Boat launching

[Eric Wettschreck]

Rear rollers barely in the water is what I found to be best. Too deep was my only guess as to why your boat is landing crooked. Maybe one of the roller brackets is bent???? I'm just guessing now. Hopefully someone else can chime in with a few ideas.

[hanson]

Snowman-

Same problem here! With my fat *** on the right side of the boat, it leans right enough to cause me problems. Add approaching in a cross current and I'm all out of wack. I can hit the trailer right on the money but I always end up crooked. I've taken to standing in the middle of the boat to get the weight distribution right but then I'm away from my throttle. I believe its partially the design of the trailer and partially my operator error. I guess I would like to blame it more on the trailer but I don't think I can get off that easily.

Hand loading has been the easiest, quickest, and most successful for me at some of the trickier river ramps.

[Hammer Handle]

I will admit I am not the fastest and as skillfull as others at a boat launch, but seem to do o.k. I always seem to run into impatient people, whether they be "better" or "worse" than me.

People just need to take it easy and wait your turn.

And, have all your gear and bait in the boat and ready BEFORE you launch.

[Farmboy1]

I have a 17' aluminum boat with a 50 hp motor, so it is not the biggest boat out there. I have a bunk trailer, and recently put the plastic slides (Cabelas brand) on when redoing the carpet. I was skepticle of them, but figured it was worth a shot. All I can say is WOW.

Now when water is low, I can push the boat off by myself, and power loading is not really required. If I do slide to the side (I have guide-ons to keep it about where it needs to be), I can throw a shoulder into the boat on shore, and slide it in place. I recomend them to bunk trailer guys.

[CrappieAttitude]

I have an 18ft Crestliner (fiberglass) and I always hand crank it on. My trailer has rollers and I have played with the depth quite a bit. I know it takes each person some experimenting in order to come up with their own loading technique, but a couple things that work for me is backing the trailer up until the very back roller is just barely sticking out of the water. Once I get the boat on, I keep it in gear just enough to keep the boat tight to the rollers to keep it from drifting off to the side. Once I have the winch line secure, I tighten it up and it will hold my boat in place. I shut the motor off, crank it up and away I go.

CA

[magic_minnow]

As a newbie, I appreciate your comments BOBT. I launched at Big Marine on Sunday and boy was it wild! But everyone was considerate and it didn't take me longer than 5 minutes to load up. I was reading this thread thinking it was gonna be someone bashing on newbies at the launch, boy was I wrong! I appreciate it sooo soo much....i think I speak on behalf of all newbies Good luck to all of you this year!

[MntkaFishin]

The first time I went to launch my new boat a couple of years ago I was having such a hard time backing down the ramp that the guy behind me nicely asked if he could help out. So....he jumped in my truck, with my wife and dog might I add, and smoothly manuevered the boat down the ramp. That day I swallowed some pride and have since spent some time at slow ramps getting my routine down.

Now when I see someone having a hard time I nicely ask if they would like some assistance because I know exactly what they are going through. If it wasn't for the guy who helped me I would probably still be at that ramp trying to back up.

[Spider]

I feel your pain, I have a 18' crestliner and I usually go out with my wife and 3 kids. Sometimes with just my kids. Unloading is a piece of cake, just push it off and beach it. What gets me is when I have to load it myself. I have to get the kids out make sure there not running into the water or in the way of everyone else. Then dock or beach the boat and go get the truck. I then usually get wet, but I have almost become a master at hand loading. I get the trailer in the water then unreel the strap. Push the boat out with the rope attached center it and then pull it in, hook on the strap and reel her in. I would say 3-5 minutes tops.

Now I just have to teach the wife to back up trailers. But I always do get stressed when the launch is busy, but what are you going to do, not go fishing cause some jerk is in a hurry, like 5 minutes really matters.

[JDM]

For the guys who have trouble backing up a trailer, here is a tip - put your hand on the bottom of the wheel and move it in the direction you want the trailer to go. If you put your hand on the top, then it is opposite. Don't oversteer or go to fast. Slow is good when backing a trailer and you need to learn to use your mirrors to see where it is going.

Shorter trailers are more difficult than longer ones. They move faster.

I think I actually have more trouble backing up without a trailer than I do with one because I rarely back up without one.

[hanson]

Another backing up trailer tip, in my lingo, is "cut" and "follow".

"Cut" is holding your hand on the bottom of the wheel and moving it in the direction you want the trailer to go.

However, you can only "cut" so far before you need to get your vehicle back around in front of the trailer to push it back.

That's where "follow" comes into play. You need to "cut" the trailer to get it going the way you want to, but then "follow" the truck back around in front of it to push it backwards.

If you've ever backed up a semi trailer, or a long 5th wheel trailer, this makes much more sense. I was great at backing up boat, small camper, utility, and snowmobile trailers and thought backing up a semi trailer would be a cinch. Wrong!

Its an entirely different animal because you have to get the tractor back around in front of the trailer to push it. When someone explained to me 'cutting' and 'following', a light went off in my head and a semi trailer became a piece of cake.

Also watch where your trailer tires are and where they are going.

I also back trailers up entirely with my mirrors, once again a by-product of backing up semi trailers. It took awhile to learn but its sure easy now!

[MuleShack]

Now that Opener and The first holiday are thru, more of the one timers are done for the year...

Less inexperience to deal with....

also, gotta love the boats with storage compartments...all i gotta put in the boat at the launch is my truck keys.

[Legit84]

Quote:

---

I feel your pain, I have a 18' crestliner and I usually go out with my wife and 3 kids. Sometimes with just my kids. Unloading is a piece of cake, just push it off and beach it. What gets me is when I have to load it myself. I have to get the kids out make sure there not running into the water or in the way of everyone else. Then dock or beach the boat and go get the truck. I then usually get wet, but I have almost become a master at hand loading. I get the trailer in the water then unreel the strap. Push the boat out with the rope attached center it and then pull it in, hook on the strap and reel her in. I would say 3-5 minutes tops.

Now I just have to teach the wife to back up trailers. But I always do get stressed when the launch is busy, but what are you going to do, not go fishing cause some jerk is in a hurry, like 5 minutes really matters.

---

Totally reminds me of my brother in law last year. He wanted to borrow my boat one weekend, and I was very hesitant. Anyways we were out on the lake and I told him to go grab my truck and back it in, so I could drive the boat up onto the trailer. I (Contact Us Please) you not, (Contact Us Please) near 20 minutes later, I had to beach my boat and back the trailer in. I was laughing my a$$ off in my boat watching him try it so many times. I ended up not borrowing him my boat, because I could not trust his driving skills with it by himself.

[river runt]

I also load by my self if its bussy I feal bad if iam in line with my truck and the boat is taking up prime real estate. some of these guys are getting so nuts I hate to leave the boat unatended some times I just beach it and tie it to a tree or some thing to try and stay out of there way untill I get the truck on the ramp . I wont fish tonka unless its befor day light then iam off befor 10 am you realy want avoid the crowd after 10 am.

on other lakes iam finding that the docks and ramp are being used for things other then boat launching like fishing , swiming and scuba diving there the worst they like to use the dock and ramp for there staging area.

[jegerjack]

I new boat launching was a touchy subject but jezz, 3 threads on the 1st page about launching... This is one area that all parties need to let go... These 10,000 lakes have been here for a long time and they will still be here after the 10 extra mins you have to wait while someone cranks up or snipes the launch a head of you...

[Daze Off]

I once let my wife bring the truck around the lake to the landing from the resort to land the boat and she got really mad when I asked her if she wanted me to back it up when she got there. After watching countless failed attempts and pull-ups to start overs and smelling my clutch melting from out on the lake in the boat I finally beached it and backed it in myself as she melted holes in me with "the look".

Won't ever do that again!

Daze Off