We have always docked, except when we had our 16 foot tri-hull at the
beginning of our boating experience.

So now we have a 20 footer (actually closer to a 21 footer) on a trailer
with no dock till next year.

Our experience so far...............ramp fees, congestion at the ramps,
attitudes at the ramps, cost to trailer the boat to/from the ramp. damage to
the boat from trailering...............yikes.

We will dock the boat next year. The $900 dockage fee is well worth it for
us.

We can always load the boat on the trailer for maintenance and winter
storage off site from the marina.

So why do you trailer your boat?

Why I trailer ...
1. $60/yr launch here in Ottawa, $60/yr launch 1000 Islands, free launch
other spots (that's what the 4L is for in the jeep), $8 to launch some othe
spots.
2. To go different places ... we like the drive there, the day boating,
maybe stay over, and the drive back.
3. The boat's high and dry and in the laneway when not in use ... easy to
clean, do preventive maintenance, etc. etc.
4. There's no ramp congestion up here ... everybody's been courteous, allow
others to take their time to launch/ retrieve ... amd often offer to help
each other out. Usually some friendly discussion at the ramps ... great day,
how's the fishing, seats out of a Saab, yeah, thought they looked familiar
.... stuff like that.
5. But mainly to go different places. Keep in mind, I'm landlocked up here.
Locally I can go 26 miles up the Ottawa or 26 Kilometers down the Rideau, so
getting to the St Lawrence a dozen times or so a season is a real treat.
Sure, I could leave the boat there ... but then it's great to be sitting in
the office, look out the window, and in about 3/4 hour have the boat in the
water locally.

Our experience so far...............ramp fees, congestion at the ramps,
attitudes at the ramps, cost to trailer the boat to/from the ramp. damage
to
the boat from trailering...............yikes.

We will dock the boat next year. The $900 dockage fee is well worth it
for
us.

We can always load the boat on the trailer for maintenance and winter
storage off site from the marina.

So why do you trailer your boat?

Plenty of free State Ramps here on the Alabama Gulf Coast and on Mobile Bay.
Commercial ramps are reasonable at around $4 per launch and live bait is
usually sold, too. Ramps are never crowded.

Generally subdivision covenants allow for one boat and one RV behind the
house. Others provide a free storage lot. Not universal but pretty wide
spread.

I live on the Northern Bay so it is much faster, cheaper, and more
convenient to trailer to the southern ramps than to run the boat for a
couple of hours from the nearest marina.

Trailering allows me to keep my boat at home, save money and time when going
fishing and increase my fishing range by many miles. It also allows me to
be hooked up to the truck, fully loaded, fueled and completely ready to go
by first light. The only stop required is for live bait if that is the menu
item of the day.

Butch
"Bowgus" wrote in message
...
Why I trailer ...
1. $60/yr launch here in Ottawa, $60/yr launch 1000 Islands, free launch
other spots (that's what the 4L is for in the jeep), $8 to launch some
othe
spots.
2. To go different places ... we like the drive there, the day boating,
maybe stay over, and the drive back.
3. The boat's high and dry and in the laneway when not in use ... easy to
clean, do preventive maintenance, etc. etc.
4. There's no ramp congestion up here ... everybody's been courteous,
allow
others to take their time to launch/ retrieve ... amd often offer to help
each other out. Usually some friendly discussion at the ramps ... great
day,
how's the fishing, seats out of a Saab, yeah, thought they looked familiar
... stuff like that.
5. But mainly to go different places. Keep in mind, I'm landlocked up
here.
Locally I can go 26 miles up the Ottawa or 26 Kilometers down the Rideau,
so
getting to the St Lawrence a dozen times or so a season is a real treat.
Sure, I could leave the boat there ... but then it's great to be sitting
in
the office, look out the window, and in about 3/4 hour have the boat in
the
water locally.

Our experience so far...............ramp fees, congestion at the ramps,
attitudes at the ramps, cost to trailer the boat to/from the ramp. damage
to
the boat from trailering...............yikes.

We will dock the boat next year. The $900 dockage fee is well worth it
for
us.

We can always load the boat on the trailer for maintenance and winter
storage off site from the marina.

So why do you trailer your boat?

I can load the dive gear at home right into the boat.
Unload when we get home.
No schelpping 200 pounds of dive gear down the pier.
and back up the pier.

Gas station prices are bad enough.

One state reserve we love to dive requires that you launch there,
not come in from outside (actually, there's a way around that,
but it's more work than launching there).

I can work on the boat in the garage.

My garage is more secure than a marina.




"*JimH*" wrote in message
...
We have always docked, except when we had our 16 foot tri-hull at the
beginning of our boating experience.

So now we have a 20 footer (actually closer to a 21 footer) on a trailer
with no dock till next year.

Our experience so far...............ramp fees, congestion at the ramps,
attitudes at the ramps, cost to trailer the boat to/from the ramp. damage
to the boat from trailering...............yikes.

We will dock the boat next year. The $900 dockage fee is well worth it
for us.

We can always load the boat on the trailer for maintenance and winter
storage off site from the marina.

So why do you trailer your boat?

Because I pay less than $40/month for a spot that's 500' from the launch
ramp. In San Diego, slips are hard to find, and pretty expensive. I'd like
to be able to just cast off my lines and go, but can't afford it.
Also, I enjoy the ability to launch at other places, and take my boat on
vacations.

"*JimH*" wrote in message
...
We have always docked, except when we had our 16 foot tri-hull at the
beginning of our boating experience.

So now we have a 20 footer (actually closer to a 21 footer) on a trailer
with no dock till next year.

Our experience so far...............ramp fees, congestion at the ramps,
attitudes at the ramps, cost to trailer the boat to/from the ramp. damage
to
the boat from trailering...............yikes.

We will dock the boat next year. The $900 dockage fee is well worth it
for
us.

We can always load the boat on the trailer for maintenance and winter
storage off site from the marina.

So why do you trailer your boat?

Where in SD? When I used to take my other boat down, I stay at a house in
Mission Beach and paided a bunch to store at Campland?

p.s. What are these Don White posts of 2-3 meg? And in a text group.

"William Andersen" wrote in message
...
Because I pay less than $40/month for a spot that's 500' from the launch
ramp. In San Diego, slips are hard to find, and pretty expensive. I'd like
to be able to just cast off my lines and go, but can't afford it.
Also, I enjoy the ability to launch at other places, and take my boat on
vacations.

"*JimH*" wrote in message
...
We have always docked, except when we had our 16 foot tri-hull at the
beginning of our boating experience.

So now we have a 20 footer (actually closer to a 21 footer) on a trailer
with no dock till next year.

Our experience so far...............ramp fees, congestion at the ramps,
attitudes at the ramps, cost to trailer the boat to/from the ramp. damage
to
the boat from trailering...............yikes.

We will dock the boat next year. The $900 dockage fee is well worth it
for
us.

We can always load the boat on the trailer for maintenance and winter
storage off site from the marina.

So why do you trailer your boat?

"*JimH*" wrote in message
...
We have always docked, except when we had our 16 foot tri-hull at the
beginning of our boating experience.

So now we have a 20 footer (actually closer to a 21 footer) on a trailer
with no dock till next year.

Our experience so far...............ramp fees, congestion at the ramps,
attitudes at the ramps, cost to trailer the boat to/from the ramp. damage
to the boat from trailering...............yikes.

We will dock the boat next year. The $900 dockage fee is well worth it
for us.

We can always load the boat on the trailer for maintenance and winter
storage off site from the marina.

So why do you trailer your boat?


Brand new to the trailerable experience, so my answer might be different
next year.

1. Haven't done the math yet to see if docking at our most local lake would
be cheaper than $10 per launch fee; probably cheaper to trailer (but at $3
every 10 miles).
2. Most local lake most often, but will venture to other nearest lakes 2-3
times each per summer; would have to drive to one lake and load up to take
to another lake.
3. Believe that sitting in water is harsher on boat than sitting in
driveway.
4. Like the idea that I can go where I want at the drop of a hat, if I ever
decide to drop my hat.

"WaIIy" wrote in message
news
On Fri, 9 Sep 2005 18:48:37 -0400, "*JimH*" wrote:

We have always docked, except when we had our 16 foot tri-hull at the
beginning of our boating experience.

So now we have a 20 footer (actually closer to a 21 footer) on a trailer
with no dock till next year.

Our experience so far...............ramp fees, congestion at the ramps,
attitudes at the ramps, cost to trailer the boat to/from the ramp. damage
to
the boat from trailering...............yikes.

We will dock the boat next year. The $900 dockage fee is well worth it
for
us.

Where are you going to dock? The offer for a Tolly ride is still open.
I spent last weekend putting in a new water heater and today replaced
the air-conditioning pump.

Saturday is the pig roast. Life is good.

Thanks Wally. We will be off the Vermilion River in Vermilion.

"*JimH*" wrote in message
...

"WaIIy" wrote in message
news
On Fri, 9 Sep 2005 18:48:37 -0400, "*JimH*" wrote:

We have always docked, except when we had our 16 foot tri-hull at the
beginning of our boating experience.

So now we have a 20 footer (actually closer to a 21 footer) on a trailer
with no dock till next year.

Our experience so far...............ramp fees, congestion at the ramps,
attitudes at the ramps, cost to trailer the boat to/from the ramp. damage
to
the boat from trailering...............yikes.

We will dock the boat next year. The $900 dockage fee is well worth it
for
us.

Where are you going to dock? The offer for a Tolly ride is still open.
I spent last weekend putting in a new water heater and today replaced
the air-conditioning pump.

Saturday is the pig roast. Life is good.

Thanks Wally. We will be off the Vermilion River in Vermilion.


BTW: Have fun at the pig roast. We always had a great time at it.

"Harry Krause" wrote in message
...
Bryan wrote:
"*JimH*" wrote in message
...
We have always docked, except when we had our 16 foot tri-hull at the
beginning of our boating experience.

So now we have a 20 footer (actually closer to a 21 footer) on a
trailer with no dock till next year.

Our experience so far...............ramp fees, congestion at the ramps,
attitudes at the ramps, cost to trailer the boat to/from the ramp.
damage to the boat from trailering...............yikes.

We will dock the boat next year. The $900 dockage fee is well worth it
for us.

We can always load the boat on the trailer for maintenance and winter
storage off site from the marina.

So why do you trailer your boat?


Brand new to the trailerable experience, so my answer might be different
next year.

1. Haven't done the math yet to see if docking at our most local lake
would be cheaper than $10 per launch fee; probably cheaper to trailer
(but at $3 every 10 miles).
2. Most local lake most often, but will venture to other nearest lakes
2-3 times each per summer; would have to drive to one lake and load up to
take to another lake.
3. Believe that sitting in water is harsher on boat than sitting in
driveway.
4. Like the idea that I can go where I want at the drop of a hat, if I
ever decide to drop my hat.


There's no question that keeping a boat on a trailer ages it less than
keeping it in the water.

I keep Yo Ho on a trailer. I can launch and retrieve the boat by myself
when I have to, but it is at the margin of do-ability, and I can only do
it because the ramps I usually use are pretty wide and deep.

I'm thinking of a lift slip for next season. I've used one before, and I
prefer them to leaving the boat in the water.

Trailering a small, 20' or less boat, is pretty easy. Trailering a 25'
boat that thinks it is a 30-footer and weighs more than 7000 pounds is not
a trivial task, not for me, anyway.


Compared to my 25 foot trailer (camping) towing my Sea Ray 185 is playtime!