Pro Trick To Back Up A Boat Trailer Perfectly Every Time

Great video on backing up a trailer. In addition, it would be great to have tips/video for launching/loading a boat. Some things that might be helpful are the following:

1. When possible, launch/load a boat at high tide, slack tide, and with low wind. If you can launch/load at high tide, you avoid having a slippery surface due to algae that may be present in low tide. In addition, for larger boats, when launching/loading at low tide, there may not be enough ramp depending on the boat’s draft. Some boat ramps have significant current when not a slack tide that can be challenging. The current and wind may make it difficult to hit the bunks when loading.
2. Pre-inspect the ramp and dock before launching for a clear understanding of any hazards or issues you may have with launching or loading your boat. This can be done before rigging your boat.
3. Understand the payment system for using the ramp and parking your vehicle and trailer.
4. As mentioned by Captain Mike, rigging your boat before approaching the ramp saves a lot of stress. Also, moving away from the ramp after loading to remove gear and prepare the boat for transportation helps avoid congestion. The pre-inspection should include making sure the engines are ready to run (e.g.. battery is not dead), plug is installed, etc.
5. When moving the boat down (launching) or up (loading) on the trailer, kept the safety chain on the bow eye. This is critical for roller (versus bunk) trailers.
6. Install zip-tie or other marker on the trailer guides to indicate the water depth needed for your boat depth. This ensures that the trailer is far enough in the water to load to the boat to the bow stop while making sure there is enough hull contact on the rollers or bunks to keep the bow from drifting in current/wind.
7. Power loading, using the motors to push the boat up the bunks/rollers, can cause significant gravel erosion at the end of the ramp and may not be allowed on certain boat ramps.
8. Other…I bet Salt Strong Nation can add to this list and help others avoid mistakes that have been made or observed at the boat ramp! There are a lot of “pro-tips and tricks” that can help people at the ramp by himself/herself or working with friends/spouse.