Lee County Area Boat Ramps

1-   Bocilla Seaport

2-  Pineland Marina

3-  Matlacha County Park

4-  Old Fish House & Marina

5-  D&D Bait & Tackle

6-  Burnt Store Road

7-  Lee County Co-Op

8-  Monroe Canal Marina

9-  Causeway 3rd Span

10- Punta Rassa

11-  Cape Coral Yacht Club

12-  Everest Pkyw.

13-  Rosen Park

14-  Judd Park

15-  Centennial Park

16-  Ft. Myers Shores

17-  Marina 31

18-  Franklin Locks

19-  Alva Community Park

20-  Mullock Creek

21-  Weeks Fish Camp

22-  Lover’s Key

23-  Hickory Bridge

24-  Imperial River

Knowing the right way to handle and maintain your boat trailer is the key to a successful boating outing.  One of the worst thing that can happen during your boat’s journey is a breakdown. Visualizing you and your family sitting along side the road instead of cruising the water is a sight everyone would rather avoid. Give your trailer a thorough inspection before heading out to enjoy a day of fishing on southwest Florida’s beautiful water.

First check the tires on your trailer. Kicking the tires is not a method you should feel secure in using. You need to check the thread depth as well as he air pressure. Be sure to look at each tire’s sidewalls for any UV induced rotting or cracking. If you have any doubt about a certain tire it is better to be safe than sorry, replace the tire in question.  Remember to apply all this advice to your spare tire as well.  You can also check the alignment of your trailer wheels by using something with a straight edge and lining up the front and rear tires. Wheel bearings also need to be checked on a regular basis as well. There is a device called a Bearing Buddy that your local dealer can sell you. This device pressurizes grease in the wheel bearings so they do not fill up with water as you launch your boat. If you are not comfortable checking the wheel bearings yourself you can take you trailer into your local boat dealer or back to where you purchased the trailer.

Make sure the lights on your trailer work. If all your trailer lights are dead use a test light to check for good current. After doing this check for a broken or a corroded white ground wire on the trailer. Repair any corroded connections or shorts caused by the wires rubbing against the  rough trailer edges on the frame. You also need to replace cracked lenses before water enters in there and corrodes the bulb sockets . Trailer lights all need to be working properly to ensure the safety not only for you and your family but for  everyone else who may cross your path.

The brakes on your trailer also need to be inspected. Brake shoes need to be checked and adjusted as needed. Many boat trailer brakes are not self adjusting. Depending on the amount of wear your brakes will need to be adjusted from time to time. Over time your brake may corrode behind the drums and cylinders which will cause them to start leaking. Grease can be applied to the lug us and bolts to prevent some of the corrosion. If your trailer has surge brakes they require brake fluid. Check the reservoir and fill as needed. If the color of the fluid seems cloudy it is probably contaminated with water and should be changed. If it is not changed it could alter the trailers braking performance and cause a serious accident. Have the fluid bled and refill then entire system to assure your brakes will be operating correctly.

After checking all of the above , do a general walk around inspection. Tighten every bolt you can find. Check for broken springs or cracks while doing this walk around inspection. Make sure the fenders as well as the bow supports are secure. Always check your transom tie downs for wear and tear. Ok, you are now confident your trailer is in good shape and ready to hit the highway. It is wise to carry a tool kit so you will be ready to handle the most common trailer problems. Carry a spare tire this may seem obvious but how often do we see abandoned , one wheeled trailers left on the road side. If your trailer did not come with a spare tire buy one. lug wrench is the next thing your tool kit needs to have. Do not assume the lug nuts on your trailer can be loosened with the wrench you use on your tow vehicle. One set may be metric and the other may not be. A jack is a must as well . Make sure you have a jack that is rated to lift your trailer. It has to be short enough to get under the axle or frame yet still needs enough reach to get the tire off the ground.

Always carry an air pressure gauge to make sure the tires are filled with the proper air pressure. And last but surely not least a lamp repair kit should round out your tool kit. One of the most common trailer mishaps has got to be non functioning lights. You will need a self powered test lamp to locate your broken wire. Spare bulbs, both male and female trailer light wire connectors, wires, wire strippers/ crimper tool, electrical tape, spare fuses for turn signals and brake lights and last but not least a good sturdy flashlight. It is always better to be safe than sorry so if there is something you feel needs to be in your tool kit make a point to have it there.

Take that extra time to assure your trailer is secure before you start singing that ever so popular song  by Willy Nelson that goes something like this “ On the road again, I just can’t wait to get on the road again,” Be safe  and get out and enjoy the month of March on the water it offers some of the best fishing of a wide variety of inshore fish such as snook, redfish, sheepshead, pompano, and trout while offshore in March be looking for kingfish, mackerel, cobia , snapper, and grouper but be sure to remember the regulations of each fish before taking them home for dinner.

After you have inspected your trailer and are  ready to hit the road make sure you are extra cautious on wet roads, sudden braking can cause the trailer to push the back of your vehicle into a jack knife skid. Always be able to anticipate situations that might cause for sudden braking. Leave plenty of space between you and the next vehicle ahead of you. Additional mirrors can be installed on your tow vehicle to cover that large area of your blind spot and help you see the position of your wheels in tight maneuvers. You have to learn to swing wide when towing a boat to avoid clipping curbs or other vehicles in your path. When pulling into a parking lot always determine the easiest way out. Avoid having to back up when possible. Always seek that tow-friendly parking spot. One last thing you have to remember when towing a boat is to measure your bridge clearance as well as clearance for all low hanging structures that could damage your boat which is usually taller than the tow vehicle towing it. I have personally seen some of the above mishaps and it is not a pretty site and can be quite costly as well.