79 ski tique trailer loading problems

Our 78 Nautique on a Nautique trailer, low boy type had rubber fitted to the boat side of both fenders, I sometimes got a rubber mark on the boat but no scratches and we drove it on every time. The rubber as I recall was 1/2 inch or so thick and fitted the exact shape of the fender. I found this old photo from the day we had our cover made.
This was our UNIQUE Nautique. The color scheme was actually done by the people that stole this boat. It was recovered and I fixed all the stuff they broke. I bought it from the insurance company after recovery. We kept the color scheme, It really looked great on the water.   If you look close you can see the rubber on the inner fender edge. This helped avoid injury to the boat while loading. Sorry I have no better pictures.

I have a 77 tique. I know exactly what you mean. I have found 3 solutions to the problem. 1. I had the boat as light as possible and float/drive it til it sorta lines up. Then use the uprights on the trailer to make sure it is straight and not on a fender, then drive forward with your weight in the middle of the boat.

2. Fenders of the trailer need to be just under the water level.

3. No matter what, a shallow ramp are a nightmare! Unless you have a winch!

After fighting all the time to get it on the trailer (original) I added a winch, welded it on it's own stand. It's so easy now. I launch and retrieve by myself all the time. I drive the boat close. Then hook the strap. It slides up clean and easy, dead center every time, no scraping ever. So worth the effort to get a winch. With the winch if you have someone with some weight standing in the very back and centered it just flys into position.

Who ever decided power loading was a good idea must of had a very steep ramp.

That describes almost exactly what I have on mine. I just have to make sure I winch it up to a certain point otherwise the hull is short of the stop after the boat is pulled out.

Orlando76 wrote: Winch!?!!!? That ain't original.

Per ACBS rules, safety overrides originality. So, just go on slamming on your brakes. BTW, many ramps are now outlawing power loading due to the damage it causes. What are you going to do then?

Orlando76 wrote: You can power load without blowing the dirt out underneath the ramp. Sure, if you leave the bunks out of the water you're gonna have to give it the go go juice but we basically float the boat off and on with minor assistance of the engine, say no more than 850 rpm's.

Todd,
You may be considerate with the loading technique but how many out there are not? There certainly are people that do spoil it for others and in this case the reasoning behind power loading being banned at many ramps and more to come I feel.