Learn how to pull a boat out of the water the safe and proper way…
Many new boaters may have questions on how to properly launch or trailer a boat. It’s just like anything else in our lives, if it’s new to us questions are going to come up. When you are dealing with an expensive boat and vehicle, safety and possible damage needs to be considered to protect property, you and anyone near the vehicle or dock. Today we are going to talk about how to properly pull a boat out of the water so injury, damage or loss of property will not occur.
How to pull a boat of out the water: Safety first!
Just like with anything else, safety always comes first when pulling a boat out of the water. Many things can happen when you trailer a boat. Some examples include the boat driver accidentally missing the trailer and hitting the dock or anyone standing near the boat ramp, the trailer could accidentally come off the vehicle hitch on the boat ramp and possibly hit someone and the vehicle could accidentally roll into the lake if not properly secured on the boat ramp etc. Having awareness of your surroundings is always key when launching and trailering a boat. Here are things you can do protect your property and the ones around you:
- Always make sure the parking brake is engaged anytime you are on a boat ramp and not in the vehicle.
- Always check that your hitch is secure before entering and leaving a boat ramp.
- Always have safety chains attached to the trailer anytime you pull a trailer.
- Always make sure the safety chains are properly secured to the vehicle and trailer before entering or leaving a boat ramp.
- When possible, ask guests to stay away from the vehicle, dock and boat ramp when launching or trailering a boat.
- When the boat is on the trailer always make sure it’s safety chain is attached.
Always take safety very serious when launching, pulling a boat out of the water and when on the water.
How to pull a boat out of the water: Getting your boat on the trailer…
According to Boats.com, a leading boating site with extensive knowledge on all things boating,
“How you get the boat up onto the trailer will vary a bit depending on your rig, how steep the ramp incline is, and how deep the water is at the ramp.Trailers with rollers are much easier to load, so it might be best to drive the bow up onto the rollers, then winch the boat the rest of the way onto the trailer. But if the ramp has a steep incline, you may need to use the engine to help. If your trailer has bunks, it’s usually much more effective to use the boat’s power to drive it up the trailer. And on very steep ramps, in can be dangerous to try winching the boat all the way up because it puts a huge amount of stress on the winch, winch post, and strap or cable.
It always takes a bit of common sense and flexibility to determine the best way to get the boat onto the trailer, on any given day at any given ramp. But whenever you use the boat’s powerplant(s) to push it onto the trailer, make sure the boat is properly aligned—and apply that power judiciously. This isn’t a race, and this isn’t the time for haste. A word of warning: before applying any power, always make sure the steering wheel is centered. Otherwise, you’ll drive the boat right out of alignment.
Once the boat’s up on its trailer, shut down the engine(s) and tilt up the drive unit(s). Re-connect the bow strap, and give a few turns on the winch to be sure it’s good and tight. Then re-connect the safety chain, and you’re ready to pull the boat out of the water.
When you do pull the boat out of the water, remember: don’t stop right there on the ramp. Good trailer-boating etiquette dictates you should always strive to block the launch facility as briefly as possible, so pull up into the parking lot or off the side of the road before you begin preparing for the drive home.”
As you can see, by following these steps and always keeping safety first your boating experience will be much more enjoyable and stress free.
How to pull a boat of the water: What about the vehicle?
The experience you have while pulling a boat out of the water also greatly depends on the vehicle you are using. Many times the boat ramp will be concrete, steep and wet especially at public boat ramps where most boating takes place. Depending on the vehicle, pulling a boat on a steep, wet ramp can be difficult. All vehicles can have this issue – cars, trucks, vans or other recreational vehicles etc. Having a 4X4 vehicle helps but not all vehicles are 4X4. To help with this issue, we are going to talk about possible solutions in a bit.
How to pull a boat out of the water: Something else to keep in mind about the vehicle…
Something else to keep in mind is the weight of the trailer and the boat. Each type of vehicle can only pull or tow a certain amount of weight. The larger the vehicle the more it can pull or tow and vice versa. This needs to be considered when towing a boat and trailer. You want to always make sure the vehicle is capable of pulling the weight of the boat and trailer in addition to pulling them out of the water on a steep, wet boat ramp. If not, you can certainly damage your vehicle which could get expensive and possible cause damage or loss of property. Please refer to the vehicle owner’s manual to get the towing weights and restrictions before towing any trailer or boat.
How to pull a boat out of the water: Adding extra traction to your vehicle when you need it…
Once you verify your vehicle is capable of towing the weight of the trailer and boat, adding extra traction to your vehicle when puling a boat out of the water can help a lot. For this, we would like to introduce THE PORTABLE TOW TRUCK – THE ULTIMATE TIRE TRACTION DEVICE. The Portable Tow Truck is proven tire traction aid used by the largest commercial fleet companies in the world and 1000s of people as well. For very little money you can have the best tire traction mats for adding extra traction to your vehicle anytime you need it. They also work great in snow, ice, mud and sand if you ever get stuck in those situations as well. They are lightweight and can be used by any driver with any vehicle type over and over. To learn more about the product please check out what our customers have to say about us on our REVIEWS page and you can watch a VIDEO of the product HERE. If you have any questions at all you can reach out to us from our ABOUT US page as well. Now is the time to get The Portable Tow Truck to have extra traction anytime you need it and protect you and your family from unexpected roadside emergency stucks as well.
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