Power Loading

[sodaksker]

I rarely find the need to power load but, when loading by myself I will leave it in gear then walk to the bow to hook up the winch. If I don't leave it in gear, it will slide back out when I walk to the bow. I only need to have it at idle in gear. If it is warm out I have no problem at all about jumping in and getting my feet wet, as I usually have crocks on anyway. But, when it say below 50 degrees and the water is the same or less, I am not getting my feet wet if I can help it.

[skunked_again]

18 years and 3 boats later, I can honestly say, I've never had to do it. Dip the trailer, glide her on, 5 or 6 cranks on the winch and we're on the road.

this. the momentum of the boat and a good winch will load 98% of the boats out there.

[senile1]

There appears to be some confusion about what power loading is. I always thought it was loading the boat by driving it onto the trailer. If that is the definition, there are good ways to power load, as mentioned by others in this thread, and there are damaging ways to power load. I back my trailer down until the bunks are completely soaked. Then I pull the trailer up to the proper spot so that my boat will glide right on. I approach at a no wake speed with my motor trimmed up and with no additional throttle my boat glides right up to the bow stop.

I suspect that those who fish a lot out of their boats have learned how to drive onto their trailers under minimal power, though I am sure there are those who just don't care and like to goose it anyway. I also suspect that new boaters who are first learning how far into the water to place their trailers may end up using more power to get the boat on because of incorrect trailer placement.

I use other methods as well. I have also had a dead starter battery and driven my boat up to the trailer with the trolling motor, lifting it just in time to avoid the cross-bar frame members. In these situations, I have extended my winch strap down to where the boat stops on the trailer so that I can connect it to the U-bolt. Then I step onto the frame members, walk up the trailer, and winch the boat up. (Beware of wet trailer frames. ) This is much faster than using a rope to pull the boat onto the trailer though it isn't as safe. If you are going to own a larger bass boat I think it is important to learn to use different methods to cover every type of circumstance.

[Bob C]

I watched a guy with about a 24' cabin boat give full throttle trying to load it when he wasn't anywhere deep enough with his trailer. I yelled to him and he gave me some one finger sign language and continued on until his buddy finaly backed the trailer out deeper. He really tore things up.