Question about JD Power

[Bonibelle]

I have been around boats my whole life too and coming from a family of boaters, we have family rules...everyone complies with.
First..no one drives any water vehicle..even the jet skis unless they have had a boating safety course. My 15 yer old is studying for his boating license (in Delaware it is now required). People look at boats like toys. Boats don't have breaks...the rules of the road are different than automobile rules. Safety equipment is critical as well as communications equipment. My brother-in-law spent most of last Saturday towing some" happy" new boat owners in when their new boat ran aground and bent the prop. So it is also important to know the waterways and have a tide chart.
My sister holds the title of the best backer-upper as far as setting the trailer in the slip. I think that is a natural talent....
Brooke, my motherly advice is don't let your kids on your friend's boat until you are sure they know what they are doing and have all the required safety equipment.

[drewstar]

This one was floating around the net a few years ago....


Last summer, down on Lake Isabella, located in the high desert, an hour east of Bakersfield, California, a blonde (of course!!), new to boating was having a problem. No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't get her brand new 22-ft. Bayliner to perform. It wouldn't get on a plane at all, and it was very sluggish in almost every maneuver, no matter how much power she applied.

After about an hour of trying to make it go, she putted over to a nearby marina. Maybe they could tell her what was wrong. A thorough topside check revealed everything was in perfect working order. The engine ran fine, the outdrive went up and down, the prop was the correct size and pitch. So, one of the marina guys jumped in the water to check underneath. He came up choking on water, he was laughing so hard.


Under the boat, still strapped securely in place was the trailer.


 

[96SC]

First off, I am the worst trailer backer upper in the family, except my DW.

When my dad was teaching me how to back in a boat/trailer he told me, put your left hand on top of the steering wheel and rest your right arm on the back of your seat like your backing up a car.  Watch the back end of the boat, if you want the end to go right turn to the left and visa versa.

Move forward about 30 years and I'm teaching my son to back a trailer.  I give him the same 'schpeel' and he does OK.  Then he says, 'why don't you put your left hand on the bottom of the steering wheel and if you want the boat to go left move your hand and the wheel to the left?'  Makes more sense to me and my brain isn't 'cross-thinking'

Like Bonnibelle says, I think its a natural talent, cause both my sons are great at it.

[Brewman]

Some have the knack right off, and others, including myself, had to practice, practice and practice some more.  Best place is an empty parking lot.

 For me the hand on the bottom of the wheel is the method of choice- move your hand in the direction you want the trailer to go.  
 Another trick is to get the rig as straight as possible before going backwards, and realizing that it's easier to pull forward and start over than to try and recover if you mess up and get too crooked.

Having to back up from a very narrow bumpy county road into an extremely narrow and long driveway, out in the middle of nowhere, with swamp on all sides of driveway and road, in the dark gets you pretty well versed in the art of trailer backing.  

[Bonibelle]

I can remember trying again and again to line up a small trailer to pull out one of our row boats. I got so frustrated, I jumped out of the car waded out into the boat slip and picked the dam# trailer up and straightened it out!  Good thing it was a small trailer, and I was really mad...and I wonder why I have back problems

[Brewman]

I've been known to do that too, to lighter trailers.  Sometimes it's just easier to slide the darn things into place, especially if you can't see the trailer and there is nobody to holler directions to you.  

I have a lot of respect for those who drive commercial Semi rigs.  What those guys can do backing up a 50' trailer is almost art.

[96SC]

ROTFLMAO

I'm glad to see others have had to man/woman handle a stubborn trailer.  
This spring all I had to do was back an empty trailer into a very generous parking spot.  I got so mad I finally uncoupled it from the vehicle, grabbed the tongue of the trailer and physically pushed it into place.  Naturally it wasn't a small trailer and it was on loose gravel.  I don't know if I swore more trying to back it in or trying to push it into place.

The place I work has several truckers come in with the long trailers, I tell them how I take forever, going back and forward, getting my boat in the water or into a parking spot.  Their reply, naturally is, 'it's easy'. (Yeah, right)

[Chas]

My Aunt and Uncle own a place on the River in Stockton, Ca.  Camping, covered berths, restaurant and a launch ramp.

Every weekend the manager pulls at LEAST three cars or trucks out of the water with his little tractor. They don't set the brake, don't hit 'park,' or try to put in too large a boat with too small a vehicle - some of them just seem to go way too far in.

Fun to watch for the first few times, but they have had to do it every weekend for many many years now... gets old.

[Brewman]

Sounds like a business opportunity to me.  They could selectively choose to request a small fee for yanking someone out.  Personally, I'd be kicking my rescuer a few bucks if I got stuck like that.