handeling a small boat at a big boat launch solo

[MrT]

Would love your feedback handling pulling a small boat out of the back of my truck & transferring all my gear solo at big boat launches.

Pulling the boat out of the truck, motor(s) (looking to add a small gas engine to my electric soon), down rigger, & tackle takes time let alone the stress of a line up of trailers. Any tips/tricks you've learned would be appreciated.

 

[PATRIOT]

Would love your feedback handling pulling a small boat out of the back of my truck & transferring all my gear solo at big boat launches.

Pulling the boat out of the truck, motor(s) (looking to add a small gas engine to my electric soon), down rigger, & tackle takes time let alone the stress of a line up of trailers. Any tips/tricks you've learned would be appreciated.

Guys in Colorado (Blue Mesa Reservoir) just back their pickups right into the water to launch and retrieve their wave runners. Seems to work for them. Steep boat ramps help too.

 

[CedarRiverScooter]

I saw a guy yesterday tie a long line between bow & trailer. Backed it in & got it to float off, then pulled up such that boat nosed onto ramp. Fast & no need to get out of truck on ramp. Will give that a try myself!

 

[user 18775]

A number of friends have used launching wheels. Park the car. Pull the boat off the car top, set the wheels in down position, load the boat and walk it down the ramp. While the motor warmed up, lift the wheel and lock in top position. Go fishing.

 

[ericman]

Unless it's a kayak or a small canoe, I'd just get a trailer. Pulling boats up onto gravel and/or across pavement will eventually cause a problem for the boat.

 

[LDUBS]

Unless it's a kayak or a small canoe, I'd just get a trailer. Pulling boats up onto gravel and/or across pavement will eventually cause a problem for the boat.

+1 This is probably the best long term solution. Then you can load all of your stuff at the staging area before backing down the ramp.

OR,

Just give em that same hard stare you gave to Rocky Balboa in the sequel. After all, you are MrT. :LOL2:

 

[PATRIOT]

I saw a guy yesterday tie a long line between bow & trailer. Backed it in & got it to float off, then pulled up such that boat nosed onto ramp. Fast & no need to get out of truck on ramp. Will give that a try myself!

Have been doing this for years . . . a couple years ago I was launching and a fellow didn't see that I had a line attached to my trailer and almost killed himself hurtling over the dock to get to my boat . . . PROOF POSITIVE no good deed goes unpunished!
[-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X

 

[mrdrh99]

Put just your boat in the water, then pull it down to the end of the dock. Then you can put your truck in the middle of the loading zones and walk your gear down without blocking anyone else from load/unloading. Other than that find a sandy/grassy area off to the side.

 

[jethro]

Do you pay a registration fee for your boat? Here in NH, cartoppers (which means pretty much any boat without a motor) do not have to register with the state. That means they pay nothing for the boat launches and the parking areas. I have to admit I get a little bit steamed when I see cartoppers blocking up a State boat launch. In my opinion they should make efforts to only use cartop loading areas that do not have a concrete ramp, but obviously I would not ever say something. This includes people that have thier kayaks on trailers- they don't have to pay a registration fee. And to make it even worse, if they don't fish and buy a license, they also don't pay for the Conservation Officers that need to rescue them when they get in trouble. Anyway...

If you indeed pay a registration fee for your boat (if not now, I'm sure you will when you add a gas motor) then you paid for that launch and deserve your time. Or at least I would guess that is how it works in other states. So don't feel guilty about using it. When I had my squareback canoe (which was registered for a gas motor), I ended up buying a cheap trailer for it. Before I had the trailer I would make every effort to launch at cartop only lakes and areas, even though I paid as much for my canoe as an 18' Bayliner with a V8 on a trailer. But on the rare occasion I was cartopping at a busy ramp I would dump the boat then get it off to the side as quick as I can, then get my truck somewhere out of the way and hump my gear down to the water.

To be honest, there are some people even with trailers that can take an amazing amount of time at the ramp. So just do the best you can and as long as I see someone making an effort to expedite thier time at the ramp and be efficient, no worries.

 

[surfman]

Have everything ready to go when you back down on the ramp, nothing worse than watching some idiot undoing tie down straps and carrying stuff from the car to the boat while it sits blocking the ramp on the trailer. If you can launch and then move the boat out of the way off the ramp then that is good too, sometimes just moving to the end of the dock is helpful. consider others. Busy ramps are a hassle if you have a small boat and can find a smaller out of the way ramp go there. Not always possible I know. I usually try to be prepared to spend as little time on the ramp as possible and clear out as soon as I can. I launch by myself often so I have to leave the boat while I park. Like I said have it ready to go before you back down the ramp.

 

[turbotodd]

To be honest, there are some people even with trailers that can take an amazing amount of time at the ramp. So just do the best you can and as long as I see someone making an effort to expedite thier time at the ramp and be efficient, no worries.

There is a lot of truth to that. I used to say that good entertainment was to go to a popular boat launch ramp on a Holiday weekend; and this past July 4 weekend, I personally did. Entertainment wasn't the word. Amazes me how many people own boats that should not, and how many are too intoxicated to load/unload. I've personally been at ramps for hours waiting on ONE truck/trailer to either load or unload. Very recently, the GF called and was having some problems, I was on the water, so I headed to the ramp to get the truck and then head over to her place. So I get to the ramp and there's a truck ON the single-lane ramp, with a trailer on back, and nobody around. There is a dock nearby, so I went up to the dock and asked whose trailer it was; nobody knew, said it was there for about an hour. An hour? Really? Wonder if the guy drowned or something? I waited around, then headed up river a mile or two looking for another boat. None. Went about 3 miles down river past the ramp, and nobody. As if I was the only person on the water. Went back to ramp and pulled my boat up on the side, walked up the ramp, there were 2 other guys waiting to launch. I told them of the situation. One was an off-duty sheriff, said go move the truck. So I drug it up the ramp and parked it with my truck, loaded my boat up and was gone. It takes me under 30 seconds to load or unload. I have been places where it takes people HOURS and I'm not one to gripe at someone but if I see them acting dumb or purposely slowing the process down, I'll make it known. Call me a jerk I don't care, but there is some common sense to be used at a ramp. Unfortunately, common sense isn't that common.

 

[ppine]

Small boats can often be loaded without a ramp. Find a place with an accessible shoreline and load there. Or find a used trailer which will speed up the process.

 

[gnappi]

Do you pay a registration fee for your boat? Here in NH, cartoppers (which means pretty much any boat without a motor) do not have to register with the state. That means they pay nothing for the boat launches and the parking areas. I have to admit I get a little bit steamed when I see cartoppers blocking up a State boat launch. In my opinion they should make efforts to only use cartop loading areas that do not have a concrete ramp, but obviously I would not ever say something. This includes people that have thier kayaks on trailers- they don't have to pay a registration fee. And to make it even worse, if they don't fish and buy a license, they also don't pay for the Conservation Officers that need to rescue them when they get in trouble. Anyway...

If you indeed pay a registration fee for your boat (if not now, I'm sure you will when you add a gas motor) then you paid for that launch and deserve your time. Or at least I would guess that is how it works in other states. So don't feel guilty about using it. When I had my squareback canoe (which was registered for a gas motor), I ended up buying a cheap trailer for it. Before I had the trailer I would make every effort to launch at cartop only lakes and areas, even though I paid as much for my canoe as an 18' Bayliner with a V8 on a trailer. But on the rare occasion I was cartopping at a busy ramp I would dump the boat then get it off to the side as quick as I can, then get my truck somewhere out of the way and hump my gear down to the water.

To be honest, there are some people even with trailers that can take an amazing amount of time at the ramp. So just do the best you can and as long as I see someone making an effort to expedite thier time at the ramp and be efficient, no worries.

Egads, I never thought whether or not someone pays state fees would foster such ill feelings. Might I suggest to everyone who uses a boat ramp:

1. Get there early enough to not get into the rush of boaters trying to launch.
2. Help Newbies out with their difficulties
3. Find another larger launching area.
4. Buy a waterfront home

As for me, ANYTIME a boater, car owner, home owner etc. can squeak by a state "tax" I'm all for it. Down here "they" wanted a saltwater fishing license to "hire more officers, build hatcheries, and manage fish stocks better". NONE of that happened because fish stocks collapsed anyway because "they" turned a blind eye for too long on commercial fishermen taking thousands of undersized fish before coming up with size / notch limits.

Now "they" use "OUR" money to take a lane on the interstate, turn it into a pay to use, THEN charge us for using it, AND make congestion worse by funneling traffic into fewer free lanes.

This is kinda like boat fee based ramps eh? Fees are destroying our freedom to enjoy the things WE pay for and EVERYONE turns a blind eye to this abuse of our tax money. Do "they" use "our" fees and tax revenue to build MORE ramps at congested sites? or as usual do they put fee money into larger buildings and seat warming staff to support their rationale to collect fees?

Face it we have become a society of cattle that accept whatever the fee collectors dream up.

 

[LDUBS]

All of the places I go have good ramp facilities and large parking/staging areas. Most people are considerate and even helpful if someone is having a problem. Yet it seems there is always someone backed partially down and blocking a lane while they unload stuff from the vehicle to the boat. It is pretty amazing that people can be that clueless. A couple of weeks ago there was a group of knuckleheads who had their patio boat literally sideways on the ramp blocking two lanes while they loaded it up. Even though it wasn't that busy and there were two other lanes, these guys were in the way of anyone bringing a trailer down the ramp. BTW, their business name was on the side of the pickup. Not a real smart thing if you are going out of your way to irritate people.

Another of my pet peeves are people who ignore the no wake zones. Guess that is for another thread.

 

[Stumpalump]

So your "That Guy" at the ramp. :? We have all been there and I still do the same thing once a week with an 18' canoe, dog, wife, cooler, paddles, jackets and all of her stuff. Sometimes the only spot is smack dab in the middle of the 10 lane ramp on a crowded weekend. I have to leave it there while I park. Just have your sheet together and do it all fast. That's not the place to argue or fiqure stuff out. When I launch my power boat solo with the dog I have it all together as well. Its part of the fun to fiqure out how to launch as smooth and fast as possible.
The guy you do want to be is the one that looks like a pro. I was solo and retrieving during the moments before a huge bass tournament on a very windy day. Those guys can launch like fighter jets and I had to run around and fetch my boat while the trailer was hogging a prime spot on the launch. I nailed backing down into a very crowded spot. Luck. Ran to the tied up boat and navigated thru 10 pro bass boats waiting around the ramp. You know those guys are watching. The wind and obstacle course of boats was crazy and I had to come in at a sharp angle. By the grace of gowd and luck I hit the trailer with nothing but net, jumped out and clicked the bow line and was gone in seconds. Sometimes it nice to be lucky because we can all have delays and problems but if your not lucky then don't stand there and scratch your azz. Keep moving until you can clear the ramp. Just do what you gotta do with some bounce in your step. You see guys standing on the ramp for 5 minutes while the wife looks for his sunglasses. They deserve to be keel hauled.

 

[RiverBottomOutdoors]

As long as you have your ducks in row, move with a sense of urgency, and don't look like a babe lost in the woods, I'm patient. If you're on the ramp milling around and doing things that should have been done before you backed down the ramp.....that's another story.

 

[LDUBS]

One of the reservoirs I frequent is popular with kayakers. Most drop the kayak, paddle, etc off at the waters edge on the ramp, go park their cars and then embark and paddle away. Those rigged for fishing usually tie up to one of the docks that sits low in the water. I think it was designed for kayak access and we all try not to use it. Either way, folks in kayaks have never been a problem as far as blocking the ramps. Doing the same with a small boat might be a little different but as long as you aren't lollygagging, no one should care.

BTW, I helped a couple load their two large ocean going kayaks to their car's roof rack not long ago Guy told me his wife was 81! It pays to stay active. :LOL2:

 

[surfman]

And he was only 21?

 

[jethro]

Egads, I never thought whether or not someone pays state fees would foster such ill feelings.

Who's fostering ill feelings? Not me @gnappi, I'm just saying how the ramps get paid for.

 

[gnappi]

Egads, I never thought whether or not someone pays state fees would foster such ill feelings.

Who's fostering ill feelings? Not me @gnappi, I'm just saying how the ramps get paid for.

"This includes people that have thier kayaks on trailers- they don't have to pay a registration fee. And to make it even worse, if they don't fish and buy a license, they also don't pay for the Conservation Officers that need to rescue them when they get in trouble. Anyway...

If you indeed pay a registration fee for your boat (if not now, I'm sure you will when you add a gas motor) then you paid for that launch and deserve your time."

Boy that sure "sounds" like you have a bone to chew there.