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liketrolling · (This post was last modified: 02-04-2021, 05:53 PM by liketrolling.)

it was two week that I had put my boat in the water and it is stored in my garage.

last summer I put new boards on the trailer using, indoor outdoor carpet from home depot. (bunk boards)
to hold up the boat.
Monday and tue went to Flaming Gorge. Mon. at 7:30 am put the boat in the water and had a hard time getting it off the trailer.
but it came off. Tue a lot of ice around the docks had to brake the ice when we put the boat in, broke one of my tail lights.
could not get the boat off the trailer it was frozen on. tried alot of things but nothing worked. so went home, missed a good day for fishing no wind the the sun was coming up.

so I just ordered this http://gatorbak.com/ Bunk cover (next time will take some Silicone Spray)

Lundboy54 · 02-04-2021, 06:13 PM

(02-04-2021, 05:50 PM)liketrolling Wrote: it was two week that I had put my boat in the water and it is stored in my garage.

last summer I put new boards on the trailer using, indoor outdoor carpet from home depot. (bunk boards)
to hold up the boat.
Monday and tue went to Flaming Gorge. Mon. at 7:30 am put the boat in the water and had a hard time getting it off the trailer.
but it came off. Tue a lot of ice around the docks had to brake the ice when we put the boat in, broke one of my tail lights.
could not get the boat off the trailer it was frozen on. tried alot of things but nothing worked. so went home, missed a good day for fishing no wind the the sun was coming up.

so I just ordered this http://gatorbak.com/ Bunk cover (next time will take some Silicone Spray)

have had my boat stuck on the trailer many time always worried i am going too break a bunk getting it off thosr look awsome will be getting me a set

Kent · 02-04-2021, 08:45 PM

"While Gatorbak may make loading and loading your boat easier, it is not designed to be hard or slick like other thin plastic bunk covers or wraps. It is designed to react very similar to carpet."

Robert, are you sure this product will make a difference?

**SkunkedAgain** · 02-04-2021, 09:22 PM

I don't have a big fancy boat, but when this has happened to me in the past, I let the boat sit in the water submerging the bunks for a little while and it was deep enough, that when the ice melted loose the boat popped up so I could tell it was ready to go... I'm sure that all depends on the water temperature and if the water is supercooled then it's not going to work, but its worked for me a couple times... so rather than going home from a fishing trip, let it soak a little while... Just a thought Later Jeff

addicted2fishin · 02-04-2021, 11:40 PM

(02-04-2021, 05:50 PM)liketrolling Wrote: it was two week that I had put my boat in the water and it is stored in my garage.

last summer I put new boards on the trailer using, indoor outdoor carpet from home depot. (bunk boards)
to hold up the boat.
Monday and tue went to Flaming Gorge. Mon. at 7:30 am put the boat in the water and had a hard time getting it off the trailer.
but it came off. Tue a lot of ice around the docks had to brake the ice when we put the boat in, broke one of my tail lights.
could not get the boat off the trailer it was frozen on. tried alot of things but nothing worked. so went home, missed a good day for fishing no wind the the sun was coming up.

so I just ordered this http://gatorbak.com/ Bunk cover (next time will take some Silicone Spray)

Just coat the bunks with WD40....though the environmentalists won't be happy to see that coming off the bunks in the water. Maybe take a jug of potable RV antifreeze and slowly pour a little along the bunk boards? Just a thought, no idea if it would work or not.

FishfulThinkin · 02-04-2021, 11:55 PM

(02-04-2021, 05:50 PM)liketrolling Wrote: I have had that happen to me but like Jeff says, just let it sit there for a while and it will eventually break free. Super cold water will take a while so you might have to sit in the cab for a few minutes. I had a similar problem at Starvation a while ago. Probably November and sub zero temps on the way up Daniels in the dark. The wind chill froze everything including a small amount of water still in the water pump. Froze so hard that the motor would not turn over. That little rubber impeller is splined to the propeller shaft so the motor would not turn no matter what. I was not going to miss a day of fishing so we used the electric for the first hour. With the big Yamaha in the water for about an hour and after the sun came up it finally thawed out so we could start it.

Anglinarcher · 02-05-2021, 12:10 AM

In Washington I fished a specific lake in the Eastern side every month of the year. A few times I even become the SS Icebreaker to get out to open water. Ya, letting the boat soak can usually free it.

The next time I got the boat off easy so I let the bunk "dry" while fishing. I then sprayed it with silicone. About every third or forth time I would spray the bunks down again with silicone. After the first treatment a little will go a long way. I never had issues again.

If you have an outboard, when you can lower the engine when you have loaded the boat. It will drain, but if you hit the ignition switch just long enough to turn it over then right back off, it will not hurt the engine but will drain the water out of the pump immediately. I have a Merc I have been doing this to for 19 years without issue.

Bduck · 02-05-2021, 12:23 AM

This has been mentioned in another thread. I have been looking at the Gatorbak for a while thinking about installing them on my next bunk rebuild. I do have the hard sectional plastic covers over the carpet which has never been an issue with me launching in freezing conditions. As FishfulThinking mentioned about the impeller is true. My sons impeller on his outdrive of an IO sheared the frozen rubber fins on the impeller, ruined his day of fishing after driving 3hrs one way obtaining fishing & boating permits in another state on an Indian reservation, Pyramid Lake.

stan55 · 02-06-2021, 12:53 AM

SkunkedAgain is spot on. I have simply let the boat sit on the trailer in water over the bunks. It only takes 15 minutes or so. I'm from MN and fished open water on the Lake Minnetonka before complete ice up and the mighty Mississippi all winter in temps well below freezing and it always worked. Remember water temps a foot below the ice are 39 degrees. Water is most dense at that temp.

liketrolling · 02-06-2021, 03:55 PM

we let it set in the water a long time but the water was close to 32 deg. I think a lot of it was the out door carpet I used on the bunks.
any way it will be gone next week.

Downriggerer · 02-06-2021, 05:29 PM

Try the gator bak cover without the silicone spray. Remember you want to keep the boat on the trailer between home and the ramp.

The grooves in the gator back cover should drain water away from the bottom and shouldn't freeze like carpet can. I'd sit on the ramp for an extra few minutes after you pull the boat and let the water drain through those grooves for a little while before getting on the road.

MrShane · 02-07-2021, 01:00 AM

To drain your impeller fins properly without threat of engine firing and having them burn off, just pull the safety lanyard clip and motor will turn over and not start.
Just be sure to put clip back in before next trip or you will be cussing yourself...

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