Benefits Of Boat Guide Ons

Do you have trouble getting your boat loaded on the trailer? Does it take you two or three attempts to get your boat centered on the keel roller or between your fenders? If so, it won’t take you long to see the benefits of installing boat guide ons. Now add a little wind or current and even with a helper getting the boat centered on the trailer is still difficult.

Have you given up on fishing alone, because it’s virtually impossible to get your boat loaded by yourself? Installing a set of boat guide ons significantly takes the work and stress out of loading your boat.

Why I Installed My Guide Ons

The Boat

If you are wondering why I installed my guide ons, it was for all the reasons mentioned above and then some! I have a 14′ Starcraft fishing boat with a 20hp Mercury outboard engine. It has a full wood deck floor, a live well, and two bench seats and storage. Throw in a battery, a gas tank, and a couple of anchors, it makes this a fairly heavy boat. Way to heavy to lift and re-align the boat once it is on the trailer.

The Trailer

My boat trailer is made with two short carpeted bunks at the back end of the trailer, for the bottom, along with two keel rollers. When loading the boat a second person would have to try and hold the boat centered on the trailer while it was being pulled out of the water. If the boat was not properly centered on the keel rollers, we would have to put it back in the water and try repositioning it. In windy conditions, it was nothing to do this two or three times. For that reason, I never even entertained the idea of taking the boat and going fishing by myself.

Other Considerations

Could I have gotten it loaded by myself? Probably, but it would require positioning the boat trailer at just the right depth, so you’re not putting excessive pressure on the bow hook and line while cranking it onto the trailer. That sounds simple enough, but there are other factors that can affect the trailer positioning. How much fuel did you burn? Were you fishing in the rain? What if there are three or four inches of water in the bottom of your boat.  How steep is the ramp? Which part of the boat is going to come into contact with the trailer first?  All of these things play a role in positioning the trailer and how much additional weight you’re trying to crank out of the water.

The Solution

Boat guide ons were the solution to all the above problems for me. They line the boat up on my keel rollers the first time, every time! This gives me the flexibility to back the trailer that extra foot or two out into the water.  That helps prevent putting a lot of unnecessary force on the bow hook and line. Because of the second keel roller more toward the front of my trailer, I load my boat manually with a tagline on the bow hook. I pull it through the guide ons, at the back of the trailer, and straight up toward the bow crank. If needed, I pull it all the way on with the bow crank. By doing it this way I ensure the boat is centered on the front keel roller and the guide ons handle the back!

Types Of Boat Guide Ons

Guide ons are a great tool for loading your boat in windy condition and even river currents.  They are easy to put together and to install on your trailer.  It only requires a few wrenches.  The key is to select the right guide on for the size of your boat and the style of trailer you have. All of the guide ons listed below clamp on to most trailer frames and are adjustable. Below are three of the main type of guides and some of the pros and cons of each. If you click on the blue links it will take you to Amazon where you can get more information and current pricing on the different styles.

PVC Post Guide Ons

The post guide ons consist of adjustable metal angle brackets that clamp to the frame of the boat trailer. A durable, non-marking PVC then attaches to the angle brackets and stick up above the water when the boat is backed into the water.

Pros

The PVC posts are normally tall enough that they can be easily seen when backing the trailer up without the boat. They provide good visual cues for centering the boat on the trail.

Cons

Although durable they tend to work better on smaller boats. If you try driving larger boats onto the trailer, you run the risk of breaking the PVC and bending the brackets. If you use them to manually pull a larger boat onto the trailer you’ll probably be fine.

Roller Guide Ons

Roller guide ons mount to the trailer frame similar to the post style, but they have 9” to 12” rollers attached to the brackets to guide the boat onto the trailer. The rollers are typically made of non-marking rubber.

Pros

Roller guide ons are normally sturdier and work better for larger boats. They come in different heights, depending on the size of your boat, and have some height and roller angle adjustments.

Cons

Roller guide ons are usually shorter than the post style guides. So depending on your tow vehicle they may be more difficult to see when backing an empty trailer.

Bunk Guide Ons

The bunk style guide ons are what I installed on my boat trailer.  They mount to frame in the same fashion as the other two guide ons as well. The bunks are typically made of carpet covered wood 2×4’s with adjustable heights to accommodate your boat. For larger trailers, the 2×4 bunks can be longer and have brackets at both ends. This makes them better suited for larger, heavier boats.

Pros

Bunk style guides are fairly sturdy, similar to the roller type. You can also get longer bunks with an additional bracket, making them a very sturdy choice for larger boats. They work well for the boater that drives their boat onto the trailer. The bunk style can take more contact when trying to “power load” a boat.  This is even more important in windy conditions or in water with a current.

Cons

They may not be as tall as the post guides but are normally high enough to help with backing an empty trailer. After several years of use, the carpet or wood bunks may need to be replaced.

In conclusion, adding guide ons to your boat trailer is easy to do. Anyone with a little know-how and a few basic hand tools can install them. They make loading your boat much easier and a lot less stressful. Maybe you currently have guides ons and are having trouble with them bending or even breaking. It’s possible that you have the wrong style of guide on for your boat. I honestly believe if you select the correct guide on for the size of boat you have, and exercise a little caution when loading it, most of these issues can be avoided. Do yourself a favor, install your guide ons before the fishing season gets into full swing. You’ll love them!

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