It can be a scary scenario for a novice boater  – being on a boat ramp with all eyes watching while you try to maneuver your boat back onto the trailer. Loading a boat can be stressful, so here are some tips to load a boat on a trailer that should take the pressure off and turn you into a pro in no time.

Before you even go out with a new boat, you may wish to practice loading, aligning and backing up your truck and trailer. Practice always make things easier. Take your trailer (both with the boat on-board and without)  to a large empty parking lot and practice maneuvering, turning and aligning your trailer. Do it until you are comfortable with the feel of how your boat and trailer moves and operates.

Once you have had an amazing day out on the water, here are some tips for loading a boat back onto the trailer and getting home without incident. Here are the 5 Tips for Novice Boater:

1 Back up your trailer until the bunks are just submerged, as too much water over them will hinder alignment. The right amount of submersion will allow the boat to float onto the bunks without overshooting the winch.

2. Pull or power the boat well onto the bunks, making  it necessary to only crank the winch a few times.

3. Stop the boat engine, secure the bow strap and raise the prop so it won’t drag across the ramp.

4. Pull away from the ramp before securing the boat with additional tie-downs, opening drain plugs and putting up your gear. This alone will remove stress as you are no longer holding up other boaters.

5. When driving with a trailered boat, remember that the extra weight behind you has extra momentum. Always give yourself extra time for braking and extra clearance for turning. Be patient and don’t rush.

New boaters have a lot to think about and remember. For getting on and off the water, practice, ask for help and take it slow. A Sign and Glide membership will give you peace of mind while out on the water – should anything go wrong, give us a call.