I have a lot more control of the stern then I do the bow when I'm docking. In a current or windy day the bow goes all over hell when I'm trying to pull in to a slip. Backing in is much easier and the help can exit the boat quicker and assist.
Hey Cattitude, what's your price on a Whipple for a HP500EFI?

Thanks, Tom

Back it in. Easier loading and unloading. Everbody needs to be able to handle their boat that well.

I love this tread and this answer!

here's 2 more to back in..Ducks are less likely to shi* on my swim platform which is harder to clean (west coasters can swap duck with sea lion) and if I had #6's the guy trying to get 'em will probably hit his freekin head on the dock so I can find him face down as I sip my morning coffee!! Oh, one more. I seem to make more friends when backed in as the wife sun tans in her skimpy bikini.

that'a about it

I just like backing in. when i pull up and someone else is trying to nose in and having trouble. (pisses them off good)

As far as lifts go, we build a lift to back in or bow first, not either/or. A backin lift is built deep, there(SHOULDN'T BE) isn't any risk of gelcoat vs. steel or drive vs. bunks. I've lifted lots of boats on backins because the boat was longer than the slip roof and the owner would rather his bow be exposed to the weather and other boats than his stern. We call the manufacturer and find out the max draft wet and add some room for good measure. If you back in and hit your lift then you have a valid beef with the installer.
The last backin we did the drive depth was 39" full of fuel. The lift bunks are 60" under water. Please don't try to back over a bow first lift, I assure you it is a bad idea(as you'll find out when your engine dies).

$.02

Everybody backs in here.Just step right off the back of the boat . I can work on the drives from the peir.it would be nice to load from the side but the slip is to wide. We can let the boat down and use the swimplatform to sit on when we have peir partys

Double parked .

We even back in up to the sand bars in the no wake zones sand bars. Throw a anchor out front so the drive doesn't touch the bottom . That way we don't have to go across the front and it would be to deep to go off the back. Closer to the beer this way also