The 5 steps for getting back on land

You had a successful day fishing—your teeming livewell is proof of that! Your favorite lures worked their magic as they always do, and you’re already planning an amazing fish supper. Your day was simply perfect, and now it’s time to head back home.

You’re tired but still riding the waves of excitement from reeling in such a great catch. You could easily forget one or two of the steps to follow to get your boat back on land. Whether it’s your first, second, or thirtieth time out, it’s always wise to follow these five tips when you’re ready to come ashore.

Plan the perfect exit

To avoid making waves, approach the ramp slowly. It’s the courteous thing to do. Take the time to get your boat fenders out so you’re ready to moor. If someone is with you, they should disembark and get the vehicle. Once it’s your turn, the person driving the vehicle should reverse the trailer onto the ramp until it’s completely submerged. The carpeted bunks are more slippery when wet. Your helper can then drive forward so the side guides are out of the water.

A strategic approach

While lining your boat up with the trailer, you must always take the waves and wind into account. If the water is choppy, roughly calculate how that will affect your boat. You may even have to line it up to the left or right of the trailer. The key is to allow for drift so you’re directly in line with the trailer by the time you reach it. If it looks like your calculations were off, try again. It gets easier with practice. Don’t panic if you have to start over a few times. We’ve all been there!

Follow the guide

Once your boat is on the trailer, keep the engine running slowly so it stays in place. Once it’s positioned properly, check that you can see the guides on each side. If you can see one but not the other, your boat is probably misaligned. Reverse slowly and line the boat up again.

Winch it!

Now you’re ready to attach the boat and tighten the winch. Exit the boat and tighten it as much as you can. If it’s taking a lot of effort, your vehicle needs to back up more. Slowly reverse while paying attention to how the boat is moving. It could float off the trailer. If that happens, you’ll have to start over. Once the winch is nice and tight, you can lift the engine and drive off the boat ramp. If you’re usually alone when taking your boat out of the water, there are guide rods you can buy and install on the trailer to help you at this tricky step.

End the day the right way

Closing your boat up is a vital step in making sure everything goes smoothly on your next excursion. Start by taking everything out of the boat. Then do an inspection to check for anything that needs repair before you go out again. Don’t skip this step. You don’t want any nasty surprises next time. Also remember to remove the bilge plug, attach the tie downs for transporting the boat, and put the trailer cover on. Now you’re ready to drive safely home!

We hope your first experience getting out of the water was as successful as your day on the water with a Princecraft^®!