power loading your boat

[MTboatguy]

Re: power loading your boat

Yeah.... I hear ya. What I posted wasn't directed just at you, it was just facts about my ramp for everyone to read. Don't get all hasty.

It seems like a lot of folks on here think power loading is the worse thing you can do... and with my experience and what I've seen, its pretty much unproven.

Which reminds me, I'm off work tomorrow and I'm going boating!

I am to darn old and beat up to get hasty, believe me!

Have a great day boating, it is to cold to go boating here, hope it warms up this weekend, the darn temp is 26 right now as I type this, the lakes are even getting a bit of ice at the edges(thin) in the mornings already!

 

[642mx]

Re: power loading your boat

I am to darn old and beat up to get hasty, believe me!

Have a great day boating, it is to cold to go boating here, hope it warms up this weekend, the darn temp is 26 right now as I type this, the lakes are even getting a bit of ice at the edges(thin) in the mornings already!

lol... I will. And try to stay warm!! Our winter will be here shortly, but for tomorrow, the forecast is sunny with a high of 95!

 

[marlboro180]

Re: power loading your boat

I always power load, ramps on the lakes here wouldn't let me get the boat on straight otherwise.

If you are so deep your trailer falls off the ramp? Buy a real tow vehicle.

Where is here? So I don't go there. Well,,,, unless you have a concrete ramp that goes out plenty far, so that it is unaffected by propwash.

Some ramps here are so short the wheels fall right off the end of the ramp, if there even is one present. No "real " tow vehicle is gonna change the fact that the wheels and axles can become lodged at the end of a concrete ramp that has been undermined.

 

[2ndtry]

Re: power loading your boat

The ramps on the lakes I frequent are kept by the corp of engineers and are VERY long, power loading is common. Sometimes when the ramp is wet and slippery I've see what I refer to as "power hauling", using the boat to help push the tow vehicle up the ramp!

 

[Pirate_40]

Re: power loading your boat

I could never consider power loading. I've seen some near disasters. I also watch what it does to the tow vehicle. I see the vehicles move violently, can't imagine it's any good for the parking gear or U-joints.

I tow a 10,000 lb, 26' boat with hardtop on a 31' roller trailer. I hand crank it. Good exercise. Not to boast but I get many a ramp spectator come up to me and tell me how easy I make it look. Ramp follies are big around here. Lots of people come to watch guys crash and burn. I've learned to be patient especially on a weekend.

 

[tcgobucks]

Re: power loading your boat

One thing that helps a lot that it took my dad and I about 20 years to figure out is "dunking" your bunks....meaning backing in as far as you feasibly can so the entire bunk gets wet, as far forward on the trailer as possible. Then pull forward to your normal loading position. We bunks are much, much easier for the boat to slide on than dry ones.

 

[Chuck1a]

Re: power loading your boat

One thing that helps a lot that it took my dad and I about 20 years to figure out is "dunking" your bunks....meaning backing in as far as you feasibly can so the entire bunk gets wet, as far forward on the trailer as possible. Then pull forward to your normal loading position. Wet bunks are much, much easier for the boat to slide on than dry ones.

+1 Big time ditto!!

 

[98Shabah]

Re: power loading your boat

I don't know if you'd call it power loading, but I idle onto the trailer until it stops, then give it a quick goose for the last 6" up to the bow stop, then lay over the bow and attach the winch strap & safety chain, shut it down, raise the drive and motion for the little lady to pull us out.

 

[aspeck]

Re: power loading your boat

I know where I launch the ramps are long and there is no problem with power loading. However, how I power load depends on who is around and which ramp I go to. One ramp has the dock right beside the ramp and power loading can be difficult for others waiting at the dock, so if there are people there, I wait to get as far away from the dock as possible and do an idle power load which requires some hand work to help along. If no one is around, then I will do what I need to do to get on and out quickly and effeciently with minimal churning of the water.

 

[BTMCB]

Re: power loading your boat

It amazes me how often this issue comes up and how it usually ends up with the same sampling of comments. Then it dies and a couple of months later.....there's a 'do you power load" thread!

Before I back down the ramp, I unwind about 3 feet of strap and lower the lift gate. I then back the trailer in deep enough to get the entire bunks wet. I then pull forward to a point where about 2-3 feet of the bunks are out of the water. Hop in the boat, idle up to the trailer and when the boat "sticks" I lean over the bow, hook the strap, yank her up, and it is at this point that my cigs and lighter fall out of my pocket into the water, then I hook the chain to the eye and give the admiral the all clear to pull me out to the staging area where we clean her up, secure the transom straps, secure the bimini and head to 7-11 for a pack of marlboro lights and a new lighter.

It's all about routine.

 

['96 Charger]

Re: power loading your boat

The ramps on the lakes I frequent are kept by the corp of engineers and are VERY long, power loading is common. Sometimes when the ramp is wet and slippery I've see what I refer to as "power hauling", using the boat to help push the tow vehicle up the ramp!

Bald or really bad street slicks and a rearend that only turns the right rear can make this a requirement if the ramp is slicker than snot. Makes me glad I have a full posi rear with traction control for minimal slippage.

On topic, I powerload with a quick goose of the throttle. I'm also the proud owner of a big bassboat. Drop the trailer in too deep and the stern of the boat will get sideways on the trailer. This is true on nearly all bass boats especially the ones that don't have the runners on the sides. You only have to get sideways on the trailer once to never back in too far again.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: power loading your boat

Although (like all things boating) it isn't best for all circumstances, the advantage of the power winch is that you don't dunk the trailer, especially important in salt water. You also don't need as much ramp, and you avoid the power load issue altogether. You also typically don't get your feet wet, and often avoid the slippery part of the ramp. At low tide, you can even drag the boat across water/mud too shallow to get the boat to the trailer. Again, not for all conditions, but good for some.

So while the true power winch cost a couple hundred dollars, you defer some trailer maintenance, among other things, and have some other advantages. and there are cheaper alternatives.
Although they seem to take a while to pull up, I think if you timed it, the difference between power winching and power loading by equally skilled operators, start to finish, couldn't be more than a minute for the entire process. No biggie.

As for wet bunks, dish soap is an option, too.

 

[srimes]

Re: power loading your boat

I've never backed the trailer off the ramp, but if I did and couldn't pull it out, I think I'd try this:

Load the boat to the stop, and use the transom ratchet straps to lift the back of the trailer, then drive out.

Anyone try this? We've all see people float their trailers because they forgot to unhook the straps.

 

[skargo]

Re: power loading your boat

One thing that helps a lot that it took my dad and I about 20 years to figure out is "dunking" your bunks....meaning backing in as far as you feasibly can so the entire bunk gets wet, as far forward on the trailer as possible. Then pull forward to your normal loading position. We bunks are much, much easier for the boat to slide on than dry ones.

Exactly what I do, and I can hand winch my 5K pound boat easily with one arm.

 

[bowler]

Re: power loading your boat

I don't know if you'd call it power loading, but I idle onto the trailer until it stops, then give it a quick goose for the last 6" up to the bow stop, then lay over the bow and attach the winch strap & safety chain, shut it down, raise the drive and motion for the little lady to pull us out.

Me three.

 

[CobiaXL]

Re: power loading your boat

I don't know if you'd call it power loading, but I idle onto the trailer until it stops, then give it a quick goose for the last 6" up to the bow stop, then lay over the bow and attach the winch strap & safety chain, shut it down, raise the drive and motion for the little lady to pull us out.

Me three.

Me four!!
I load my boat the very same way in the same order as you and works great everytime.Never need to get wet.Never once had any complaints from others either.

 

[98Shabah]

Re: power loading your boat

Me four!!
I load my boat the very same way in the same order as you and works great everytime.Never need to get wet.Never once had any complaints from others either.

Works great for us (since I do all the backing of the trailer and the boat driving).
I'll add to this that to launch, I back it in (blower is already running), get out of the car, step on the trailer tounge and climb into the boat, lower the drive, start it, let it idle while I lean over the front to disconnect the bow strap, then back it off.. By this time the wife has already gotten into the driver seat, she pulls the car and trailer out and parks them.. She brings the kids to the dock where I pick 'em all up.

 

[darcy4670ca]

Re: power loading your boat

Works great for us (since I do all the backing of the trailer and the boat driving).
I'll add to this that to launch, I back it in (blower is already running), get out of the car, step on the trailer tounge and climb into the boat, lower the drive, start it, let it idle while I lean over the front to disconnect the bow strap, then back it off.. By this time the wife has already gotten into the driver seat, she pulls the car and trailer out and parks them.. She brings the kids to the dock where I pick 'em all up.

As Im the backer and loader, I do it this way also, and was the way I was taught from the boat store that sold me the boat.

 

[skargo]

Re: power loading your boat

I see a lot of you guys lean over the bow and undo your chains and straps, that's not feasible for some of us with cuddy cabins. In my case it is very hard to get up on the bow. For instance, when I anchor, I climb up through my hatch, at least with my upper body, and drop anchor that way.
I'm not even sure I could reach my bow eye if I tried it.

 

[jeeperman]

Re: power loading your boat

I don' think I jumped on anyone... but whatever.

Here are some facts about a local boat ramp I use. Its called Dogtown boat ramp, its funded by the city, & they charge money to launch. The ramp is broken just about 30 feet from the waterline. The city budgeted money to fix it. The new ramp (should last forever, or so we are told) and its costs $180K installed. And here is the most interesting fact.... nobody knows when the last time the boat ramp was refinished... its that old! and we all power load on it.

Maybe this varies around the world, but it doesn't seem like a bunch of damage really occurs quickly on this ramp and on this river.

Just maybe, one reason the current ramp broke off is due to undermining via powerloading and the reason many ramps outlaw powerloading.

If the ramp is "too steep" and the stern thus floats off to the side, install a pair of vertical pole type guide-ons.

No poster yet has posted a truely vaild reason to powerload.