Boat Buddy?

Does anyone use these? and if so do they work?

I have it on my trailer and i love it. It makes getting off the ramp a lot easier because once you driver the boat on it clicks and your locked on, it doesn't replace the winch though.

Thanks, is it easy to install?

I wish I could install one on My trailer but it wont work. My friend has one on His and it works great.

I've been on a boat that had the boat buddy on the trailer. For coming in it seems great, but I question it for launching. My friend does something with the boat buddy, then backs in the water (with me at the boat controls). Once the trailer is backed up enough that the boat floats free, it is automatically released and floats away from the trailer. At that time, I start the engine and all is good. However, what do you do if the engine doesn't start?? With a winch, I back the boat tail in, start the engine, and then release the winch and back the boat off the trailer. If I have any problem with starting the engine, the boat is still on the trailer. Not so with the boat buddy.

Mastercraft's Trailers all come standard with the boat buddy system. The boat buddy it not ment to replace the winch, its made to accompany the winch. The winch simply runs under the boat buddy. This way, when comeing out of the water, the pin shoots In and locks the boat on the trailer, then you can pull out of the water and then click on the winch, if you want to leave the winch on when dropping the boat in its intirely up to you, to answer your question, the Buddy system is flawless, Buy a Mastercraft and get a boat buddy system at no charge

Toyotas came with it as well, and look what happened to them .

I use the winch to bring the boat into just the right spot, THEN click the Boat Buddy over. The prior owner used it as it's intended and now there's a nice chunk worn from the bow eye - if you click in and then pull the boat out of the water, the boat buddy will stay under tension thereafter. While towing. While sitting.

The other deal is that to get it to latch, I either have to put the trailer in too deep or pop the throttle to force the boat up once we're in position. I don't like either, so we pull the boat up with the winch, then engage the Boat Buddy manually and go. Still nice to have redundancy.

I have the boat buddy on my current trailer and also had it on my last MC. I love having it and makes loading the boat easy. This is designed for loading the boat only, not trailering or launching it. I attach the winch and lock out the pin when we wipe down the boat on the ramp. I would never trailer the boat with the pin engaged. A common mistake people make with this system is having the trailer in to deep when they load the boat. The boat should be sliding on the bunks when the eye engages.

Tom, why wouldn't you leave the pin engaged while trailering? Did you mean to say that you'd never trailer with JUST the pin engaged? Having that pin in there while trailering, as long as it's not under load, is an extra safety measure - just like when you're towing a good distance and use the extra strap on the bow eye.

The boat buddy is not intended to be engaged while driving... the MC dealer I go to told me that it could damage the system... well, more accurately, I had a problem with mine, and he said that it was caused by leaving it latched... although this is probably their way of not covering it under warranty.

Derek, if you leave the pin engaged while trailering it will grind against the bow eye. This will damage the bow eye and possibly bend the pin. Using the winch strap will allow the boat a little movement as you're trailering.
From the way you're describing the way you load the boat I think your trailer is in too deep. A good rule of thumb for me is to have the fenders just covered with water or slightly out, depending on how steep the ramp is. Once the boat is engaged you shouldn't be able to move it around in the water, it should be solidly on the trailer. This will also keep the boat from sliding back as you pull it out of the water preventing it from pressing against the pin making it difficult to unlock.
Hope this helps.
T

(Message edited by tlb on August 07, 2004)

(Message edited by tlb on August 07, 2004)

my pin doesnt pop automatically when i set it to.. Doesanyone know how to fix this. I guess i messed it up while towing my boat, i always leave it "on"..

Tom is 100% correct.

NEVER drive with the pin engaged, or you'll have problems like Derek mentioned. I've forgot about the winch on several occasions, and drove home with nothing but the pin engaged. Never had a problem, but then again, I only trailer 15 minutes on decent roads. If the boat bounces around and starts putting pressure on that little pin, you're going to have a bad time.

Getting the trailer to the correct depth is key. Most Mastercraft trailers are great, in that the boat can go between the pylons totally sideways and it will straighten out and click in. If you're not getting straightened all the way before you hit the boat buddy, you're too deep. Generally you want to touch the bunks, then give it some throttle for another foot or so until you hit the boat buddy.

If the boat buddy starts to malfunction, a little bit of grease should solve everything.

If I trade in my X2 for a VLX next year, I will have the trailer spec'd with a boat buddy.
Can't live without it!

Cool discussion guys. It's hard to think the trailer's been in too deep, but will have to try what you recommend. After the bow's clicked it, we still have to position the rear as we're pulling it out. Also, not sure if I trust us to enter the trailer with speed or to come in slow, but pop the throttle when lined up. We'll try again though fo sure. Thanks!

Derek, Next time you launch your boat, back it in very slowly. Watch the back end. When it starts to float just a little bit, stop. This is where you should start when you put your boat back on.

You may have to adjust the trailer a little when you come back to load the boat. Now come in nice and slow. You should be able to feel your boat center itself on the trailer when you get almost half way on. You want the back floating, and the front riding on the bunks. Now, if the trailer is sitting at the right depth, and you came in slow enough, the boat will ride up the bunks and stop about a foot from the boat buddy.(If the boat stopped itself farther back your too shallow.)(If the boat came up and hit the boat buddy your too deep.) Now just slowly power up the boat until it slowly slides in and clicks.

Like you, I didn't know how to use it properly when I got it. I've been doing it this way for a few years without any problems. If you have any more questions I would be happy to help. Joe

It is no problem driving or storing with the pin engaged. I leave it engaged as a an extra safety. After pulling out the boat, I do put on the winch pretty tight though. At least with my X2, the minute you start driving, the boat will have moved up a bit and the pin isn't touching the eye and isn't under load. (The strap will not be super tight after having trailered either.)

But back to topic, I love the boat buddy and would never get a trailer without one again. No wading around and fiddling at the ramp. Have had two boats with it now and it has worked flawlessly.

My trailer dont have one of these. Is it pretty easy to install.

Plus, the boat buddy is a key part in my wife's quest to show as many people as possible that you don't have to waste everybody's time by taking forever at the ramp...

I got one and it is a piece of ••••••••• took it off after the 2nd launch. all it did was scratch up our boat. worthless $100 or whatever we spent on that piece of crap. launch a boat the way you are supposed to.

Lance, they have come stock on the two trailers I've had it on so I have never installed one, but if your roller or whatever you have currently on your trailer is at the right height, it shouldn't be hard. The whole thing mounts with one big bolt.

Does anyone have a link to the Boat Buddy manufacturer's website? I can't seem to find it thru Google.

I have one and it works flawlessly. My wife also is on a mission to show people at the ramp how quick and easy it can and should be done. She backs the trailer in, I drive the boat on. When she hears the click, she pulls out. When we time everything right, the trailer isn't in the water any more than 15 seconds.

Try www.cabelas.com

You need the Boat buddy II, for a 1/2" bow eye.

Leo, you were doing something wrong, man..... most likely you backed in too far. That is the most common mistake.

It's just the 'powering it on' thing I don't like. But wait, if I suck some ramp rocks through my OJ stainless, or better yet, if my wife does...then I could get the ACME CNC prop!!!

Now that's a plan right there!

ermilo Richer look underneath the boat buddy, you will see a level that pulls the pin it might be bend down. Take it apart and bend it back up so it touchs the slot on the pin. That is what pulls the pin as the boat eye hits the spring mechanism..... I bent mine up once and had to fix it!!!