A BIG round ouf applause, please!

[Mark Hofman]

Just so y'all know, my lovely and indispensable wife, Rachel, successfully backed our boat trailer down the ramp all by herself -- with my father watching -- for the very first time on our vacation a week ago. The only other time she attempted this with other people watching, she nearly jacknifed it before letter her own father take over.



She now knows how to back the trailer down the ramp (pulling it UP the ramp is much easier, so that's assumed), start the outboard, get the boat up on plane, and run it at WOT. She's working on learning to operate the trolling motor and fish at the same time.



All I need to do now is teach her to drive it off and onto the trailer, dock it, maneuver in wind and current, and park it in our garage. Then she'll be ready to SOLO!

 

[Texas Transplant]

You teach her too much stuff, and she won't be a needing you! Mine will never, and I mean never, be able to back it in. We won't even go there. In fact, we won't be having her drive it up the ramp either - trailer empty or full.



However, she does take care of putting the boat on the trailer, while I handle the towing rig. She does that pretty good now. Last time out, she got the boat all the way on the 'bunks', and butted up properly so all I had to do was connect the strap, and get it snugged up.

 

[Barry Loos]

Having a spouse that is competent at the ramp will preserve a marriage and the boat.



Congrats to Rachel.



Bear

 

[Greg Meyer]

Having a competent (at the ramp) spouse leads to things like,,,(seen at the mall) a Porsche with a plate that read, "WASHIS"....remember who owns Roland Martins' Marina and Guide Service.... Be careful out there MO she mightn like that boat too much...and you too little....

 

[TrepMan]

MO - Congrat's on Rachel's back-down, now get her her own ID on this site and let her post the TRUTH!!



Beka will NOT try to back it down, i've begged her. She can easily drive it into the water (that trailer not the wagon) once i've backed it down to the end of the ramp and pull it out with no problem.



Funny - I had a very easy time teaching Beka this spring how to drive the boat OFF the trailer and to the dock, but she's afraid to try driving it back on.



Maybe it was Mac's Hat that gave her confidence!!!

 

[Mark Hofman]

Trep:



Whaddaya mean, post the TRUTH? I ALWAYS post the truth!

 

[Mark Hofman]

(With that comment, keep in mind that all fishermen are liars. It's our best skill.)

 

[Mark Hofman]

Thanks, outsider. When we got serious about buying a boat, Rachel asked, "Is this going to be your boat, or OUR boat?" It is definitely OUR boat. As soon as she is comfortable will all of the aspects of towing, storing, launching, recovering and operating the boat, she can take it out with HER friends. We are even considering a tube and ski-bar so that the girls (who don't like to fish) can just scoot around the lake having fun. If she can get to a point where she enjoys the rig as much as me, then upgrading later on will be less of an issue.



Greg: I'm not worried about losing her or the boat. I'll give up the boat before I give up on us. And I have no intention of giving up the boat!

 

[Rob LaMoy]

SWEEEEEET! The true sign of a perfect wife. Hey does she clean fish too? Say "no"! That would be too much, and we'd all be jealous!

 

[Mark Hofman]

No, she won't clean fish. She'll catch them, but its my job to clean and cook them.

 

[Rob LaMoy]

OK, how about gut deer? Or how's here mallard call? But for real, my wife takes darn good care of my hunting dogs. Though she hates to admit she really likes them. They have to sleep in the kitchen per her request, but I came home early one night from a week long business trip to surprise her, and my 50lb german short-haired at the foot of my bed who hadn't heard me come in! LOL When daddy's gone, pups sleep in the bedroom. And I'll tell you what, I've been around those dogs a long time, but startle one in the middle of the night and that deep growl takes a whole new meaning! LOL

 

[Carli Drake]

Way to go RACHEL!!!! Yeeee haaaa!

Gee Mo watch out! She'll get real good at it and she'll want her OWN boat!!!!



Carli

 

[Rob LaMoy]

Cool, dueling boats! Then you can see who can launch or load the fastest. Then before you know it, you'll be having inter family tourneys! Oh this is not good MO. Every time I put a woman in my boat, she out fishes everybody. Not good, not good at all MO! Really, tell her congrats and stay encouraging. I can't tell you the number of times I sat on the ramp and watched some dingbat cuss out his wife in front of everyone as she tried to back in a trailer, only to yank her out to "do it himself" and then REALLY bind it up! LOL Crow tastes best when served fresh and hot by your wife I hear!

 

[Andrew Zuber]

Awesome MO!

My wife loves to go out on the TV-18, but is not too keen about ins/outs or even driving it (she nearly killed me last summer on the tube!)

However, my boy (just turned 11 last week) has the boat down pat! I back him down the ramp, he starts it up, gets stuff set up...by the time I get back from parking the Jeep, he's there to pick me up...drives it back on the trailer when we're done...nary a problem to date...sure saves time at the ramp! Especially during tournaments...



On the tube...I bought a bridle for the back of the boat...

works just fine for the tube...kids are talking about wanting to start skiing...may look into the ski pole...



az