First Boat Float Check

09-28-2025 - Today my son and I took our first boat out for the float check at one of the local lakes. I am new at towing trailers but after I few tries I was able to get the trailer into the water. The lake level was low so the boat ramp was extremely shallow but the boat is light enough to just pick it up off the trailer and place it in the water. I let it sit there for a minute to look for leaks from the bottom and noticed that it floats empty in about 1 1/2 inches of water.

I climbed into the boat and grabbed the push pole from the side clamps, extended it out and started out into the lake. As I’m leaving the ramp area, the boat becomes hard to pole. Apparently there is a mud bar just below the surface. I rocked and poled the boat across the mud bar into the lily pad covered lake.

I realized that floating across lily pads is harder than it looks. It takes a little more effort to push across them. As the water got deeper I switched from the push pole to the paddle, it too is telescoping so I extended it out to have a comfortable stroke. That worked well. Still no leaks (which is really great to me since I’m heading into deeper waters).

After I get past the lily pads the boat cruises with a stroke of the paddle. It only takes a few strokes to be close to the center of the lake.

Instead of turning the boat around, I walked to the other end of the boat and started paddling back to the shore.

As I got closer the shore and the water was more shallow, I switched back from the paddle to the push pole. I pushed back up to the boat ramp but this time I went around the mud bar.

I never moved the truck after we launched the boat (as you can see in the pictures, we are alone in the lake). When I got back to the ramp, we picked the boat up again and placed it on the trailer and winched it tight.

I pulled to boat up to the top of the landing and strapped the back of the boat back down and heading back to the shop. It was a great day. I can’t wait to take it out again.

Arrived for float check.

Interior of boat with paddles, push poles and seats all stowed against the sides.

Heading out from the boat ramp, 200 lb man and no leaks (that’s me) hitting a mud bar.

Past the mud bar and heading out.

Heading towards the middle of the lake.

That little speck out in the middle is me and the boat.

Heading back to shore.