On Apr 1, 4:25*pm, wrote:
On Apr 1, 3:50*pm, Short Wave Sportfishing
wrote:





On Tue, 1 Apr 2008 10:03:52 -0700 (PDT), wrote:
On Apr 1, 12:36*pm, "Robert M. Gary" wrote:
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

A big variable with front wheel drive cars is the incline of the ramp.
If the ramp is steep you'll get less traction. Other variables are
total weight of boat, tongue weight, what the ramp is (concrete,
gravel, etc) and whether it's generally slippery when wet, etc. I've
got a ramp I use that in the morning before it gets used alot is fine,
after it gets a good soaking from boats being pulled it gets slippery.

New construction ramps are now all grooved at a 90 degree angle to the
water's edge - you've be surprised at what a difference that can make
towing a boat up a ramp out of the water even when wet.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

The day I slid back I was at Baldwin Bridge, at the mouth of the CT
River, beautiful cement ramp, slotted, grooved, studded with metal
grip plates.. But with 2 inches of that sea grass, I might have well
been on a hockey rink, a tilted one *Like I said, street tires, I
would have been swimming, had some pretty aggressive tires on the jeep
back then.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

True story. Lake Center Hill, TN. The lake gets lowered a LOT by the
TVA in the fall. The place where we stay when we go in Oct for an
annual fishing trip with some GA guys and some Cleveland guys has a
ramp that is nice when the water is high, but the part that is still
in the water in Oct. is steep as hell! My first time there, I've got
my Jeep Cherokee with boat attached. All of the guys are out fishing,
they got there the day before. I look at that ramp and think JEEBUS!
But, then I think hell, my buddy Paul's boat is much heavier than mine
and he musta put his in okay...... So, I back 'er down the ramp, and
the trailer is so steep that I have to let out a LOT of winch strap
and the boat is out in the middle. I pull it back with a bow rope,
then pull my jeep and trailer out. Later all of the guys are back,
fire is going, drinking a beer and eating. I said something about that
damned ramp. Paul says you didn't put your boat in there yourself did
you?? Yep, I did. The office has a four wheel drive tractor with that
they put them in with for you when the water is that low!!