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Descant · 10-06-2014, 02:02 PM

It's been a long time since I trailered--probably since forklifts started appearing, but I'm still amused by the folks who use the ramps. There have been several worthwhile posts about safely and quickly launching, but not much about retrieving.

When you launch, an unskilled person can hold a line and stand on the dock while the other backs down the ramp. Easy enough.

But when retrieving, to do it quickly, I think, really takes two skilled people. Often, the boat cannot be docked close to the ramp when there are several waiting to get out. So the one skilled boat driver, ends up also being the one who can back up the trailer. S/he ties the boat up someplace and walks to get the car. Parks it on the ramp and then walks someplace to get the boat. When s/he brings the boat around, there's another boat waiting, the winch cable isn't ready, the wind prevents getting the boat lined up, etc., etc. You've all seen it.

It looks like, to be quick, you need a skilled helmsman and a skilled tow driver. Anybody got good protocol for a crowded retrieval period when there is only one skilled operator?

10-06-2014, 02:02 PM	#33
Descant Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Merrimack and Welch Island Posts: 4,039 Thanks: 1,212 Thanked 1,521 Times in 985 Posts	Retrieving is harder It's been a long time since I trailered--probably since forklifts started appearing, but I'm still amused by the folks who use the ramps. There have been several worthwhile posts about safely and quickly launching, but not much about retrieving. When you launch, an unskilled person can hold a line and stand on the dock while the other backs down the ramp. Easy enough. But when retrieving, to do it quickly, I think, really takes two skilled people. Often, the boat cannot be docked close to the ramp when there are several waiting to get out. So the one skilled boat driver, ends up also being the one who can back up the trailer. S/he ties the boat up someplace and walks to get the car. Parks it on the ramp and then walks someplace to get the boat. When s/he brings the boat around, there's another boat waiting, the winch cable isn't ready, the wind prevents getting the boat lined up, etc., etc. You've all seen it. It looks like, to be quick, you need a skilled helmsman and a skilled tow driver. Anybody got good protocol for a crowded retrieval period when there is only one skilled operator?