Just some info for people with carpeted boat bunk slides. I got a 20ft sled last year and always had trouble getting the boat to slid off and on the trailer when launching by myself. I put a trolling motor on the front and with some of the bad boat lunches around hear(angles and potholes) you cant just back in any more so you have to push off or crank on. Found a YouTube video about sticking Velcro to the carpet. I had some 2 ft strips so I tried it and it works great. I stuck the Velcro to the front 3rd of the 12ft bunks and the boat slides on and off much easier but not so slick that it wont stay on when climbing over the front when by myself.

Anyway thought I would just pass this tip on because it is cheaper then buying the plastic slides the boat dealers recommend.

Mudflap

Thanks for the tip. I trailer my dinghy back and forth from winter storage and struggle with the same problem when loading/unloading. I'll give it a try next spring.

If you ever get a chance take some pictures.  I had a 16 foot bow rider and I cant picture what you are talking about!  But I had a pretty rickety trailer.

If you ever get a chance take some pictures.  I had a 16 foot bow rider and I cant picture what you are talking about!  But I had a pretty rickety trailer.

Hope too get some photos this week. It is the Velcro that you sew on. I took the loop side only strips and connected it to the carpet. The Velcro backing is slick so that helps the boat slide on/off better. I was very surprise at how cheep and easy it was compared to the UHMW strips would have been. Also surprised there wasn't much info but one video on this. Only used it a few times so far but man it works for me. Also easy to just peel off and move to new location if needed.

Mudflap

Forgot the first trip out. Did get some fish photos. A little Oregon mist.




First ramp I used the angle made it work great. Used different boat ramp and found I needed to add some more strips. So not totally sold on this yet. I does help but I think it depends on the angle of the ramp. I have not unloaded after putting more (white) strips on.






This trip we took the real bass fisherman with us and he caught all the fish. He even caught a salmon on a bass spinner bait. We had on another bigger one but it got off. It was funny we went to load the boat and the people that were fishing for salmon only caught trout. We told them that we were fishing for Bass and hooked 2 salmon.




Mudflap

Nice, I don’t have the necessary patience to fish but if I did my wife would be the happiest person on the planet. We actually eat a fair amount of fish but in Kansas, the picks are thin.

Nice, I don’t have the necessary patience to fish but if I did my wife would be the happiest person on the planet. We actually eat a fair amount of fish but in Kansas, the picks are thin.

It is how I unwind after my 4 on 4 off work week. It gives me something to do. Allot of the time I am alone in my 20ft boat just enjoying the quite on the water. I like to eat them but the Large Mouth Bass take along time to grow in the cold Oregon water so I through them all back. Know the Small Mouth Bass in the rivers I will keep some for dinner. Most of the Trout fishing I do is catch and release also(per regulations even if you know they will not survive a deeply set barb-less hook). I will keep them if I can. I grew up drift boat fishing for Salmon & Steelhead with my dad on the Oregon coast but the crowds of people drove me away. I like to fish but not combat fishing. Still got that boat also.

Mudflap

Nice, I don’t have the necessary patience to fish but if I did my wife would be the happiest person on the planet. We actually eat a fair amount of fish but in Kansas, the picks are thin.

It is how I unwind after my 4 on 4 off work week. It gives me something to do. Allot of the time I am alone in my 20ft boat just enjoying the quite on the water. I like to eat them but the Large Mouth Bass take along time to grow in the cold Oregon water so I through them all back. Know the Small Mouth Bass in the rivers I will keep some for dinner. Most of the Trout fishing I do is catch and release also(per regulations even if you know they will not survive a deeply set barb-less hook). I will keep them if I can. I grew up drift boat fishing for Salmon & Steelhead with my dad on the Oregon coast but the crowds of people drove me away. I like to fish but not combat fishing. Still got that boat also.

Mudflap

My parents owned the “Bybee house” in Central Point, OR outside of Medford. Sadly both of them died very young, early 60’s from cancer, right after retirement. Oregon is awesome. The banker, I think was, Fred or Frank Bybee, the original owner of the house, they bought if memory serves is on Jacksonville Hwy. It has a 4 story water tower that is on the historic register and super cool.

Thanks for the photos...I was completely off, my mind had side, not bottom!

Nice, I don’t have the necessary patience to fish but if I did my wife would be the happiest person on the planet. We actually eat a fair amount of fish but in Kansas, the picks are thin.

It is how I unwind after my 4 on 4 off work week. It gives me something to do. Allot of the time I am alone in my 20ft boat just enjoying the quite on the water. I like to eat them but the Large Mouth Bass take along time to grow in the cold Oregon water so I through them all back. Know the Small Mouth Bass in the rivers I will keep some for dinner. Most of the Trout fishing I do is catch and release also(per regulations even if you know they will not survive a deeply set barb-less hook). I will keep them if I can. I grew up drift boat fishing for Salmon & Steelhead with my dad on the Oregon coast but the crowds of people drove me away. I like to fish but not combat fishing. Still got that boat also.

Mudflap

My parents owned the “Bybee house” in Central Point, OR outside of Medford. Sadly both of them died very young, early 60’s from cancer, right after retirement. Oregon is awesome. The banker, I think was, Fred or Frank Bybee, the original owner of the house, they bought if memory serves is on Jacksonville Hwy. It has a 4 story water tower that is on the historic register and super cool.

Did search and found this. Cool looking house.
http://mailtribune.com/archive/historic-well-loved-bybee-house-for-sale
https://youtu.be/PvDPNG6rj2M

Mudflap

Thought I would update this some.

Not sold on this overall. About every boat ramp I use is at a different angle. So water levels very overall on the trailer when putting fender depth at same location. I have one ramp that seamed to support the use of the Velcro when unloading but others have not. As far as loading it seams to help some on all ramps. Not sure if the boat being wet when sliding on is the difference. I went to a local boat builder and he has black plastic strips he puts on his trailers for $30 set so I think i will go that rout. When I get them installed I will take a photo.

I did order a custom bumper sticker for the boat. First idea was to install below the water line but not sure how it will hold up under water a few days a week. Hope to get some smiles when going down the road.

Mudflap

I'm trying to visualize your problem.  I've launched many a boat (one year I fished more than 400 hours) but not many times in the last 40 years, since moving to Nebraska.  But I still have a little 14-foot Lund with a casting deck I built.  I wish I had a video of your situation.

Here's what I think is going on–

• Ramps are in rough shape so you can't get into the water far enough to float the boat off of the trailer
• Consequently, you have to muscle the boat off and on the trailer and you need something slipperier than carpet on the bunks
• You tried velcro because it's plastic and slipperier, but that wasn't totally satisfactory
• You're hoping to find low-friction bunk material

Here are my thoughts, based on the above-listed problem recap—

My friends with airboats on the Platte River cover the bottom of their hulls with Gatorback Airboat Polymer Sheet.  You can cut it yourself, heat it and bend it to shape.  It's super durable (they drive right up on asphalt).  There's a similar product called Wetlander.

I've seen spry-on Teflon in rattle-cans.  I don't know if they dry like a Teflon coating or if they're just lubricants for sliding parts, like hinges and locks.

Its only a problem is when by myself. I have to back into the water until trucks back tires are in the water or more on some ramps to get the 20ft boat to slide off. I have 3 boats now and have had others and never had the trouble of launching them by my self ether. Always been able to push or drive off without submerging truck tires. I have one ramp that this summer had to back in so far that when I stepped out of the truck I was in the water. Yes some of the states boat ramps are bad at low water levels. When nobody is around I just tie the bow rope to dock and back up and hit breaks so boat will slid off and I don't have to put boots on. In the summer no big deal I just were my water shoes.

I have used Gluvit on my drift boat bottom. The local boat builder makes Guide model aluminum boats like mine so I think the plastic slides (UHMW) will help.

Mudflap

Oh, yeah.  The UHMW should work.

Was the Velcro not slippery enough? Did wet bunkers affect the loading ease? I assume that your "sled" does not have any sort of keel or centering straits.