Ulterra

[OSUDVM]

Yesterday I watched a guy launch his boat solo on Lake of the Pines and he had an Ulterra. I had never seen it in action before but it looked very good for solo launching. My question is for those of you who have an Ulterra, have you ever had it not deploy or work correctly and then you had your boat floating out into the lake? That would be my only concern but it sure looked like a nice setup to me. What are the pros and cons of the Ulterra for those of you who own one? I know he used the spot-lock as the boat just stayed in one position until he got back to the boat dock and then used the remote to bring the boat to the dock. Very cool

[Fins]

If you forget to plug it in or turn it on or don't have the remote... you're going for a swim. I'm too forgetful to rely on this method.

[bobcoy]

If you are going to do it, have a backup plan. It would look kool to do it, but you would get a bunch of laughs if it does not! Your fellow fishermen would have a memory either way.

[ThomasD]

I've only had mine for a few months and haven't got the nerve to try it yet launching the boat. I usually pull up to the bank and deploy my Talons. Coming from a Xi5 to the Ulterra the only cons I see so far is it's heavy, the steering is a bit louder then the Xi5 and mostly the spot lock. On the Ulterra when you hit spot lock it seems to have a 1-2 second delay before it kicks in but it does put you to where you were when you engaged it, the spot lock on the Xi5 engaged instantly. Biggest reason I switched is because I have pins and plates in my spine and the Xi5 was taking a toll on me some days stowing and deploying it. That alone make the Ulterra worth every penny.

[Jig_Man]

I haven’t gained the trust to dump it in the water and hope it deploys. I still use a rope and tie it off at the courtesy dock. I do send it out and use spot lock to hold it while I get the truck.

[RichW]

Only con I have is the pedal is hard to get used to. I'm using the buttons on the pedal instead (constant on & left/right). And I had to buy a ShuttleSlide because it hangs too far over the bow for my trailer. Auto deploy is a real back saver!

[joeboyk]

I have had the Ulterra all season,and I love it.It did take me a a few trips before I trusted it to launch my boat and it actually work.I feel it makes launching easy,one thing I'll say is make sure its on and have the remote.It now is part of my routine.Most people are pretty fascinated by it,I did one get asked by some guys if it will go out and catch fish for me too.Like RichW said I as well had to get the ShuttleSlide.I just wish I bought it when I bought the motor and installed it then.

[joe3buck3]

I have had an Ulterra of 3 years and I launch it solo most of the time. It has never failed me. The first few times its a little unnerving but after that its just normal. Remember its a machine and machines break or malfunction so have a plan. I follow a mental check list.

1. Which way is the wind blowing? I have a choice of ramps so if the wind is fairly high I normally choose a ramp with the wind blowing into the ramp. In the event of a failed deploy the boat will just drift to my shore. Fortunately I have never had this happen.
2. Is the motor turned on?!?!
3. Is it paired with the remote?

It is impressive to watch.

[padronanniversary]

I’ve had my ulterra fail multiple times. belt broke on one occasion

then on a different one control board went out mid deployment , of course I was out one month of the warranty too

[BoilermakerZ519]

Have had issues fixed under warranty period thank God...in fact butted up against the end of the warranty period.

I use it almost exclusively as a solo launch. I always partly deploy on the trailer right before launching to ensure all is working. Just part of my launch process. Has never failed me. Took some time to build the confidence but you learn the little things that help to minimize a mishap. Another tip is that when I push it back and it is floating off by itself, I always point it into the wind and allow it to stop before stop locking. This keeps the head from wrapping around itself and causing other potential issues.