2017 AUGUST_AOEMAG

5. STICKTOONELANE Everyonehaspuledupandtherehasbenaboatthatisusing2lanestolaunchandhaseveryoneelse onstandbyjustwaiting. Thisgoesbacktopracticingsoyoucanpositionthetrailerinasinglelaneand notmultiple. 6. GETAWALKIETALKIE Getasetofcheapwalkietalkiestohaveoneinthetruckandboat. Therearetimeswhencelularservice isnotavailableattherampandtheremaybealotofnoisewherethevehicledriverandboatdriver cannot hear eachother. Insteadofyelingbackandforth, it issomucheasier tohaveaset walkietalkies whereyoucantalkbackandforthandhelpeachotheroutwithouthavingtoscreamateachother. 7. GIVEPEOPLEROOMWHENPARKING Onceyouhavelaunchedfindaparkingspotthatisnotdifficulttogetinandout. Ifthelotisemptythere isnoreasontoparkontopofadditionalvehiclesandtrailers,becourteousandgiveeveryonesome extraroomifposible. 8. WHENLAUNCHINGALONE Finally, acoupletipsiflaunchingalone. Makesureyouutilizearamponthesideanddonottakeupthe middleoftheramp, ifpossible. Ifthereisanareatobeachtheboat rather thantieuptothedocktakead- vantageofthat toopentherampupfaster. Beasfast andsafeasposibleifthereisalineofboatswait- ingtousetheramp. Don’tbeafraidtoaskforsomehelpifyouhaveabuddyattheramthatiswaitingto putin, wehavealbeenthereandnoshameingettingalittlehelp. Ifyouseesomeonethatishavingtroubleattherampdon’tgoofonthemandinsteadaskthemifyou canhelpoutandmaybeteachthemathingortwo. Wewerealnewtolaunchingaboatatonepointin ourlivesandhelpingsomeoneoutwilgoalotfartherthanjustyelingatthem!Staysafeandhavea goodtimeoutonthewater. BOATRAM ETIQUETT Oneofthemostfrustratingwaystostartadayonthewaterispulinguptotherampandhavingsome- onethatdoesn’tknowtheunwritenrulesofboatrampetiquete. Wehavealbentherewhensomeone isontheram andtheyhaveevery bac dp.Let’sgooverfewof ingsyoucand omakesur youarnothtpersonlowingdownotherslaunchingat ramp. 1. PREPBEFOREHAND Wheyouariveatthrampdonotpulstraightonotherampandstartpreparingtheboat. Thereisno nedtopreptheboatrightontherampwhenthereisnormalyplentyofroomintheparkinglotwhere youcangetevrythingreadyandnoteinheway. 2. HAVEAROUTINE Prephebafr thesameeachtimeyouariveatthelake. Thisisgoingtohelpyououtwith notforgetingtodosomethingbeforeyoupulontherampandlaunchtheboat. Startatthenoseofthe boatremovingthewinchstrap, workingdownonesidegetinglifejacketsout, workingtothebackre- movingthestraps,transomsaver,puttheplugin,primethefuelline,putthekilswitchin,turnyour graphsonandwhateverelseyoumaynedtodo. Ifitisdarkputyourlightsinnowandgivethematest beforeyouhitthewaterandrealizetheyaren’tworking.Theimportantthingistogettheboat100% readyforthedayonthewaterbeforeyoupulontotheramp. 3. PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE! Beforeyoutrytolaunchtheboatandbackthetrailerdowntherampheadouttoalocal parkinglotwith enoughroomandpracticebothlookingbackandusingyour mirorstobackthetrailer. Thiswilbeuseful forwhenyoupuluptoabusyrampandarecomfortablewithbackingatrailer. 4. TURNYOURHEADLIGHTSOFF Thisishugeespecialywhenlaunchingor loadinginthedark. Whenyouareabout toswingtolineupwith therampisthetimetoturnthemofandgowithjustyourhazardsorrunninglights. Onceyouareback- ingdowntherampthereisnouseforyourheadlightsandalyouaredoingisblindingtheotherpeople attheramptryingtobackdowntheramp.