Going Solo at the Ramp

[Mr Crabbs]

Has anyone loaded their boat at the ramp solo (or tried)? I'm a bachelor this week and have a chance to get out early and fish. Getting off the trailer is easy enough (the ramp isn't busy) but I've never docked and loaded by myself.

I'm thinking it shouldn't be a big deal, but want to hear from those that have tried.

 

[Engreps]

Re: Going Solo at the Ramp

I load and unload a JC 266 Tritoon. Floats on and floats off. Winch the last two feet on the trailer.

Drive over to a dock and tie up. Then park the trailer.No hard if you have a good ramp....and not people trying to hurry you up...

 

[Silver Eagle]

Re: Going Solo at the Ramp

It's not easy putting a pontoon boat on a trailer alone. I put out side rollars on the end of the outside of the trailer and long guide ons on the inside of the toons. But I still need help stopping the rear end from moving around while loading. And I don't like leaving the boat alone at the lock.

 

[jasperpso2]

Re: Going Solo at the Ramp

being a single father, and my kids being 8 and 11, launching and loading alone is all i know.. the only thing i let my kids do is watch and make sure it dont float away when i am parking the truck/trailer. one thing that makes it easier is to pull the trailer in parallel to the dock close enough to jump on/off the boat, after you back the trailer in.. otherwise i get have to get my shoes wet and clumb in from the trailer : (.. at that point i just back off, and tie up to the dock while i park, or for loading, i push out just a little as i hop on the boat, and the slowly drive right on the trailer. i usually use the motor to push myself up to the trailer stop, but u could just as easily use the winch the last few feet.. i then reach over and clip the winch hook on, then i hop onto the dock, go and drive the boat out to prep for hauling home..

it was a little nerve racking at first, especially since the municipal ramp i use is very busy, and is right under the great river bridge so the current and turbulence is fairly swift.. but after just a few times, i found myself very effecient at it.. learn to tie knots, so you dont have to worry about it coming untied from the dock.. tie it up at least twice, 1 fore and 1 aft..

give it a go.. no worries..

 

[JCH57]

Re: Going Solo at the Ramp

LOL, i hit the post button before i typed anything
I trailer my pontoon by myself most of the time. It's not hard to do, i just line my tubes up with the bunks on the trailer, slowly push it on with the motor, untill the last couple of feet, then i have to give it a little gas to pish it on the rest of the way, but i'm changing my techneics after yesterday.
I was starting to trailer it, when the wind caught me and the boat moved, running into the inside toon rest, bending a brace, and tearing a bolt out of the rest. I was going to revamp things anyway, just have to do it sooner lol.
From now on when i'm by myself, i'll push the boat up on the trailer onto the bunks, before i push it on using the motor.
Just takes a little pratice to trailer, just like putting in ect.

 

[Silver Eagle]

Re: Going Solo at the Ramp

My wife always goes with me on the boat. But when it comes to loading and unloading she is usless. All she will do is hold the boat near the dock. She won't go behind the wheel to help me. So I have to do most by my self. I told he one time that I was going to get a big dog and train him how to hold a rope in his mouth at the dock. so she could stay home.

 

[Micahhaase]

Re: Going Solo at the Ramp

Well I dont exactly go solo at the ramp....My g/f is always with me but she cant back a trailer...So i usually back the boat down into the water.. get it off the trailer while she drives the truck out and finds a parking space... Then she comes down with the kids we get on and go.. now coming back in..I hit the dock get off the boat.. go get the trailer back it in the water go back to the boat get on she gets off with the kids goes to the truck and i put it up on the trailer she clips on the winch gets in the truck and drives us out.. then we park and put everything up and tie it down.. and head out.. i keep telling her im going to teach her to back a trailer

 

[Mr Crabbs]

Re: Going Solo at the Ramp

All she will do is hold the boat near the dock.

Thats helpful, I won't even have that going solo. I'm thinking I can push off the trailer and tie off right away, park the trailer and come back for my boat. Thats the easy part. Loading will be harder, this ramp is much steeper than what I'm used to.

 

[Pontoonfoon]

Re: Going Solo at the Ramp

I do mine solo every time, back it up till you see it bob around a bit, hop in fire up, put in reverse, if it doesenet come right off use the motor to rock it back and forth while still in reverse, she will wriggle loose.park boat, park truck, enjoy.

 

[Mr Crabbs]

Re: Going Solo at the Ramp

I tried it this weekend, it was a piece of cake. The worst part was the ramp was like a sewer on Friday with the wind blowing all the junk into the ramp channel. Ewwwwww, I REALLY didn't like stepping into that sh*t. I think someone may have dumped their cassett toilet nearby. I also backed the trailer off the end of the ramp when I launched, it was short!

Getting it out was a piece of cake though. No wind, I just drove up onto the trailer and hooked it up. I didn't back the trailer down as far as I had on Friday so pulling everything out was easy too. The wind had also changed so the ramp was clean.

The key was calm water and no wind.

I also had a chance to watch other much more experienced pontoon skippers dock their craft. One gentleman pulled his into the dock like he was driving a sports car. With 8 people on board, he pulls right up to the dock, puts it in reverse, moves back a few feet and then right into his slip.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Going Solo at the Ramp

properly set up trailer, you can one hand all the time. i put slicks on my bunks, and 2 sets of guide on. she idles right up to the bow stop.

before guide ons

i have since replaced the trailer, with a tandem axle trailer, but same set up.

 

[mxfever]

Re: Going Solo at the Ramp

I launch and load every weekend by myself. I put a line of tape (electrical tape) on my guide-on's for a reference to know exactly how deep the trailer needs to be for quick loading and unloading. As long as the ramp isn't backed up it's a piece of cake.

 

[a1nowell]

Re: Going Solo at the Ramp

I go solo all the time. If the ramp is busy people get a little impatient.
I currently have a 24' JC Tritoon, it's easy to launch and load. Before that I had a 24' Starcraft pontoon. It was a bit harder to load. Sometimes the rear would not line up and center especially if there was a wind to blow me around. I learned to solve this problem by only putting the trailer half way in the water when loading. This allowed half or more of the toons to to center on the trailer then just driver her on. I always had a problem loading ,wind or no wind, when the trailer was too far in the water.

That's my story.

 

[Mr Crabbs]

Re: Going Solo at the Ramp

At Caeser Creek we load on a relatively flat ramp so I've always been deep in the ramp. I'm realizing now I've been too deep and have been making it harder than it really is.

I'm pretty sure even if the ramp is busy I can do this pretty quickly by myself IF I can get to the courtesy dock.

 

[JBow]

Re: Going Solo at the Ramp

Have you tried the new ramps over at the end of the beach? I just found out about them a couple weeks ago. I have boated there many times and never even knew they were there. They are very nice ! Short walk and not very steep. They even have restrooms very close to the docks.

 

[paultjohnson]

Re: Going Solo at the Ramp

My wife always goes with me on the boat. But when it comes to loading and unoading she i usless


Oh God Dont I know your Pain!!!!!!!!! DUH!

 

[Mr Crabbs]

Re: Going Solo at the Ramp

Have you tried the new ramps over at the end of the beach? I just found out about them a couple weeks ago. I have boated there many times and never even knew they were there. They are very nice ! Short walk and not very steep. They even have restrooms very close to the docks.

We've seen those but the ramps appear to be busier than Wellman Meadows. They are nice!

Have you seen those super steep ramps on the other side of 73? It looks like a 45* angle on those things!