As you probably know, boat ramps can provide more entertainment value than any late night comedy show today.  You have Gladys on the sidelines, chewing her gum and admiring her new nail color while Bubba begins to back up the trailer.  With Gladys as the MonBack, you can probably understand why it takes Bubba at least 15 tries to finally line up the boat to the ramp and back it down.   The fact that Bubba is juggling a can of chew and his pack of juicyfruit in one hand and his beer in the other certainly hasn’t helped.  He finally gains Gladys’ attention but chucking the empty can at her head, who slowly finds her way to the boat in her high pink shoes.  She gingerly holds the rope – after all, it IS a new nail job!! 

By now, Bob’s Fishing Hole is the top traffic news on the morning report, with traffic backed up three miles down the road.  It takes Bubba at least 20 minutes of monkeying with the trailer to finally get the boat in the water.  Nearby, mothers are holding hands over innocent children’s ears, as Bubba’s musical mouth exudes a song most foul with each passing second.  This is when Gladys begins to hobble back to the truck to retrieve Fluffy, her pink poodle.  With Fluffy comes dog toys and treats that must be loaded into the boat.  Traffic builds to a near state of emergency as Gladys cleans up the mess Fluffy made in the truck while Bubba attempts at least forty times to start up the boat.  And so it goes, another happy day at the boat ramp! 

When you are ready to launch your boat, the last thing you want to be is a Bubba or Gladys.  The most important tip we can give you is be prepared BEFORE you get to the boat ramp.  At a public boat ramp you want to be courteous, quick and efficient.  Don’t prepare ON the boat ramp, but rather at home.  Have your boat loaded before you leave, with everything tied down for safety.  Once your boat is in the water, move it out of the way immediately so the next boat can begin launching.

To keep things easy as you back up your boat, keep one hand on the bottom of the steering wheel.  If you want your trailer to go left, move the hand to the left.  Time to move the trailer to the right?  Turn your hand to the right.  Use your mirrors and back up slowly, until your wheels touch the water.  You only want to submerge the trailer enough to enable the boat to float or be rolled off.  If your trailer has multiple rollers, your boat should roll off easily.  This type of trailer does not have to be in the water as deeply as a bunk style trailer.  Remember that with a multiple roller trailer, the outboard or drive until should be in a slightly upright position so it won’t hit the ramp as it rolls into the water.  

If you have someone with you, have that person double check that nothing is still attached to the trailer before you pull the trailer out of the water.  Once your boat is safely in the water, get your truck up and out while your fishing buddy immediately moves the boat out of the way.  Again, the key to excellent boat ramp safety and etiquette is courtesy, speed and efficiency.  Have your boat loaded before you leave, and make sure you have practiced backing up your boat during slow times or in an empty parking lot.  Happy Boating!