Bullseye Boat Loaders/Guide

[Palancar]

1. Go to a dollar store and buy a kids foam float tube. You know about 4-6" in diameter and
about 4' long.
2. Buy two 12" bungee cords with hooks on both ends.
3. Cut two 10" lengths of foam tube and put a bungee cord through each.
4 Before backing into the water put a foam tube on each side guide with a bungee hooked on
the outside of each guide. The tubes are each on the inside of the guide.
5. Back into the water, float or drive the boat onto the trailer. The foam guides will guide it into
the center.
6. Drive out of the water, unhook the bungees, pull out the foam tubes and bungees, strap down
the boat in the center of the trailer.

It works on my 2015 Lund 1685 Crossover and Shorlandr' trailer. It costs about five dollars
and I'm still using my first one

[WoodinvilleWalleye]

Originally Posted by GOS

1) They're not the same as OEM load guides. Bullseyes have a push button release that allows them to turn 90*. Narrow setting is for loading your boat. I have mine set to gently touch the spray rail for loading. After you get loaded you rotate them to the "wide" setting for travel. The wide/travel setting provides 5/8" to 3/4" of clearance between the guide and the side of my boat.
2) My trailer is 2017 Lund/Shoreland'r roller. It came with the OEM load guides that bolt to the frame. 90% of the time my boat would load 'off-center', usually by at least 1.0 to 1.5". My answer to getting it to center was to 'float-center' the boat. That's what I call backing back in the water, wait for the boat to center itself, and pull ahead, hoping it stayed close to center. I took quite a bit of time getting the Bullseye lateral set to my satisfaction. Last week my boat loaded 0.25" to the starboard side, and today (in somewhat of a decent crosswind) it loaded 0.125" to the starboard side. Why I can't get it to loaded exactly centered, I don't know.
3) My experience has been well worth the money. Your experience may vary, depending on your boat/trailer combo, and how particular you might be.
Hope this might help, Gregory

Thanks! This is really good info.

I have a Lund Adventure with a Shoreland'r trailer. I have bunks rather than rollers.

My issue has been getting the stern end to stay centered. I find that unless I'm careful, it'll slide to one side or the other. The nose comes up pretty square, I don't have an issue there, it's more that the stern can be left or right of center. When I pull it out of the water, I can see it leaning to one side or the other. The first time I had that happen, it took me a minute to figure out what went wrong. I now take and check the gap between the edge of the boat and the trailer fenders. As I crank it up on, I pause once or twice to make sure it isn't sliding to one side or the other by checking that gap. If it is, and it's still floating enough, I'll nudge it back to where I want it and then crank some more. This mostly works, but isn't ideal.

Another factor I have is that my wife is the one who drives it on to the trailer while I wait up at the middle of the trailer with the strap while in my hip boots. She has to "aim at me" because there are no guides for her to see other than the submerged trailer and the front third of the bunks above the waterline. This Bullseye system really seems like it would solve a number of problems: 1) keep the boat stern from being able to slide one way or the other, 2) give her a target at the back of the trailer to shoot between, 3) give me visual guides when backing up the empty trailer (we have some ramps in our area that are just the right angle where the trailer just "disappears" in my mirrors when lined up just right.

Did you go with the 4 pack or the 2 pack? I'm thinking that since my boat is only 18 ft, and I don't have issues with the front so much, that the 2 pack would work. I guess I could add a 2nd set if 2 wasn't enough, but I really think that keeping the stern in line should be all I need to make this smoother.

[GOS]

I got the 2 pack. If your bow alignment is fine, that's all you would need.
Have you tried keeping the bunks out of the water a little more? Back in deep, to get them wet, then pull ahead a little more than usual and see what happens?

Originally Posted by WoodinvilleWalleye

Thanks! This is really good info.

I have a Lund Adventure with a Shoreland'r trailer. I have bunks rather than rollers.

My issue has been getting the stern end to stay centered. I find that unless I'm careful, it'll slide to one side or the other. The nose comes up pretty square, I don't have an issue there, it's more that the stern can be left or right of center. When I pull it out of the water, I can see it leaning to one side or the other. The first time I had that happen, it took me a minute to figure out what went wrong. I now take and check the gap between the edge of the boat and the trailer fenders. As I crank it up on, I pause once or twice to make sure it isn't sliding to one side or the other by checking that gap. If it is, and it's still floating enough, I'll nudge it back to where I want it and then crank some more. This mostly works, but isn't ideal.

Another factor I have is that my wife is the one who drives it on to the trailer while I wait up at the middle of the trailer with the strap while in my hip boots. She has to "aim at me" because there are no guides for her to see other than the submerged trailer and the front third of the bunks above the waterline. This Bullseye system really seems like it would solve a number of problems: 1) keep the boat stern from being able to slide one way or the other, 2) give her a target at the back of the trailer to shoot between, 3) give me visual guides when backing up the empty trailer (we have some ramps in our area that are just the right angle where the trailer just "disappears" in my mirrors when lined up just right.

Did you go with the 4 pack or the 2 pack? I'm thinking that since my boat is only 18 ft, and I don't have issues with the front so much, that the 2 pack would work. I guess I could add a 2nd set if 2 wasn't enough, but I really think that keeping the stern in line should be all I need to make this smoother.

[WoodinvilleWalleye]

I've been trying to hit that sweet spot of how far to have the bunks exposed. I was shown the trick of of going in deep, then pulling forward. That made a huge difference in ease of cranking for sure. I think I could probably get better at it with tweaking the depth a bit - it is our first year with this boat and trailer - however, I like the additional benefits that guides would give us for my wife and for having the visual backup aid. I also think that if I'm going to fish by myself in the spring, these would almost be a "must have" for making my life a lot easier in loading it solo.

[WoodinvilleWalleye]

I went ahead and placed my order for a 2 pack yesterday. Really looking forward to getting them installed. I think they'll make a great addition.

[djcoop52]

This is what i did with mine not centering seems a common problem on the Impacts on the shorelander trailers boat always loads tight to the port side has to be a weight issue my guess is because console and starting battery are on the starboard side. Came up with this fix before hearing about the bullseye guides. Works for me, if not centered the spray rail will rub on the fender. I made one up for both sides but have found only need to slip the one on the portside guide because it always loads to that side.