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Joined: May 2005
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 16,554 |
Paul, either your ramps are not as shallow as you think or you have a really long tongue on that trailer. Here I have two options for not getting my feet wet as far as I have to back into the water at some lakes: 1) Go over the bow and in through the back of the Explorer. Pretty sure I'm too old for that without amusing the crowd. 2) Get really close to the dock and suffer the occasional bent license plate/bent light bracket.
BTW, use the parking brake. If using the transmission lock only and there's any steepness to the ramp you can put excessive force on the lock when you try to release it. (Use both - Park should the brakes slip or you'll be a viral video)
And if alone ALWAYS wear floatation of some sort. Even on a nice day, fall out in the middle of the lake and the boat can drift away faster than you can catch it.
The key elements in human thinking are not numbers but labels of fuzzy sets. -- L. Zadeh
Which explains a lot.
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Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 2,001
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 2,001 |
Silliness aside..:prep boat for trip in parking lot near ramp. Plug!,ice chests bait gear etc. Hopefully you ran boat at home on water hose so it’s ready to start w a prime or two. The long lead
Line on bow is key. Your bunks will be dry and friction should hold you to trailer. Place long bow line on top of winch. Once you’re in launch lane back into water until your trailer fenders about four inches from submersion. I brake hard and apply emergency brake before park on xmission. Also I release my safe chain and winch hook from eye before descending ramp. Upon setting brake move quick to bow area take the bow line. It should float to ffmfairly easy. Pull boat to beach or pull to dock. Ease rope around one but preferably two dock posts or fore and aft cleats. Quick half hitch to hold. Back to truck to park. Most folks run past a lot of fish within fifty yards of ramp. That boats gonna be pretty tender so ALWAYS wear pfd. Especially alone. I use an auto inflatable. Have a blast and enjoy it. Some of finest hours one will ever get.
Tight lines.
Last edited by gkt5450; 03/14/19. Reason: Sp
America, Our Country and we’re taking it back.
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Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 5,253 Likes: 6
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 5,253 Likes: 6 |
Anybody got a tip on how to load a boat onto a trailer by yourself? Like does the vehicle's parking brake have to be set? Seriously? What could possibly be the down side to using the parking brake? This is what puzzled me. You should always use the parking brake in your vehicle when you’re not in it. I’m confused why you wouldn’t. And yes, put it in gear, [bleep] the truck engine down until you are back in and ready to drive back up the ramp
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Joined: May 2005
Posts: 16,554
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 16,554 |
I'll fire up the little 15 horse (small fishing boat) in the driveway and cut it as soon as it catches. No chance to even get even warm. At the lake I'll use the trolling motor to get clear of the dock if someone's waiting, then mess with the gas motor.
Since everybody is saying how they do it---
I'll back down the ramp to the point I can just step on dry concrete. Release the safety chain and bow strap. Tie the (long) bow line to the dock. Back up until I feel the boat lift. Go park the truck.
Loading is about the reverse. Tie the boat to the dock well away from the ramp, back the trailer in about to the point where the boat floated. Get in the boat and drive it on as far as it wants to go without a lot of power (fun times if you come in too hot and miss the bow stop). Hook up the winch strap. Leap gracefully (yeah,right) to the ramp. drive to the parking area, and finish getting ready for the road.
The key elements in human thinking are not numbers but labels of fuzzy sets. -- L. Zadeh
Which explains a lot.
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Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 5,253 Likes: 6
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 5,253 Likes: 6 |
Anybody got a tip on how to load a boat onto a trailer by yourself? Like does the vehicle's parking brake have to be set? Or will placing the trans in park be o.k.? My recommendation is that you put the vehicle in park, set the emergency brake, and kill the engine. If you want, throw some chocks behind the wheels too, especially when loading the boat. One very cold Feb evening we returned to the boat ramp to load the boat. My fishing buddy went and got my pickup and trailer from the parking lot. It was a 1997 GMC 3/4 ton with 454 engine and 5 speed manual transmission with 18,000 miles on it. When he got out, he set the emergency brake, but left the transmission in Neutral and the engine running, because it was bitter cold. He got ahold of the winch line and after several attempts, because the wind was blowing, I managed to get the boat on the trailer straight and my buddy set the winch line hook. That's when I noticed that the pickup was starting to roll. The additional weight of the boat was more than the parking brake could hold. My buddy jumped off the trailer tongue into the water and tried to work his way around to the drivers door. By the time he was in the cab of the truck, the rear end of the pickup was floating and could not get any traction. The wind continued to drag the boat and pickup back down the ramp. A few hours latter a dive team and wrecker managed to get the pickup and boat out. There was one heck of a deep hole just off the end of the concrete boat ramp and just like the GM commercials of old, that GM pickup sank "Like a Rock", especially with the drivers door open when my buddy abandoned the pickup. The interior dome light stayed on like a marker the whole time too, even worked the next day at the salvage yard when we went to clean it out. On another note, did you know that it is almost impossible to swim the length of a boat and pickup in insulated coveralls? We both almost drowned. Shoulda bought a Ford. And put it in gear and killed the engine.
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Joined: Jan 2006
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Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 69,532 Likes: 24 |
I have a 14' fishing boat. To load it, if I can, I back in real close to the dock. I walk along the dock with the bow line pulling the boat onto the trailer, then tie the rope to the back of the pickup. Drive out and pull it up tight. I can stay nice and dry.
If I can't get close to a dock, I can still usually stay dry. I use an extra long bow line. I back the trailer in, then push the boat out from the shore. Get in the back of the pickup and pull it up on the trailer. A couple tall upright guides on the corners of the trailer make this possible although the wind can make it tricky sometimes. Full length nerf bars on the pickup for steps helps a lot, too.
“In a time of deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act.”
― George Orwell
It's not over when you lose. It's over when you quit.
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Joined: May 2005
Posts: 16,554
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 16,554 |
although the wind can make it tricky sometimes. Oh yes indeed, even driving the boat on and with extra side rollers too.  (Come in hot and hope you don't spear the back of the truck or cut power, loose steerage, and the wind takes you sideways.)
The key elements in human thinking are not numbers but labels of fuzzy sets. -- L. Zadeh
Which explains a lot.
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Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 8,109
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 8,109 |
A lot of repeating Suggestions, most of them very good. I also have a small 14' aluminum v-hull boat.
A few have mentioned guides, and that is a very good idea. I have roughly 36" guides on my trailer to make it easy at loading onto a submerged trailer, and to see the trailer as I'm backing down the ramp. Mine is a tilt trailer, but I've never really needed the added drop of the back end. I do not have my boat bungie corded down, I use retracting/ratcheting seatbelts. Locks in place quite nicely, and pushbutton release. I use a floating rope for the boat winch, and added a wooden float at the double hooks, which keeps it all floating. This makes it easy to toss to an incoming boat, and to launch one.
My anchor line is tied off, and runs through a locking mechanism to set length, so when I'm launching solo, I drop my anchor on land, before pushing the boat off the trailer, then walk the anchor out of the way until the truck and trailer are back in the parking lot. I have 2 drain plugs at all times. One is cable tied to the boat, about 1 foot from the drain hole, and the spare is in my tackle box. There are replacement brass sheer pins for the boat prop there as well.
A 14' boat is not hard to man handle once it is back on the trailer, either. I ride in as close as feasible, latch on the winch rope, and pull the boat up onto the trailer, then climb out and winch it into position. I do not go beyond the winch rope and the seat belt strap on the ramp. Pull out to the parking lot, and make any adjustments there.
And absolutely use the parking brake. If you want pics of the trailer, it will need to wait, its pouring rain here right now.
An unemployed Jester, is nobody's Fool.
the only real difference between a good tracker and a bad tracker, is observation. all the same data is present for both. The rest, is understanding what you're seeing.
~Molɔ̀ːn Labé Skýla~
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Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 8,616
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Jul 2009
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If you have any concerns about the parking break
Be sure to have a chock or 4x4 and just put it against the back of the truck tire
It's really never a bad idea when I launch or load most things especially with weight I toss one under
I have been doing this for a while and a mis hap would be quite embarrassing
That being said never had a mishap? You have,not done it much
I never forget a very good boat dealer with years of experience and my self put a small 18 or so ft open boat in and figured out quick we forgot the plug That may have made headlines around here had we not seen it quickly
Hank
Thank You Lord for another day,Help my Brother along the way
When you mature,you realize hospitals and schools are businesses,and the Beatles were geniuses
Live Like A Champion Today
NRA EndowmentLife Member,My Daughter is also a Life Member
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Joined: Jan 2006
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Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 69,532 Likes: 24 |
There's a reservoir near here with an extra steep boat ramp. I have no idea why it was built that way. My pickup has a manual transmission. When launching there, I don't trust the parking brake when it's that steep. I shut the engine off and leave it in gear along with the brake.
“In a time of deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act.”
― George Orwell
It's not over when you lose. It's over when you quit.
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Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 26,688 Likes: 22
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 26,688 Likes: 22 |
Paul, either your ramps are not as shallow as you think or you have a really long tongue on that trailer. Here I have two options for not getting my feet wet as far as I have to back into the water at some lakes: 1) Go over the bow and in through the back of the Explorer. Pretty sure I'm too old for that without amusing the crowd. 2) Get really close to the dock and suffer the occasional bent license plate/bent light bracket.
BTW, use the parking brake. If using the transmission lock only and there's any steepness to the ramp you can put excessive force on the lock when you try to release it. (Use both - Park should the brakes slip or you'll be a viral video)
And if alone ALWAYS wear floatation of some sort. Even on a nice day, fall out in the middle of the lake and the boat can drift away faster than you can catch it. We have two ramps that I use from time to time that I have to get my feet wet on. It's almost always warm here, so I don't mind getting my feet wet. It I have to I can use the dock to board my boat.
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Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 28,535 Likes: 9
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 28,535 Likes: 9 |
Well. You back the trailer in the water. Then you load the boat onto the trailer. Pontoons suck loading by yourself.
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Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 16,167 Likes: 4
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 16,167 Likes: 4 |
Driving onto the trailer will get you a ticket up here. Prop wash undermines the ramp. Produces a nice hole at the end of the cement. Can really screw up your trailer axles. I never would have considered that. All our local lakes were created by damming up rivers. in the winter, they usually let the water down to what is called "winter pool". Then, one can construct a concrete ramp all the way out to the channel if so desired, so the washing you described isn't a problem here. I guess your lakes are never that low, so a ramp cannot be constructed underwater. We drive our boats upon the trailer, walk to the front of the boat, and hook and tighten the front of the boat with the winch. Same thing with unloading. Get in the front of the boat, unhook from the winch, and back off the trailer.
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Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 23,588 Likes: 3
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 23,588 Likes: 3 |
I bought a boat last year.
Went to the boat ramp early on a rainy day and practiced it a bit.
I could do it by myself, but I'd hate to have a line of boaters waiting behind me.
have you paid your dues, can you moan the blues, can you bend them guitar strings
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Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 2,697 Likes: 1
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 2,697 Likes: 1 |
Anybody got a tip on how to load a boat onto a trailer by yourself? Like does the vehicle's parking brake have to be set? Or will placing the trans in park be o.k.? My recommendation is that you put the vehicle in park, set the emergency brake, and kill the engine. If you want, throw some chocks behind the wheels too, especially when loading the boat. One very cold Feb evening we returned to the boat ramp to load the boat. My fishing buddy went and got my pickup and trailer from the parking lot. It was a 1997 GMC 3/4 ton with 454 engine and 5 speed manual transmission with 18,000 miles on it. When he got out, he set the emergency brake, but left the transmission in Neutral and the engine running, because it was bitter cold. He got ahold of the winch line and after several attempts, because the wind was blowing, I managed to get the boat on the trailer straight and my buddy set the winch line hook. That's when I noticed that the pickup was starting to roll. The additional weight of the boat was more than the parking brake could hold. My buddy jumped off the trailer tongue into the water and tried to work his way around to the drivers door. By the time he was in the cab of the truck, the rear end of the pickup was floating and could not get any traction. The wind continued to drag the boat and pickup back down the ramp. A few hours latter a dive team and wrecker managed to get the pickup and boat out. There was one heck of a deep hole just off the end of the concrete boat ramp and just like the GM commercials of old, that GM pickup sank "Like a Rock", especially with the drivers door open when my buddy abandoned the pickup. The interior dome light stayed on like a marker the whole time too, even worked the next day at the salvage yard when we went to clean it out. On another note, did you know that it is almost impossible to swim the length of a boat and pickup in insulated coveralls? We both almost drowned. . And put it in gear and killed the engine. Agreed. If I was gonna drown my truck, I'd want it to be a Ford, too.
The biggest problem our country has is not systemic racism, it's systemic stupidity.
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Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 2,018
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 2,018 |
You MUST apply the Parking Brake correctly.
To apply a Parking Brake correctly: Apply brakes and keep the brake petal down hard. Then apply the Parking Brake. This method uses the hydraulic brake system to assist setting the Parking Brakes.
When the tailgate drops the BS stops.
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Joined: May 2011
Posts: 56,380 Likes: 10
Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 56,380 Likes: 10 |
I use my right hand.
Oh, boating. Nevermind.
_______________________________________________________
An 8 dollar driveway boy living in a T-111 shack
LOL
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Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 4,382
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 4,382 |
I suppose it depends on the ramp, but I wouldn't try to launch on a steep ramp or one wet or with moss on it from wave action without a 4wd with the front end locked in and probably in low range. I saw a Toyota pick up under water under a moss covered ramp off Lake Michigan. My buddy had a big boat with a rear wheel drive Ford sedan and I've seen white tire smoke off those rear wheels trying to get that boat up and over that ramp. I had a roller trailer for my S14 Lund and never had to back it in far enough to get the lights or the hubs wet.
My other auto is a .45
The bitterness of poor quality is remembered long after the sweetness of low price has faded from memory
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Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 6,966 Likes: 1
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 6,966 Likes: 1 |
I tried PM'ing you some straight forward advice from someone who bought a boat having never run a boat in my life, except for a little outboard. And proceeded to go through 3 different boats. But you aren't accepting PMs.
Montana MOFO
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Joined: Nov 2017
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OP
Campfire Regular
Joined: Nov 2017
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I didn't know that.
I changed my preferences to accept them.
Thanks
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