HELP! Pulling up to a boat ramp/ dock

[dkorzun21]

New to boating, I have a 1989 larsen bowride openbow dc when im pulling up to the boat ramp or up to a dock. Should I have the trim tab all the way up or should I use the trailer button to to bring the lower unit up more. I only took my boat out once but when I can close to the dock to put the boat on the trial and got close to land I put the trim tab all the way up and then the trail button almost all the way up. Pulled up to the dock tied the boat up then please the buttum which only raised up for about 15 secounds. Question is should I have the enginge that high up when pulling up to a dock it was still in the water and wasnt over heating. Just want to make sure im not messing anything up. all help would be great thanks dave

 

[this forum wont let me]

Re: HELP! Pulling up to a boat ramp/ dock

Dude, if you have an I/O be very, very, careful of how high you bring that out drive up when that motor is going. On my I/O when coming up to a dock, or getting ready to put on the trailer on my throttle, I have two buttons that bring my out drive up. Hitting only one of them it brings it to a safe boating spot the out drive stops coming up. When I hit the two buttons at the same time it will bring my out drive all the way up, where you want it for trailing. I never, never, never run my motor with the outdrive past the one trim up button. I hope this helps

 

[strokeoluck]

Re: HELP! Pulling up to a boat ramp/ dock

Dude, if you have an I/O be very, very, careful of how high you bring that out drive up when that motor is going.

But as long as the prop is underwater you're generally ok, right?

 

[jaxnjil]

Re: HELP! Pulling up to a boat ramp/ dock

no not realy. you shouldnt run the engine-drive any higher than the trim up button lets your drive go. its a matter of the angle you create on the drive line(the u-joints) when you raise it higher. that and your water pick up is above your prop so if you get it that high, your starving you motor for water

 

[MikDee]

Re: HELP! Pulling up to a boat ramp/ dock

No, No, no, You don't put your outdrive up at all when pulling up to a dock! Because, you lose steering, & maneuverability, plus you may need to hit reverse to back out quickly if any problems, or issues, arise on your way in, and reverse does not work well with the drive up, if at all!

The last thing you want to do after putting the boat on a trailer is, trim the drive up, using the trailer button.

 

[strokeoluck]

Re: HELP! Pulling up to a boat ramp/ dock

No, No, no, You don't put your outdrive up at all when pulling up to a dock! Because, you lose steering, & maneuverability, plus you may need to hit reverse to back out quickly if any problems, or issues, arise on your way in, and reverse does not work well with the drive up, if at all!

Ok, a few follow up questions:
1) If you don't put your outdrive up, what do you do when you're pulling up to a dock in very shallow water? The last lake we were in had a VERY shallow ramp, and for the first ~100 feet out from the dock it was relatively shallow. My depthfinder was showing 1.5' to 2' deep. The boat seemed to maneuver just fine - including reverse - in this shallow water w/the unit raised relatively high, but still underwater.

2) My throttle lever only has a trim up and trim down button (there are not two "up" buttons) so I just have to keep an eye on the outdrive as well as my trim gauge. The veteran boating guy I was with on the lake that day told me that as long as the prop and impeller are underwater, I'm fine. No?

3) When I pull away from the ramp after loading up, I've been pulling off to the side and completely lowering the unit and letting water pour out of the lower unit. Is this standard protocol for most of you? Seems like a fair amount comes out. I store my boat in our garage and would prefer to "empty" the unit at the ramp parking lot than in my garage. Of course once the water is done running out I always raise the unit before departing the ramp parking lot.

 

[jaxnjil]

Re: HELP! Pulling up to a boat ramp/ dock

i think your playing with fire if your running your motor with your drive all the way up. this is against every thing i have learned and i the couple of time i did it with my alpha drive the u-joints let me know they wernt happy

my boat wont float in 1 1/2' of water but if it did i would use my boat hook and pole it as i do in 3' of water, at that point i have allready shut the motor down and raised the drive

i to lower the drive and let it drain after i pull up the ramp.

 

[bhammer]

Re: HELP! Pulling up to a boat ramp/ dock

My depthfinder was showing 1.5' to 2' deep.

The general rule is to only use the trailer function with the engine off. There are two issues: First, with it trimmed up past the point of the first stop, the outdrive is past being secured to the bell housing. If you look at the outdrive, you will see how it slides into itself to provide lateral support for the drive. Second, is the strain on the ujoints. They are not designed to take the constant turning they take with the drive trimmed all the way up.

You say 1.5 to 2' of water. Where is your sounder located? You can measure the distance to ground from it and distance from your lower unit to the ground and come up with how much distance you have between the prop and bottom of the lake. I know that 16 inches or so, so 1.5' of water, I know my skeg is dragging the bottom of the water.

 

[MikDee]

Re: HELP! Pulling up to a boat ramp/ dock

Ok, a few follow up questions:
1) If you don't put your outdrive up, what do you do when you're pulling up to a dock in very shallow water? The last lake we were in had a VERY shallow ramp, and for the first ~100 feet out from the dock it was relatively shallow. My depthfinder was showing 1.5' to 2' deep. The boat seemed to maneuver just fine - including reverse - in this shallow water w/the unit raised relatively high, but still underwater.

2) My throttle lever only has a trim up and trim down button (there are not two "up" buttons) so I just have to keep an eye on the outdrive as well as my trim gauge. The veteran boating guy I was with on the lake that day told me that as long as the prop and impeller are underwater, I'm fine. No?

3) When I pull away from the ramp after loading up, I've been pulling off to the side and completely lowering the unit and letting water pour out of the lower unit. Is this standard protocol for most of you? Seems like a fair amount comes out. I store my boat in our garage and would prefer to "empty" the unit at the ramp parking lot than in my garage. Of course once the water is done running out I always raise the unit before departing the ramp parking lot.

1) You must have a l-o-o-o-o-o-ng trailer then Or, you need one, because by the time you float your boat on, or off, the trailer bunks, or rollers, the water is usually deep enough to lower your drive all the way without a problem.

2) True, there is an up button, & a down button Yeah, that's fine, if you like to wear out your universals, & kingpin, sooner.

3) If you have to ask this question you must be a newbie, take it from a old veteran boater, we all do this? or we should be!

 

[this forum wont let me]

Re: HELP! Pulling up to a boat ramp/ dock

more food for thought... if you are that concerned, and have anybody else with you on the boat. #1: don't start the motor, oar your way out to deeper water. #2: if I launch and it is as shallow as you are worried about I would have my wife and/or passengers go to the bow of the boat, not sure if it really helps or not, lol, but makes me fell a lot better about putting the outdrive down. I would find a more experienced boater then your last to take you out for some all day boating fun. Worst case they don't teach you anything and you get another day on the water and remember, just when you think you have seen it all stay at the launch and wait you will see something new lol