"JimH" wrote in message ...

"D-unit" wrote in message
...

"Robert M. Gary" wrote in message
...
I was thinking of taking the new boat to the lake this afternoon using
my wife's car. She has a FWD Saturn Vue with the factory larger tires.
It has the towing capacity but a friend warned me that FWD vehicles
may be more likely to spin out pulling a boat out of the water. The
car as electronic traction control. If it slips does it help to let
air out of the tires? I do carry a 10,000 lb tow rope. If someone is
around and I can't get it out I guess I could ask for a pull, but
hopefully I won't have to. Any tricks are appreciated, hopefully it
won't be an issue but I don't want to get stuck.

-Robert

I may have a similar issue to deal with this year. I keep a boat (21'
Carolina skiff)
in a neighborhood with a boat ramp. Travel from my place to the ramp
is 3 blocks. I'd like to *attempt* to load and unload the boat with my
Honda Accord. (try not to laugh). It would keep me from driving
a gas guzzler to/from said beach place (approx. 160 miles) *and*
keep me from having to leave a pickup truck down there solely for
that purpose which is what I did last year. I don't think loading the
boat into the water would be a problem. I like to shuttle back/forth
to the beach house in the Honda for obvious reasons.

The ramp is not very steep and there's very little tongue weight by
the trailer.. Ramp wetness would probably be an issue.

Falling tide = wet ramp
Rising tide = dry ramp. (most of the time when I would use it)

db~still trying to decide if this is a good idea.





After purchasing our 20 footer mid season and 1/2 season of trailering it I
soon got tired of the lines at the ramps, folks who could not back a trailer
in, discourteous people and generally the PITA trailering is.

The next season we leased a dock and have done so since then. It is worth
every dollar.


The idiocy that ensues at public
ramps never ceases to amaze me.

Some people think the ramp is a good place to:

-Blow up inflatables
-sit around and jaw
-talk on the cell phone
-run the battery down trying to start engine
that won't crank. (why didn't you do this at home??)
-rev engine at WOT (sitting still) trying
to get the boat up that last 1/2 inch on trailer
-sit around and wait for other people to arrive
(who happen to be slowly making their way on foot)
-toss the cast net a few times.


I used to launch and load my 26' footer alone on a Float-On
trailer in under a minute. I usually go out with the wife who
now drives the boat on/off trailer while I drive the tow vehicle.
It takes us mere seconds on the ramp. I get my engine warmed
up at the house before we leave so all she has to do is bump the
key, put her in "R" and go.

db