How do you load your boat on the trailer?

[CP3]

How do you put your boat on the trailer? Do you winch it up or drive it on, or a combinationof both? How do you keep it straight?

[teachercop]

Wife has boat driving resposibilities and does very well. I back trailer. We have never deviated in 10 years of boating. I have never driven the boat on the trailer,,I suppose I have limitations.

I back the trailer all the way in the water and dunk the bunks completely.

The depth of the trailer depends on the angle of the ramp. Most of the time,,only 1/2 to 1.5 revolutions of the winch crank to cinch the bow hook does it.

A steep ramp presents a bit of challenge,,Lake Havasu site 6 is a good example,,,Lahotan has a ramp I believe,,,we have a different procedure for those types.

We also use 2 way radios,,eleminates the visiable verbal spousal abuse,,,less entertaining for the surrounding boat enthusiasts but it saves on the make up discussions.

[whitlock87]

My wife also drives the boat on the trailer, but we do it a little different.

I back the trailer down till the front of the fender just start to go under the water.
I then get out and wet any of the carpet that is out of the water (the top of my guide post sit about a foot above of the water)
She will drive it in about 2/3 and then I hook up the Strap.
I will winch it on the rest of the way.
(Some times she needs to give it a little gas to bring the boat all the way on the trailer)

We make sure the weight is even (if it is just my wife she will stand in the middle) before I pull it out of the water. (This seams to center the boat on the trailer)

[bfrank]

I do the same as whitlock87
Seems to be the easiest way to load and center.
Man I need to find a Wife like the one you guys have, my wife would be too much of a basket case driving the boat onto the trailer.
I have the whole procedure down to just under 3 to 5 minutes by myself!!!
What really gets me going is the idiots that put thier boat on the trailer and pull up just enought to block the ramp, then they dilly dally wiping the boat or strap it down, or what ever! No common sense at all.
I make it a point to pull the boat out of the way to let some one else use the ramp.
I have never come to blows with anyone yet but there have been some heated conversations!!!!

[NICKYPOO]

Didn't we have a nice long thread on this somewhere?

[TeamAllen]

This might be the thread NICKYPOO is reffering to.

Trailer Loading

Here is one for bfrank about launch ramp situations.

Ramp Stories

[NICKYPOO]

That's the one. Thanks TeamAllen. That thread has just about everthing you would need to know. And then some. I like the "Ramp Stories" addition too. It should be named "How To Avoid Looking Like an *ss".

[CP3]

Thanks TeamAllen. That is what I was looking for. I really enjoyed the ramp stories too.