Power on/power off or not?

[SeanMcl]

Re: Power on/power off or not?

I do power load. I'm talking about idling on

Me too. You gotta get the boat to the trailer somehow!

 

[SeanMcl]

Re: Power on/power off or not?

I once had a drunk POWERLOAD his boat onto my trailer.

If his boat was nicer that yours you really missed an opprotunity there.

 

[H20Rat]

Re: Power on/power off or not?

If his boat was nicer that yours you really missed an opprotunity there.

or at least a nicer trailer! load up drunk, unhook, hook up to his nicer/newer trailer and go about your day.

 

[PitchFork]

Re: Power on/power off or not?

My opinion: just back down the ramp far enough to float 18 feet of your boat on, reel out 2 feet of winch rope and crank it on. No drama, no revving up and whooshing water around, and no drama.

Exactly how I do it no need to waste a bunch of gas and risk sucking a rock and hitting a rock with the prop.

 

[Lrider]

Re: Power on/power off or not?

I have yet to launch the new (to me) boat much less load it - My first time will be in the middle of the week at a public ramp - and most likely I will be by myself

The boat will be 17.5 feet fiberglass weighs about 2k - getting it in the water is not too much of a problem (I think) I have done a 16 foot Tracker Deep V but it weighed all of 800 pounds, (if that)

Assuming I have the trailer in the water about the right depth (uh huh) What now

 

[Mike Robinson]

Re: Power on/power off or not?

My question on the power load thing is : Why? ...

Our ramps are quite steep and if I back the trailer too far down the boat just doesn't want to sit on the bunks correctly. I've learnt through trial & error to back it down so that the tops of the fenders are just poking out of the water a few inches. I give the boat a little shot ahead seat it firmly on the bunks so it won't shift then I crank it up the rest of the way with the winch. It works quite well.

So why not?

 

[alaskanassassin]

Re: Power on/power off or not?

My question on the power load thing is : Why? Seriously. I am looking at the boats in your sigs and avatars, and I see a lot of 20 footers. Not heavy 35 foot cabin crusiers with 4 foot drafts that have trouble getting the trailer deep enough.

My opinion: just back down the ramp far enough to float 18 feet of your boat on, reel out 2 feet of winch rope and crank it on. No drama, no revving up and whooshing water around, and no drama. Wait, maybe that's why some people like the power load. If you do it anywhere in Utah we all think it's your first time at the ramp.

Anyway, that's my worthless opinion.

I agree, 90% of the time, there's no good reason to do it other than you get to make a bunch of noise and churn up the water. I load and unload my 21' cuddy by myself in less than 1 1/2 minutes without running the engine. If your trailer is set up for your boat correctly, there's hardly a situation where you need to. Just my opinion, but I find this to be true in at least 300 or so boat ramps I have used.

 

[109jb]

Re: Power on/power off or not?

My question on the power load thing is : Why? Seriously. I am looking at the boats in your sigs and avatars, and I see a lot of 20 footers. Not heavy 35 foot cabin crusiers with 4 foot drafts that have trouble getting the trailer deep enough.

My opinion: just back down the ramp far enough to float 18 feet of your boat on, reel out 2 feet of winch rope and crank it on. No drama, no revving up and whooshing water around, and no drama. Wait, maybe that's why some people like the power load. If you do it anywhere in Utah we all think it's your first time at the ramp.

Anyway, that's my worthless opinion.

As I said earlier I don't "power load", but I do drive on under idle power. To answer the question "why?" that you posted, there are cases where just floating the boat on is problematic. Like floating a boat onto a trailer alone when the ramp is perpendicular to the fast moving river you are on (My usual place to fish). Also, floating the boat on requires a dock next to the ramp. The ramp I use most often has 4 lanes and only one with a dock next to it. Even that one isn't really set up for walking a boat up having a tall railing along it. I don't like to get wet loading the boat while fishing when the water is cold in the spring.

Again, I don't condone full throttle power loading, but driving on (idle power) is very efficient and very fast once you get good at it.

 

[skargo]

Re: Power on/power off or not?

My question on the power load thing is : Why? Seriously. I am looking at the boats in your sigs and avatars, and I see a lot of 20 footers. Not heavy 35 foot cabin crusiers with 4 foot drafts that have trouble getting the trailer deep enough.

My opinion: just back down the ramp far enough to float 18 feet of your boat on, reel out 2 feet of winch rope and crank it on. No drama, no revving up and whooshing water around, and no drama. Wait, maybe that's why some people like the power load. If you do it anywhere in Utah we all think it's your first time at the ramp.

Anyway, that's my worthless opinion.

I agree. My boat is 22' long and weighs 5000# and I have never powered on and off, on quite a few different ramps of varying steepness. I float her on, and float her off just as quickly as those powering on and off.
I too fell into am 8' hole that came from powerloading.

I have no problem with those that IDLE on and off.

I'd like to see factual data backing up the 97% figure for Texas boaters, because honestly, I don't believe it for a minute

 

[redone4x4]

Re: Power on/power off or not?

My question on the power load thing is : Why? Seriously. I am looking at the boats in your sigs and avatars, and I see a lot of 20 footers. Not heavy 35 foot cabin crusiers with 4 foot drafts that have trouble getting the trailer deep enough.

My opinion: just back down the ramp far enough to float 18 feet of your boat on, reel out 2 feet of winch rope and crank it on. No drama, no revving up and whooshing water around, and no drama. Wait, maybe that's why some people like the power load. If you do it anywhere in Utah we all think it's your first time at the ramp.

Anyway, that's my worthless opinion.

I back down until the rear differential on my truck is almost touching the water. then i stop. Im not submerging the diff., wheel seals, or exhaust to retrieve my boat. Thus, mild powering on is all it takes to snub up the last foot or so to the bowstop. thats my deal, I launch at the same ramp all the time.