It definitely was nerve racking to trust the latch at first, however, after almost a year of using it I can say I love it and it hasn’t failed me once. I do now however clip in the crank before pulling up the ramp, with the boat floating it helps to keep everything tighter. This latch definitely makes boating alone a lot easier especially in high winds or busy ramps with wake.

I will have to try that out next time we’re out and see how it compares to the current method. Learned a lot after about one year of using this latch and looking forward to following up on it soon.

Honestly I have found it to be a big help especially when launching and retrieving by myself. The sportsman has the steep bow which I enjoy when the waves are high but it makes reaching the latch, at least on our trailer, very difficult from inside the boat. When I was by myself before I would have to unhook the boat and hop in from the trailer tongue which can be very slippery and dangerous to climb on and jump off when wet, or I’d have to run up the dock and step in the boat. When there’s larger wakes at the ramp or wind blowing you away it made it very rushed to get on the boat before it was in a bad position. I tried leaving the trailer more out of the water but I was putting a lot of strain on everything trying to motor the boat off the bunks and was slamming it up into the roller trying to get it all the way up. Also tying the boat off to the dock before it was unhooked added a whole new set of challenges that were undesirable. Most importantly however, the boat was sliding backwards against the strap and ratchet when coming out of the water making it bounce and move on the trailer which as you can imagine was not good when towing. I was skeptical at first but I can say this latch has eliminated all those issues. I can get on the boat before it’s unhooked and reach it from inside the boat. I’m no longer in a rush if I put it in the water far enough to make launching and retrieving easy and not worried about it blowing away. It also holds the boat securely at the front and limits the room it’s allowed to move on the trailer so I no longer feel it sliding in the bunks going up a hill or bridge or during a quick stop. It’s made it much easier to handle boating myself when the conditions might not be ideal.

@@TrevB_97 ok thank you very much! I was debating on getting it but I didn’t know if it was worth it. The install looks pretty easy and my boat was doing the same as your boat when I pulled out of the water(slipping) so that’s my reason for looking into this.

@cfelix0708 that’s what originally got me started looking as well and it’s fixed the issue and had some more useful attributes as well. Hope it works as well for you as it has for me.

I have actually and it works well. Usually keep it to a slow drift then when I feel the bow in the bunks I give it some throttle and it rides up and clicks into place. I believe I opted for the longer handle. Need to make an update video on the latch next time she’s out on the water. It makes it so much easier single handed, especially not having to worry about the boat drifting away. Make sure your subscribe and you’ll get a notification when it’s uploaded :)

The conditions always make it an adventure till the last moment! Got to love the challenge tho

Hey Jason, It has actually, the boat would always slide back off the roller but after adding the latch it’s stayed locked in place. I usually drive the boat into the latch then crank it tight with the strap and it’s working great. I also make sure to remove the handle as per the instructions when I’m towing it and I haven’t had one issue of it allowing it to slide off. Once you figure out how far to back down to let it roll off and on it makes launching and retrieving a breeze especially being solo. Hope this helps!

@@TrevB_97 Thank you so much the response. Have you figured out if it’s easier with the trailer farther down in water or up out of the water? I’ve tried everything and no matter what I do it pops off the roller. I just wanted to pick your brain before purchasing the drotto. Thanks again.

@user-jp2td2qx3k I usually have been putting the back wheels of the Jeep on the water line so the trailer is a bit farther down then I would usually do it. This lets the bow roll up the drotto and click into place when it hits the ring. I just go slow till it’s in the bunks of the trailer then let it carry a little momentum and it clicks into place no problem.

@@TrevB_97 sweet!! Thank you so much! I feel encouraged now. Buy a boat they said. Hahahaha

@user-jp2td2qx3k haha I had the same feeling. It’s has been a lot of fun though Let us know how the latch works out!