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Boat launching


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I was out on Osakis today and when it was time for me to return to land I had to wait for a couple boats to launch before I could go in.

While waiting I was thinking about some of the threads we have discussed about landing etiquette, powerloading, etc. and I found myself watching these guys with more interest than I would have before. What I began to realize is how many there are that really struggle with launching or landing their boats. Both of those fellas were struggling and they were launching. I could only imagine how much work it was for them to land their boats. You could tell they were concerned about the time they were using based on their rushed movements. I wan't in any hurry and so I was just patiently waiting and watching.

When the opening finally came for me to land there was also another fellow poised to back in and launch. Believe it or not, I pulled my boat to the dock in town about the same time the other guy began backing his boat into the water. I tied my boat, walked up and got my truck, backed in, loaded my boat, and was pulled out and attaching my tie downs before he got his boat in the water.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not being critical of him and I am not bragging. Everything worked like clockwork for me today and it went well. He struggled mostly with backing up the trailer.

I guess the point of my little story is that we need to remember to have some patience with our other fishing friends. Try to remember what it was like the first few times we tried backing a trailer or land a boat.

Bob

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Exactly. Finely said. Have some patience and drink one more or cast a line. You never know what you might catch. I'm new too launching and loading a boat. If you can't wait for a newby too launch a boat or land a boat then you have the same thing as what hey call road rage. Give us newby's a break. We are out there to have just as much fun as anybody else. Thank you

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Bob, well said!

Newbie or not, nobody has consistent perfect days loading and launching. I owe my knowledge to fishing league and getting razzed should everything not go as planned.

Bottomline, if you have problems launching/loading, I guess you might just need to find a little more time to fish! (not neccesarily a bad thing)

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I have no problem waiting for a newbie to launch or load his boat or anyone else that is having problems. One can get a cross wind or something else and things can go wrong.

Where the problem for me arises is when they leave thier boat at the dock and fiddle around for 10-15 minutes.

Yesterday while I was sitting approx 50 yards from the dock waiting for a open slot to load, these two other boats come in a a higher speed to beat me to the dock. So, they load and I drive in and let my wife out to get the truck. While sitting at the dock, this other guy and his wife try to place thier boat side ways along the end of the dock and almost hit me. I'm backing the boat up to line it up to load and I have to ask this same boat if they couyld move out of the way so I could load up. She says to me, boy some people can sure be in a hurry. So, now I'm driving the boat to the trailer to load and another boat starts to back in and almost hits the trailer as he cannot wait or back up straight.

My wife says as we are leaving the parking lot, are peolpe always like this at the landing and I told her thats why I never fish on the weekend because of the rude people at the docks.

Its one thing to take your time to load and unload, but when people are so inconsiderate at the landings, they will never learn and thats just plain rude.

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I can remember when I first started boating, getting the boat off the trailer wasn't too big an issue, but there were some days when getting it back meant getting wet. I can be pretty patient with someone who lacks experience, I will even help them if I can, but those people who tie up the ramp because of rudeness or inconsideration just piss me off to no end.

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I run into a guide once in a while that thinks he owns the water. He will launch his boat,tie it to the dock and then go to the marina for bait while his boat is blocking 1/2 of the two lane launch. I keep waiting for some impatient person to untie his boat and let it drift out of the way. Sometimes jerks like this deserve a bit of their own medicine.

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Quote:

I run into a guide once in a while that thinks he owns the water. He will launch his boat,tie it to the dock and then go to the marina for bait while his boat is blocking 1/2 of the two lane launch. I keep waiting for some impatient person to untie his boat and let it drift out of the way. Sometimes jerks like this deserve a bit of their own medicine.


I'm not an impatient person, but I would untie it and move it out of the way...somewhere. Tying up the boat to park the vehicle is fine with me, tying up the boat to go shopping is a whole different situation, IMO.

The ONLY time I ever got mad at a landing was 2 years ago. I was pulled off to the side loading the boat getting ready. I then pulled the truck up when out of nowhere one of these "league" fisherpeople comes speeding diagonally across the parking lot and cuts in front of everyone and starts getting ready to launch. Needless to say, when I got done with them, they waited. Between the rudeness on the lake, and the rudeness off the lake, I have little respect for "league" and "tournament" fisherpeople anymore.

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I don't really get mad at people taking a while to load or unload as long as they are "trying" to be quick. I get frusterated when they stop in front of the launch and take off the tie downs, get everything ready, and do everything else they should have done prior to that time.

I realize not everyone is as fast as I am when it comes to launching or loading their boat, but if they aren't using their brain even a little bit, I get annoyed.

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Are not most of us out there to relax???? 10 years ago my 9 yr old son and I could launch and load a boat in world record time. But, now, after 10 years of baseball and hockey, (not fishing), I look almost like I have never seen a boat landing. Maybe it is time to teach the kid, dad might have lost it. Everyone, do the best you can, and lets enjoy the time out on the water. And hopefully, I am not so old that launching and landing a boat will all come back to me. Guess I just need more practice, which, I guess means more fishing grin.gif.

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I get frusterated when they stop in front of the launch and take off the tie downs, get everything ready, and do everything else they should have done prior to that time.


that is the one thing that always got me going. most of the time it's just fun to watch someone jack knife their way down the ramp cool.gif but when you wait till you are at the water's edge to put your rods and other equiptment, take off tie downs, and put the plug in, well that's just really poor planning and a little selfish

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All new boat owners have to start somewhere, what drives me crazy is new or old boat owners that have beautiful drive on trailers and refuse to drive on. I would rather help or watch a boat owner for an hour try to learn how to drive on rather than hand load. One thing hand loading is dangerous, and the time spent to learn how to drive on is simply more efficient in the future. Boat owners with drive on trailers please take the time to learn how to use them, that is why you spent the extra money for the trailer.

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I have a drive on trailer/ 16 ft. aluminum. It is so fast and if it's set up right you don't have to hit the throttle hard. Hand loading is too slow and the people waiting in line at the ramp appreciate quiskness!

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Lookin do you launch a boat out there in LaLa Land? Tell these guys how many boats are lined up by 4;30-5AM.Let em know what its like! The'll apreciate the short waits here in skeeter land.People doodlin around or not its still quick here! grin.gif

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Better yet, why not offer to lend a hand? It just might help make someones day! smile.gif

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I hate when people untie and put all their gear in at the dock. I pulled up Friday night and parked to the side as no one was in line. Got all my gear ready and the boat ready for the water. There got to be three people ahead of me for that and they all took their time getting their boats ready. Kinda cheesed me. I did help a guy with his kid launch his boat and he then returned the favor as my buddy wasn't out there yet. So no matter how chapped you get, lend a hand when you can and it still makes it go faster.

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I was one of "those" guys this weekend.

Difference is, there is never any line at the river so nobody got to see me struggling to get the boat on the trailer. smile.gif

You guys need to try loading your boat in a 5mph cross current. LOL! Fun, fun, fun!

I have tried and tried and tried to drive my boat on and I cannot get that thing straight in the current. It doesn't matter how shallow or deep I put my trailer in the water, I can't get that boat straightened out when I come on the trailer.

So I've been cranking it on by hand lately, fell off the trailer once on Friday- wet up to my crotch. Sunday was even worse because I couldn't get the boat to center. I had to take 3 different shots at it to finally get it on right. Yeah, current was messing with me.

So... even us who are normally good at it have our bad days.

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I would agree with Chris. Loading on the river can be a real treat with the cross current. I have been very lucky with my new boat. This trailer will load so easy I believe that anyone could load it. I was at the Land of Memories park a week or so ago and had to try and load it approx 6-8 times as the side current was so strong. Good thing it was 4 in the morning and no one else was there.

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After reading through these threads, it is apparent that there are many different opinions. In MY opinion, the guys that powerload (and I am one of them) are usually more experienced at loading and unloading boats. Other than the guy in the river, which I understand, I feel sorry for you people that have to get wet to load your boat. It doesn't have to be that difficult. The problem at most boat landings is that most people do not take the time to practice backing up, or do not prepare and load the boat before it is time to launch. For those of you who don't know, you can also unload the gear into your boat into your vehicle away from the ramp after it comes out of the water. I take my three small children alone to busy launches and can beat most guys for speed and efficiency in and out of the ramp. Why? practice and preparation. I never cease to be amazed at just how poorly prepared many boat owners are for the loading / unloading scenario.

This weekend was a perfect example. Away from the ramp, I was loading my boat, putting life jackets on the kids, etc., I waved two others by me. For the two minutes I would have made them wait, I had to wait 15 minutes as they couldn't back in the boat, then loaded gear from the truck, and they couldn't get the boats started. I get burned every time.

For those of you who want to make powerloading illegal, don't our law makers have bigger fish to fry?

As a side note, if it weren't for some of the deep holes at some of the public launches at Mille Lacs, they would be unusable for many boats.

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I can tolerate the mis-haps and "bad" days when things just don't go right but I get wound up pretty good when the delays are avoidable - like not being ready to launch, not being capable of backing up the trailer, etc.

There is no excuse for not being able to manuever the trailer except laziness - not being willing to take it to a parking lot or even their own driveway and really learn to how to do it before delaying everyone else while they "learn" at a landing.

I fish alone at lot and I always feel guilty about the delay when I have to leave my boat to get the truck or put it away but always make sure that it is as out of the way as possible given the landing.

Rivers are tough and wind can make any landing tough so it is not hard having patience in those situations!

Daze Off

Daze Off

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hey Hanson,

I too fish the river and find it difficult to load my boat in the current. A trick that I like to do and depends on your boat is put the trialer going down river or with the current this way your only using the current to slow the boat down and have less of a cross current situation. Now i have about perfected it by end of summer after a few misses grin.gif but again I usually don't have other boaters waiting inline for me either. Plus I have replace all my rollers and us only bunks that are OUT of the water and power load my boat. It is a 14 footer that is fairly lite so if need to I can push over a couple inches if need to. I hope this helps in your situation?

Later,

mr

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I still am new to loading, got the unloading down pretty well. I try to power load whenever I can. Problem I have is that I always end up to the left, powerload or crank. I have the tall white guides with lights on, but the PVC gives and the boat just goes where it wants. Fleet has Bunkerboards on sale. I was thinking of getting them. Is this worth the invenstment? I was thinking the 5', not sure if 2' would do much. I have a 16.5' boat. Let me know your thoughts please.

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You may have your trailer too deep. That seems to be my biggest problem when landing. I back the trailer too far into the water and the rear of my boat drifts off center.

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Quote:

After reading through these threads, it is apparent that there are many different opinions. In MY opinion, the guys that powerload (and I am one of them) are usually more experienced at loading and unloading boats. Other than the guy in the river, which I understand, I feel sorry for you people that have to get wet to load your boat. It doesn't have to be that difficult. The problem at most boat landings is that most people do not take the time to practice backing up, or do not prepare and load the boat before it is time to launch. For those of you who don't know, you can also unload the gear into your boat into your vehicle away from the ramp after it comes out of the water. I take my three small children alone to busy launches and can beat most guys for speed and efficiency in and out of the ramp. Why? practice and preparation. I never cease to be amazed at just how poorly prepared many boat owners are for the loading / unloading scenario.

This weekend was a perfect example. Away from the ramp, I was loading my boat, putting life jackets on the kids, etc., I waved two others by me. For the two minutes I would have made them wait, I had to wait 15 minutes as they couldn't back in the boat, then loaded gear from the truck, and they couldn't get the boats started. I get burned every time.

For those of you who want to make powerloading illegal, don't our law makers have bigger fish to fry?

As a side note, if it weren't for some of the deep holes at some of the public launches at Mille Lacs, they would be unusable for many boats.


people that powerload are more experienced??? not trying to start something here, but that's not correct.

growing up my dad and i went through so many boats, and they always got bigger - in fact we ended with a 30' Pro Line used to fish Lake Erie, and yes we trailered it to take that once a year dolphin fishin down south. we had the powerload mastered...we made a great team.

now that i'm older and have my first boat, which was purchased at a garage sale, i have to hand load my boat...why - two reasons, 1 - the trailer is not the correct trailer for the boat...which is very common here in MN when a used boat is purchased. 2 - i don't have enough money to buy a new trailer.

i can hand load my boat in wind or whatever weather in no more than 3 minutes. i guess all those years loading the bigger boats on trailers has paid off.

it always makes me laugh when people waiting in line give me the eye roll when i walk out in the water to hand load...then they're always amazed when i'm finished. in fact, i put the boat on so quickly one day...the next in line got to flapping his gums with his buddys, and made the truck behind him honk his horn - priceless.

smirk.gif

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You may have your trailer too deep. That seems to be my biggest problem when landing. I back the trailer too far into the water and the rear of my boat drifts off center.


I don't think so. Usually have the rear rollers barely touching the water. Getting a little better with experiance, but not there yet.

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Not sure what type of boat you have, but depending on the design of the boat, it could actually cause some of the problems for you. My boat is a single counsel, with the built in 26 gallon fuel tank on the same side of the boat as the counsel, which when you add my 200 pounds makes the weight distribution very uneven. This causes my boat to load to one side (the left) slightly. I've found that if I move my body more to the center of the boat when I start driving onto the trailer it gets it started straight & then I can move back over to the seat to finish loading.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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