into the water until the keel roller is at water level. Then I drive the boat onto the trailer. This is usually a very easy task since the trailer's horizontal support beams guide the boat into the proper position. When there is a heavy cross-wind, I sometimes use the bow thruster to ensure the boat glides straight and true toward the winch.

I usually have someone on the dock letting me know how close I get to the winch. They hold their hands apart, and bring them closer together to approximate the distance from boat to winch. There have been many times when I single-hand this, and don't really need that on-shore assistance.

When I get within about a foot of the winch, I turn off the motor. This is always close enough that the boat is resting on the horizontal supports and won't float aimlessly away. After I turn off the motor, I go to the bow and -- with varying degrees of grace and klutziness -- step off the boat and put my right foot onto the winch (just behind the rubber roller). Then I lower my left foot onto the trailer, which is usually above the waterline. I then put both feet on the trailer for a more stable base. Then I connect the winch strap to the boat, crank it on up and attach the safety-chain connector to the boat, as well.

Note to Dave and John Livingston: I have often thought that a future design for trailers should include -- for lack of a more eloquent term -- an elevated "metal cleatish footpad" between the winch and its rubber roller to more easily enable boaters to step from the boat to the trailer. That would make it much easier to complete that boat-to-trailer hookup we all need to make.

Hope this helps, Alex,

Cheers,

John

 

[Kamalani]

All of your ideas have been very helpful. Thanks. I will be using the EZ Loader bunk-type trailer with side guide rails, so it should be pretty straightforward. I like the idea of guiding her onto the trailer with bow & stern lines, at least for the first time. Less chance for 😳

Alex, "Kamalani"

 

[rt11002003]

Alex, I've always had help when loading the R21EC which hasn't been often; I'm keeping Tuglet in the water. However, I've done this loading/unloading hundreds of times with other boats, unassisted. The other responders all had good info. My favorite loading/unloading technique is to float the boat on the trailer and move it with bow and stern lines. If all goes well (and one has a dock beside the ramp) it can be done without getting one's feet wet.

Without a dock to work from, one needs to float/power load the boat forward enough to be able to go over the bow onto the trailer. Usually, my trailers have had a ladder welded/bolted to them just in front of the upright where the winch is mounted. If not, I just step on the top of the upright and then down to trailer frame. It helps to install a walkway (wood or metal) from the upright to the hitch, if that distance is more an a step or two.

I've done this with sailboats having 5 to 6 feet of draft with up to eight foot ladders. With a dock it's simple-pull the boat on; without a dock I always get wet when going over the bow because the water over the trailer tongue is always waist deep at least; and one really needs the walkway on the trailer tongue. 😱

Always make sure to get all the bunks wet. There are some sprays one can use to make the bunks slicker, but that could make the boat more unstable for trailering. 😱

Gene

 

[RProffer]

I have the EZLoader trailer also for my R21-EC. I use 25' lines on my bow and stern. I usually launch and recover the boat by myself. I back the trailer up so that the forward part of the guide rail bunks just submerge under water. I then pull the bow and stern lines with enough force so that when the boat hits the guide rails, the guide rails just guide the boat up the trailer perfectly to within about a foot of the winch. I then toss the stern line aboard. I then walk down the dock to the ramp with the bow line in hand, so I can finish cranking the boat on the trailer and connect the safety chain. I then pull the boat partially out of the water and ensure the boat sits properly on the trailer. Usually the boat will drop back from the bow roller and inch or so, and I will have to crank it in some more (this is something peculiar to this boat and trailer. I never had to do it with any other boat/trailer). This is the easiest loading boat I have owned. Even though I can easily launch and recover my boat very easily by myself, there is usually someone around that wants to help so they can get a closer look at the tug, and talk about it a bit.

 

[Kamalani]

Well all went well today, even though I got wet up to my knees. I must not be as talented as the rest of you. But you're right, the R-21 is a very easy boat to maneuver on and off the trailer. The only crisis was when I discovered that the dealer trailer that I was borrowing was missing the winch brake lever. I had to winch her on, then attach the safety chain, and watch as the boat settled back a few inches. Fortunately, I was just taking her a few blocks, (very carefully), in order to get a polish and wax job on the hull.
Thanks again for all the tips.

Alex, "Kamalani" (the one shining like a newly minted penny 😛 )

 

[tuggertoy]

Alex,

Glad it went well. Here in the Chesapeake Bay area, when water temps are cool (read COLD), in the early Spring and late Fall, to keep from entering the cold water unprotected, I wear a cheap pair of hip waders to keep from getting wet while making my way to the tongue of the trailer to hook up the strap and winch the boat on. It has been so hot here this Summer, there have been days that I wished I was wearing them because the water has been so disgustingly warm.

Eric

 

[Kamalani]

Speaking of some crazy weather...

Yesterday I finished my "Day of Beauty" with our boat, and at about 4 pm, began the 2 hr. drive from Ventura to our home in Bakersfield. Ventura was 62 degrees with a deep overcast and strong onshore wind. Arriving in Bakersfield, it was 112 degrees with not a breath of breeze. Talk about a shock to the system!