is powering up the trailer illegal ??

[vcreation]

just wondering, i always just drive half way onto the trailer, leave the engine in gear and winch the boat up. but im considering the boat latch system that u just drive the boat all the way to the winch post. but i seen other people do it and it kicks up alot of dirt and sand in some boat ramps. illegal isn't it?

[jeffb5.8]

I drive on but like most things there is a right way and a wrong way,

I use just enough throttle to move up the trailer and i sink my trailer in far enough that the boat floats well and my trailer is well set up.

I do watch others who are all about the throttle and kicking up heaps of wash from their props as the motor is tilted way up, this is what erodes the sand under the ramp and causes the end of the ramp to break away,

[Al 80]

Not illegal most trailers these days are drive on 

[fragmeister]

This has been a contentious issue in the past.

As the above posts say drive on trailers are common and with these trailers it takes very little throttle to get your boat on the trailer.

The new Quintrex trailers are designed for this and certainly a light alloy boat makes it all that much easier. In my case, I have a 5.7meter Lazeabout and there is an optimum position for the trailer in the water so that the guides comes properly into play and position the boat square on the trailer and then over the keel rollers. Very little throttle is required to get the boat onto the trailer and of course its great when you are doing it solo and also very quick.

I have of course like most boat owners observed large fibreglass boats on unsuitable trailers being powered on and certainly this does churn up the mud a lot. Probably not a good practice in this case and the locals/regulars can get upset and sometimes confrontational... which is never pleasant.

I have been told that the Silverwater boat ramp has suffered from this practice and at low tide its easy to drop your trailer wheels off the end of the ramp which is undercut badly due to erosion of the mud. It is also said that the mud has been displaced to form a mud bank about 5 meters out from the ramp on which people often get their boat stuck during the retrieval process. Other people say the ramp has been undercut by the current and the ramp is simply in a bad place. I don't know who is right but it does highlight what some people believe about power loading boats..

So I guess vcreation, the general advice would be no, its not illegal but some boat ramps discourage it, it works best with trailers designed for it and if you do it and churn up a lot of the bottom then the locals may look on you unfavorably.

It does sound like you have a pretty good method in place already for solo retrieval so if you are in any doubts you could stick to that.

Cheers

 

Jim

 

 

 

 

[frankS]

No it's not illegal but it is very annoying when you see someone doing it all wrong and churning up the silt etc  it takes practice to get it right and have the trailer in at the right depth that suits this method of retrieval. I have been driving on and off for more years than I wish to remember and I make my own version of the catch clip, I do sell a few of them to close friends and about 1 5th of the price the others charge.

 

Frank

 

[Great_White]

This is certainly a very contentious topic..

I belong to a private boat club in SA, and we are NOT allowed to drive our boats onto trailers at all..

Yes, it does erode the base of the ramps, to a state, where, the ramp either cracks, falls away, and leaves the issue with rear wheels of trailers falling off, creating a huge hazard in itself, sometimes even requiring the retrieving vehicle to be pulled out.

Another issue is when driving the boat onto trailers, if it is not done correctly, with lifting the leg / motor up, the damage to your prop is another issue, with all the "soft blast" material being thrown backwards by the prop, eating away at the precious edges of your propeller..

The only time it is illegal, is when the local council has placed signage up saying that you are only allowed to winch on boats, and not drive on. So unless that signage is in place, you can drive your boat on to the trailer regardless.

So, practice is the key for driving on, and watching others do it, whether correctly or wrongly should give you an idea.

If you are not very proficient doing it, perhaps having a fellow boatie go with you , and get some tips / advice might go a long way to help you get it right.

Great_White