South Florida boat ramps are not for the faint of heart. I nearly saw a fight break out once because a family with a bowrider wasn’t launching quickly enough for someone else’s liking. Have you ever seen a dad in Tevas from Brooklyn yelling back and forth with a Cuban man in a guayabera shirt who spoke broken English? There’s no need for any of that, but it happens because tempers flare too easily at boat ramps. The busiest boat ramps in Miami have dedicated YouTube channels highlighting the absurd behavior that happens there.
No matter where you fish or how busy the ramp is, follow these simple tips to make sure launching runs smoothly. Hopefully your local ramp isn’t as busy as Biscayne’s Black Point Marina on a weekend. Skip the fights, skip the embarrassments, skip the headaches, and get on your way. Make launching a boat so easy it becomes routine.
Five Steps to Launching Your Boat Smoothly
- Prep Before You Leave Home
- Use the Staging Area to Your Advantage
- Back It Down
- Hopping Out
- Park and Go
Prep Before You Leave Home
This is the time to do all your pre-checks before you ever get to the ramp. Did you grab your boat keys? Test your batteries to make sure they’re fully charged. Turn on your electronics and see if they’re running properly.
Even double-check to see if the motor turns over. Don’t be that guy who’s taking up valuable space at the ramp with a dead engine. Nobody wants to hear, “It was running like a top last week!” That excuse won’t cut it.
Also, now is the time to insert that drain plug. Double-check this before your boat ever touches the water to avoid taking on water. I’d also point out this is the time to make sure your trailer is road worthy and all the lights are working, especially those all-important red brake lights.
Use the Staging Area to Your Advantage
Still, there’s likely a bit of prep you need to do at the ramp before you launch. Hopefully, there’s a dedicated staging area at your local ramp. If not, I’d pull into a parking spot to do your prep. Don’t be that guy who blocks other people from launching as you make last minute preparations. This is the perfect opportunity to load your tackle, gear, electronics, food, coolers, safety items and everything else that needs to get onto the boat. Also, now’s the time to pick the driver who will launch the boat. Undo those transom tie-down straps you rigged for travel. And lastly, make sure you have a bow line attached to a cleat that’s easy and ready to access after the boat’s launched.
Back It Down
Ready for launch. Treat this like a show, as all eyes will be on you, mostly from others waiting in line. Some boaters unhook the boat trailer winch strap before launching. I think that’s a recipe for disaster if your boat easily slips off the trailer, or if the ramp has a decent incline to it. Don’t be that guy who launched his boat on the ramp instead of in the water.
Back down slowly, there’s no reason to rush this step to save a couple seconds in my opinion. Use your cameras and mirrors to keep your rig nice and straight. I always keep my hands at the bottom of the steering wheel because it simplifies the mechanics; I can turn my hand in the exact direction I want the boat trailer to go. Never make abrupt or exaggerated turns when backing down to prevent jackknifing.
I never back down far enough to get my rear wheels wet if possible, but I understand that some shallow ramps might require it. A wet ramp does complicate things and can lead to your wheels slipping, so a truck with enough power and four-wheel-drive-low makes launching and retrieving much easier.
Hopping Out
In an ideal situation, you have a buddy with you who was already in the boat when you were backing down. He unhooks the winch strap, hops in the boat driver’s seat, starts the motor, and reverses off the trailer. Then, he can either pull away from the ramp and wait for you to park, or he can dock in a spot that’s out of the way of others launching.
But that’s not how it usually works. You might have another person with you who’s not comfortable driving your boat. Use them as a spotter, keep your windows down so you can hear them, and take your time reversing into the water. Then, they can grab that bow line and pull the floating boat from the trailer.
Most commonly, you’re probably launching by yourself. So when you hop out of the truck make sure to put it in park and engage that emergency brake. Then, grab the bow line and pull that boat over to a spot along the dock where you can tie up with your bow and even a stern line. Don’t be that guy who leaves his boat in the worst spot possible — make sure it’s out of the way of others launching.
At some ramps, you might simply pull the boat onto the shore and then go park your truck. I’ve seen some tech-savvy boaters deploy their trolling motor too and spot lock their boat ten feet from the ramp. Maybe even power down their Power-Poles. There’s a bit of risk there, hoping the remote control around your neck works properly to steer the boat back to you when you’re ready to hop on.
Park and Go
Parking the truck and trailer is easy. Don’t be that guy who parks in a spot that’s not a parking spot or a spot meant for cars, you might find your rig towed. Make sure you pull all the way through in your parking spot, so that your trailer isn’t blocking traffic or a driving lane. Obviously, follow the rules of the road and don’t park in the wrong direction in a parking spot, and stay within the white lines so as to not take up more than one parking spot. A busy ramp can actually run out of parking spaces, leading to overflow parking and a long walk back to the ramp. Keep that in mind and get there early before the crowds. Always hide valuables in your truck out of sight of a passerby who might peer through your windows — not everyone’s intentions are pure.
