Owning a Pontoon boat is something the entire family can enjoy. However no boat owner was excluded from the intimidation of unloading and loading their 1st boat on the trailer. Aside from docking the boat nothing intimidates new boaters more than trailering the boat. Murphy’s Law always prevails and if you make your first trip on the weekend or especially on a holiday there will be 20 other boaters waiting in line when you trailer your boat. Pontoons especially can be more challenging to dock and trailer as they sit higher off the water and have a tendency to catch the wind. This article and video will provide you with a few very simple checklist items and suggestions from many years of lessons learned the hard way. At Performance Product Technologies (www.perfprotech.com) we specialize in providing our customers not only with the best Boating Products & Accessories but also with the technical support needed to make their boating experience a positive life long experience.

Before You Get Started

Safety should be at the top of the list with most recreational activities. Before getting on the road make certain you’ve gone thru and checked that your trailer hitch is latched properly, the front & rear boat tie downs are secured, the trailer tires have the proper amount of air pressure, and that your trailer capacity rating is appropriate for the tow vehicle and the boat you are towing.

After You Arrive

Once you arrive at the lake, but before you go to the boat ramp go ahead and load the boat with your supplies; ice chests, tubes, boards, etc. There’s nothing worse than the weekend warrior who disrespects everyone else’s time and decides to load their boat while its sitting on the ramp.

Next you’ll need to go ahead and remove the “REAR” boat tie downs and transom saver. Go ahead and do a visual walk around to make sure the boat and propeller appears to be in good operating condition.

Back Down the Ramp

Make sure you are aware if the ramp you are using is a single boat launch ramp, double, triple, etc. It’s always aggravating when the traffic is jammed at the ramp to see someone in the middle of a double launch ramp.

Next when you back down to the water realize that you are not wanting to back the boat completely into the water at this time. At this point you are simply going to back the boat far enough into the water so the boat operator can make sure the motor starts, and then verify that everything is functioning properly. The key thing to note at this point is that the “Tattle Tail” is discharging water as your visual verification that the water pump is functioning properly.

Once the motor has been started and its been determined that everything is functioning properly you can go ahead and remove the front trailer tie down from the boat, and then signal your driver to back in far enough that the boat floats off of the trailer. Once you have released completely from the trailer and are clear you can then signal for the driver to pull off from the ramp.

Approaching the Dock

There are several different methods of approaching the dock. In my opinion approaching the dock straight on is the easiest when you have an extra person to help secure the dock once you reach it. They can then maneuver the boat by hand which is easier than trying to do it all with the motor. Also approach the dock while heading into the wind as this will allow you to better control your approach speed.

Loading the Boat onto the Trailer

We feel like the easiest way to learn how to load is by using the wind to your advantage. In this case we suggest starting out upwind from the trailer while aligning the boat parallel with the trailer. Then allow the wind  to move you inline with the boat. While the wind is moving you in line with the trailer you are adjusting your speed. The video does a good job at showing this process. Once you have the nose of the boat captured on the trailer signal the driver to back the trailer in far enough to get the boat loaded. At this point go ahead and secure the front of the boat to the trailer using the front winch strap. At this point you can shut off the engine and trim the drive/motor up. It should then be safe to signal the driver to pull forward at this point.

Securing the Boat on the Trailer

It’s now time to reinstall the rear trailer winch straps and transom saver. The outboard motor will have a trim control button that allows you to lower the motor onto the transom saver. At this time its good practice to walk around the boat and trailer and make sure everything is still in good order. This includes checking the hitch, the trailer lights, and also making sure nothing has been left loose in the boat that might blow out as you get under way on the road.

Helpful Hints

• Try and schedule some practice time on a weekday morning or evening. You will be surprised how quickly you can get the hang of things by doing it without any pressure from other boaters waiting in line.
• When backing the trailer, new drivers can grab the steering wheel at the with both hands. Then turn the wheel the direction you want the trailer to go.
• If its windy enough that trailering the boat becomes difficult, its too windy to enjoy being out on the water in the boat as well.

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