Helping driving my boat

[firehog 0]

Ok this is going to sound stupid, but I have a bowrider and I am simply not use to operating a direct drive boat. How do you launch and load your boat by yourself. I don't feel comfortable with the wife or daughter operating the boat nor can they back the truck down the ramp. So I am stuck loading and unloading myself. The other problem, is not being use to handling this type of boat. When heading in for the trailer to load up, I feel like I maybe going to fast in and kick it out of gear and it drifts to the left. Back up and it goes another way. I understand the priciple of it needing to be in gear to stear the direction you want, but with other boats around and wind and wave problem its a bi*** to handle. Also you better not go slow out in the open rough water, or you will take a wave and flood the thing.

 

I am so use to a I/O and getting response when turning, and the lowness it sits in the water, for lack of a better word, and taking big waves. Just not use to this. Never had to worry about waves or swells in the water.

 

Another thing is when running across rough choppy wake water what speed is best getting across the lake. I tried running fast 40 mph and it felt real rough, kicked her back to 25 mph and it seemed better but was wondering if it sucked more gas at the speed.

[T5Comp 0]

Here is a couple things I do. First, on backing the boat in, if its busy I will back the boat up until the tires are touching the water, jump out and let the wife go from there. She will back it in from the start but doesn't like a crowd so when its busy she has me get it close. From there all she has to do is let it roll back and then park. One thing I have taught her is to hold the brake, put it in neutral, release the emergency brake, and slowly let it roll back. No need to put it in reverse. Take the boat and wife to a parking lot and let her practice. When backing up keep one hand at the bottom of the wheel and move your hand the direction you want the trailer to go.

 

Backing a direct drive up is different from other boats. It pulls left or right depending on your prop rotation. Mine pulls to the right so I try my best to pick a ramp with the dock on my right. This way when I am backing up I just have to keep it from hitting the dock.

 

When it comes to loading I am constantly going in and out of gear. I keep it in gear just long enough to keep it straight and then out for a few seconds to keep the speed down without drifting. Depending on conditions you may have to keep it in gear. Trailer depth is crucial, find a depth that works best for your boat. Mine is the top of the fenders just out of the water. Remember don't go any faster then which you are willing to hit something.

 

With a direct drive bow rider you have to be careful turning around to pick up a skier. You will get swallowed by your own wave. Done it many times. Sometimes on purpose depending who is in the bow, and sometimes from not paying attention.

 

Oh and if gas consumption is a worry, you are in the wrong hobby..Hope some of this helps and safe boating.

[Kevin Baugh 78]

T5 very good advice!!

 

You will get MUCH better mileage at 25 mph than 40 mph

[David 0]

I would recommend you teach your wife to drive the boat on the trailer and to back trailer in water. It’s a safety thing for us; if something happens to me on the water I need my wife to get the boat on the trailer so she can take me to the ER.

 

As for loading in the wind always start up wind let it blow you center and drive it between the guides. You can also put the bow slightly into the wind to help compensate. It not as hard as it seem you can almost load these things sideways.

 

If you have to load by yourself get the boat ready before you back down. Get your fenders out and a long line off the bow. Back it in deep and pull it to the dock. Tie it off and run like the wind to park the truck. Just tie it right next to the guy in the aluminum fishing boat. You know the one I am talking about, the guy blocking the launch ramp. So you cant back in until he gets back from the parking lot.

 

By the end of the season you will be in and out in under a 2 minutes.

Edited June 4, 2010 by David

[Joe B 17]

T5 has good advice.

 

For yourself and wife: go to middle of lake and throw the tube/bouy out in the water and pretend it's the dock. Also practice spins and backing the swimdeck to touch the tube/bouy. Myself and another crew member spin our boats and pick up people from the dock by getting the swimplatform inches from the dock. My wife is a newbie driver as well so she gets the front of the boat close to load/unload people.

 

I trailer and dump the boat, but my wife pulls out from the dock after I push her off, then picks me up. Wife loads by driving very slow to the right-side dock in the middle then angles the bow to the dock. When I yell 'Reverse' the rear snuggles up to the dock and I can walk the boat onto the trailer holding the tower. If just the kids, I tie up far back as possible and park the trailer and sprint back - not too many bad looks (:

[Joe B 17]

Oh and cross wakes in a plow about 10mph at a 45 degree angle. Some people say hit them head on but I had a 16ft ski boat in 5-6 ft waves and boater safety came in handy (ride parallel but when the peak is close, cross at 45 degrees so you don't take the next wave over the bow). A bit different from boat wakes where it might not matter, but good to know if a large storm blows up and you can't sit on the island till it passes. If such a situation, make sure somebody knows a time you should be home BEFORE you try. Last year a Moomba outback (like your T5) had a storm on Lake of the Ozarks and swampped his boat and he left his wife and child in the water while he swam over 3 miles to shore. Safe but deathly scary.

 

You'll get the hang of it quickly. Have fun

[firehog 0]

Thanks for the ideas, I hadn't thought of some of them, so I will surely try them out in two weeks.

[bobback 3]

I echo having the wife back up the truck.

 

We practiced one morning when no one was at the ramp, and I stood outside the driver window and instructed her. Main thing is to take it slow, there is no hurry. She picked it up in about 5-7 x.

 

I find when loading the boat, it's best to pick your line and stick to it. I may come in a little hot, but has worked well. My fenders (on the boat) also are just barely sticking out of the water.

 

Before we had this boat I was used to driving my buddies jet boat...you could manuever a buoy course in reverse in that. When I first put our boat in reverse, and it only went to the right, I thought something was wrong with it!

 

It's like anything else...practice, practice, practice!

[Foiler 1]

I tried H20kings trick last weekend and it worked like a champ. The rear of my boat swings to the right when you hit reverse really hard so I came in fairly fast towards the trailer at an angle from the left and right before I got to the trailer I hit reverse pretty hard until it was completely straight and I ended up perfect right at the trailer at almost a complete stop. Put it back in forward and eased onto the trailer nice and slow and right in the middle.

 

The only real secret to doing it your self is knowing exactly how deep the trailer should be and this varies depending on how steep the ramp is. If it is to deep then the bunks will be to submerged and not guide the boat well and to shallow and you will not be able to power up to the bow roller.

 

There is a guy at our lake that is out there all the time and loads and unloads by himself and he is fast. The wife and I are very fast and we had a loading race once. We won but barely!!! I was impressed.

[bluesman280 99]

My wife is not much on backing up the trailer. I back it in, push it off, she just holds the rope and hangs onto the boat either on the beach side of the launch or holds it along side the dock if there is room and we are not in the way. I park the truck. Come out,give the boat a push and hop in.

 

Loading: not so pretty. I nose it into the dock, go get the truck. She backs out into the open water if the dock is busy. I back the trailer in. She noses the boat in and gets it pretty close. I park the trailer just a bit on the shallow side to help her guide it onto the trailer. Have to crank the boat up the last foot to the roller doing it this way though.

 

Don't know how she will do if it is a bit windy, I even had a tough time hitting the trailer with a cross wind coming in. Took me a couple runs at it. JUst get close and things would start drifting just before the guide posts. Not a lot of fun.

 

I am also still adjusting to driving the direct drive. The stern drive did have an advantage at the dock and trailer.

 

I like the idea of practising with the tube in the middle of the lake, I will sure be trying that the next time out, Myself and the wife.

[wakewife 0]

My husband and I have a bowrider as well and completly understand the risk of swamping....the model of boat sits very low in the bow on the water and is easily swamped if the driver is not really careful on swells and when turning to get a rider. We also noticed that more than two people in the bow almost guarantees water over the bow........

I am still trying to learn to trailer the boat and launch so that my husband doesn't have to do all the work. I am lucky in that he works on Tankers for a living so he and most of our boating friends are very comfortable on the water...I just need to push myself to practice more so I can take the boat out myself if necessary.

 

I really like the middle of the lake idea to practice....I think I will be trying that next time we are out.

 

Good luck!

[elc 2]

T5's advice is great.

 

For us it was easier for my wife to learn to back up the trailer, rather then trailer the boat. We took our boat to a school parking lot and she practiced until she could back the trailer into a parking spot. It took about 45 minutes but it was well worth it.

 

As for trailering - My wife usually backs up the trailer to the fenders, I touch the bow to the bunks, she then slowly backs up the trailer and I idle up and hook the bow. This method works well, because even if you come in at an angle, the boat will straighten out once the front of the hull is on the bunks.

[Kyle 0]

I would recommend you teach your wife to drive the boat on the trailer and to back trailer in water. It’s a safety thing for us; if something happens to me on the water I need my wife to get the boat on the trailer so she can take me to the ER.

 

Besides, let's face it, A woman driving a boat is just hot.

[boarder250 0]

Well for me it's pretty simple. I sit in either the truck or the boat while my 19yr. old backs in the trailer and my 17yr old drives the boat. All I have to do is hop in and we're good to go.

[Bongo Fury 640]

For yourself and wife: go to middle of lake and throw the tube/bouy out in the water and pretend it's the dock. Also practice spins and backing the swimdeck to touch the tube/bouy. Myself and another crew member spin our boats and pick up people from the dock by getting the swimplatform inches from the dock. My wife is a newbie driver as well so she gets the front of the boat close to load/unload people.

 

This is great advice. When I got my boat I really struggled. A friend took me out and we found the 5mph buoys and used them. We practiced backing up to them, turning on a dime around them, and nosing up to them. They work like a dream for practicing. I am now doing this every trip with my 14 year old. He pulled me last weekend. He will be driving better than me in no time

[Carter13 69]

Everyone pretty much touched on the main points. I for one am burned out replying to this same question every year.

Thanks to those that are not.

[CTMILKMAN 0]

As a guy with over 20 years experience with an outboard motor and being able to coast to the dock from 100ft out to a guy with maybe 20 hrs experience in a direct drive with a scratch to show for it I found this thread very helpful. I do plan on gettin a lot of experience this season

[Nick 0]

make slow mistakes and be patient is the best thing you can do and remain relaxed dont stress out over launching and loading and let it ruin ur day

[Oldwakedude 0]

Well for me it's pretty simple. I sit in either the truck or the boat while my 19yr. old backs in the trailer and my 17yr old drives the boat. All I have to do is hop in and we're good to go.

 

Now there is one after my own heart. We started a little earlier as the girls were boating from birth (ok, couple of days later) and they didn't need a drivers license for the boat ramp or to drive the boat. Mom was pretty useless when it came to boating, except for making the lunch basket, those were good.

[lilredridenwood 1]

It took me awhile to get used driving a v drive over a stern drive. Cross winds still piss me off, but I dont freak out over them like i used to. the reversing to one direction was a challeng at first but you will get the hang of it. The wife was super affraid of driving the boat at first, but i finally convinced her to try it. She now pulls the boat off the trailer, and drives it on the trailer. It was alot easier to teach her how to do that than to back up and park a trailer! when she pulls the boat on the trailer I coach her in reverse/nuetral/forward. when it is windy or real busy at the ramp i just tell her to get the nose in between the guides and I winch in from there.