Does your better half help with launch/retrieve?

[Guma]

My wife and I had gotten into a routine, of me driving the boat off the trailer, her parking the truck and I pick her up at the dock. So the launch always went pretty fast. Retrieving though was tying up to the dock, I back the trailer in and then I drive the boat onto the trailer. I do blame her never trying on myself and not her. I am anal and a control freak!

Yesterday we went out with zero traffic on the lake so I asked her is she wanted to practice driving onto the trailer. She agreed to give it a shot. So she drops me off at the dock, pulls back out into a holding pattern, I back the trailer in, and she drove the boat onto the trailer. She did have to circle around the first time as she had taken it out of idle a bit too soon and drifted a little wide right. She circled around, lined it up and coasted right onto the trailer perfectly. Did this 2 more times and both times she came right up on the trailer. Gave us both more confidence at the ramp, and now we can take even less time retrieving.

She doesn't have any interest in backing the trailer, but now we have our ramp duties spelled out, and we both know the routine by heart. Makes for a great time, low stress level, and I couldn't be more proud of her for wanting to do it that way from now on. Again, I take the blame for not letting her try this earlier.

Interested in hearing other stories on how you launch/retrieve your boat with your better half.

[Timmy!]

My wife used to drive the boat onto the trailer and one time the wind was blowing about 30mph and she got the picklefork stuck on the guide post and turned the boat sideways and from then on she was done. After that day it was out to a parking lot to learn how to back the trailer up. Since then she is 100% truck driver now. She does pretty good, a little slow and a little low on the confidence level but she does a great job, makes me happy every time she backs the truck up.

[rushin]

Guma- like Timmy said wind might be a different situation.

I back the trailer in and out, my wife drives the boat on and off.

[ImaPigDog]

My wife takes the boat on and off the trailer. We have a fairly sedate setting when it comes to wind, current, etc. So, we have had no real problems.

We have gotten into such a routine that I normally have a chuckle because we sound like employees at a Valvoline Instant Oil Change shouting out what each of us is doing and confirming what the other is doing..."plug in", "straps off", "blower on", "kids life jackets on", etc.

[rushin]

^^^ That's funny, we do the same.

[samw]

My wife will back up the trailer or load the boat. She prefers not to load the boat if it's really windy or lots of traffic!

[SPBFAN]

My wife in wind or not can stick the boat on the trailer better than me. But she can not back up the truck so I do the truck and trailer and she does the boat. If it is just my son and I he backs up the trailer and I do the boat. But that is when it shows the wife can park the boat better than I can on the tailer.

[MoneyPity]

My better half used to drive boat up the trailer. She's unfortunately not used to how inboards handle. She has never been able to back up trailer so until she becomes familiar with in-board handling and pull to the right which if she abolutely had to do it.
I typically would get the trailer in the water and the wife would pull boat out. I would drive boat up trailer and load her up so wife could pull boat out once I had tightened the winch.

That's all folks.

[rostap]

We just had a "discussion" about this topic...she got kinda upset and told me to stop making her do things she didnt want to do...lol.

Until recently its been a one man operation for us, which works since we try and hit the lake at uncrowded times during the week and evenings. She parks the trailer after we launch now, but said she would try dropping me off for me to retrieve the trailer....although i just know that one-way reverse is gonna throw her starting out.

[Ewok]

Timely thread, been married 9 years and just last weekend she backed the trailer into the water for retrieval. I used to do it all until she volunteered to start parking the truck and empty trailer. She did this for 2 years and I noticed she was backing the trailer into some tight parking spaces so I suggested she try backing the trailer into the water as well. Last weekend I installed th Boat Buddy II, she backed it in and we have a new quicker routine. I was so proud of her because when I suggested she try it, the ramp was not busy but as soon as she pulled up in the truck, 3 bass boats lined up behind her to put in. She handled the pressure very well.

[murphini]

I back trailer down & play out A LOT OF winch strap. She drives boat and gets it half on trailer. I then (wade out)& attach strap. Tell her to shut off engine and I winch in.

24ve is a PITA to get lined up so bunks are in the bottom grooves and it's not too far right or left. Sometimes have to back into water, push back of boat right or left, then pull out.

[Guapo]

This is one of the reasons i now keep the boat on a lift at the marina. We now only have to deal with this a few times during the year now. Less stress in the marriage...

When we do it, I back the boat down to the waters edge then she backs it in the rest of the way and I drive the boat of and she parks the boat and trailer. When it's time to load the boat, we dock the boat, I go get the truck and back the trailer in then I drive the boat on...unless the ramp is 100% empty...then she might back the truck/trailer in. She's truly a big help but she does NOT want to dock or load the boat.

[Duncan]

We are currently on the arrangement where she pulls out and parks the empty trailer. We should move to backing the empty trailer but have not had an opportunity with time and an empty ramp.

The river has been flooded alot leading us to trailer more this season.

[rcaroll]

We did the same thing for a while. I would back the trailer down then go get the boat and drive it up....This year I told my wife..." Woman, your learning to back the trailer down the ramp!"...Ok, so maybe I did not say it like that, but the point is she gave it a try, the first couple times was frustrating for her but after that she got the hang of it, now she is a pro, 1st try every time.

Make loading much less work and stressful.

[yllw20]

We have the same set up. When she is putting the boat on in windy days I stand to which ever side of the trailer I need to and have her aim for me and then let the wind push her into where she needs to be. whatever you do don't loose your cool or you'll be by yourseld on the ramp again.