Trailer Rollers, Skids and Winches: Launching and Retrieving Without a Fight

Watch a ramp on the first warm Saturday of the school holidays and you will see every version of the same fight: the boat that will not come off the trailer, the boat that comes off sideways, the boat that will not go back on straight, and the one being dragged up the last metre by a winch that was never meant for it. Nearly all of it comes down to the trailer's rollers or skids and the winch, and nearly all of it is adjustable. This guide covers which setup suits which hull, what wears, and how to launch and retrieve without a crowd.

Rollers or skids

A roller trailer carries the hull on rows of rubber or polyurethane rollers: keel rollers down the centreline that take most of the weight, and wobble rollers on pivoting arms either side that follow the hull shape and keep it upright. The boat rolls off with very little of the trailer in the water, and rolls back on to the winch, which suits shallow ramps and single-handed launching. The price is that the hull is supported at points rather than along its length, so a roller trailer has to be set up carefully or it will dent a thin alloy hull or stress a fibreglass one over years of towing. A skid trailer carries the hull on long carpeted timber or alloy bunks that spread the load. It is kinder to the hull, holds the boat in place without the winch strap doing all the work, and is simpler to maintain, but the trailer has to go deeper into the water to float the boat off and on, and on a shallow ramp that puts the tow vehicle's rear wheels in the salt. Most pressed alloy tinnies come on skids for good reason; most heavier glass boats come on rollers or on a combination of keel rollers with side bunks, which gives the best of both.

Setting rollers to the hull

With the boat on the trailer, every keel roller should be touching the keel and carrying weight, and every wobble roller should be touching the hull and able to pivot. Rollers that spin free with the boat loaded are doing nothing, and the ones next to them are carrying double. Rollers that are jammed hard against the hull and cannot turn are brakes, not rollers, and the boat will not come off. Adjust the keel roller brackets so the keel is supported evenly from the bow stop back to the transom, with the rear roller close to the transom so the hull is held where the engine weight sits. Set the wobble rollers so they contact the hull just above the chine on each side at the same height, so the boat sits square on the trailer. A boat that always loads crooked has a roller set higher on one side than the other, not a problem with the driver.

What wears

Rubber rollers go hard, crack and flat-spot where they have sat under the keel for a winter; black rubber also marks a white hull, which is why poly rollers are popular, though soft poly wears faster. Roller pins corrode and seize, roller brackets rust through at the welds, and the little split pins and washers that keep a wobble roller on its arm vanish into the sand one at a time. Spin every roller by hand at the start of the season and replace any that will not turn; the boat trailer roller range has keel and wobble rollers in rubber and poly in the common sizes, with pins, caps and brackets. Skid carpet wears through to the timber, which then scratches gelcoat, and the bunk brackets seize so the bunks cannot be adjusted; re-carpet before you can see wood.

The winch

A trailer winch is for pulling the boat the last metre onto the bow stop and holding it there on the road. It is not for dragging a boat up a dry trailer, and a winch that is being used that way is working at many times its design load with you standing in line with the strap. Match the winch to the boat: a small tinny is happy on a single-speed winch of around three to one, while a heavier boat needs a two-speed winch so you have a low gear for the last pull. Webbing strap or cable is the next decision. Strap is kinder to hands and does not kink or splinter, and it is the right choice for almost every trailer boat; cable suits very heavy boats and the ratchet winch must be kept tight because a slack cable birdsnests on the drum. Replace a strap that is frayed, sun-faded to white or has a damaged hook; the Dunbier trailer parts range has winches, straps and handles, and Mackay parts cover the other common make. Fit a safety chain from the winch post to the bow eye as well as the strap, and use it: on the road the strap is not the thing holding the boat on.

Launching and retrieving

Prepare in the car park, not on the ramp. Bungs in, tie-downs off, winch strap still connected, motor tilted, lights unplugged if they are not sealed LED units, which the trailer lights guide explains. Back down until the rear rollers are just under water on a roller trailer or the bunks are well covered on a skid trailer, release the winch, and let the boat go with a line attached to the bow. Retrieving, back to the same depth, drive or winch the boat on until the bow is a hand's width from the bow stop, then winch the last bit and connect the safety chain before you pull out. Pull up to the car park before you tighten tie-downs, and give the wheel bearings a few minutes to cool before they go under, which is the subject of the trailer bearing guide. If your trailer needs rollers, a winch or brackets, ring 0412 532 984 with the make of trailer and the size of the boat.