Women, Boats and Trucks?

[Crappie_Express]

Fishing partner/girlfriend can't back trailer, can't drive boat. She has a lot of time on water with Ex and adult son. But, Ex and son always did the work. She want's to learn to fetch the truck and back the trailer down. She want to learn to offload the boat and pick me up at dock. She want's to learn to drive the boat on trailer. My other partners always know who does what!!! She doesn't need to learn to do it all. Does she learn to fetch truck and back trailer or put boat on trailer. Or does she need to do it all in case of high wind?

[CrappiePappy]

Fishing partner/girlfriend can't back trailer, can't drive boat. She has a lot of time on water with Ex and adult son. But, Ex and son always did the work. She want's to learn to fetch the truck and back the trailer down. She want to learn to offload the boat and pick me up at dock. She want's to learn to drive the boat on trailer. My other partners always know who does what!!! She doesn't need to learn to do it all. Does she learn to fetch truck and back trailer or put boat on trailer. Or does she need to do it all in case of high wind?

If you plan on keeping her around ... teach her to do it ALL !! I'd start with backing the boat/trailer (provided she can drive your truck). I'd take her to a empty parking lot & have her back the boat into several different parking slots ... progressing from very easy to slightly difficult. Then take her to a launch ramp for more advanced "training & testing". Once you're confident in her ability to handle launching the boat ... let her drive the boat, first off with little other boat traffic, progressing to more crowded conditions. Also teach her how to handle the boat at various speeds, how to trim it, how to "pop" the throttle into gear (& not ease it in gear), how the boat reacts to drift & slide (idle speed turns with wind/waves), and how the kill switch works. When she gets the hang of all that, then she is ready for training on how to drive the boat onto the trailer ... again, under easy conditions, first, then more demanding conditons.

She should also learn to go thru all the doing & undoing of all the straps, motor toter, plugs, winch, and all the other prep work ... prior to launching, & prior to hitting the highway home.

Sounds to me like she's feeling like she's being catered to (again) ... and wants to feel "useful/needed" & on a more equal basis, as far as being able to handle the situation, should you become unable to do so.

... cp

[kazualobzerver]

Two things can test the "boundaries" of your relationship with your spouse or significant other. One is letting her back your rig down the ramp, you'll find out real quick just how good the relationship is The other is going on a canoe float trip ("no the other side dam it" ) You're a better man than i am, i just ask her to hold the boat at the courtesy dock. And have her hold the dock from inside the boat, they're less likely to turn loose if they see themselves drifting away when it's windy.

[Bulletman]

Kaz, to expand on your scenario--- Letting her back the rig down the ramp is bad enough, having to TEACH her how to back it down will STRAIN a relationship!

I vote to teach her all of it, if she's still around after becoming an expert at all things fishing she's a keeper

[Jigging15]

Very well said CP. Wonderfull that she is willing or wanting to learn. Shows she takes Interest in what you two are doing. Sparrowfoot is a great place to teach her. Two ramps to use and a huge parking lot along with usually not to busy. I think it is great to have someone to know what to of something was to happen to the primary driver on the water. Could mean the difference in getting back to the ramp safely or just floating around if something bad happened while out fishing. I always show whoever is with me the trails on my gps and how to follow it to get back to a ramp. Best of luck on the training.

[BarryG]

What CP and Jigging15 said! You never know what will happen! It is always better to have two people that can handle the boat and truck if something BAD happens.

[DMW1960]

What CP and Jigging15 said! You never know what will happen! It is always better to have two people that can handle the boat and truck if something BAD happens.

X2 And if she don't work replace her and find one that does work out!

[keeferfish]

It will be nice if she knows because if you keep her around long enough she OWNS HALF ANYWAY!

By the way KAZ even holding it to the courtesy dock has caused a little strain in my life from time to time.

GET A ROPE!

[perchplucker]

Ok now the womans point of view. I drive the truck and pull the boat all the time. I always drive up to MT and husband drives back. We live out in the sticks with plenty of room to learn to back it up. I learned just backing down our driveway. Just go slow. When first learning at ramps I wouldn't try if other people where at the ramp. It would take to long and would make a me nervous. Make sure when you start to teach her you have the boat lined up straight. Also tell her to hold the steering wheel at the bottom with 1 hand that way which ever way her hand goes that is the way the trailer will go. Let her go at her own pace. I am still slow at backing down ramp but I can do it. Have driven boat some. Need to do it more. But I could manage to get it all done if in an emergency. Good luck and remember YOU had to learn also.

[Joedog]

<rant>

Above all else, be patient with her! I mean, I've seen some pretty ignorant behavior from people launching/loading (most of the time men!) but worse than any of that is when I see someone sitting in his boat b-@%*$-g at his wife. I swear I'm gonna punch one of those guys someday. No excuse. All that says is "I'm too stupid and lazy to teach her anything, so I'm just gonna humiliate her instead." .

</rant>