Power Loading article

[dvan1901]

Good article at Boat US about power loading:
boatus.com/trailerclub/powerloading.asp

 

[rndn]

Re: Power Loading article

Good article, thanks. I do not power load and always get the trailer low enough into the water where I can float the boat onto the trailer. I can see where low water conditions would not allow this.

 

[4.0l sahara]

Re: Power Loading article

We power load or boat alot for one reason. That being alot of ramps here aren't very deep and alot of the ramps we use are slopped to one side. Our trailer bunks fit right in a grove on the bottom of the hull. If the ramp is off center when you pull it out the boat is always on leaning to one side. So power loading is the only way alot of the time to get it on right. They do need to improve the ramps around here.

 

[4.0l sahara]

Re: Power Loading article

Also there really isn't away to winch my boat on because it can't pull it all the way up on the bunks. All it does is stress the bow. Thats why rollars are nice.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Power Loading article

you either need a longer tongue, so the trailer gets deeper. that was one thing i noticed at the boat show, yesterday. the tongue on every trailer was too short for the size boat. nightmares to launch and retrieve. on my 23 footer, i have about 7 feet from coupler to winch stand. also make it tow better. also, i am able to idle onto the trailer, no power required.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Power Loading article

if you do not want to extend your tongue, here is an alternative.
"http://www.xtend-a-hitchnorthwest.com/"

 

[4.0l sahara]

Re: Power Loading article

Here is the boat

Now that you say it the toung does look short.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Power Loading article

Ayuh,.....

All that Power Loading does is Scour out a Big Hole in the ramp ,+ Screw it up for people who Know how to load their boats......

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Power Loading article

notice tongue length, have added guide ons. this is the easiest boat i have ever loaded.

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: Power Loading article

I just idle mine on.

 

[John_S]

Re: Power Loading article

If I can float it off, I just pull up the ramp some, to winch them on. I don't have issues with my boats/trailers, but have seen some that have winches that are a struggle.

 

[rodbolt]

Re: Power Loading article

as I am usally bymyself I always use the engine to load. one is a 22ft seapro CC with an F150 the other is an 18ft hydrasport fish n ski.
simply bump the bow on the bow stop,reach over and tighten the winch and I am done. usually I can clear the ramp in less than 3 minutes.

 

[MikDee]

Re: Power Loading article

A few times I have found out the painful effects, from these jerks who Overpower in! There is a deep hole that I happened to fall in on the right side (nearest the dock) of the ramp I use. The first time it happened as I was walking over to guide my boat on the trailer, I fell into it, struggled to get up, and strained my ankle, & wrist, without even knowing it till the pain started after I got the boat on the trailer! I make it a point not to contribute to this, I always idle my boat, off, & on, now, Only if need be, do I feed a little gas, never too much,,, if I don't like the way the boat is loading, I just back off gently, and reapproach, instead of throttling way up, and becoming part of the problem. Why can't people use common sense, and do this also?

 

[dvan1901]

Re: Power Loading article

What I found interesting in the article was someone's comment about trimming up first. That is what I do and it doesn't wash out the ramp and has the added bonus of slight lifting the bow up so it will go a little bit further on the trailer and set down.

 

[jeeperman]

Re: Power Loading article

Our ramp is on the intracoastal and there is always a cross current due to tidal flow back and forth. The wife and I can float load our boat in 10% of the time it takes most of the powerloaders.
Some are good at powerloading but most can't get lined up just right at the right moment. Then we have to wait forever while they backout and try again and again and again.

 

[srothfuss]

Re: Power Loading article

There will probably always be people for or against "power loading." I just wanted to comment. I often find the large voids left by someone who needed to dig a trench trying to get their boat back onto the trailer. The reason being is that I don't have the luxury of a propeller to get my boat in and out of the water. That means I walk in the water at the ramp most of the time to float on and off.

For the most part there will always be someone that needs to power on, but please try to remember us little guys that don't have engines. Those big trenches really hurt

 

[External Combustion]

Re: Power Loading article

It is not only the little guy with no engine that gets put out by the power loaders digging trenches.

My favorite boat is over 7,000 lbs. I have never power loaded it even in 25 mph cross winds with no wharf. It takes forethought and occasionally I will choose another ramp to make loading easier. Loading with the wind blowing to the ramp, from the ramp or across the ramp takes different techniques. I rarely have to get my legs wet, often not even my shoes.

My 15 footer is far easier, though due to the trailer construction I will get wet more often.

Sometimes I wonder if others have handling lines onboard. Each of my boats have at least two 20 footers and two 100 footers to aid in loading.

There are a couple of power loaders that I am familiar with that are courtious and efficient. They frequently have their engines cut a few feet before they hit their trailers. Most of the rest are slower, have to have several attmtps to succeed and frequently leave their trailers on the ramp for long periods unattended.

Technique is a learned thing, so is courtesy.

My rant for the day. Feel free to take pot shots!

 

[scoutabout]

Re: Power Loading article

I'm an avid no power loader but in fairness I suppose we should differentiate between the guys that glide on either in neutral or dead slow versus the folks we've all seen who treat loading like a run up Pikes Peak...

 

[4.0l sahara]

Re: Power Loading article

As I said we power load but we are really good at it. back trailer in then back the boat up like 20 feet and trim up the motor Then get a good momentum going and coast right up onto the bunks. It takes very little time. I do think it wrong when people go up to the trailer and nail it and they still can't get it on right.

 

[tommays]

Re: Power Loading article

At least on LI i can not think of ANY ramp that is NOT 100% Concrete well bellow the low tide level


Tommays