by Rick Hodgkins
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he cycle of boat ownership at one time or another puts us at the business end of a winch hauling a boat onto a trailer after a long day on the water and being dog tired; but it can be easier.
It is interesting to see the trend of people over the decades move up to larger boats, but these days many are downsizing to trailer boating because of the economy and simplicity.
It has always been entertaining to sit at the boat ramp on the weekend for a look at the chaos. I once witnessed a guy who couldnât back up his boat trailer so he disconnected his trailer at the top of a ramp. There he was with a piece of cord wood ready to place it under the jack wheel to stop it when he slid like he was coming into home plate for the walk o ff win only to watch his lower unit spear an aluminum boat sitting across the ramp at waterâs edge; he wonât try that again.
So I have a little guide here that will help the process from the driveway to the ramp and back.
Hooking up your trailer
This is best with a second person to guide the process of alignment under the ball. Using a finger/hand spread apart to show the distance away is an easy method, remember to keep each other in full view at all times. A finger point left or right from 12 inches away will allow time enough to achieve distance and alignment. Do not use words to express what you want the driver to do. Go and whoa sound the same and render much di fferent results.
Make sure your chains and light harness are plugged in and working. Twist up your chains to take the slack out of them so they donât hit the ground. It only takes one worn link to make a chain worthless. Look at your tires and pressures periodically; valve stems are the leading cause for flats. Bend them and look for cracking. Sidewalls are another area where dry rot will set in and cause trouble even on those across town trips. Itâs always a good idea to give your wheels the ârock and rollâ treatment. is involves raising the wheel and ârollingâ it to hear if the bearings are âroaringâ which means they are failing. Rocking the wheel indicates how tight the hub and bearings are on the axle.
Driving
In my past I instructed U-Haul customers how to maneuver trailers as first time users, it was very simple with a few basic things to follow and remember.
Backing up is the hardest thing for people, and this is another place where a spotter will come in handy for when to stop. Depth of field is the tricky one, left and right is easy. Remember everything you see in a mirror is reversed. The same is true when backing up a trailer. The first thing people do is to try and look over their shoulder, which actually cuts down their field of view and also reverses the steering action. If you use just your mirrors you will find that everything you see and do with the steering wheel is a match to what the trailer is doing, it is that easy.
When driving, always allow plenty of time to stop, stay alert, do not daydream about that fish you caught, or that hot bathing suit you saw. In turns drive deep into the corners and swing wide to allow room for the trailer to clear curbs, cars and other things. Remember that you could have a boat that is wider than the wheelbase of the trailer and vise versa, so watch both in your mirrors.
Launching and etiquette
The boat ramp can be stressful; most of the people there are peaking with anxiety and impatience to launch their boat quickly to start enjoying their day. When launching, be patient, there are people who may have never launched at your ramp before and a little kindness goes a long way. Stay clear and calm and make sure your own boat is in order with the required gear as you may be boarded for inspection. There are many di fferent ways of launching, and some are faster than others. I prefer to have an operator in the boat who can power off and out of the way without obstructing the ramp and dock area for extended periods. This is out of courtesy but also just faster. Picking up passengers and gear is best done away from the active ramp area when possible. Properly inform your guests how to handle lines, floating o ff and blocking others just makes people angry. Some people are solo and would really appreciate a little hand or hold on their boat while they park. Plus, it moves things along and the right attitude is contagious.
Watch the process at the boat ramp someday and note the people that have it together and the methods they use. The two variables to this is tide and ramp angle. Tide is self explanatory, but ramp angle also play into the picture just like algae does at low water.