Pontoon Boat & Deck Boat Forum

I'm curious about those of you who trailer a boat with lifting strakes. On our tubes, the strakes are towards the bottom of the tubes, preventing the tubes from sitting in the "craddle" of the bunks. In other words, the strakes create a flat surface that makes it very difficult to get the boat to sit perfectly straight on the trailer.

Has anyone experienced this? Solutions? Is is safe?

Are those factory strakes. They look nothing like the ones on my boat. Mine are triangular and sit higher up on the pontoon. They do not interfere with the bunks at all. It looks like normal bunks forming a V would not work well and I can't picture an easily done setup that would.

Glenn

I trailer my pontoon with lifting strakes each time we use it and have no issue with the strakes being anywhere near the cradles on the trailer. My strakes are welded a little higher on the pontoons than yours.

Waterlogged wrote:Are those factory strakes. They look nothing like the ones on my boat. Mine are triangular and sit higher up on the pontoon. They do not interfere with the bunks at all. It looks like normal bunks forming a V would not work well and I can't picture an easily done setup that would.

Glenn

That photo is one I found that shows a similar configuration. I didnt have a camera handy to take a photo of mine, but I will tonight. Mine are factory but are similar in that the are almost flush with the bottom of the tube preventing it from sitting in the cradle.

I will try to attach a pic of mine.



Glenn

Waterlogged wrote:I will try to attach a pic of mine.



Glenn

Yep, mine are different, just like the ones in my photo in the first of the thread. I called the manufacturer today to see if adding a third set of guide-ons would be a good solution and he quickly said you dont want to do that, that my problem was that I was backing the trailer too far in allow it to float. This boat is 8 foot longer than the last, maybe I just need more practice. It's hard to get a chance when there is a line on the ramps though.

Faulty Boat, I think you need to sell it to me real cheap.

I am not a big Suntracker fan, but I really like their egency Series. Nice Boat!

My buddy has a 2012 straked tritoon Regency series, and yes it's a pain in the ass to put on the trailer. The boat is hard to launch at shallow ramps in the first place, so he added the poly bunk slides and that helped with loaded and unloading.

Still the biggest problem is what you are talking about. The strakes basically make a flat bottom at the rear, thus there is nothing to hold the boat straight. It usually takes 3-4 times of backing back into the water, starting the motor to swing the ass end and hope you get it straight. It's a very poor design for sitting on the trailer.

His trailer guides are only two posts with rollers on each side, but they were mounted too far forward. I told him he needs bunk quides the whole length of the trailer to help keep it straight. That still won't be perfect, but I think it would be a better option than what he has now.