Getting 24' toon of lake with closed ramps; lake down 5ft.

[LilRedNeckGirl]

Re: Getting 24' toon of lake with closed ramps; lake down 5ft.

The pontoons value is ? a few extra months slip rental is? Risk VS acomplisment/ Money saved Vs potential loss.
Seems cut and dry to me, you waited a bit too long to load the craft safely, so wait it out, hope for rain, and pay the extra slip fee.
the only way I would attempt a dry load with a pontoon or larger cruiser is, as afore mentioned, with a professional & a boat lift crane. Past that, the risk of damage from a do it yourself rig far outweighs and money saved on the slip. The loss of use is your fault for not moving it sooner. lakes dont drop 5+ feet in a day unless the dam breaks.....

 

[Bamaman1]

Re: Getting 24' toon of lake with closed ramps; lake down 5ft.

Our Tennessee River lake is 2' down. They're sending 1.2 million gallons of water per minute through 20 spillways, and running the powerhouses at 100%. The Smokey Mountains got 5"+ of rain this week. We feel for you guys in drought stricken places like Texas.

Many U.S. lakes are owned and operated by the U.S. Army Corps. of Engineers. They typically draw down the lakes in October/November to give room for Spring floods. They also keep the lakes low for maintenance and sea wall/dock work to be completed. Many of these lakes are brought up to normal Summer pool in March.

So, if you're wanting to get a boat out and your ramps are out of the water, wait until March and you may can get'em out without having to resort to alternative methods. Pontoon boats are usually just .080" thick--and not something you need to pull over the rocks/lake bottom. Toon punctures can be such a pain to find and have repaired.

 

[NSBCraig]

Re: Getting 24' toon of lake with closed ramps; lake down 5ft.

Wow that's how you do it just make it rain!

Good to hear you worked it out.

 

[bekosh]

Re: Getting 24' toon of lake with closed ramps; lake down 5ft.

Glad to hear that you got the rain.

I do have to wonder, don't any of the marinas on your lake have a travel lift or a forklift to pull boats out of the water? Rather than cobble together a "Tool Time" solution at the ramp, wouldn't it be safer to just pay to have it picked up and dropped onto your trailer?

 

[Friscoboater]

Re: Getting 24' toon of lake with closed ramps; lake down 5ft.

Isn't funny how a drought can end just like that. I am up here is Dallas, and most of the lakes are only half a foot low now.

 

[Sandbank]

Re: Getting 24' toon of lake with closed ramps; lake down 5ft.

Just spit ballin::; Back the truck down to the edge of the ramp.Unhook the trailer and walk it in as far as reasonable
Reattach to the hitch using a come along or 2 or rope or chain to make up the length.With the trailer on the come along you may be able to raise the tongue enough to get the boat started onto the trailer. Once on winch it up and let the boat right the trailer as it advances.Then comealong the trailer up to the truck.

I am with steelespike, we use this technique a fair bit in Oz to get boats in from a beach launch with surf running as the outgoing waves will bog the 4wd irretreivably within a single wave. High risk but it works. Walk the trailer to the boat and then winch it under the boat. Frontof trailer will naturally fall back down once the leverage point is reached. Connect a long tow rope to the tongue and off u go up the beach...(with waves time is of the essence otherwise can take your time).The tongue tends to dig in massively on way up the beach but nornally comes up the beach OK. A few planks of wood on standby can assist and slide the tongue up the beach on the planks replacing the back one up to the front once passed it (somewhat hazardous for your mates assisting-beer tax applies as danger money!)
Ps make sure your lights are waterproof otherwise open them up after and dry off and give some wd40 to..also give the hubs and extra tad of crease through the nipple point b4 u venture into keep the water out of the wheel bearings.
Take loads of pics and post them!!

 

[Jim311]

Re: Getting 24' toon of lake with closed ramps; lake down 5ft.

I was going to suggest welding sliders in front of the axle so that the trailer can drop off the edge of the ramp.



By the way, we wouldn't have eroded ramps with big dropoffs behidn them if people wouldn't power load their boats. Use your winch, that's what it's for.

 

[gmorgan]

Re: Getting 24' toon of lake with closed ramps; lake down 5ft.

This is easy , call a tow truck co. With a flatbed (. Roll off )
They are able to tilt the bed and winch it up even if you put moving dollies under the toons it will roll up then move to new lake and lower in , I've seen it done with guys that don't have trailers and pull them out for the winter

 

[UncleWillie]

Re: Getting 24' toon of lake with closed ramps; lake down 5ft.

CZSteve[OP] ...

What was the outcome?
It's been three weeks!
Don't leave us hanging!

 

[CZSteve]

Re: Getting 24' toon of lake with closed ramps; lake down 5ft.

Sorry for not following up. Also sorry (or glad) I was not able to provide any SHT's...

We went down the weekend after we received the rain and loaded up without any problems at all.
Currently have the boat @ the house for a few weeks for cleaning, rigging, and PM.
Moving to a slip on Joe Pool Lake next month; looking forward to springtime / summer.

 

[UncleWillie]

Re: Getting 24' toon of lake with closed ramps; lake down 5ft.

Glad it worked out for you!
Jealous ... You're moving Boats, I'm moving Snow!

 

[Rockmere1]

Re: Getting 24' toon of lake with closed ramps; lake down 5ft.

Glad it worked out for you!
Jealous ... You're moving Boats, I'm moving Snow!

I Can Second That!