Solo launching Jon Boat with no ramp and a small drop off and sand...Would this work?

[BT224]

This is a fantastic, well documented thread, I have been having the almost exact issue. Private lake and having to launch from the bank. Building anything permanent would be a huge waste, water levels vary so much through the year. I have been thinking through this for a while since everyone is getting older and pulling it out of the water onto the trailer is nearly impossible. If it's just me and the father in law, there is absolutely no way.

 

Don't want to try putting the trailer in the water. It can be very muddy and in places huge rocks. I feel like we would damage the trailer at some point. 

 

I need to go down and look at the trailer and get some measurements first, but in concept I was going to try something similar.

 

Two 4x4x8's, some short piece's of 2x4 in the middle to hold them together, like an "H" with 2 crosses. At one end brackets to attach to the back of the trailer. Maybe some handles on the side. A HF 2000lbs ATV winch with a 2" hitch mounting bracket. One of those 2 level hitch extenders on the truck, one for the trailer and one of the winch.

 

Back the trailer to the water, about 15 foot out. Drop the 4x4 contraption onto the back of the trailer, push the boat into the water.

 

Loading would be pull the boat to the shore, attach the winch cable and pull it up the 4x4's and on the trailer. Remove and strap the 4x4's onto the boat or in the back of the truck. Pull the winch and dual extender out of the truck before leaving the property. 

 

[E-H]

20 hours ago, BT224 said:

This is a fantastic, well documented thread, I have been having the almost exact issue. Private lake and having to launch from the bank. Building anything permanent would be a huge waste, water levels vary so much through the year. I have been thinking through this for a while since everyone is getting older and pulling it out of the water onto the trailer is nearly impossible. If it's just me and the father in law, there is absolutely no way.

 

Don't want to try putting the trailer in the water. It can be very muddy and in places huge rocks. I feel like we would damage the trailer at some point. 

 

I need to go down and look at the trailer and get some measurements first, but in concept I was going to try something similar.

 

Two 4x4x8's, some short piece's of 2x4 in the middle to hold them together, like an "H" with 2 crosses. At one end brackets to attach to the back of the trailer. Maybe some handles on the side. A HF 2000lbs ATV winch with a 2" hitch mounting bracket. One of those 2 level hitch extenders on the truck, one for the trailer and one of the winch.

 

Back the trailer to the water, about 15 foot out. Drop the 4x4 contraption onto the back of the trailer, push the boat into the water.

 

Loading would be pull the boat to the shore, attach the winch cable and pull it up the 4x4's and on the trailer. Remove and strap the 4x4's onto the boat or in the back of the truck. Pull the winch and dual extender out of the truck before leaving the property. 

It's quite a bit of pressure on the trailer with this method and the boat IMHO.  Can be done and I think the cross pieces/H part would help to keep it square.  I would also recommend adding some side guide rails on the extended piece (as well as the trailer - which I hadn't done).  Would have helped me quite a bit - especially with a flat bottomed jon boat.

 

For me the 2 big improvements for me are having a regular size trailer wheel near the tongue (I left the original trailer jack wheels) and side guide rails on the actual trailer...

 

Your situation is a little different with not wanting the trailer in the water.  I want my boat loaded on the trailer in the water and the front jack wheel will be right on the edge of the water.  The water is shallow at times, so it might be in a foot or 2 but only 10" water depth.

 

They do make those portable wheeled ramps but that probably wouldn't work with rocks too well and they are really expensive.

20 hours ago, BT224 said:

 

 

[Alex from GA]

You mounted yours differently but that's the method I used on pg 2 and it worked for me.  

[E-H]

4 hours ago, Alex from GA said:

You mounted yours differently but that's the method I used on pg 2 and it worked for me.  

Thanks for the original suggestion.  This was the easiest method for me.  I wasn't sure how to do the swing down part and the cost of this mount was cheap.

 

Can't wait to try it out in the spring...Is it spring yet?  Argh...Hate winter in the North East.