Trailer Loading

[tigeone]

Well I have to admit I have never owned a boat before.My biggest fear is loading it back on the trailer.Not only do I worry about damaging something but I live in AZ and the lakes are always busy.I also don`t want to look like a complete idot.Any tips on loading would be greatly appreciated.Thanks

[poohpotta]

Tigeone - I owned only one boat before my Tige so I can relate to your apprehension. What I've found that works best is to get a nice, long run at the trailer. I usually start around the no-wake buoys at my dock, which is about 150ft back. Taking the wakeboards off the racks and storing the bimini is also advisable in windy conditions.

[jeffro]

DON'T RUSH IT!

if you're gonna miss, circle around and go at it again.

don't worry about anyone else, be mindful of what you are doing and who is around you, BUT above all, take your time and protect your investment.

as pooh says, get a good long lineup on it. Another thing to do is "bump" the throttle from neutral to idle speed (sorta like off on, off on). Rather than keeping it in idle speed and cruising into your trailer, by bumping it you can slowly drift onto your trailer, when you bump the throttle that allows you to steer when you need to make corrections. and gives you a slower speed to get on the trailer without barging into the guide poles or sides of your boat.

[rob_and_trish]

lol - I feel your pain!!

The first time my wife and I ever took our first boat was on Memorial day - talk about nerves!
Thanks god we parked it like old pros!

A few things that may help...

1. Like what was said above - get long start at it and bump the throttle.

2. try to pratice on a non crowed day.
Drop it in after work and make a few runs at it. Or find a bouy and pratice taking runs using it as a marker for 1 side.

3. Relax and dont worry about the other people - its not their boat.

4. try to dock on non peak times. At our lake at least - on the weekends the docks peak between 9am and 11am, 4pm and 6pm and again about 8:30pm w/ everyone pulling out.

5. have a system - know whos driving the boat and whos pulling the trailer down. Know were to get dropped off on the dock.
Also - pratice backing that bad boy up.

6. Know there is no reverse steering - go to a cove and look which way you go when you go in reverse. Realize that when you need to correct when going into the dock.

Good Luck

Good luck.

[NICKYPOO]

Go and get yourself a boating safety hand book. You should be able to track one down through your local fish and game deptartment. Make yourself aware of the rules of the boat ramp.

Have a plan. Use it every time. Practice makes perfect. Mine works like this.
Launching. Get the boat 100% ready before pulling onto the ramp. This includes bilge plug,bimini deployment, boards in the racks, tiedown straps, any items going in the boat for the day stowed in there place, blower on, bilge plug, battery check, bilge plug. It's always a good idea to open the motor cover and give it a quick inspection. This will also clear any fumes that might have accumulated. Put all people going in the boat in the boat. Now you are ready to launch. Back the boat down to the water line and stop. Unplug the lights and unhook the winch stap and boat buddy if you have one. Back the boat into the water far enough to get the water pickup completely submerged. Have the boat driver start the engine and give a thumbs up when all systems are go. Continue to back the boat in and have the driver back off of the trailer. Once the boat is clear, pull out and park. While your doing this, the boat driver will have the chance to warm up boat while milling about out of the way of everyone else trying to launch. Now all you have to do is jump on when the boat driver swings in to pick you up.

Retrieving. Retrieving order is determined by who has their trailer on the ramp first, not by who has their boat there first. Have the boat driver drop you off at the ramp and then go out and wait for you to get the trailer down to the water. I'm personally not a fan of a putting the bimini and all the boards away while waiting. There are to many things that can go wrong that could delay the boat being ready to get on the trailer. Yes, it will make your boat less susceptible to wind but, what happens when you get the trailer down and the people in the boat are struggling to get something done that could have been done in the tear down area. You're stuck there looking like a jack *ss with a trailer and no boat, taking up time and space. Once your trailer is in the water, get out and get ready to retrieve. Pull some length out on the winch strap so that you have plenty of slack to work with. Make sure that you put the winch back into retrieve mode so that when you connect it all you have to do is start pulling the boat up. The boat should be well on it's way to you by now with the driver making a long, smooth, striaght approach. Once the boat is within your reach, have the driver shut it down and then connect the winch strap. Crank it up, make sure the safety pin on the boat buddy is through the bow eye. Now you can pull out. I usually have everybody stay in the boat and seated untill I get to the tear down area.

Once you have all this down, it becomes a very easy process and it goes like clockwork. You can spend an hour or two at your local ramp and learn alot. You'll see people do it right and it looks easy.In and out quick smart, boom done. You'll see people do it wrong and it will take them forever, and all they do is stuggle. Efficiency is courtesy.

[raythompson]

And most importantly.

Do not be afraid to ask others for assistance. Most people in the ramp area will be more than happy to assist others as it means they can get out sooner. They will not laugh at you and in fact will be pleased that you asked for assistance.

We have seen people struggling to back a trailer down straight. After several failed attempts several of us got together and told the driver to stop. We then grabbed the back of the trailer and straightened the trailer out. They back down further and we straightened again. Other people cheered.

That is how back our waverunner trailer when it is empty. The trailer is short and is difficult to back straight as you cannot see the trailer. When it is empty I just have my wife back down while I carry the rear of the trailer and walk backwards. Looks odd but it works. People chuckle but see the wisdom of that method.

The Tige trailer is easier to back as it is longer and is visible. I doubt my waverunner method would work with the Tige trailer.

But do not be afraid or embarrased to ask for assistance.

[whitlock87]

I do it a lot like raythompson.
Only difference is that my wife will drive the boat on and off the trailer and I drive the truck.

If you will be going to lake Mohave (Katherine Landing) I would go out at night the first time. (After 10pm) This way you can practice with out any body there (maybe one or two others, but the marina is well lit as long as you do not go past the pumps. this is how my wife learned to drive the boat last year, and this year has gone much smother because of it)

You can practice both docking and loading the boat on and off the trailer

Good luck and welcome
David

[Tequilasun]

I will second (or third) the "don't be afraid to ask for help" . Last year, I backed down 3 or 4 trailers for people that just could not get it. Usually they get frustrated and things get worse. I have been approached several times and it is never a bother.

We have a system like Nickypoo and it works every time.

One note, if you don't have guide poles on your trailer, get some, that will take a lot of the fear of hitting the trailer with the boat away. All you have to do is get the nose of the boat between them and winch up (having the boat driver bump the throttle will help with the winching).

Practice.....and Maybe meet up with one of the people on here that can give you some help the first time or two.

[Tanner]

Not sure if this will work w/ the Inboard b/c I haven't picked mine up yet... but alot of the time right as I'm fixing to hit the trailer I drop the boat in reverse so as to cut down on my momentum. I don't gas it, I just drop it into reverse. This normally gets me close enough to winch it in the rest of the way and then I have no problems w/ ramming the boat stops. Works like a charm.

[David]

Reversing is never a smart thing to do with an inboard. If you get a ways up, and reverse it, you have the chance of catching the prop on the side of the trailer since it will back up to the right.

I will go pretty far out and get in a straight line, with my head over the walkway so I can get a feel for the middle of the boat and where I'm headed. I try to keep it in gear all the way so I can steer easily, but sometimes I'll click in and out on a windy day or something.

[raythompson]

Right on about using power to back off. This is what happened to my prop. Cost $110.00 to get the prop fixed. I have yet to fix the bunk that was chewed half way through. I have the carpet, need to get the wood, mount the carpet, then take the boat to the lake and replace the bunk.

Not only was the damage done to the prop and the trailer, but when I climbed out of the boat into the lake I stepped on the wheel fender and promptly slipped into the water. Now I was soaked, and my shin bone was badly bruised.

Before think I am a total fool, after 20+ years owning a boat my wife and I are pretty decent at loading and unloading. The problem with the Tige is that it got sideways on the trailer. I can normally load without getting out of the boat. Not this time. I am still learning the quirks about the inboard oddities in handling, which is much different than a stern drive.

So yeh, it can happen to anyone. It is a humbling experience, and hopefully a learning experience. Don't have to hit me twice with the stupid stick. Next time it gets sideways, I will just get wet and not use power to resolve the issue.

Prop damage.

[Tanner]

Well that's good info to know. Luckily (well not really... but in this case it is) the last two months I have been w/o reverse on my old boat. So I've definately become pretty adept at boating w/o reverse at all

[Tequilasun]

Last night at the ramp I watched a guy with a pretty interesting technique:

1: He backed the trailer down the ramp and dunked the bunks under the water.

2: He pulled the trailer back up the ramp until the front bunks were out of the water and the rear bunks were still underwater.

3: His buddy nosed the boat between the rear bunks as the driver let out a lot of winch strap.

4: They throttled the boat in and took the slack out of the winch strap, until the boat was about half on the the trailer, but still floating well.

5: The driver got back in the truck and backed the trailer down to its original position with all the bunks under the water.

6.: The driver then got out and winched the boat the rest of the way up.

Not quite the most efficient method, but it will work. Maybe try it the first couple of times until you are comfortable.

[joe8395]

I think the most important thing is to take your time and don't pussyfoot the thing. Put the boat where you want it to go...commit to the idea and go with it.

[NICKYPOO]

I will go pretty far out and get in a straight line, with my head over the walkway so I can get a feel for the middle of the boat and where I'm headed.

That's is a very good point. If your sitting at the helm and your looking across the tip of the bow, you are naturally going to be coming in at an angle. Try to make a reference point from the top of the dash to a point on the tailgate when you are launching. Use the same reference points when you are lining up your approach. Try to picture where your body needs to end up as opposed to where boat needs to end up. It will feel a little strange at first but, when you get used to it, it works like a charm.