I trailer my 2012 R27 often to far away and unfamiliar places. Here’s how I find boat ramps.
1) Open the Aqua Maps navigation app on my iPad. I have both Active Captain and Waterway Guide data displayed on the app and look for boat ramp icons near my place of interest. I read the review data, if there is any, and then look at the ramps on Google Maps.
2) If there is any doubt about the suitability of the boat ramp, look for a nearby marina on Aqua Maps and call them and ask if the boat ramp is suitable for a 27’ boat on a 35’ trailer.
I used the above procedure to find this ramp very near St. Augustine:
Vilano Boat Ramp
https://goo.gl/maps/DY8saTQ9KCBX3xea7
Many municipalities do not allow long-term parking at boat ramps. You just have to find what agency controls it and call. The boat ramp mentioned above happens to have an on-site bait shop. They should be able to tell you about the ramp and parking. Their number: 904-217-3486.
On my recent Florida trip of nearly a month duration, I paid for off-site secure parking for my tow rig. Leaving an unattended tow rig long-term in a public parking area is asking for trouble. You just have to assess the area and your risk tolerance. I once had a spare tire and wheel stolen from an unattended trailer (not my Ranger Tug) at a boat ramp in rural Tennessee. That cost me $175 and I had no spare on a 250 mile trip home. Last year, I left my Ranger Tug tow rig unattended at a Michigan state harbor parking lot for a week with no problems.
If you don’t have Aqua Maps, it’s an inexpensive fully featured navigation app. Navionics is another fully featured navigation app. It was purchased from the original developer by Garmin and only displays Active Captain data. Active Captain is another of their properties Garmin purchased from its original developer.
If you don’t already have accounts for Active Captain and Waterway Guide, they’re both free to sign up
