How bad a sin is it really?? Drive on/off
I often launch the boat myself or with my 2 kids. Oldest is 13, so she can't drive either boat or car. My trailer's rollers are new and so the boat rolls off as soon as the winch is released.
What I do is;
- Reverse in
- Unhook safety chain
- Climb on the boat and start up motor. Put into forward gear
- Lean out of boat to undo winch cable
- ease up on forward RPM and the boat would roll off the trailer
- tie up at jetty close by or beach the boat if no jetty.
- Park the car
Retrieve is the exact opposite of above. And either process takes me 4 to 8 minutes, assuming no major wind / current.
I believe this to be less time than a typical 2 blokes with the bow and stern rope, winching the boat all the way back/from the tail of the trailer type launch & retrieve. Most of their time seems to be spent walking up and down the wet trailer/ramp, straightening the boat, and time spent winching on or off.
Now I am seeing that some ramps says "No power launch / retrieve". And even other ramps which don't say that, I get evil looks from others.
So, how bad a sin is it really to drive on / drive off? I just can't imagine having to winch on / off single handedly within a reasonable time!
Haines Signature 610C with Mercury 150 EFI
Browndog
Posts: 582
Date Joined: 10/04/12
Damage to ramp
Not 100% on this, but I think the main area of concern is that the current created by the prop washes the sand away from the ramp, creating either a big hole at the end of the ramp, or even collapsing the concrete.
Like I said, I'm not 100% but that's what I believe to be the issue? Others may correct me.
BD
scotto
Posts: 2470
Date Joined: 21/04/08
Yep,
Even though I would consider 4-8 mins a bit long to retrieve (and definately too long to launch), powering on/off causes major turbulence, which causes the fill under and around the ramp sections to subside, and with no support underneath, they collapse.
Take the 2 rocks ramp for example, that ramp is pissed as, a direct result of boats (predominantly the bigger ones) powering on/off. I always have trouble with the boat not going on the trailer square from that ramp.
chris raff
Posts: 3257
Date Joined: 09/02/10
My tub flys off as well , I
My tub flys off as well , I use a short length of rope wrapped around the winch post when launching . Luckily enough partically at woodies when retrieving I can go in little deeper the boat goes on straight and up within a foot or two of the winch .. couple of minutes eitherway ..with a bow to stern line
Quite a few variables pending on ramp , trailer , boat etc etc .. as to the rights and wrongs . There's alot of people who drive on well , then there's the knobs who aren't too skilled in the technique by means of revving the shite out it to get up on the trailer
“Intelligence is like a four-wheel drive. It only allows you to get stuck in more remote places.”
pricey10
Posts: 486
Date Joined: 07/01/12
I have no choice with a big
I have no choice with a big boat on bunks. Try and winch a 3.5 ton boat up on bunks and you bend 10mm steel. Screw the ramp
Karratha. WA
Swompa
Posts: 3885
Date Joined: 14/10/12
Something seriously wrong
Something seriously wrong with the engineering on your boat or trailer if your bending 10mm plate. Think about it, your boat weighs 3.5 tonne, when you pull it on the trailer it won't we that much as your pulling it slightly above horosontal, not vertically.
pricey10
Posts: 486
Date Joined: 07/01/12
Put simple, it's a float on
Put simple, it's a float on float off trailer. So unless you wanna put your whole car in the water to winch It on which pulls your nose down and putting all the weight on the frount of the trailer. Or just trim the motor up give it a few revs and up she goes. Am I doing something wrong?
Karratha. WA
scottnofish
Posts: 1621
Date Joined: 28/08/07
i have a 3+ ton cat
and have broken just about every type of winch trying to winch that on the trailer , i drive on at most ramps but i get my trailer in nice and deep and use momentom not the motors to push me up the trailer i also have a latch fitted on the trailer that catchs the winch point as it comes up so i dont use the motors to hold the boat on the trailer ,at worst if i dont make the latch then i may give the motors a little squirt just to hit the latch but it aint to often that i have to do that . dont fish out of two rocks anymore since the band drive on ,point peron love you doing it as it clears the sand of the ramps
petermac
Posts: 2946
Date Joined: 03/03/10
i just wish
I wish I could drive on it would save me a lot of grief but my trailer isn't a drive on trailer pluss a bit scared to give it a go
pricey10
Posts: 486
Date Joined: 07/01/12
It's easy, guide the boat on
It's easy, guide the boat on to your trailer with your rope so it's straight then give it some power. The key is the depth of ur trailer
Karratha. WA
scubafish
Posts: 962
Date Joined: 15/08/12
I have a 4 mtr thick rope
I have a 4 mtr long (thick) rope permanently fix to the front of the boat with a big s/steel clip use that to secure to trailer and use it to launch the boat ,boat into water,unclip from safety chain,get end of rope walk over to jetty as boat is going back into water,pull boat over too jetty and secure,go and park trailer.I clip the anchor rope to the clip from the back of the boat when at sea so I don't have to go to the front of the boat at all.4mtr rope goes down side of boat at travel .
http://img.gg/BQ91Sys
Muppet
Posts: 408
Date Joined: 23/11/09
does it work for you
and does it keep the flow of traffic on the ramp nice and smooth ?
f answer is yes, then keep doing it.
You dont have to use alot of throttle to get your boat on and off. There are d^$#^#heads that do it and they give the rest of us a bad name...
.
petermac
Posts: 2946
Date Joined: 03/03/10
does it realy matter
if I see someone having a drama at the ramp I help out even if I am just down there for a sticky beak being held up getting in or out for 10 minutes for me isn't a drama why get grumpy over eg the ex middle weight boxing champion of Australia could be on that boat you are mad at and I have seen that exactly happen at the Dampier public ramp
Rob H
Posts: 5798
Date Joined: 18/01/12
thats a nice change!
only a few days back you were telling about how you and your mates punched out some guys for spearing on air in Onslow and vandalized their trailer-and now talking peace and love! :-)
For what its worth I agree totally with you above.
Give a man a mask, and he'll show you his true face...
The older you get the more you realize that no one has a f++king clue what they're doing.
Everyone's just winging it.
petermac
Posts: 2946
Date Joined: 03/03/10
wtf
mate that was 25 years back and those blokes were hammering every reef on air of Onslow they cleaned out bower ledge and black ledge and they are very easy free dives and they were on air after 3 days they had there freezer full of fillets they got what they deserved in the pub just lucky the locals didn't get stuck into them too when north west meets south west there is always going to be a problem how would you feel if a bunch of blokes from the nw came down and shot every dhuie in the south west where you fish thinking about that night still makes my blood pressure go up they should have stayed with in the limits
spook
Posts: 325
Date Joined: 15/02/10
I drive on all the time, I
I drive on all the time, I dont have to hold the throttle on. I find the winch belt too slack if I drive all the way up so I leave the deckie to wind up the boat a touch to keep the belt tight. I drive up, deckie hooks up and once hooked I turn off engine, while he is winding I jump out of the boat and get in the car, wait for him and drive off. Once the trailer is on the ramp must take us all of 1 minute and without ruining the ramp. Alot quicker than the bloke that pulled up into the middle of the ramp after retrieving and decided to put everything in his car, put his light bar on then keep testing it etc in excess of 10 min while blocking 2 launching ramps...thats right, the 2 launch ramps and he was retrieving! Ooops got carried away
Haunted by water
Grumpysmurf
Posts: 97
Date Joined: 26/02/09
Thanks guys - I will
Thanks guys - I will continue to do so then as the alternative of winching it alone would waste much more time.
Haines Signature 610C with Mercury 150 EFI
Ambiance
Posts: 105
Date Joined: 06/12/09
Why cant we just do as Asked
I realise I am new to all this but if the people who run the Launching Ramp ask us not to power on or off why is it too much to simply comply. I understand that you are saying that it is quicker, but what is a couple of extra minutes.
When the ramp is out of service because of wash, and or the ramps cracked and dangerous are you going to just move to another ramp.
It seems a simple request to me, but maybe my time isn't as valuable as yours.
keg
Posts: 398
Date Joined: 17/07/07
spot on Ambience
if it`s allowed at the ramp do it but if it`s not then don`t be a dickhe@# and winch your boat on.
if your boat and trailer are set up right,no mater how big it shouldn`t be a drama to winch it on.
Sea Hunter
Posts: 148
Date Joined: 04/07/13
Taxes and rego?
How exactly are boat ramps funded? Are they designed to a standard or can any idiot with a mixer put one in? If they are built to a standard and engineered correctly, is this an issue or only an issue where poor standards and workmanship are involved?
Your prop won't stay shiny if you dig up sand. No sin! Go for your life.