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USING THE BOAT LAUNCH CORRECTLY

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Apr 01, 2021


Your goal is to be as efficient as possible when it’s your turn to actually back down and launch. With that in mind park in a designated staging area, or out of the way or traffic, to prepare your boat and do the following:

  • Visit the pay station and take care of a launching fee if one is required.
  • Install the boat drain plug.
  • Check that the key is in the ignition. This would be a good time to bump the key into the “start” position just to make sure you don’t have a dead battery.
  • Load all your gear into the boat—fishing tackle, coolers, tubes, skis, etc.
  • Attach fenders to the dock side of the boat.
  • Remove the transom tie-down straps and the outboard motor brace if you use one.
  • Attach dock lines to the bow and stern cleats.
  • Unplug the trailer lights from the tow vehicle to keep cold water from damaging the hot bulbs

5 Tips for Good Boat Ramp Etiquette

  1. Always complete all prep work first in the staging area—out of the way of ramp where other boaters are launching.
  2. Launch quickly and efficiently; have others in your crew assist you to make the process easier, if possible.
  3. As soon as the boat is off the trailer, pull back up the ramp and park in a designated spot.
  4. When retrieving your boat, use a courtesy dock or tie up away from the launch area until your trailer is in place.
  5. Load the boat onto the trailer, secure the winch at the bow and the safety chain; then proceed to the staging area to finish unloading and securing your trailer.