Ten Most Common Boat Towing & Launching Mistakes

Common Boat Towing And Launching Mistakes

Hey Bill, this reminds me of a time a few years ago when a couple of guys i know were coming back from fishing the backwaters by fountain city. They loaded the boat on the trailer and were running late coming back down here in iowa. Tom just happened to look out his rear view mirror and there was a 16′ jon clearing a barbed wire fence in his mirror taking out the corn on the other side. They stopped in shock, collected thier wits and they backed down the ditch and pulled the boat through he fence and loaded it right this time. Holy cow, They said all they could see was a jon just sailing over the fence with no problems in its way motor and all. lol

I’ve seen people back down ramps with their boat unfastened and it slides right off the trailer onto the ramp. Ouch! I’ve also seen people drag their boat up the ramp by winching it to get it to the trailer as they didn’t want to get the wheels in the water because they were afraid some greese might leak out. Thanks, Bill

Quote:

---

I’ve seen people back down ramps with their boat unfastened and it slides right off the trailer onto the ramp. Ouch! I’ve also seen people drag their boat up the ramp by winching it to get it to the trailer as they didn’t want to get the wheels in the water because they were afraid some greese might leak out. Thanks, Bill

---

Grease leak out? Oh man…………….that’s logical!!!! But you know how that goes when water hits grease………….dissolves it instantly and it leaks out! Good grief……….a leak is a leak…………no water required!!!

Now…………before I start sounding like I don’t do dumb things, I’ll admit to the launching of a boat prior to reaching the water. At least it was a small aluminum and no damage done…………….well……………..none that I could detect. She had slow leaks anyway!

Kid,

Howz about that kid at Cedar Lake landing that had the runabout. He hits the throttle and gets thrown into the back of the boat! Was heading right for us until he gets up and can grab the wheel.

That could have gotten ugly. I’ve never seen a guy look more sheepish as he did when he finally pulled away with his girlfriend.

I remember trying to back the trailer down on many early dark mornings and being blinded by my fellow anglers on the other ramps with their head lights. Speaking of lights; don’t forget to check them before leaving the house. The ramps can also get pretty slippery from all the duck work so be carefull when backing & walking on it…… {John}

Quote:

---

Kid,
Howz about that kid at Cedar Lake landing that had the runabout. He hits the throttle and gets thrown into the back of the boat! Was heading right for us until he gets up and can grab the wheel.
That could have gotten ugly. I’ve never seen a guy look more sheepish as he did when he finally pulled away with his girlfriend.

---

Oh Yeah!………………..I almost forgot about that! It’s a good thing he caught up with that boat! He freaked those people stationed at the landing and he really had me wondering what in the world I was going to have for options…………..if any!

Usually when I hear, “Kid! LOOK OUT!”, it’s just fair warning for a jig about to bounce off my melon …………… but that wouldn’t a been a good day in the life of “da pup”.

Hey buddy……………….good luck down on 4 tomorrow! Maybe you’ll be jigging for them ‘eyes and catch that big ol’ muskie you’ve been looking for! Not likely……….but there’s some big ‘eyes to be had!!!! Go hammer ’em!

Now if we could just make this required reading for everyone before selling them a boat & trailer….

SteveO;
Which Cedar Lake, I might know that guy. If it is the same guy, he also launched his boat (tri-hull) and forgot to put in the plug. Being that he didn’t have a bilge pump, he was cruising the lake by himself, trying to keep the boat going at a decent speed and running to the back of the boat and trying to put the plug in. It was great humor watching from the shore……..But a bit dangerous, I will admit. He was in such a panic, he was afraid to come to shore to pick me up because he thought the boat would sink immediately.

Don’t worry……….he doesn’t have boats anymore!!!!!

Not a trihull…………v-hull with a very powerful inboard/outboard. Big cross bar with horn and stereo speakers…………..had it had lights you’d of thought it was a government craft. No small boat………….cuddy cabin………sun deck…………..18-19′ minimum length.

I just want to know what he was thinking taping the throttle when and where he did. It was a busy area because of numerous people misusing the launch………..parking at the dock to inflate water toys……………blocking the dock because the boat won’t start……….a line of boats waiting to launch, a number of boats (including me and SteveO) waiting to land……………..it was a spectators paradise!!!

This was Cedar Lake, WI……………northwest of New Richmond.

Dude,
that was scary. Boy if there was anybody to hang a “I’m a jerk with a big, fast boat that I can’t handle” sign on he was definitely it!

My wife and I would pull up a rock on Sunday evenings with a Dairy Queen down in Hastings. I could sit there for hours watching the sights and the people in a hurry to get out of the water. My wife could only stand it for an hour or so.

It was amazing…power loading and missing the complete trailor, not hooking up and the boat sliding back into the water when the trailer was pulled out. Now the boats in the water with no one in it.

The good old days!

It can be great fun watching people launch and land boats. The true character comes out in people at boat ramps. The helpers help and the a-holes…well….

Thankgoodness for trailer sideboards, but mistakes will be made anyway, everbodys got to learn but ducking and running is always a good idea when some are loading lol

Quote:

---

I’ve seen people back down ramps with their boat unfastened and it slides right off the trailer onto the ramp. Ouch! I’ve also seen people drag their boat up the ramp by winching it to get it to the trailer as they didn’t want to get the wheels in the water because they were afraid some greese might leak out. Thanks, Bill

---

My brother-in-law witnessed this at Bass Camp just this summer. Truckload of yahoo’s with “Dads” new Crestliner cut in front of him, unhooked and proceeded to unload on the ramp, motor never touched water.

One of our great Sunday afternoon pastimes when I was younger was a 12-pack and a chair at the upper ramp in Wabasha watching Cidiots trying to load/unload their new V-8 cruisers.

One of the worst things is when you try to help a guy that REALLY needs it and he looks at you and says rudely “I’ve got it.”

uumm……….no you don’t. It’s doubtful you ever will.

I sure see a lot of “too deep” trailers! The boat’s so busy floating that it doesn’t line up right and comes out of the water crooked more often than not.

I was up to Cedar again (after mine and SteveO’s adventure) and had all the time in the world so I let 3 others land and trailer while I waited patiently on the dock………..taking some stuff back to the vehicle as I was able. All 3 loaded the boat crooked and I was at least able to help 2 of them without getting wet. The 3rd guy…………was apparently above assistance and waded right on in to that 49-50 degree water! He groaned about it all the while and continued afterward as well………………..the little woman just kept naggin’ at him though………..”nobody made ya do it”………….”if ya woulda backed the trailer closer to the dock I coulda done it!”……………… ………….good stuff.

2nd and 3rd “guys” waited around for me to land mine……………hoping for a little redemption I guess……….so I let the strap fold over in the winch so they’d know “I ain’t any good either”. But the boat was on straight!!!!

I have always enjoyed watching how busy the ramps are on Mille Lacs when you have to be off the lake at 10. We always fished until 9:50 and then went into shore to get in line. I would drop my dad off at the dock and then wait and watch all of the other people load. The best thing was backing up, trailers everwhere. I don’t know how many times I’ve seen resort workers pick up the trailer and straighten them out. I hate waiting for people who take forever unwinding their winch straps, figuring out how the winch works, and then slowly cranking the boat up. When it was our turn, my dad would have the winch strap hanging on the trailer. He would back it down, I would go to the front of the boat and hook the strap up and then he would crank it on. In and out in no time. Sometimes this was more fun than the whole night of fishing.

I think there should be a boaters etiquette course for all first time boat owners.

Quote:

---

I think there should be a boaters etiquette course for all first time boat owners.

---

Now don’t bring that up again! Don and I are just getting to be good friends!!! lol……………sorry Don………….had to laugh at us just one more time!

Now that I think about it…I had a banner year!

I didn’t get chewed out once this year, on the water or at the landing!

I don’t recall why I was yelled at last year on the water, (whatever it was, I wasn’t in the wrong! ) but at the landing, a fella with one of them CI-gar boats had his rig backed up to the water. I pulled up to be next in line to back in and was waiting for him to drive past me…that way I would know it’s clear to back up. I heard a honk from behind, looked back and “apperently” with his long rig couldn’t make the turn to get past the end of my trailer. I pulled ahead a couple feet and he pulled up beside me and proceeded to explain launching and landing etiquette with a few discriptive words attached. As I explained to him, a honk of the horn would have brought me out of my day dream…which I’ve learned that you can’t do at busy launches!

Hmmm, I guess I was lucky this last year. If an officer would have spotted Still and I running at WOT through the Redwing No-Wake Zone, he/she might not have been too happy.

Hey guys we are lying if you can say you have never made a mistake at the launch , I’ve gone in with the tiedowns still on and wonder why the boat is not sliding off ha… it would a entertaining afternoon to sit at a boat landing and watch the people …. Tim

Did the same thing this summer with the rear straps still on. After about the 5th time of backing into the water I figured it out. Good thing no one else was there. Not bad for a guy that launchs over a hundred times a year.

I forget to take my straps off about every couple weeks. Once or twice a year I forget to put in my drain plug. Nobody’s perfect I guess.

Gator Hunter

Can honestly say I’ve never had a launching mistake, it comes from a disciplinarian father who always instituted a check/recheck system to everything in life. If its boiling weiners for hotdogs, I’ll guarantee he has a system!

I made one mistake this year, and at all the places at the FTR get together.

Of course, when it was 7:30AM and I was the only one around, I was able to launch solo without a mistake. Once there were 100 people eating barbeque and watching, I unhooked the winch strap and the safety hook was still caught. Who else was backing me in but James himself. What a moron I was that day.