I don't think I've cranked a boat on a trailer in 15 years. I've had plenty of CC's (still have one) and we always powerload (or high idle load is a better description, maybe up to 1,500 rpms worse case), the ramp in the Atlantic Highlands has to be 5-7 boats wide so to use the middle it's easier. We trailer and fish in NC, OC Md and a few other spots with one or two boats ramps and to be there pulling the boat with a rope then crank it in or better yet - you tie your boat up go get the trailer and then pull it in and crank it up is rude. I think us fisherman pride ourselves on having a quick system, drop off one guy to get the trailer, back it in, drive it up & on, reach over the bow, latch it and tighten up then pull it up and out of the way - I want to get out, wash it up and go home.

I can't figure out how you guys are loading/unloading a boat by yourself in such short times. Does the truck park itself?

As stated idling your boat on the trailer isn't powerloading, I do that all the time. Pulling your trailer halfway in and throttling to 4000 rpms to get your boat on cause your fat and lazy and wearing your work boots is powerloading. I see it all the time with bass boats around here. Many of our cement pads are short and it washes the sand away at the end of the pad big time. It also puts a nice pile of sand a few feet back.

As a "rope boater" as I believe it was called earlier, I do agree with this statement. But on narrow ramps with docks, I like to pull it up on the trailer with my dock lines, then put the winch on it and crank it up. No way to screw it up that way..... At least I haven't found a way...

Lets see the second most expensive part on your boat is the drive, so lets tear it to **** because your are too lazy to rope the boat on (engines off, drives up) or idle the boat (so you don't mess up the ramp, or drive over the bow stop). Either good way aint rocket science.

I think it comes down to the ramp. Obviously 4K rpm loading is ridiculous, but there are times where you have to powerload. One of the ramps up in Alexandria Bay just dumps into the St. Lawrence. There is ALWAYS crosswinds and boat wakes and no docks to tie too. You have one shot and that's it. You come in at more than idle or you'll drift past the trailer and be on rocks in a boat length. Often times smaller lake ramps have small pads and prop thrust does blow out the bottom. Big lakes with 5-10 lane ramps are all about power on or off.

Like everything else... It's common sense.

This is what it's like when the four lane wide launch is busy ( every weekend ) . There is not much courtesy or boating etiquette unless the water cops stop by and that only happens if someone reports an assault or something (don't ask me how i know this). It's like everyone has boat ramp rage.What were we discussing O yea the power load, that's what she said last night! oops wrong site When it's busy and you hear a winch turn more than five revolutions the whole ramp stops, all you here is the winch clicking and before the ramp rage escalates the winch clicking sounds like a big wire tie being pulled tight fast. The launch mob does NOT condone the winch method. I learned it the hard way. So if your not skidding the tires of the toe vehicle up the ramp with the boat you get laughed at for having a weak boat. Stay alert, stay alive. Happy boating!.:fish:

This happens to my boat all the time, can`t winch it up as far as I want.. after I do then when I pull out theres a 1' gap between the vee and the boat.
Exactly why I`m making a adjustable "V support" with a built in jack to adjust height> I`ll be able to lower it when launching and retrieving and make it tight against the hull when trailering

Good idea. My bow stop is adjustable fore and aft. I am going to move it forward 6", trailer the boat, pull clear of the ramp, then move it back before I hit the road. Then the cord will reach easier to my power winch

But just touching isn't good enough. You want a "little" bit of weight on the bow stand so it does not bounce on the stand going down the road when the rig hits bumps and trailer flexes. If this is what you want to do...

...you need to drop the tongue-jack/drop-foot/wheel/whatever and raise the boat in the air a few inches. Then put a couple of solid cinder blocks with a 2x6 atop them under the keel, and lower the tongue jack to lower the boat trailer away from the boat. The weight of the keel will be on the cinder blocks. Move your bow stand up under the hull, re-tighten, and then reverse the process just described.

This is also an easy way to polish out the scuffs that your bow stand may make on your hull.

Additionally, this is why the two piece winch and bow stands work better than a single piece. The single piece with the winch and the bow stand mounted together will actually flex backward with the tension of the winch attached to the bow eye. When you loosen up the tension and/or pull up the ramp onto flat ground, the backward flex releases and you get the gap.