Launching and Retrieving

[Todd2]

The best advice I got early on was to put your hand on the bottom of the steering wheel then move it in the same direction you want the trailer to go while backing down.

[Tucson]

22 hours ago, Scott F said:

Do yourself a favor. Either turn your head around to look at the trailer when backing OR use the mirrors. Trying to use both will confuse the heck out of you. Pick one and stay with it. Don't switch back and forth. 

 

This - absolutely do this.  No man can serve two masters, no man can use two back-up methods.

[PECo]

22 hours ago, gimruis said:

You may think some of these other guys at the launch site are di**s and impatient, but put yourself in their shoes.  No one likes waiting a long time for some yahoo to load/unload when there's only one access.  If you need to practice, go when no one else is there.  Put the tail gate down if you need to for better visual reference as you back down the ramp.

 

I only get impatient when a boater blocks the ramp unnecessarily. Loading gear into or unloading gear from the boat should be done somewhere other than on the ramp.

 

I usually tell boaters who are having problems and rushing to get out of the way to slow down and take their time. In the end, it's quicker when they do.

[fishnkamp]

Anyday you want we can go to one of the local ramps and I will be happy to assist you in learning some good habits. I am available almost any day right now.

[jimf]

Just relax, easier said than done I know.   You will get better with practice, and really no reasonable person is going to be impatient or upset with you if you clearly are trying but just having a little trouble.   If you are prepped and ready to go when you launch, then take your time and do your best and eventually it will become second nature.  

 

As far as the inevitable impatient jackass, just remember being a decent person and respecting others is way higher on the list of cool people skills than knowing how to launch a boat.  

[adrenalnjunky]

On 5/2/2017 at 10:58 AM, Zeeter said:

I know "how" to maneuver the trailer and can back up perfectly into a boat width sized parking space at WalMart. Yet when I get to the ramp it's just chaos! I over compensate, under compensate and all sorts of things. Of course, at Walmart I don't have 12 other boaters waiting for me to park so that they can do the same things.

 

Alas, this is just a rant. I understand the principles of backing up. Could be the physics of going down a ramp as opposed to a flat parking spot as I'm always straight until I hit the angle of the ramp. Could be nerves. I use my side mirrors and also my backup camera, but it generally takes me 4 times to get lined up in a way that I can launch, and even then I'm still way crooked. Maybe I could try pulling up the tonneau cover and opening the tailgate so I can turn and see it better. 

 

Retrieving the boat only takes me two times - I think I have the boat lined up straight and then something pushes me off - again, probably me overcompensating. 

 

Did everyone go through this when they first started or am I just a bad trailer-backer-upper? 

 

On a more serious note, I have a two inch drop on my tow receiver. Is that pretty standard or do some folks have straight receivers? The trailer dips in the front. It's not a safety factor, but I'm wondering if having a trailer that is not level is giving me some trouble. It just feels like I am not in control sometimes when backing up.

 

Man it gets easier.  I used to wakeboard every day, and with a tournament-style inboard you have basically no rudder authority without the boat in drive.  Putting on the trailer even with years of experience could turn into a pinball-machine on the bunk boards due to last second drift. 

 

for the backing up thing - just go to the ramp at night and back up and down til you feel better about it.  You'll get it dialed in. Regardless of technique you decide to use (mirrors or not, hand on top or bottom) building up some muscle memory of what works for you, gets you to that level of confidence of knowing what "normal" feels like.  From there you only have to deal with the outliers like ramps that aren't familiar. 

[jboutfishn]

Hey guys, there is no correct way to back a trailer. I use my mirrors with right hand on bottom of wheel but that is me. Start with what seems comfortable and practice practice and practice some more. One last note, small slow movement of the wheel makes for a straighter line.

[JustJames]

Been there done that, that why I always take my boat out not on busy day. Now I get better only need once or twice to straight up the trailer, but still avoid busy hour. 

One time my wife tried to back up trailer by herself. She jackknifed pretty bad and lifted one side of trailer up almost 90 degree into sky.

[crazyjoeclemens]

I like to launch early on days the lake isn't too busy.  If someone is there, so what?  They can wait their turn like everyone else.  Mistakes happen when you start to worry about them and rush yourself, so don't worry and just pay attention to what you're doing.  If you want an instant confidence booster, just wait for a holiday and head over to the ramp that the powerboaters like to use.  The first time you see a couple of people trying to launch/unload their party barge with the trailer jack-knifed across both ramp lanes, you'll feel a lot better about how you're doing.

[thomas15]

If you do as others have said, put your hand at the bottom of the steering wheel, then use your thumb to point in the direction you want the back of the boat to go. Turn the wheel in the direction your thumb is pointing.

 

I live literally right around the corner from my boat ramp. Personally, I stay away from this lake between 8:00 AM and  8:00PM pm on the weekends between Memorial and Labor day. I have no problems with my ramp skills, I just cannot stand the jerks, of which there are many. My home lake is one of the few unlimited horsepower lakes in the area so it gets a lot of weekend traffic. Fishing/boating are for relaxation and fun, not doing battle with others so I find other things to do prime-time.

[3dees]

use your mirrors. do not turn your head. in time it will become second nature. I have thirty years experience driving semi's in the city. don't worry about anybody else. they have probably seen much worse than you. most times they will offer to help. the pleasure boaters are more inclined to get antsy.

[Airman4754]

On ‎5‎/‎2‎/‎2017 at 11:53 AM, Scott F said:

Do yourself a favor. Either turn your head around to look at the trailer when backing OR use the mirrors. Trying to use both will confuse the heck out of you. Pick one and stay with it. Don't switch back and forth. 

 

I just turn my head back and do it. I used to have to back double jointed trailers a lot for work and mirrors were pretty much impossible.

 

The way I was taught with mirrors is only use the drivers side. Put both of your hands on the bottom of the steering wheel with your thumbs pointing away from center. Whatever way you turn the wheel your thumb is pointing in the direction the trailer is moving. It's fool proof, just go slow.

[mllrtm79]

as a co-angler I have backed 3 different boats with 5 different vehicles over the last couple of months, you would be surprised how much easier it was to back with my buddy's Nissan Rogue than his Silverado lol. Once you learn mirror backing it's a lot easier to go from one vehicle to another and feel (somewhat) comfortable. I still get nervous sometimes, but if you're in someone else's $50k truck backing up a $40k boat...

You can customize your trailer as well, giving yourself a reference to use such as a flag off the rear or a mark on the fender/rail for lining up straight. You'll notice that some semi trucks have many more lights down the side of them than others do, this makes them much easier to maneuver at night due to the extra reference points. 

[WRB]

Before backing down the ramp make sure your rig is straight to start with, pull forward until it is straight!

If you use only the drivers side mirror and watch only the drivers side trailer tire you only need to keep that tire/finder going straight down the ramp, everything follows, just make sure nothing is behind you before you start down and know where the dock is located.

As noted put your hand at the bottom of the steering wheel at 6 o'clock and slowly back down, if are straight to start with only a few small adjustment maybe needed moving your hand slowly a few inches in the direction you want the trailer tire to go. Slow and easy staying relaxed is the key to success. 

Tom

[jimf]

I had an experience last weekend when launching that might help - transom straps.   Those need to come OFF before the boat launches.  For the life of me I couldn't understand why the boat wasn't coming off the trailer!  

 

Stuff happens.   Fortunately I've never forgotten (knock on wood) to put the drain plug in.

 

 

[BigAngus752]

On 5/2/2017 at 11:53 AM, Scott F said:

Do yourself a favor. Either turn your head around to look at the trailer when backing OR use the mirrors. Trying to use both will confuse the heck out of you. Pick one and stay with it. Don't switch back and forth. 

Good advice here.  We have family issues with this.  I'm a "turn around and look" guy that can back any of our trailers perfectly with an arm thrown over the seat.  My 5'3 wife can run the truck backwards at 40mph using the mirrors.  She is so awesome.  But we each do our own thing and don't mess with the other.  

[Robeng]

Go real slow backing up and put drivers side to dock when you can.  Level trailer on hitch.  

[kfili]

Slow is smooth and smooth is fast. Also Ive started realizing less is more (at least for my trailer) smaller motions are often enough. And dont be afraid to pull up and straighten out if you start to get wonky, it is WAY faster then try to correct which usually puts you all sorts of out of position. just my .02

[moguy1973]

First time backing down a ramp after I bought my boat last year I picked a doozy.  It was about a 200' ramp with a steep 30 degree incline.  It was a dual ramp but there was a concrete separator between the two lanes that made it that much more difficult.  It took me about 5 tries to get the boat back down into the water.  It just so happened to be Big Bass Bash that weekend and there was a lot of boats trying to put in.  I just told everyone that looked at me that this was my first time and they were all pretty kosher with it and didn't mind.  Then it took me way more tries to get the boat out of the water because it was harder to see the trailer in the mirrors without the boat on it.  One guy even told me he would show me what I was doing wrong but he said just keep trying and that's the only way I'll get it down.  Another guy even told me I had the trailer in too deep when I was having trouble getting the boat to line up on the trailer.  I'm still no pro at backing it in but it's much easier now. 

 

I only use my side mirrors now after learning my rearview camera is pretty much useless to use since you can't see anything except the front of the boat and you cant tell which way the trailer is starting to turn.  I couldn't learn the hand on the bottom of the wheel thing either.  I just have to remember that which ever mirror the boat is showing in is the way I need to turn the wheel and it will straighten out.  I think a good tip is to get the trailer as straight as you can behind your truck before you start backing it up. 

 

The rig you have also makes a huge difference.  My truck is an Crew Cab F150 with a short bed and I have a single axle trailer with a 175TXW Tracker on it.  It sometimes is really touchy when backing the boat up and the slightest  movements of the wheel translates into the boat going way past where you want it to go.  A couple weeks ago I had to back my uncles boat into a lake for a tournament we did.  He has a Chevy 3500HD dually (huge truck) and a dual axle trailer with a z521 Ranger on it.  I was pretty nervous as this rig is way bigger than mine.  But it was way way easier to back up than mine.  His does have huge towing mirrors on it and I think that helped a lot as I could see the boat start to turn earlier and I could correct quicker.  I think the dual axles as well as the overall length of the rig made it easier too.  I can even back up my buddies 19' boat with my truck a little easier than mine.  I guess size does matter