The courtesy docks are big enough for one boat at all my local lakes so if someone is sitting there dinking around with stuff it stops the whole launch retrieve operation.
I guess my idea of power loading is different from others.. I do use some throttle to get it to the bow roller but my trailer is in the water far enough that it doesn’t require too much, I leave it in idle ahead while I jump off the bow onto the tailgate hook up the winch and pull it up the last foot or so. I have seen some folks with pontoons,, and wake boats using a lot of throttle to get on the trailer at my closest lake. The bottom beyond the end of the ramp is solid granite so there isn’t any wash out problems. Kinda the same at other lakes, I back in far enough so that my boat goes almost completely on the trailer, unless its windy, then I leave the trailer a bit higher so the bunks can grab more of the hull, same drill though except I will usually jump to the dock and then get to the tailgate from the dock. Even with the handicap of being by myself, I’m faster than most all others at getting my boat on the trailer and then outta there. When I have my pro crew with me, they drive the boat and I drive the truck, to launch takes about 30-45 seconds from the time I start to back down, and retrieving takes about 90-120 seconds, we have a very good system.And yes, I timed it. When launching the only thing holding the boat on the trailer is the safety chain, I back down and get the stern into the water and then get out to take off the chain at the same time my friend has the engines started, I jump in the truck and stick my thumbs up hand out the window and he gives me the conformation with his thumbs up, I back down with a little authority and give the boat a bit of a shove backwards and I pull away. When retrieving, as I’m backing down the ramp my friend is starting his approach, as the trailer fenders go under the water he is about 20’ out, I jump out and sit on the tailgate as he approaches with the hook in my hand, once the boat is on the bunks and stops I hook up the winch and pull until there is a load on the bow eye, I give him the signal and he gives a touch more throttle and I winch up the rest, give him the clenched double fists for all stop, get in the truck and put out a thumbs up, once I get conformation I pull the boat out.
When I’m by myself it takes 3 mins from backing down to boat tie up on the opposite side of the dock, to when I’m pulling away in my truck, and about 5 mins to retrieve from the time I start my backing down. Something I’m proud of, being able to get in and out quickly and efficiently. That was in the book I read when I first started boating, “how not to be a dick at the boat ramp”.
The other thing that is not mentioned in that article is to make sure your engine is going to run. Some of us have talked about how sometimes our engines take a bit to get started, well they start but then putter out. While I’m prepping for launch on a busy day at the ramp, I start the engines and let them run just long enough to get past those occasional start die, start die thing.
Just….
Be excellent to each other..
