No Center Attachment for Hauling onto the Trailer

[jlh3rd]

if you have the guides. If not, that toon goes all kinds of sideways.

 

[Jeff J]

Back the trailer in deep enough and float the pontoon on

That’s what I used to do with the 24’ Fisher I used to own. It usually took a couple of tries to get it straight on the bunks.

I removed the stock guides on a work trailer. The boats kept floating over them and getting hung up.

 

[legalfee]

That’s what I used to do with the 24’ Fisher I used to own. It usually took a couple of tries to get it straight on the bunks.

I removed the stock guides on a work trailer. The boats kept floating over them and getting hung up.

Or power it up on the trailer.

 

[Jeff J]

Or power it up on the trailer.

Very seldom can that be done with a 2 tube boat. Mine had a 90hp, which was max allowed on the tag, and it wouldn’t push onto the trailer if any of the bunks were showing. The 150hp tri-toons push pretty good but still end up crooked, even with guides.

 

[legalfee]

Very seldom can that be done with a 2 tube boat. Mine had a 90hp, which was max allowed on the tag, and it wouldn’t push onto the trailer if any of the bunks were showing. The 150hp tri-toons push pretty good but still end up crooked, even with guides.

I was able to drive my Suzuki 115 24 ft Sylvan 2 tube up on the trailer. I had to give it some throttle though.

 

[Scott Danforth]

power loading is illegal in most locations. it wrecks the ramp.

 

[DeepCMark58A]

power loading is illegal in most locations. it wrecks the ramp.

Has it ever been enforced? I do not do it because I fear wrecking stuff while there is a low impact alternative. Funny that people that spend a day on the water are so adverse to getting in the water to load out a boat.

 

[Scott Danforth]

I know its enforced on two of the ramps here in Florida, and the two ramps on the lake my buddy lives on up in Sturgeon Bay.

it only took a week of people power loading to have a spoil pile so big behind the ramp apron on the SR64 ramp at the Manatee/Braden River (just inland from Snead) the county needed to come back out and dredge.

 

[Jeff J]

Has it ever been enforced? I do not do it because I fear wrecking stuff while there is a low impact alternative. Funny that people that spend a day on the water are so adverse to getting in the water to load out a boat.

While I have waded in chest deep while fully dressed and in my work boots to load boats I do everything I can to keep my feet dry. I don’t like wearing wet work boats. I grab my muck boots if I think of it before I leave the house but they are only knee high anyway. As much as I don’t I don’t want the lake in my boots, I want it less in my truck. I don’t go to the lake to swim or ski.

 

[legalfee]

power loading is illegal in most locations. it wrecks the ramp.

First I've heard of it but I don't own a trailer and the first time I've loaded it was on the guys trailer that is working on my boat and I only did what he told me to do.

 

[Jeff J]

I haven’t heard of a law against power loading anywhere I have been. I will admit to not studying the boating regulations most places I have been, especially in states I just visited.

I have seen 2 problems caused by power loading. One is the aforementioned pile that builds up on the ramp. The second is a hole washed out at the end of the ramp. Try dragging a loaded boat trailer over that concrete drop off once. I didn’t understand what was going on until after I got the trailer up the ramp. It cost me a wheel and a fender. The lake here doesn’t stay at a constant depth. When it is 10 feet above “normal” most of the ramps are flooded or the Corps close them. When it gets 6 feet low all kinds of crazy stuff is revealed. A lot of people get stuck in the middle of the lake when it is down. Not many of the ramps were built with the lake being 4 or more feet lower than normal pool even though it happens nearly every year. Can’t see bottom in 6 inches of water most of the year.

 

[Jeff J]

I’m glad the power loading topic came up. I just searched the states where I have operated or intend to operate boats. Only one has a state law against it and I may be moving there so I’m glad I saw that. Of the others, none had a state law or regulation but one did mention it was up to the controlling authority for the body of water.

Well constructed ramps eliminate the problems with power loading.