What's a Glide Stick?

[SweetHomeAlabama]

I saw in another thread mention of a glide stick that would help in launching in shallow water. Sounds like somehting I could use.

[JBledsoe]

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Never heard of it. I'll be interested to know.

[CrappiePappy]

What you want to know about, is Glyde Slicks

trailer glyde slicks, Taco Products Trailer Glyde Slicks

... cp

[SweetHomeAlabama]

Thanks Pappy.

[Bombfixer]

They are a series of SUPER slick material that you can screw onto your wooden bunk boards. Cabelas, Bass Pro, or Overtons all sell them in their catalogs, as I am sure other places as well. They come in sets of different lengths and pairs depending on weight and length of boat. I have a 24ft Aluminum Deck Boat and I have 3 sets of them, each 6 inches long on each bunk along with an end cap on each bunk. They work great as far as getting that heavy boat on and off the bunks. However, you have to be real careful on steep launches not to unhook your boat prior to backing down. I have seen boats actually slide off the trailer because of these things. Same thing for loading. I manually pull the boat onto the bunks and then winch the boat up. I have seen boats trying to drive on go right over the trailer into the truck bed. Those things are slick!! So my advice is to use the bare minimum that you need. But I am sold on mine.

[crappiewisdom]

Like Bombfixer said....be careful with them.

[Dutch552]

I saw a bowrider sitting on the concrete ramp at Green River this summer because the owner unhooked his bow strap before he was in the water. I'm looking into them for my fiberglass boat but there is a limit to hull weight on glass hulls so I'm still not committed 100% yet.

[skeetbum]

Dutch, my thought is that they might cause an indentation on a glass boat if they weren't continuous. Now a message from the cheap seats. If you look at them they are nothing more than a drilled and countersunk piece of plastic cutting board material. With a table saw and router a guy could make his own on the cheap.

[Cray]

They are made to screw down on the runners on your trailer. Make it easier to launch and load boat.