It’s a common scenario. You pull up ready for a day on the water and the boat ramp is a circus. Gear, dogs, boats and people everywhere. You’ve done your due diligence and prepared your boat off to the side and are now ready to launch.
I’ve had a couple of stressful moments trying to back a trailer into some tight quarters. If you’ve ever been to the put in below Flaming Gorge on the Green River in the summer, you probably know what I’m talking about.
Luckily, I picked up a trick from a friend years ago when I first got my raft and trailer that always comes in handy.
Before you hit reverse put a single hand on the bottom of the steering wheel. Rather than trying to remember which direction you turn to make the trailer go the direction you want take that hand and put it to the side that you want the trailer to go. If you want the trailer to go right, use that hand gripping the bottom of the steering wheel and turn it to the right. Make sense? This way, you are coordinating with the direction of the trailer rather than going the opposite direction.
Remember, raft trailers and drift boat trailers are small, so they don’t need a lot of steering wheel movement. Also, when in doubt, reset yourself by pulling forward.
These tips will help make your boat ramp experience not only quicker but safer as well.