Unload your boat backword? How to spin it?

by **Duplex Lover** » Tue Sep 23, 2014 2:13 pm

What I'm thinking 'bout is this:
Our duck boat doesn't need to be in the water to launch, but it's several hundred pounds, 16 1/2 foot long and NOT man handable. There is a lot of spots we can run the boat just can't get it in to the water easily. But if we could "Spin" the boat on the trailer and push her of front first we would have a better chance of getting in to ditches and cannels. We have an electric winch and can pull it in but you want the head in first not the square heave motor end.
I'm thinking some Kinda screw jack, scissor lift thing on the trailer. Use a small 12 volt motor to run the screw and lift like a dump truck thing with a lazy Suzan spinner. It would have to lift from all four corners to balance and hold together on very uneven ground. It would also need to lift about two feet to clear the side boards on the trailer, then go back down to let it roll off the rollers. We would make some kind of roller extensions to act like a long ramp. Then I'm thinking the same motor could used to do some kind of telescoping trailer tongue and get another 6/8 feet towards the water. Labor is not an issue but cost is, that's why I think hydraulic is out.
You have to put the boat on forward to pull it, it would have to be towed with it on forward... Remember NO reverse on a duck boat.
Think I'm looking in the right direction ?

by **Flightstopper** » Tue Sep 23, 2014 3:17 pm

Holy hell that's a lot of work. Why not just push it off the trailer and spin the bow around with a winch?

by **NuffDaddy** » Tue Sep 23, 2014 3:31 pm

I've thought about this a little bit.
I was thinking if I ever did it I would have a main frame of a trailer. Then have a bunked frame for the boat. Then have a pivot point in the middle where everything is balanced so it could be manually spun with a couple guys. I would then have vertical supports on all 4 corners that could be pinned to hold the 2 parts of the trailer together for trailering. As far as the tongue goes, if you want it longer, I would just make it permanently longer. Little bit bigger of a PITA for trailering, but it would be a lot simpler and less moving parts to malfunction.

by **Duplex Lover** » Tue Sep 23, 2014 3:51 pm

Humm spin the trailer.
What about the front winch post and stop? you would need some kind of rollers "Up front" to roll it off the tongue.
I can use the truck and trailer to spin it on the ground but think I want it off the ground to use some kind of roller ramp to the water. Often times its, 50 feet to the water. :beer:

by **NuffDaddy** » Tue Sep 23, 2014 4:08 pm

Duplex Lover wrote:Humm spin the trailer.
What about the front winch post and stop? you would need some kind of rollers "Up front" to roll it off the tongue.
I can use the truck and trailer to spin it on the ground but think I want it off the ground to use some kind of roller ramp to the water. Often times its, 50 feet to the water.

The front winch post would be part of the base (non spinning) part.

by **FlintRiverFowler** » Tue Sep 23, 2014 4:42 pm

Flightstopper wrote:Holy hell that's a lot of work. Why not just push it off the trailer and spin the bow around with a winch?

This is the easiest thing to do.

by **NuffDaddy** » Tue Sep 23, 2014 4:50 pm

FlintRiverFowler wrote:
Flightstopper wrote:Holy hell that's a lot of work. Why not just push it off the trailer and spin the bow around with a winch?

This is the easiest thing to do.

Not always a possibility. There is a couple launches around here that have a ditch about 6' wide out the the bigger water. When I had my dads 1442, I just had somone pick up the ass end to keep it from plowing muck and reeds and someone else push the front. Now with my boat I just avoid those launches.

by **Flightstopper** » Tue Sep 23, 2014 5:00 pm

What about something like a sled that goes under the stern and slide it on that while you winch it stern first. Has to be any easier way than doing that much trailer work

by **Goldfish** » Tue Sep 23, 2014 5:23 pm

Honestly, it sounds like you have the wrong boat for the conditions. Anything you do would be negated by just simply getting a light 14ft boat.

Or else some serious tires for the tongue jack and push the whole trailer backwards unattached from the truck.

by **FlintRiverFowler** » Tue Sep 23, 2014 5:54 pm

NuffDaddy wrote:
FlintRiverFowler wrote:
Flightstopper wrote:Holy hell that's a lot of work. Why not just push it off the trailer and spin the bow around with a winch?

This is the easiest thing to do.

Not always a possibility. There is a couple launches around here that have a ditch about 6' wide out the the bigger water. When I had my dads 1442, I just had somone pick up the ass end to keep it from plowing muck and reeds and someone else push the front. Now with my boat I just avoid those launches.

He's got a winch.

by **Duplex Lover** » Tue Sep 23, 2014 6:49 pm

Some pics.

What ever we do It has to be easy. Most the time it would be unloaded in the dark 0* and FULL of goose decoys

by **NuffDaddy** » Tue Sep 23, 2014 6:49 pm

FlintRiverFowler wrote:
NuffDaddy wrote:
FlintRiverFowler wrote:
Flightstopper wrote:Holy hell that's a lot of work. Why not just push it off the trailer and spin the bow around with a winch?

This is the easiest thing to do.

Not always a possibility. There is a couple launches around here that have a ditch about 6' wide out the the bigger water. When I had my dads 1442, I just had somone pick up the ass end to keep it from plowing muck and reeds and someone else push the front. Now with my boat I just avoid those launches.

He's got a winch.

That's not going to help in a ditch too small to spin the boat. I agree it's a lot of work to make it workable. But maybe the places he launches would make it worth it in the long run.

by **Duplex Lover** » Tue Sep 23, 2014 8:15 pm

People people.
How about this...
A drive through trailer like a lowboy.
Lay the winch/stop post over on its side. Pull a 20' tongue from under the Back of the trailer, hook to that with the truck hitch. Then lay 10 feet of rollers down the normal tongue, make the trailer tip from the back push it in and roll it off. You'd get 40 feet farther to the water and going in head first.
Yes the ditches and canals I'm thinking are barely wide enough for the boat never could turn the boat around till you get in to open water.

by **Woody** » Tue Sep 23, 2014 8:18 pm

Load the boat backwards someplace else and just back upto where you wana go and winch it off. Winch it back on when you leave.

by **Olly** » Tue Sep 23, 2014 9:20 pm

Double ended trailer.

by **SpinnerMan** » Wed Sep 24, 2014 7:28 am

Goldfish wrote:Honestly, it sounds like you have the wrong boat for the conditions. Anything you do would be negated by just simply getting a light 14ft boat.

That was my thought. It just seem like it would be simpler, probably cheaper, and safer to get a small boat for these conditions.

What about a large enough wheel under the tongue so that when you unhitch it, you can simply spin the entire trailer, remove a couple bolts and push it off the front of the trailer. Something like that might work.

by **firstflight** » Wed Sep 24, 2014 9:34 am

I would find other birds to hunt that's a lot of work for a bird .what about walking in ??? Push pole Or find a better access point ..

by **Flightstopper** » Wed Sep 24, 2014 9:38 am

Duplex Lover wrote:People people.
How about this...
A drive through trailer like a lowboy.
Lay the winch/stop post over on its side. Pull a 20' tongue from under the Back of the trailer, hook to that with the truck hitch. Then lay 10 feet of rollers down the normal tongue, make the trailer tip from the back push it in and roll it off. You'd get 40 feet farther to the water and going in head first.
Yes the ditches and canals I'm thinking are barely wide enough for the boat never could turn the boat around till you get in to open water.

A version of this seems the best route if you are going to modify the trailer.

by **FlintRiverFowler** » Wed Sep 24, 2014 9:47 am

I still don't get why you can't just drop it off on the ground. Spin it around and then winch it in to the water head first

by **FlintRiverFowler** » Wed Sep 24, 2014 9:50 am

A quick google search I found this http://www.endurotrailers.co.nz/gallery.php

by **FlintRiverFowler** » Wed Sep 24, 2014 9:52 am

It's called the enduROTATE. Fuckin genius.

by **NuffDaddy** » Wed Sep 24, 2014 10:56 am

FlintRiverFowler wrote:I still don't get why you can't just drop it off on the ground. Spin it around and then winch it in to the water head first

I guess that depends on the launch. The launch I used to use that gave me this idea has about 150' just wide enough to back down to the ditch. Would be a big pain in the ass winching that far with nothing to hook to.

by **FlintRiverFowler** » Wed Sep 24, 2014 11:01 am

NuffDaddy wrote:
FlintRiverFowler wrote:I still don't get why you can't just drop it off on the ground. Spin it around and then winch it in to the water head first

I guess that depends on the launch. The launch I used to use that gave me this idea has about 150' just wide enough to back down to the ditch. Would be a big pain in the ass winching that far with nothing to hook to.

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1411574479.742680.jpg

by **NuffDaddy** » Wed Sep 24, 2014 11:04 am

FlintRiverFowler wrote:
NuffDaddy wrote:
FlintRiverFowler wrote:I still don't get why you can't just drop it off on the ground. Spin it around and then winch it in to the water head first

I guess that depends on the launch. The launch I used to use that gave me this idea has about 150' just wide enough to back down to the ditch. Would be a big pain in the ass winching that far with nothing to hook to.

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1411574479.742680.jpg

Still a pain in the ass.
If he launches in a spot where he needs to spin most of his days hunting, then I think it would be worth a shot messing with the trailer. If it's only a time or 2 a year, then winching would be the best option.

by **NuffDaddy** » Wed Sep 24, 2014 11:06 am

I think the best/simplest trailer mod option would be to have 2 tongues on it and spin the whole trailer and have the front stop/winch stand removable with a pin.

by **FlintRiverFowler** » Wed Sep 24, 2014 11:07 am

Or figure out how that trailer I posted works. Wouldn't be real hard to just have a frame welded for the rollers/ bunks to go on top of that would spin manually, sit above the fenders, and lock in place for travel.

by **NuffDaddy** » Wed Sep 24, 2014 12:42 pm

FlintRiverFowler wrote:Or figure out how that trailer I posted works. Wouldn't be real hard to just have a frame welded for the rollers/ bunks to go on top of that would spin manually, sit above the fenders, and lock in place for travel.

That was my idea originally. Like the 2nd post on this thread. The pivot point would be the hard part to make strong enough.

by **Olly** » Wed Sep 24, 2014 12:42 pm

DOUBLE ENDED TRAILED. Make a trailer with towing hitches on each end.

1.When at home flip the trailer around.
2.Tow the boat bow facing backward.
3.Launch boat.
4.Load regular.
5. Repeat steps 1-4 over and over.

by **FlintRiverFowler** » Wed Sep 24, 2014 12:43 pm

NuffDaddy wrote:
FlintRiverFowler wrote:Or figure out how that trailer I posted works. Wouldn't be real hard to just have a frame welded for the rollers/ bunks to go on top of that would spin manually, sit above the fenders, and lock in place for travel.

That was my idea originally. Like the 2nd post on this thread. The pivot point would be the hard part to make strong enough.

I don't think it would be at all.
Just a big spindle with a bearing.

by **NuffDaddy** » Wed Sep 24, 2014 12:44 pm

FlintRiverFowler wrote:
NuffDaddy wrote:
FlintRiverFowler wrote:Or figure out how that trailer I posted works. Wouldn't be real hard to just have a frame welded for the rollers/ bunks to go on top of that would spin manually, sit above the fenders, and lock in place for travel.

That was my idea originally. Like the 2nd post on this thread. The pivot point would be the hard part to make strong enough.

I don't think it would be at all.
Just a big spindle with a bearing.

strong enough to hold the boat would be the tough part.