Pontoon Boat & Deck Boat Forum

Was just wondering how ya'll unload and load the pontoon by yourself or with a child? I believe unloading would be fairly easy by tying a rope on the front of the boat and letting my son hold it while I parked the truck and trailer. But loading it up seems to be quite time consuming as you put the trailer in the water and then go to the dock to get the boat. Especially when you have impatient boaters at the ramp! My son and I would like to go fishing more but I have always waited for another adult to go with us to help out. Maybe I'm over thinking it, but any help would be appreciated. Especially with school letting out in another month and all the kiddoes wanting to go to the lake!!!

The more you do it by yourself the better you get. After the last few years of going out fishing every week with just my dogs, I think I spend less time on the ramp than people with help. My hard part is getting two Great Danes off the boat and in my Jeep.

When with my 7 year old. I make sure I launch where the dock is within plain view of the parking lot and close to the ramp. I back the boat in, both of us get on board, leave the truck there. Drive to the boat dock and tie the boat up. With his life jacket on I tell him to stand on the dock and make sure no one takes the boat (wouldnt happen anyway but it gives him a job to do and he takes it very seriously). I go grab the truck and park it and head back to the dock. We both get back on the boat and off we go. We do the exact same thing when its time to leave.

I can load mine and be gone while most of the people with help are still standing there when I leave.

Unloading I tie a line long enough for the toon to come off and have 10 feet extra then slowly pull forward till the boat almost hit the ramp, get out and park the toon , then the truck, before you launch I know you already have put every thing in boat, so after you park the truck and go.

Loading is easy, just drop the trailer in the water just deep enough, put the boat on trailer, fasten the strap and tighten, then climb down the tongue and pull her out

Seriously, with practice, you can do it quicker than most people with two or more people.

BobG wrote:Seriously, with practice, you can do it quicker than most people with two or more people.

This , its is easier when im alone since I Dont have to deal with loading people.

You've just got to be quick on your feet and decisive when you're dealing with loading/unloading a boat.

And you cannot worry about people in line to put their boats in the water. If they don't understand what you're up against by yourself--screw'em.

Guess I'll start experimenting at the ramp during the week when the ramp isn't that busy. Thanks for all the info. I'm sure once I get a routine down, I'll just get quicker the more often I do it. (that's what she said!)

Bamaman wrote: And you cannot worry about people in line to put their boats in the water. If they don't understand what you're up against by yourself--screw'em.

Totally agree! You have as much right to the water as they do and if they are that impatient they should be doing something else. As long as your focused and on a mission the rest of the "in a hurry bass boat guys" can kiss my arse.....

HandymanHerb wrote:I can load mine and be gone while most of the people with help are still standing there when I leave.

Unloading I tie a line long enough for the toon to come off and have 10 feet extra then slowly pull forward till the boat almost hit the ramp, get out and park the toon , then the truck, before you launch I know you already have put every thing in boat, so after you park the truck and go.

Loading is easy, just drop the trailer in the water just deep enough, put the boat on trailer, fasten the strap and tighten, then climb down the tongue and pull her out

This--
I fish with my young grandkids a lot--
You will do fine--

just so happens, i take my 5 yr old daughter with me all the time.... just the two of us, when wife's at work, and even when wife doesn't wanna go...

anyway, here's the way i do it... "where I go, my daughter goes"... is the rule. stay by my side, and watch how I do this, so that one day, you'll be able to do it alone, too. i kinda make it a game of, 'what do i do next?'.... she's slowly getting it, and understands it takes a lot of steps to get into and out of the water, safely. with her by my side, i don't have to worry about her getting ran over, or leaving her by herself.

putting in:... after prep area, i back the boat in, get into boat, take boat from trailer, tie boat to dock. walk to truck, move truck to parking lot.

taking out... tie to dock, get truck/trailer, back into water, load boat, get into truck drive to parking area to secure load for travel.

i think most boaters are fully understanding when you're by yourself, or with child.... the only time i see people get irritated at others, is when it's their turn to launch/retrieve, and they're still putzing around... doing stuff that shoulda been done in a prep area, not on the ramp.

and, as said above.... if they can't wait, or don't like the wait, too bad. shoulda got here before me.

the key to the precision launch/load, is practice, and take your time.

Bamaman wrote:You've just got to be quick on your feet and decisive when you're dealing with loading/unloading a boat.

And you cannot worry about people in line to put their boats in the water. If they don't understand what you're up against by yourself--screw'em.

Yeah, I agree with Bama on this... My first season with the toon, I was always so worried about holding up the guy behind me or the boater coming in and waiting to load his boat onto his trailer... made me nervous as hell and ultimately made me take longer than it should have... that's all gone now, plus I've learned that most of the guys waiting to launch or load have been doing this awhile and are usually pretty understanding about it. I've found most of them to be courteous and patient when waiting on someone... every once in awhile you'll come across a jerk, but like Bama said... screw em. Have fun on the lake

PlaynDoc wrote:just so happens, i take my 5 yr old daughter with me all the time.... just the two of us, when wife's at work, and even when wife doesn't wanna go...

anyway, here's the way i do it... "where I go, my daughter goes"... is the rule. stay by my side, and watch how I do this, so that one day, you'll be able to do it alone, too. i kinda make it a game of, 'what do i do next?'.... she's slowly getting it, and understands it takes a lot of steps to get into and out of the water, safely. with her by my side, i don't have to worry about her getting ran over, or leaving her by herself.

putting in:... after prep area, i back the boat in, get into boat, take boat from trailer, tie boat to dock. walk to truck, move truck to parking lot.

taking out... tie to dock, get truck/trailer, back into water, load boat, get into truck drive to parking area to secure load for travel.

i think most boaters are fully understanding when you're by yourself, or with child.... the only time i see people get irritated at others, is when it's their turn to launch/retrieve, and they're still putzing around... doing stuff that shoulda been done in a prep area, not on the ramp.

and, as said above.... if they can't wait, or don't like the wait, too bad. shoulda got here before me.

the key to the precision launch/load, is practice, and take your time.

If I see a guy having a bit of grief when by himself I will go over and ask if he would like a hand. Most say sure, takes a bit of the pressure off him, rather than just sitting in your truck glaring at him.

bobalong wrote:
If I see a guy having a bit of grief when by himself I will go over and ask if he would like a hand. Most say sure, takes a bit of the pressure off him, rather than just sitting in your truck glaring at him.

Excellent suggestion!

I agree with the 'train the kids' crowd. Most are easily smart enough. Just a matter of when they are physically capable. My nephew (8) walks a trailer tongue better than me, knows how to run a two-speed crank winch, and ties dock knots like a pro. My brother just smiles like it is no big deal