A rant - A special kind of stupid

[Grub54891]

Just coast onto the trailer as you shut the engine and trim up. Winch the rest of the way. I never get my feet wet either.

This^^ My wife backs the trailer in, I have to trim up way out there so it don't hit bottom. I idle in, shut down and walk to the bow and set the hook. She pulls out, finish up and done. 4 minutes off to the side to pull lines and fenders, tie down. Done.....

 

[sphelps]

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[four winns 214]

Boat ramps are not one contiguous piece of concrete. They are constructed in slab sections. Here's how power loading cost me a tow truck to extricate my long tandem axle trailer from the water: The power loading of boats so completely scoured out the end of the ramp, the last slab of the ramp slid back a ways into the scoured out hole. That left a large enough gap between the last two concrete slabs of the ramp for my trailer wheels to drop into. I didn't go off the end of the ramp, but into a gap between the last two slabs. The dock alongside the launch ramp was marked with a painted line indicating the end of the ramp. I was well forward of the mark. A tow truck with winch to lift the trailer was required to raise up the back of the trailer to get it out of the water. No amount of pulling with my 3/4 ton diesel 4x4 truck was going to get it out.

 

[Sprig]

I’ve been boating for 50+ years and have never heard anyone complain about power loading. Here in California most all ramps are concrete and are long enough so you never have to worry about the trailer reaching the end of the ramp. Although I load the old fashioned way , many people here power load and absolutely no problems or complaints.

 

[Leardriver]

It's a fine line. I get the trailer depth just right and will bump it up the bunks with just over idle power, then winch it the remaining 18 inches. Over 20 boats and 30 years, always works for me. We have all long concrete ramps.