What thinketh the membership here..... Useful or just hype

[dingbat]

I've been looking at something like this for most of the winter. I really want one because I go solo boating most of the time with a 21ft center console which I am unable to reach the boweye from inside the boat and the launch I go to has no way for me to get to it other than over the bow and down the winch post which hurts sometimes when I fall

When I had a roller trailer, I had a piece of rope roughly 6' long with a slip knot tied on one end. Lassoed the winch post and tied off to the bow cleat to keep the boat from sliding back. Got off boat, connected the cable and winched to the post.

With the bunk, I can load shallow and stick the boat on the bunks or back the trailer in deeper and float the boat to the post using a line tied to the bow cleat

 

[SkaterRace]

When I had a roller trailer, I had a piece of rope roughly 6' long with a slip knot tied on one end. Lassoed the winch post and tied off to the bow cleat to keep the boat from sliding back. Got off boat, connected the cable and winched to the post.

With the bunk, I can load shallow and stick the boat on the bunks or back the trailer in deeper and float the boat to the post using a line tied to the bow cleat

That is essentially how I have to do it. Sadly I have no good way of getting from the boat to the trailer/water short of going over the bow. The dock is far enough away at my primary ramp that a jump can be dangerous in either the dark or non sunny days.

 

[airshot]

That is essentially how I have to do it. Sadly I have no good way of getting from the boat to the trailer/water short of going over the bow. The dock is far enough away at my primary ramp that a jump can be dangerous in either the dark or non sunny days.

I do similar, but keep tight against the dock, drive on, snap the winch line onto the bow eye, step off onto the dock, walk back to vehicle and finish tightening winch strap then drive to parking lot. When I back the trailer in, I just keep the side guide about a foot to foot and a half away from the dock then I know I am plenty close enough.

 

[SkaterRace]

I do similar, but keep tight against the dock, drive on, snap the winch line onto the bow eye, step off onto the dock, walk back to vehicle and finish tightening winch strap then drive to parking lot. When I back the trailer in, I just keep the side guide about a foot to foot and a half away from the dock then I know I am plenty close enough.

My bow is probably 2-3ft from the land/side of the ramp and the stern is probably 4-5 ft from the dock. It was not designed to jump from the boat to the dock. It was done that way to handle the larger boats that go in and out there even though 90% are smaller ones.

 

[airshot]

My bow is probably 2-3ft from the land/side of the ramp and the stern is probably 4-5 ft from the dock. It was not designed to jump from the boat to the dock. It was done that way to handle the larger boats that go in and out there even though 90% are smaller ones.

Your backing in at an angle ? Move your stern closer so you can step out onto the dock.

 

[SkaterRace]

Your backing in at an angle ? Move your stern closer so you can step out onto the dock.

Not backing at an angle the dock is about 2-3ft from the end of the ramp. If I put the stern closer to the dock it will require backing in on an angle and not enough room to do that on a busy weekend.

 

[dingbat]

Not backing at an angle the dock is about 2-3ft from the end of the ramp. If I put the stern closer to the dock it will require backing in on an angle and not enough room to do that on a busy weekend.

Im not following……the dock isn’t parallel to the ramp?

 

[jlh3rd]

bunk trailer , 24' pontoon boat. I load and unload myself. I use the motor when loading , idle, to keep the boat on until I connect the winch. I've marked the trailer, yellow paint, to give me a reference for how deep to go.
It helps.

 

[SkaterRace]

Im not following……the dock isn’t parallel to the ramp?

View attachment 396657

Nope more like | ramp |
| docks |

Hopefully that displays well I don't have an image of my ramp and everything on google shows the park not the ramp and maps view is too blurry to tell. Essentially you have a hell of a jump to the dock which is not wide enough to safely jump to.

 

[dingbat]

Nope more like | ramp |
| docks |

Hopefully that displays well I don't have an image of my ramp and everything on google shows the park not the ramp and maps view is too blurry to tell. Essentially you have a hell of a jump to the dock which is not wide enough to safely jump to.

Cant see the picture but sounds like your working with tapered finger pier

 

[JASinIL2006]

Cant see the picture but sounds like your working with tapered finger pier

I think what he means is that the ramp and the dock are parallel to one another, but the dock is offset about 3' from the edge of the ramp, meaning that even if he angled his boat to be right on the edge of the ramp, he's still 3' from the dock.

 

[airshot]

I'm lost....

 

[dingbat]

I think what he means is that the ramp and the dock are parallel to one another, but the dock is offset about 3' from the edge of the ramp, meaning that even if he angled his boat to be right on the edge of the ramp, he's still 3' from the dock.

That makes no sense......how do passengers get in and out of the boat?

 

[JASinIL2006]

@SkaterRace said "It was done that way to handle the larger boats that go in and out there even though 90% are smaller ones." We really need him to return to answer, but it sounds like a poorly designed ramp/dock.

 

[SkaterRace]

@SkaterRace said "It was done that way to handle the larger boats that go in and out there even though 90% are smaller ones." We really need him to return to answer, but it sounds like a poorly designed ramp/dock.

That was what a game warden told me one day when I asked him why it was so stupidly designed.

 

[SkaterRace]

That makes no sense......how do passengers get in and out of the boat?

You back the boat off the trailer and up to the dock before passengers get in or out of it. It is just a pain for loading/unloading.

 

[SkaterRace]

I think what he means is that the ramp and the dock are parallel to one another, but the dock is offset about 3' from the edge of the ramp, meaning that even if he angled his boat to be right on the edge of the ramp, he's still 3' from the dock.

That's exactly it