Launching by yourself?

[Brent Bartman]

GUYS IF YOU ARE GETTING MAD AT SOMEONE STRUGGLING AT THE RAMP. LEND THEM A HELPING HAND AND TEACH THEM. WE ALL REMEMBER HOW STRESSFUL OUR FIRST TIME WAS. DONT SIT BACK AND LAUGH.

I unload my boat by myself my prepping everything. i take about a foot of slack in the bow hook and leave the winch in lock. that way the boat wont pull out the strap. I slowley back down as normal untill i wet the boat. then I slowely back down untill the boat starts to float. When I say slow i mean SLOWWWWLEY.

I put the truck in park. engage the parking brake. then let of the brakes. i get out and start the motor. no point of launching untill the motor is running. especially because my boat is almost impossible not to power load. IT WILL TAKE MORE TIME TO RELOAD YOUR BOAT WITH NO MOTOR THAN IT WILL TO TRY AND GET IT STARTED FOR A MINUTE OR SO. with newer motors its not a big deal. how ever older 2 strokes can take some time. I think this is important 

 

I then unhook the boat and back it off the trailer. Pull up to the dock and tie off the boat. then hop in the truck and park. I can do this is about 3 minutes.

Things I have learned. 

 

Its 2016 and everyone has smart phones. download a checklist app and use it.

Always check everything. Everytime. double check triple check. at first I was so stoked to get it into the water. Now i do my list. then check it again. it takes 2 mintues to walk around the boat and make sure everything is ready.

Im better off with the trailer further out of the water than in the water. Meaning if i swamp my fenders the boat wont load. I have found this true for most boats that are power loaded.

before you trailer double check your lights,Hitch pin, hubs,brakes what ever you have. I learned at the ramp my reverse lights we shorted and my surge brakes would keep locking up and i couldnt back the boat down the ramp

I learned to stage my mooring lines on the side of the boat i expect to tie up. nothing is worse that launching and realizing you have to dig thru your boat to pull out the lines. 

 

 

 

[Catch and Grease]

4 hours ago, South FLA said:

Wish I was this cool, but I am not.  I have left the plug on top of the bumper and forgot  plug before I left the house on a 45 minute trip to ramp, forgot to take rear straps off and wondered why the boat would not come off trailer, forgot the motor support was on, forgot to untie the front strap, forgot to trim motor up fully when leaving ramp (oops), busted my butt on a slippery ramp and saw by buddy require knee surgery after doing so, forgot to put  plug in, forgot to turn breakers on, etc etc.  I have learned a lot from my mistakes, I am sure as you get experienced you'll be as efficient as even the most seasoned veteran.   However, don't practice on a busy weekend or on busy ramp it could get you killed. 

http://miami.cbslocal.com/2016/04/14/man-run-over-at-holiday-park-boat-ramp/

Hahaha, I've left the straps on too, I felt so embarrassed, I was scratching my head wondering why the boat wasn't coming off the trailer until I realized the whole trailer was floating off the ground because I didn't unhook the straps lol

[Kevin22]

6 minutes ago, ww2farmer said:

I been doing it this way..........every day.......for 10+ years. Your concerns are noted. I'll bet 99% of those people with boats off the trailers had roller bunks. If an aluminum bass boat slides off carpeted bunk boards on my fairly shallow ramp, something will have gone terribly wrong. We can place a $100 bet right now that in the next 10 years of doing it my way, that boat will never come off the trailer.

No, none were rollers that I can remember. Most were deep V's on carpet bunks and flat bottom boat blinds on carpeted bunks. One was a pleasure cruiser on carpeted bunks... his actually bounced once and landed in the water and floated down river. Think of a 3,000lb hammer hitting a piece of aluminum, it about made me mess my shorts when I heard it. 

All were pulling out just like you described. Most had someone in it, did the old drive her on and yell to the buddy to pull it out. 

[ww2farmer]

1 minute ago, Kevin22 said:

No, none were rollers that I can remember. Most were deep V's on carpet bunks and flat bottom boat blinds on carpeted bunks. One was a pleasure cruiser on carpeted bunks... his actually bounced once and landed in the water and floated down river. Think of a 3,000lb hammer hitting a piece of aluminum, it about made me mess my shorts when I heard it. 

All were pulling out just like you described. Most had someone in it, did the old drive her on and yell to the buddy to pull it out. 

So do you want to take the bet or not? LOL

[Kevin22]

One thing to add. If you are backing up the empty trailer and get into a bind, don't panic.. Just put her in park and walk back and lift the back end of the trailer and move it over. That trailer won't weigh much at all. 

[Brew City Bass]

5 minutes ago, Catch and Grease said:

Hahaha, I've left the straps on too, I felt so embarrassed, I was scratching my head wondering why the boat wasn't coming off the trailer until I realized the whole trailer was floating off the ground because I didn't unhook the straps lol

LOL! 

[Brent Bartman]

1 minute ago, Kevin22 said:

No, none were rollers that I can remember. Most were deep V's on carpet bunks and flat bottom boat blinds on carpeted bunks. One was a pleasure cruiser on carpeted bunks... his actually bounced once and landed in the water and floated down river. Think of a 3,000lb hammer hitting a piece of aluminum, it about made me mess my shorts when I heard it. 

All were pulling out just like you described. Most had someone in it, did the old drive her on and yell to the buddy to pull it out. 

I think it depends on how deep your trailer is. 

My dad has a 25FT center console that because of the bow pulpit has to be power loaded with the trailer pretty far out of the water. when the boat is seated in the trailer so much of the boat is out of the water you never have to hook up the boat.

My 20FT skeeter once power loaded cant be powered off with out swamping the entire boat with prop wash.

I think with a smaller boat this would be an issue. but with large heavier glass boats on carpeted bunks its not a problem provided the trailer isnt all the way in the water.

4 minutes ago, Kevin22 said:

One thing to add. If you are backing up the empty trailer and get into a bind, don't panic.. Just put her in park and walk back and lift the back end of the trailer and move it over. That trailer won't weigh much at all. 

with a john boat sure. Im not a weak guy at all and tried this with a tracker 175 trailer and couldn't move it a bit.

[WRB]

A few added hints;

1. Check the fuel line and prime it. Turn the OB engine over, if it starts turn it off quickly, a few seconds will not over heat anything.

2. Put the dock ropes on the side of the boat you plan on tieing to before you luanch.

3. Think about getting trailer planks for your trailer tongue, they make it a lot easier to walk on the trailer to get into the boat.

4. Keep the engine running in gear at a fast idle when putting the boat back onto the trailer. This keeps the bow up against the trailer winch roller and easier to hook up.

5. Back down until the trailer fenders are about 1" above the water for most rigs. Get in the boat, start it and back it off. Same for putting the boat back on.

6. Keep a extra boat drain plug in the livewell, you can put it in the drain hole if you forgot to do it before launching from inside the boat. Practice this before it's an emergency.

Take your time, backing down takes practice and slow is the best technique. I watch 1 trailer tire and steer it using the method in the vedio.

Good luck.

Tom

[chris55552]

Always, and I do mean always use a safety chain or cable from boat trailer to vehicle.

[Further North]

On 5/3/2016 at 10:02 PM, Kevin22 said:

That is going to cost you some day. Seen plenty of boats laying on the ramp with 4-5 guys heaving on them trying to get them to the water. 

I sure agree with that.  I don't pull the boat up the ramp until the winch strap and the safety chain are hooked up

[Vayned]

From my experience make sure the boat is as straight as you can get it before driving it back on the trailer.

[Further North]

On 5/26/2016 at 7:52 PM, chris55552 said:

Always, and I do mean always use a safety chain or cable from boat trailer to vehicle.

One of the things that blows me away is the number of boat trailers out there with no safety chain...

[Airman4754]

Get a routine. 

My theory is if no one gets wet you're ahead of the game. 

[2tall79]

My biggest issue is launching on a ramp with no dock.  I really don't want to beach it on the rocks, but sometimes that's the only option.

[A-Jay]

6 minutes ago, 2tall79 said:

6 minutes ago, 2tall79 said:

My biggest issue is launching on a ramp with no dock.  I really don't want to beach it on the rocks, but sometimes that's the only option.

 

Shallow water anchors - like the Minn Kota Talons - can really help in these cases.

A-Jay

[slonezp]

9 hours ago, 2tall79 said:

My biggest issue is launching on a ramp with no dock.  I really don't want to beach it on the rocks, but sometimes that's the only option.

Shouldn't do much if anything to an aluminum hull and for fiberglass, they make keel protectors

9 hours ago, A-Jay said:

Shallow water anchors - like the Minn Kota Talons - can really help in these cases.

A-Jay

Ulterra all the way

 

["hamma"]

One thing no one has mentioned,..with the rope from boat to trailer method of unloading? I attached clips to the ends of the rope so im not fighting tight knots at the ramp.,. one clipped on the bow eye, and the other clipped to the safety strap I slowly float the boat, brake the truck, unclip from the trailer and walk the boat to the dock,... with the docklines already on the boats cleats , just tie off to the dock so others can use the ramp and go park the truck/trailer

I now have the ulterra but will still use the rope method as I refuse to rely on the tm as of yet,...its still new and I dont know how far away the remote will work,...I can see my boat floating away and me standing there looking like the typical $#^&head with nothing but a useless remote in my hand. I will try that commercial trick when i have someone with me to drive the truck and me on the boat first

[S. Sass]

1 hour ago, Keith "Hamma" Hatch said:

I now have the ulterra but will still use the rope method as I refuse to rely on the tm as of yet,...its still new and I dont know how far away the remote will work,...I can see my boat floating away and me standing there looking like the typical $#^&head with nothing but a useless remote in my hand. I will try that commercial trick when i have someone with me to drive the truck and me on the boat first

The maximum safe operating range of the Co-Pilot, Talon, i-Pilot and i-Pilot Link remotes is 30 ft.  

Wow surprised me only 30ft. That isnt far.  

[Fishing Rhino]

I use a line when launching by myself.  Experience has taught me that that line can be too short, not too long.  It should be long enough so that when the boat floats off the trailer, you can pull the trailer clear of the water without towing the boat to shore in the process.  At the very least, you need to pull the trailer forward, far enough to get at the line where you have it tied to the trailer.

Once you learn where the boat will float off the trailer, back up just short of that, then pull the trailer from under the boat.  It will leave the boat in place rather than drifting away from the beach.  Note:  be sure your tie downs are unhooked, and the winch strap is unhooked.  Oh, and be sure to remove the transom saver if you use one. 

Pay attention to the wind.  It can move your boat where you do not want it to go.  Plan accordingly.

["hamma"]

5 hours ago, S. Sass said:

The maximum safe operating range of the Co-Pilot, Talon, i-Pilot and i-Pilot Link remotes is 30 ft.  

Wow surprised me only 30ft. That isnt far.  

LOL ,...good thing i thought first,..i wonder how many guys are cursing that commercial,... stuck at the ramp til a good samaritan comes along and is nice enough to give them a ride to that brand new 65k boat floating away wayyyy over there, towards the rocks, in a 20 mph wind. now that I think of it?  Its not funny

[Further North]

10 hours ago, Keith "Hamma" Hatch said:

One thing no one has mentioned,..with the rope from boat to trailer method of unloading? I attached clips to the ends of the rope so im not fighting tight knots at the ramp.,. one clipped on the bow eye, and the other clipped to the safety strap I slowly float the boat, brake the truck, unclip from the trailer and walk the boat to the dock,... with the docklines already on the boats cleats , just tie off to the dock so others can use the ramp and go park the truck/trailer

I use the same method - but instead of regular rope, I use 1/2" bungee cord with clips on either end.