Power loading is what I used to do at the Portage, IN Municipal Marina with my Fountain. I normally had to powerload to get the boat to set right in the bunk and the v-bracket by the bow, but the shortness and steepness of that ramp meant having to REALLY punch it. Which got me kicked out by Mr. Angry Launchramp Guy. Which I couldn't have cared less about, because I sold the boat anyway.

Where are you having trouble Dan? Racine?

Maybe in some parts. But ive been plenty of places and never felt the need. Get the bunks wet float to the bow stop winch the last 3-4ft. Personally Im more concerened with ruining my boat against something or the trailer then the launch. And I have seen so many people short cut loading and unloading boats with using power or unhooking and let their boat slide in the water, and many them wind up with a boat on the pavement, dents, scratches, etc, all because they didnt want to get a little wet or take some time.

tell him to f off, until he starts making payments on your boat it's none of his business what you do with it

ps i'd bite your avatar's ass so hard, it would have teeth marks in it for a month...

My launch has three lanes and the first one has a concrete/steel pier alongside it. It is also partially blocked by a floating dock attached to the pier. I always use the furthest lane away from that. The launch is also positioned in the end of an inlet and space is somewhat limited. Common courtesy is to drop your truck driver off at the dock and get your boat away from the ramp as to not screw anyone up… The bass boat guys don’t get that either… Oh wait, I have a bass boat so MOST of the bass boat guys don’t get it…

I always submerge the bunks to reduce the friction then, I pull back up. We also take every new boat down as early as possible in the spring, preferably on a week day and I’ll spend a couple hours training her when there is no one else around. This may involve 20 – 30 loads and unloads but when the place gets busy, there’s no room for error! Plus, in my world training is everything! This has been the process for over 20 years and we never had a trailer issue (knock on wood)… We are literally in and off the trailer in less than two minutes and back on and out in less than three minutes.

out of curiosity how dows this damage a concrete ramp?

There is an end to that ramp somewhere, more than likely. The "dredging" effect of the prop washed water would remove the silt from the end of the ramp; wherever it is; and deposit it into a nice "shoal" right where everyone least wants it.

There are MANY different kinds of ramps. The ramps at Lake Cumberland and the other lakes that have huge water level fluctuations (20-50 feet) are sometimes 200-1000 feet long. Obviously this is not as big of an issue; as compared to a marina that barely has 3-4 feet of water, especially in drought conditions.

(There is one ramp that I use that used to be a road from one end of the lake to the other, before the lake was flooded. Not an issue there. :D )

Here are a couple photos from last fall when the water was down 7'. I'm not sure where the concrete ends but I've never seen it in my lifetime.


[ATTACH=CONFIG]521358[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]521359[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]521360[/ATTACH]

[QUOTE=Scagburner;4100153]Here are a couple photos from last fall when the water was down 7'. I'm not sure where the concrete ends but I've never seen it in my lifetime.
I have many times , but through a scuba mask . The corps planned well when they installed those ramps , you'd be surprised just how far they extend . Most are full of prop tracks in the concrete as you probably noticed when the water level was down .

That was funny :
"you`re banned from this launch!!!"
" Thats ok I` sold the boat anyway"
lol


It was at Racine.. some hater, told me if I can afford a boat like that I should be able to afford an electric winch.
It`s an '86 buddy.

om my dads couugar we use to have a pump sprayer filled with dish soap and water..my job was to spray the forward bunks..boat would winch up with ease..he would also burry the bunks under the water b4 i started spraying..