bdrieck ....

The stern should not be floating when you pull the boat out of the water. The weight of the boat should be entirely supported by the bunks at that point, or as you have found, the boat can drift sideways at the last moment and be askew on the trailer. I have found on my trailer that if I leave about 2" of the fender above water my trailer is well positioned to load the boat. I then power it forward until it stops and then winch it the rest of the way. A few suggestions: Make sure that if anyone is still in the boat that they are in the stern to reduce the load on the winch. Also, I have used a product called Slydz-on to treat the carpet bunks. It is a liquid solution that is sprayed on the bunks periodically and helps the boat slide on making it far easier to crank it up. I think I got it from Overtons. One final thought. Make sure the winch is high enough on the post that you are still pulling forward as it nears and not down. My 2 cents worth. Heres to good fishing and low stress boating.