Ramp Antics and More Lessons

I’ve described what a stressful procedure it is to tow a boat and back it up down a boat ramp. Well, it’s nothing compared to having to retrieve the boat and not having anything but an “idea” of how it’s supposed to be done.
On our maiden voyage when it was time to return to the ramp my performance was not the best of it’s class. I was told to “Power Load” the boat unto the ramp so first I had to get the SUV and back it into the water. Get out of the truck, run to the dock and bring the boat in. I was able to “Power Load” it on my second attempt. I secured the boat and when I went to pull it out the SUV would not budge. I realized that Rosemary in an attempt to help me by backing the vehicle had pulled the emergency brake on. I realized this and took drove the boat out of the water to be washed down and get the engine flushed.
We accomplished this in a timely manner. There were other’s waiting but as I drove off I was hailed by another boater because I had not bought up the engine for trailering! WOW! That indeed would have been disastrous. It could have damaged the engine and even torn off the transom.
I later discovered that “Power Loading” is definitely not recommended nor safe. Winching up the engine may take a longer time but you have to remember it’s your safety and your investment at stake. The onlookers can wait an additional five minutes.
Why You Shouldn't Power Load
We survived the maiden voyage and I took that Monday off to enjoy an outing with my girlfriend. We had a very nice day and even the Ramp Antics were toned down.
That week I decided to purchase a Depth/Fish Finder and began my shopping. Once again using the Red Laser ap I found a Lowrance Mark 5X for 150$ at the GPS Store. I chose the Lowrance model because of it’s 5” screen. I got it in monochrome because honestly who really cares about seen the screen in color. I figured that I would using the unit to keep track of the depth instead of actually finding fish. Till now I’ve used it just for that and now that I am actually fishing I use it to evaluate the bottom. Beware of on line pricing because many times these units are “Factory Serviced”, meaning “ReBuilt” or do no include the transponder.
Lowrance Unit Write Up May-2013 on Amazon.com
Adequate with Flaws…
I purchased this unit a year a go and within a month, due to my negligence, it was submerged and did not work. I mailed it to Lowrance for service/replacement. I received the unit back in an adequate turn around time. Remember this is warranty work and you are not dealing with a short order fry cook! I am not sure if the unit is the same one I send in but they stated that it would not be covered any more under the warranty. I have been quite careful ever since.
I regret not purchasing a fishfinder/chartplotter combo unit and for the most part I use the unit as a navigation aid. I done most of my fishing in the Biscayne Bay area and keep an eye out on the depth when navigating. I usually plan my trip, arrive at the spot and troll around while using the unit to get a feel for the bottom by observing the screen. I use the Navionics Ap on my Galaxy Note along with four batteries as a GPS (I spend up to 12 hours at a time out) This method has saved me over 300$ from buying a combo and allows me to plan my fishing trips in the comfort of my living room-but I still would have enjoyed having the combo!
I don't have any complains about the screen's visibility in bright light. It usually sits in the shade of my bimini top. At times I have gotten erratic depth readings (2 ft in 14 ft water) but it happens temporarily and it's not a chronic problem. I would think that it has to do with the transducer or voltage irregularities from the boat batteries.
As described by other reviewers the instructions are very basic but with practice and fisherman's patience you will be able to figure them out and apply the features to your specific needs. I know that I have not exploited all the features this device offers.
As noted at the beginning I regret that I did not purchase the FF/GPS combo. Tight lines.