I have never had to powerload, I feel it is completely unneccasary, yet see people do it all the time at the ramp. I have a 21' procraft. Once I noticed this guy watching me trailer my boat and afterwards he came over and said "I hope you didn't mind me almost staring at you but this is our first boat and I my first time trailering it, so I was watching everyone else first, to get some kind of idea. I noticed you and a few others didn't have to power up." I replied "Naw, its like kissin' your sister ain't nothin to it!" I gave him a few pointers and noticed he trailered like a pro, in his bay boat. And he also didn't have to power up. That's why they call it a winch strap. You are putting an extra amount of fatige on your bow arm on your trailer. Just my opinion.