Drotto

Anyone using the drotto latch(or similar?) I don’t really have any big issue launching/loading, but watching their videos it does seem like it would help speed the process up.

I use the Drotto and would buy again if I switched boats. I have a roller trailer under a 16ft Crestliner tiller. 98% of the time I launch and load alone. Drive the boat right up the rollers till it latches, shut the motor off and climb out. Before getting in the truck, I do usually attach the winch strap and safety chain before pulling on up the ramp.

Huntindave wrote:

I use the Drotto and would buy again if I switched boats. I have a roller trailer under a 16ft Crestliner tiller. 98% of the time I launch and load alone. Drive the boat right up the rollers till it latches, shut the motor off and climb out. Before getting in the truck, I do usually attach the winch strap and safety chain before pulling on up the ramp.

I have wondered about such helpers or conveniences. I’ve always had to load/unload as a 2 person operation with myself in the boat either backing it off or driving it on the trailer with companion pulling the boat out. How do you execute this without having to step into the water? However close I get to the dock…there always seems to be enough gap for a significant chance of breaking bones if coming up short.

I would not go without it. Had it for a few years and it is the bomb. Loading alone is so simple and quick.

I just bought one last week, haven’t installed it yet. All the reviews I have read are very positive.

1) when you pull out of the water, do not pull your trailer completely out of the water before you hook up your safety chain….
2) What I don’t like about this in the winter is the water mess left on the ramp.
3) if you don’t do number 1 you might end up with a boat laying on the ramp. I picked a 17′ trophy off the cement last spring due to drotto failure.

If I could 100% rely on it and trust it to pull all the way out of the ramp without leaving my boat on the ramp I would already have one. I actually turned one down last week as a trade for jigs I make. Otherwise it is just two more trips in and out of the truck compared to my normal routine.

Safety chain important

Is that considered power loading? That would be a sweet deal.

Walleyestudent Andy Cox wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Huntindave wrote:</div>
I use the Drotto and would buy again if I switched boats. I have a roller trailer under a 16ft Crestliner tiller. 98% of the time I launch and load alone. Drive the boat right up the rollers till it latches, shut the motor off and climb out. Before getting in the truck, I do usually attach the winch strap and safety chain before pulling on up the ramp.

I have wondered about such helpers or conveniences. I’ve always had to load/unload as a 2 person operation with myself in the boat either backing it off or driving it on the trailer with companion pulling the boat out. How do you execute this without having to step into the water? However close I get to the dock…there always seems to be enough gap for a significant chance of breaking bones if coming up short.

Two choices; If conditions allow, I get VERY close to the dock. When I step from the boat to the dock it can be as close as 6-10 inches. Usually no more 18 inches.

If I end up too far away to step onto the dock I exit over the bow and step on the tongue. This is clearly a second choice but doable. Having a roller trailer means, for me, I can have the trailer in a position that normally means I am stepping onto dry land when I exit over the bow.

Same thing when launching, back down to get the winch just at the waters edge. Step to the winch, unhook everything and release the Drotto. I slight push and the boat rolls into the water as I walk the rope to the dock.

FishBlood&RiverMud wrote:

1) when you pull out of the water, do not pull your trailer completely out of the water before you hook up your safety chain….
2) What I don’t like about this in the winter is the water mess left on the ramp.
3) if you don’t do number 1 you might end up with a boat laying on the ramp. I picked a 17′ trophy off the cement last spring due to drotto failure.

If I could 100% rely on it and trust it to pull all the way out of the ramp without leaving my boat on the ramp I would already have one. I actually turned one down last week as a trade for jigs I make. Otherwise it is just two more trips in and out of the truck compared to my normal routine.

Safety chain important

I don’t mean to harp on you but did the Drotto actually fail? What part broke?

Is it possible that you THOUGHT it was latched, but in reality the bow eye never entered far enough to actually trip the mechanism?

Early on, I had to adjust the position of the Drotto because it was not in the sweet spot when the boat was being loaded. The position looked good on the trailer but need tweeked just a bit to line up when loading.

nhamm wrote:

Is that considered power loading? That would be a sweet deal.

Probably. Some ramps require very little engine thrust to latch the Dotto, while others require a bit more.

The nice thing is that the engine can be shut down quicker when using the latch, than if one has to leave the engine running (to hold boat position) during the time it takes to crawl over the front, hook the strap, crawl back in and shut off the engine.

Huntindave wrote:

Is it possible that you THOUGHT it was latched, but in reality the bow eye never entered far enough to actually trip the mechanism?

I’m an engineer, my buddy is also (his boat) and the other guy who was in the boat is too… So we’re probably wrong being were all engineers lol! I was driving the truck. Other two in the boat.

Anyway, the diagnosis after was that a the drotto got bent and that caused it to release even though it was latched. My buddy figured out what had gone wrong and since fixed it and he is also comfortable with using it there after. I don’t recall what he said caused the initial bending of the part that resulted in failure. All I wanted to say is that you do not want to be driving around with just the drotto. Safety chain is recommended by drotto the moment your tongue is above dry land.

I just don’t see it saving my any time even launching solo, I wouldn’t need to lean over the bow though, that’s all it’d save me. I’m also not your typical launcher as I launched 193 times last year which means my routine is pretty efficient

I do see more and more of them and everyone I talk to about them likes them…

Funny story, as I was backing in the empty trailer my buddy was showing the others at the landing how cool his drotto was… Then we dropped the boat shortly thereafter. I’ll never let him forget it that’s what friends are for lol

Well,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, I’m a retired tool shop machinist, so I understand how this could happen to an engineer.

All kidding aside, Yes, hook that winch strap and safety chain. Really not much different than any load, use multiple tie downs as a failsafe.

Huntindave wrote:

Well,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, I’m a retired tool shop machinist, so I understand how this could happen to an engineer. whistling devil whistling

I was hoping you were in a profession who can laugh regularly at engineers

Machinists are about as hard to please as electricians lol

I can see where these would be nice. I found once I got my steps installed on the trailer going over the bow to hook the strap and chain is very safe and easy. Because of that I don’t think a Drotto is in my future.

Huntindave wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>nhamm wrote:</div>
Is that considered power loading? That would be a sweet deal.

Probably. Some ramps require very little engine thrust to latch the Dotto, while others require a bit more.

The nice thing is that the engine can be shut down quicker when using the latch, than if one has to leave the engine running (to hold boat position) during the time it takes to crawl over the front, hook the strap, crawl back in and shut off the engine.

This was the primary advantage I was thinking of, most ramps it doesn’t take much juice at all to get the bow up to the post, this would allow me to throw it in neutral a lot quicker, less risk of any damage to outboard and launch and quicker process.

I’ve had one for 3 years, Lund 1875, Shorelander trailer. I load by myself and really like it. Once it was setup properly it worked perfect on my setup. I have 2 buddies that tried them and they couldn’t get it to work right. One gave up and the other one we finally got to work right. I wouldn’t use it without hooking the safety chain. Never had it come loose but I’m not taking any chances with a $35,000 boat.

For me, it’s a lot more efficient to just get a really long winch strap. I normally tie up in the deep water of the landing and swim up to the trailer, grab the strap, swim back to the boat, attach strap, swim back to trailer and start winching.

This isn’t how you guys load? Is there a more efficient way?

philtickelson wrote:

For me, it’s a lot more efficient to just get a really long winch strap. I normally tie up in the deep water of the landing and swim up to the trailer, grab the strap, swim back to the boat, attach strap, swim back to trailer and start winching.

This isn’t how you guys load? Is there a more efficient way?

This is definitely the most efficient and refreshing for those late winter early spring river fishing trips.

Ryan P wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>philtickelson wrote:</div>
For me, it’s a lot more efficient to just get a really long winch strap. I normally tie up in the deep water of the landing and swim up to the trailer, grab the strap, swim back to the boat, attach strap, swim back to trailer and start winching.

This isn’t how you guys load? Is there a more efficient way?

This is definitely the most efficient and refreshing for those late winter early spring river fishing trips.

One would certainly be motivated to perform this routine as quickly as possible.

Yeah I don’t know, I’ve fished with FBRM quite a few times and he never wants my help to load his boat. I think he’s probably scared my way will be faster?