I finally broke down and bought a livescope setup for my boat, I had to do some you tubing to figure out how to use it, nobody seemed to have the time to go out with me and show me some pointers but I got it somewhat figured out.
I mostly got it to map and find the brush in my pond, I have an astronomical amount of sunken brush, treetops and more falling every windstorm that I couldn't keep track of it all.
As for the op, Catscratch, the first thing to do if you want to have less work involved in taking stuff into and out of the boat, the first heavy cumbersome thing to leave in the dang boat is the battery, a simple little solar panel setting on the hand rail or seat of your boat will have your battery fully charged in no time and ready to hit the water again before you are.
I started doing the solar panel thing and haven't lifted that dang heavy battery out of the boat since, been several yrs and Ive never looked back and wouldn't consider going back to messing with the battery, connect a couple of clamps onto the battery posts and bingo, shes charging.
