Knot to secure hook to bow line

[Jeff P.]

Hello,

I am going to do my first solo boat launch this evening.  I bought some rope and a hook to secure to the bow eye on the boat.  I plan to tie this off to the truck bumper, back down the trailer, and launch the boat with the rope attached to the bow eye.  I'll use the rope to secure the boat to the courtesy ramp while I park the truck.

What type of knot should I use to tie the "hook" to the end of the rope?  Just a regular double knot?

Thanks.

[Ben]

I think your trying to do this the hard way.  I unhook the tie downs, leave the winch hooked, back the boat in until the stern starts to float, step on the bumper and onto the trailer tongue to the bow of the boat, unhook the winch, and climb over the bow into the boat.  Back the boat off the trailer and dock/beach it, go park the truck and go fishing.

[abelfisher]

To answer your question, I have seen a double square knot come loose when wet.  In fact, i did that once and my boat came loose and started floating away.  I use a double clinch knot now!

As far as the way to launch your boat, if you can do the way Ben suggests without getting your feet wet, it is a better way.  If you cannot do it without getting feet wet, jeffp12 way is best.  I have had to use jeffs way more times than not.

[Skwerl]

how about a bowline knot?  :-/

[Muddpuppy]

I used a bowline on mine and haven't had a problem, it's hasn't given at all. I do the same as Ben on launching.

I did watch a guy one morning wheel in with a flat on his trailer, he undid the staps and tied the rope off to his truck. He then roared backwards until the trailer wheels touched the water and locked it up skidding to a stop. The boat flew off the trailer and all the way to the end of about a 50ft. rope. He got out of the truck pulled it to the bank. I almost fell out on the ground laughing. That's how he said he always does it minus the flat tire, but I don't think that was his first time like that, either. It was a fiberglass boat about like a Kingfisher.

[Flatfish]

I learned to braid lines together from a lineman for a electrical co, a loop braided in the end of a line with a hook/snap on it is the way to go. They are compact and won't ever ever pull loose. A quick search of the net would probally give a diaghram of how to braid the twisted nylon rope, when I do mine I put a piece of 1/2" shrink tubing on the rope3/8", braid a loop, trim the ends, tape the ends with a wrap of electrical tape, slide the shrink tubing up apply heat with a hair dryer and you have a loop that looks professional. I launch my boat about the same as explained without the flat's and skidding tires. Stop before the ramp unhook the winch, remove tie downs, get everything ready, attach the rope to the hook in front of boat ,the other end looped over the post for the winch, back down the ramp into the water until the boat is moving off the trailer, set the parking brake, remove the rope from the winch post and pull the boat to shore or dock, tie off and remove the truck from the ramp. And all of that can be done quicker than typing it. I am never on the ramp longer than 5 min, most of the time around 3. I don't like unnecessary delays and also don't like delaying anyone else,just the way I was raised.

[jb_from_texas]

I too have launched the way described and as Flatfish stated it is quick.

I believe an e-mailer sent a question about single-person launch into BassCenter several months ago and they described a launch just like Flatfish's.

There is no reason to "launch" or "throw" a boat off the trailer, just drive it in till it floats.

The only wrong way is one that takes too long.