With the lack of dock space, trailer sales are on the rise. If you are new at this game, the following information will help you avoid disaster.
Have you ever spent any amount of time at the boat ramp during weekend rush hour? Of course you have. The experience evokes all sorts of emotions – humor – drama – action – anger – even a healthy mix of the World’s Funniest Videos thrown in. You can’t help but wonder why so many continue to make the boat ramp experience so frustrating yet so entertaining for onlookers. It must be because so many boaters who trailer their vessels just don’t practice, don’t plan, and don’t expect the unexpected.
Practice-
To do something well, you need to do it many times over. Whether it’s playing the piano, using a jig saw to cut a straight line or maneuvering your trailer down a narrow boat ramp, you need to practice the required skills to become an expert. If you took piano lessons as I did, I’m sure you heard your instructor preach, “It takes more than one time.”
This, of course, was in response to your emphatic statement that you already played it once! The same applies to trailering a boat. Just because you have done it once or twice doesn’t mean you’ve acquired all of the necessary skills to safely and carefully trailer your boat in crowded quarters.
If you are new at trailering or feel like you can use a refresher course, locate a large, obstruction-free parking lot and set-up a few cones or empty 5-gallon pails. Practice backing your boat and trailer into a makeshift ‘spot.’ Imagine that this is the entrance to the ramp and approach it from different angles. You should be able to control your vehicle and trailer to make an effortless entry onto the ramp to offload and then to load your boat with no problems at all. There simply is no substitution for practice.
Planning-
Do you have a new crew with you? If so, spend a few minutes with them so they know exactly what will take place at the boat ramp and what is expected of each of them. It is a great idea to perform this brief training session at home in an out-of-the-way place rather than on the ramp itself. This will give your tires and bearings an opportunity to cool off before entering the water.
Once on site, make sure you’ve prepared the boat for off-loading before you back down the ramp. Remove the tie-downs, secure lines on the appropriate cleats and double-check your sea-cocks and drain plug. Make sure your crew knows exactly where they will walk the boat and remind them to secure the dock lines so the vessel doesn’t drift away. You may be laughing, but you have seen it happen.
Safety-
Before you leave home, make sure you check your tires for proper inflation, for excessive wear and tear, and make sure your hubs/bearings are greased and in perfect working condition. Check your break lights and most importantly, the brake system itself. A safe trip is the best trip. Remember the safety chain, making sure it’s either secured when the boat is on the trailer or unsecured from the boat at the bottom of the launch ramp as determined by what you are doing. Instruct your crew to never stand behind the boat and trailer or between the boat and the dock. Don’t use your hands and feet or life jackets to fend the boat off from the dock – instead, use appropriate fenders. Every step of the way, during planning, during practice, and especially during execution, pay close attention to your surroundings.
Courtesy and Common Sense-
It is always a good idea to be courteous to your fellow boaters. These people can be a great resource at the ramp and on the water. I am sure you have heard of “Road Rage.” There is also “Ramp Rage,” and you should avoid it at all cost. Don’t hog the ramp. Don’t hog the parking lot. Don’t tie up the wash station. If everyone shows a little courtesy, the process of unloading and loading all of the boats will go smoothly and safely. Keep your cool, even if someone cuts in front of you. Confrontations highlighted by four letter words usually aren’t worth the trouble.
To learn more about trailering and boating safety in general, why not take a boating safety course. For more information about safe boating courses, contact the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary at www.cgaux.org or call 1-877-875-6296.
The United States Coast Guard Auxiliary is the uniformed volunteer component of Team Coast Guard. Founded in 1939 by an Act of Congress as the US Coast Guard Reserves and re-designated the Auxiliary in 1941. The 31,000 volunteer members (men and women) donate thousands of hours in support of Coast Guard missions.
|
