loading getaway
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- Rank: Lubber
- Registered: Jun 28, 2016
- Last visit: Oct 19, 2021
- Posts: 5
My hobie getaway is nearly impossible to load onto my trailor due to it's weight and our (my wife and I) small stature. I am trying to avoid dunking the wheel hubs which leaves leaves us attempting to lift the bows approximately 1 to 1.5 ft from the water. To bury the wheels deep enough to float the boat on to the bunks would flood my equipment box( which is under the boat ) . Have any of you had a similar problem and can you offer a solution??? Is removing the box the only solution? Any help would be appreciated...Thanks. -
- Rank: Mate
- Registered: Apr 07, 2017
- Last visit: Nov 21, 2024
- Posts: 367
When you say "bunks" I assume you mean lengthwise boards that the hulls rest on, and that's a good way to distribute weight with boats that have little rocker like the getaway. Figure out a way to mount rollers at the back of the bunks. Mount them so they're barely above the aft end of the bunks. The getaway has a front cross tube so tie the line from your trailer winch to it, perhaps tie a bridle in there if you think the load will be excessive. With each bow firmly against the rollers with some pressure from the winch, give the bows a little lift and they will start to go over the rollers. You will have some mechanical advantage if you just lift the line. It helps to have another person keep the boat straight during this process. It also helps to have the trailer winch mounted as high as possible on the yoke so as some of the pull will be upward. Removing the trailer box and dunking the hubs might be easier than all of that, you'll just have to get the bearings packed more often.
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Bill Townsend
G-Cat 5.0
Sarasota
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- Rank: Mate
- Registered: Aug 18, 2003
- Last visit: Dec 13, 2023
- Posts: 880
I think that your solution is getting beach wheels. They elevate the bows as you need and help sliding the boat in and out.
I don’t even approach the trailer to the water. I use beach wheels, the trailer winch and adapted zodiac wheels attached to the rear beam. Before having those rear wheels i finished loading with the beach wheels at the sterns. The rear wheels were my solution instead of hull chocks, because they didn’t work well for loading and unloading. So the serve that dual purpose. The other thing that helps a lot is to have (double) rollers instead of cradles at the rear crossbar of the trailer.
At the end of this video you can see how easy I unload the boat. Loading is easy too, you slide the trailer into the bows that are up because of the beach wheels, then continue with the winch. The trailer doesn’t have to be attached to the car.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=By4RZe84RWs
Edited by Andinista on Oct 19, 2021 - 07:26 AM.