Quote:
Originally Posted by NoBozo
ADVICE: Back the trailer in so the TOP of the FENDERS of the trailer are "just above" (say an inch or two)..the surface of the water. It works.
During Retrieval, The biggest error I see is people put the trailer into the water TOO Deep and now the boat is "Swimming" all over the place and can't find the center of the trailer. NB
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I agree that the most common mistake is backing in too deep, but proper trailer depth can vary widely. For instance, if any part of my fenders are above water at most ramps, I would barely get the bow on the last 5 feet of the trailer. My fenders need to be quite deep (like 2 feet at the back) to get the boat on the trailer unless the ramp is really steep. "Flat" ramps are a problem for me.
My advice is to start shallow and get the boat winched as far as is possible without over-straining the winch, then back the trailer in a few feet, as needed, to get the boat all the way to the bow stop.
The ramp mistake that bothers me the most is when people leave their kids in the tow vehicle during the launching/retrieving process, That's a recipe for a needless tragedy. One simple mistake (which is especially easy to make when you are stressing out about the process itself) with the shift lever, gas pedal, or parking brake and the tow vehicle can easily be rapidly dragged underwater. Get everyone out and roll down the window(s) before launching and retrieving.