Ramp damage

[SCOTTY1094]

Help Preserve Our Launch

Powerloading (Loading your boat by forcefully driving it onto your trailer) causes loose material to be displaced from beneath the ramp weakening it and creating underwater hills that can damage the hull and propeller of other boats.

If you're by yourself and need a hand getting your boat onto your trailer; ask for help. Anglers tend to be rather social beings, It shouldn't be to hard to find someone willing to lend a hand.

If you see someone powerloading; explain (politely - it doesn't need to come to fisticuffs.) how they are contributing to the ruination of our boat launch by doing so, and help them if possible to load their boat the proper and safe way.

[bfish]

Slab concrete on erodible soil is a poor construction practice, IMO. Besides flatheads do more earth removing on ramps in my area than powerloading will ever do. With that said, only use enough power to get the job done, no more than what is necessary. It also helps to have the trailer far enough into the water (way to often I see others that don't back their trailer all the way down, cause they don't want to get there feet wet).

[Eager Beaver]

it mainly depends on the slope of the ramp as to whither you need to power on or not. I have been to some that have a sign saying it is against the law to power your boat on the trailer. The lake I fish a lot has such a steep ramp that I have to have the trailer quite a ways out of the water so the boat will load correctly. I put an electric winch on my trailer and works very well most of the time, so I don't have to power the boat on the trailer. EB

[CrappiePappy]

One other thing to consider, is that if you leave your motor tucked down ... you're going to damage more than the ramp, when you drive your boat onto your trailer. Best thing to do is to back the trailer in far enough to allow for most of the boat to slide onto the trailer, then trim your motor UP ... so that your prop wash is pushing water towards the surface, and not down towards the end of the ramp. The trimming of the motor will not only push the boat forward, onto the trailer, but will lift the front end of the boat, making it slide up the skids easier.
Most ramps I use are long enough, even in low water times (late Fall/Winter) there's still enough ramp below the water, to launch 20+ft boats without propwashing the underlying material. But, I can see Scotty's point ... in cases where the ramps are not adequate/long enough.

... cp

[beagle man]

hope they dont ever make it against the law in missouri, my little 40 will just bareley get me on the trailer.

[M R Dux]

When they outlaw it here, I'll find another place to launch.

[Eager Beaver]

hope they dont ever make it against the law in missouri, my little 40 will just bareley get me on the trailer.

Hey beagle look into an electric winch for the trailer. I got mine from Harbour Freight for less than $50.00. I run a wire from the battery on the truck to the back and put an inline fuse on it. When I take the boat out I just plug the power cord in and use the remote control and it pulls the boat rite on the trailer. Works great. EB