Autopilot trailer loading / unloading

[Koz]

When I get back to the ramp I beach my kayak, back the trailer into the water, move my kayak next to the trailer, clip the winch cable to the bow, push the kayak out behind the trailer into, pull the kayak to the bunks, and winch it in.

 

It sounds complicated, but it goes quickly. I’m in the water a bit, so I wear muck boots when the water is cold and wear my Skechers slip ons when the water is warm.

 

When I unload I push it off the trailer and beach it or use a dock rope and tie it up to the dock while I park my truck. Again, quick and easy.

 

But lately I’ve seen videos of anglers that when they get back to the ramp they spot lock the kayak, back their trailer into the water, then remotely back their Autopilot onto the trailer.

 

I never even thought about spot locking my kayak while grabbing my truck let alone remotely backing it onto the trailer.

 

Have any of you tried that?

 

Right now, my bunks are fairly close together so the grooves in the hull rest on the bunks. So if I tried to back it on like that the motor would hit the bunks. I’d probably have to widen and raise the bunks for this to work on my Malone trailer.

 

To even see if this would work I’d have to adjust the bunks and fit the kayak on dry land so zi would have to remove batteries and equipment to lighten the load.

 

Anyway, has anyone here loaded their AP backwards on their trailer?

[A-Jay]

Pssst ~ Hey @Koz

You might be trying to fix a problem . . . . .  you don't actually have.

Just saying . . . .

Sounds like you need a puppy.

A-Jay

 

[casts_by_fly]

I contemplated a similar setup last winter. I was tired of the lifting so I was going to trailer it. A few guys have done it with raised bunks and enough gap to the trailer cross members so that you can drive the kayak on and off the trailer with the motor. Same orientation as a regular boat. Before you launch you mount and pull down the motor, turn it on, and go. Bow to the back will give you more distance between the motor and the cross member. 

[Koz]

1 hour ago, A-Jay said:

Pssst ~ Hey @Koz

You might be trying to fix a problem . . . . .  you don't actually have.

Just saying . . . .

Sounds like you need a puppy.

A-Jay

 

I have one of those. He’s a good boy.

[A-Jay]

10 minutes ago, Koz said:

I have one of those. He’s a good boy.

And a Real Looker too !

Congrats.

A-Jay

[Koz]

12 hours ago, A-Jay said:

And a Real Looker too !

Congrats.

A-Jay

We got him as a rescue 12 years ago and we think he’s 14 or 15 years old. He’s missing most of his teeth, has a narrow windpipe, and a leaky heart valve that’s getting worse.

 

He still runs and plays, but every now and then he has some bad days. Hopefully he has a few more years left in him.

[TnRiver46]

People do this, and they also have stories about having to go swimming. Not hard to beach a boat and/or tie it off 

[Susky River Rat]

Don’t over complicate something that’s working for you. You are asking for a lot more to “go right”

[Koz]

4 hours ago, Susky River Rat said:

Don’t over complicate something that’s working for you. You are asking for a lot more to “go right”

I just turned 60 last month, and while I’m in good health now and still have a bit of strength, I know that can all go downhill rather quickly.

 

If and when that does happen, I don’t want to have to give up fishing if and when my physical abilities deteriorate.

[DaubsNU1]

12 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

People do this, and they also have stories about having to go swimming. Not hard to beach a boat and/or tie it off 

 

Yep, I went swimming a couple of summer's ago when the auto-deploy on Ulterra got hung up. Thankfully it was late June, and water temps were in the mid 70's. But still...

 

When there are other boaters around, I use auto-deploy and spot lock to minimize my time blocking the ramp.

 

When there is no one else around, it's the tried-and-true rope method.

[Susky River Rat]

5 hours ago, Koz said:

I just turned 60 last month, and while I’m in good health now and still have a bit of strength, I know that can all go downhill rather quickly.

I know you love your kayak fishing but, Power loading a boat on and off is a hell of a lot easier than the kayak BS.  I know you are moving and may not be the time it’s something to seriously consider when you have the opportunity to. 

[Koz]

4 hours ago, Susky River Rat said:

I know you love your kayak fishing but, Power loading a boat on and off is a hell of a lot easier than the kayak BS.  I know you are moving and may not be the time it’s something to seriously consider when you have the opportunity to. 

It seems that everyone on BR wants me to buy a pickup truck and a boat🤣🤣

 

And that’s another thing I have to consider. My Bronco Sport is less than 2 years old and has a towing capacity of only 2,200 pounds. So if I buy a boat, I also need a new vehicle. So that’s between $60k and $150k. I’m right side up on my Bronco, but that’s a lot of debt at this stage of my life.

[Motoboss]

@Koz you’re just trading one headache for another. I just turned 70 and through the years have had too many boats to count from fishing pontoons, canoes, jon’s, deep V’s and  Ranger bass boats and my current setup is the best,,,going forward.

 

If you enjoy kayak fishing and tournaments you have a great setup now with all the equipment and accessories you’ve added, so I’d say enjoy it. Give it some time to become efficient and easy.
You can chase perfection endlessly and end up poorer for it just to realize you had what you needed all along. 

[Glenn]

On 12/8/2024 at 4:14 PM, Koz said:

But lately I’ve seen videos of anglers that when they get back to the ramp they spot lock the kayak, back their trailer into the water, then remotely back their Autopilot onto the trailer.

 

Sounds like an "influencer" trying to sell Autopilot for kayaks. 🤣 

[Susky River Rat]

@Koz I know you aren’t ready for it now. It just seems like a lot of the things you are trying to accomplish is to make your kayak like a boat. It seems like you are always changing things around because you aren’t quite happy with the way it is. I don’t know you personally but, you could just be a tinkerer always trying to get it perfect or you are just trying to make it something it’s not. Only you can answer that question.  I’m just on the outside looking in with that assessment. 

[Fishingmickey]

    I'm with ya on the kayak, Koz.  I've seen the park it done with spot lock. But I don't think that's for me. I have seen the back the (flat bed w/PVC guides) trailer into the water and drive up with spot lock and then they get out and walk it the rest of the way on to the trailer. 

     I think I have the same Malone trailer as you do. I rig my kayak on the trailer and I use a 30' bow line and tie a loop in the end to go over the winch bar and rig the line to pay out as I float it off the trailer. Then I either tie it at the dock or beach it away from the ramp.

 

[Craig P]

Many years ago I asked my kayaking friend “How long do you think we can do this?”.  We fished salt most of the time, drug our kayaks through many too long beaches and always seemed to call it a day when the tide was outgoing. He responded with “I don’t know, maybe 50”. I made it to 45.

 

I loved kayaking fishing. It’s the most connected fishing one can do IMO. If you’ve never done it, you probably wouldn’t understand. I do miss it at times but backing a trailer into the water and jumping in the boat and firing an engine is SO NICE!  Add in, no dry suit, no gearing up, yeah….you should sell that kayak.  lol j/k. 

[Koz]

4 hours ago, Susky River Rat said:

@Koz I know you aren’t ready for it now. It just seems like a lot of the things you are trying to accomplish is to make your kayak like a boat. It seems like you are always changing things around because you aren’t quite happy with the way it is. I don’t know you personally but, you could just be a tinkerer always trying to get it perfect or you are just trying to make it something it’s not. Only you can answer that question.  I’m just on the outside looking in with that assessment. 

No, I love my kayak. But in real life I'm a problem solver. I have an engineering degree and my mind is always looking for ways to make things more efficient. That could be things like ease of use, saving time, saving money, etc. Just wait until you see the mods I'm working on for my kayak!

 

In tournament kayak fishing, I have found that saving time is important. For example, in a bass boat you can run wide open throttle and cover a lot of water to get to your next fishing spot.

 

But in a kayak tournament, many anglers head back to the ramp, load up their kayak, and then drive to another ramp. Every minute you save is another minute you could be fishing. That's the same reason why many boaters ditch their 75 HP motors for a 200 HP motor.

 

 

3 hours ago, Craig P said:

I loved kayaking fishing. It’s the most connected fishing one can do IMO. If you’ve never done it, you probably wouldn’t understand.

This 100%

 

I know there are some bass boat guys that don't get that, and there's nothing wrong with that.

 

I can't really explain it, but it's a zen like feeling where brain clears of all of the noise and stress and I just connect with my surroundings. 

[VolFan]

I have both a kayak and a small boat, and I appreciate the zen that you’re talking about, and how far off the original topic we are… Maybe if you’re looking for that zen, don’t fish tournaments and take some of the stress out of all of this? But to the original point - I have autopilot on my boat and wouldn’t think of using that to put it on the trailer. Should it reliably work? Yes. But the consequences and swimming of the time(s) it failed far outweigh the benefits. 

[DaubsNU1]

I started on the bank, then in a belly-boat, then fished with a buddy in a canoe for a few years. 

 

Fished the boat on the left for 20+ years, then last year upgraded. 

 

 

Every "step-up" in my fishing vessels did a few things:

1.  Less stress and uncertainty about where I was fishing, could I get back to the ramp, how is the weather / wind going to impact my fishing...
2. More access to fishing spots and larger lakes
3. More storage
4. More time fishing, less time positioning / anchoring the boat
5. More comfort and convenience
6. Added safety
7. More time on the water

Keep thinking, planning, exploring options @Koz! 

 

You will find the path that is right for you!

 

[Susky River Rat]

@Koz ohhh an engineer. Explains why our opinions differ. I’m the guy who has to make an engineers dreams reality and tell them they are wrong go back to the drawing board on a weekly basis. 
 

I do not understand the zen with a kayak at all. All I wanted when I fished out of a canoe was a boat.

 

back to the original topic. When you have wind I’m sure it will be a great treat trying to load up with auto pilot on a trailer. Your system yoj use now will be better for less than ideal situations. If you ever have to go swimming for your kayak you with loathe the day you ever decided this. 

[Koz]

55 minutes ago, VolFan said:

I have both a kayak and a small boat, and I appreciate the zen that you’re talking about, and how far off the original topic we are… Maybe if you’re looking for that zen, don’t fish tournaments and take some of the stress out of all of this? But to the original point - I have autopilot on my boat and wouldn’t think of using that to put it on the trailer. Should it reliably work? Yes. But the consequences and swimming of the time(s) it failed far outweigh the benefits. 

I live right on a big lake and can launch in my backyard. I get plenty of opportunity for zen moments, especially if I take out my pedal drive instead of my Autopilot.

[Choporoz]

On 12/9/2024 at 10:51 PM, Koz said:

I just turned 60 last month, and while I’m in good health now and still have a bit of strength, I know that can all go downhill rather quickly.

At 60 I fished a lot of kayak tournaments.   I'll be 63 soon and there's a good chance I'm done. Part of that is because I do have a boat now, but last couple tournaments got to be more grind than fun, even though I am still successful 

[TnRiver46]

I have a truck and boats and kayaks and canoes, your truck doesn’t have to cost 60-150k haha, my house cost 85. 
 

do whatever you like, just remember they do sell used trucks 

[FryDog62]

I've contemplated other options too... but with every ramp different, wind direction, crowded spaces, etc... I've just decided to get in the water if needed and winch or pull it onto the trailer.  In warm weather I just wear my sandals, but when it gets cold I bought a pair of these.  Seems to work 👍