Launch process at the ramp?

dburne said:
Whoa, that had to be very scary - I probably would have freaked and watched the truck insert itself into the lake = whew, good job saving that!!
I never thought about taking wheel chocks, might not be a bad idea. Truck manual or automatic?
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Well I did hit the clutch instead of the brake when I jumped into the truck I had left the door open so that made it easier.

I am thinking it just slipped since I had not set the brake hard, if it had come completely off I think the truck would have been deep in the water in a few seconds, that would have been very very bad!
 
We do basically the same things for the prep. When we launch the boat though I back the trailer down the ramp with blower running when the boat is in the water the wife lowers the drive starts the engine I winch the boat off the trailer then she moves the boat away from the dock so other people can use it. I park the truck and when I'm back at the dock she pulls up to the dock and I hop in and we're off. I prefer doing it this way because the boat never touches the dock, so we dont need to use the bumpers and we don't tie up the dock for other people in line. When we load out she drops me at the dock and moves away from the dock again. I bring the trailer up and wait for a lane to open up then I back the trailer in she brings the boat up drives on the trailer and I winch it on at the same time. Again the boat never touches the dock and the ramp is only occupied for a couple minutes.

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Very similar to my method torch, with the exception I have to do all the boat driving. My wife is terrified of trying to drive the boat and wants nothing
to do with that part of it. At least I have got her where after I launch the boat with me in it, she can park the truck and trailer.

Upon return, she holds the boat at the dock while I back the trailer in, then I return to the boat and drive it on the trailer myself, and she hooks and winches it up.
 
For the record, we do not use the 38 step process I listed. When I'm launching, the longest process is parking the truck, which is about 50 yards away. Everything is prepped before hand.

Retrieving takes a couple of minutes because I don't power retrieve. So an extra minute of cranking time or so. I have a 2 speed winch which helps speed things up.
 
Have a house in Sarasota, where is the location for the "launch watching" you guys enjoy? Sounds like fun.
 
Couple of differences for me and it's still a evolving process as I'm learning to do it myself (if I can ever get her ready). I live really close to one lake so I do all my prep work at the house. The only thing I add when at the lake is the PFDs and towels. One thing I absolutely will not do is have ANYONE in the boat besides me when launching. Passengers can board when she's floating and running on her own power. Seeing the whole family jiggling around in the boat as its flying around the parking lot on the trailer seems really unsafe.
 
OllieC, I love your sense of humor! Of course what makes a joke funny to me, is the element of truth in it!!!

When we bought our ’94 SR 200 BR Sig, it was brand new, in fact I ordered it. When it came in, the dealer preped it and had it on the showroom floor by the doors waiting. (If I was him, I would have done the same thing! It was a gorgeous boat...! Sorry, I digress) I really had never trailered before, so he took us out, with my truck right from the showroom floor.

He explained how to launch it, how deep to put the trailer in, what to have ready etc. This was all great advice, since the only boating I had done prior, was at our lake house, where the boat was always in, except for the beginning and end of the season, and dad and my uncles all were doing that. After taking us out for a spin and showing us all the features of our boat, we returned and he showed us how to load the boat. I used his method for all the years I had that boat, it never failed once.

My point is, once you have a “system” stick to it. All of the advice given here is excellent, which is what makes this forum so great. That dealer taught me, and everyone is here tryin to teach all who listen!
 
Late to this party. Dennis mentioned leaving the strap and safety chain in place while backing the trailer at launch. I've done that, and many times the chain gets trapped tight behind the strap hook when the boat floats. I've had to use a two by four to pound the safety out. That makes for some ramp laughs for the gallery.

With the carpet skids, I've not been too worried about the boat sliding off on the not very steep ramps I'm usually on. The strap is still in place and I make sure the ratchet lock is on.

I may have to look again at how I'm attaching the safety to avoid getting it trapped.
 
An addendum to the comment about the truck brake not being set and the vehicle rolling back.

Recently, I was in park and the brake was set and I could feel my nearly new truck sliding back. Scary.

The ramp had exceptional algae growth on it and was incredibly slick. The ramp is shallow, so the rear wheels had to be in the water, the fronts were sliding on wet pavement littered with some slime that other vehicles had tracked out of the water.

I put the truck in 4WD and was able to reposition on a dryer and cleaner spot.

Something else to watch for.
 
Make a checklist and follow it. Practice it on a slow day when the ramp is empty, and practice solo as well as with whoever typically boats with you. I camped at a state park this 4th of July weekend, so we launched and recovered the boat a couple times a day every day for 4 days, and I could barely control my anger every time. 80% of ramp users were clueless. Three lane ramp, never more than 2 in use because people can't back trailers straight. Last pull out of the weekend, both ramps occupied, another boat in position to back down when one finished. Lane opens up, and the guy then proceeds to get his family out of the truck and start prepping the boat. I'm already pissed because I've been waiting an hour, so I maneuvered around him, and when I got out to hook up the boat (gf drives the boat onto trailer since she can't back the trailer well yet) the guy starts yelling at me for taking "his" ramp. I smile, hook up the boat, and pull out before he even has his straps off.

While I was in the lot securing things, his wife did come over and apologize for her "___hole husband." I pointed out all the signs directing people to the ready area, she thanked me, and everyone moved on. Don't be that guy tying up the ramp.
 
Dave, if you first take the tension off of the strap (loosen it about a 1/2 crank, or so, but don't remove) the safety chain should come right out.
 
I'm a big believer in launching and retrieving with at lest 2 people. Sometimes it's just the wife and I, so I have to make some sacrifices since she won't back the trailer or dock the boat. I usually prep (not on the ramp) then get to the ramp and back the trailer down to the edge of the water. Then I get out and the wife takes the drivers seat. Once it's straight and she just has to back straight the last few feet, she's comfortable. And she's fine with going forward. I get in the boat, bow still attached. Guide her into the water just enough for me to get the drive down and start the engine. Once it's fired up and I know all is well, it unhook the bow and then have her back up until I feel it float a bit. I put it in reverse, if it doesn't easily back off the trailer, have her move back a few more inches. Once I'm off, she takes the trailer and parks while I sit out far enough away from the dock to allow others to use it. Once she parks and comes back to the dock, I come pick her up. If we have guests, this is also when they board. Sounds like a long process when I type it out, but in reality, it's 5 minutes tops. The process changes a bit if I have a fellow experienced boater, or trailer backer downer with me. Then I just stay in the boat until it's time to unhook and back off.

Pulling it out is a similar procedure. I or a friend gets the trailer in the water, then I drive on or winch on depending on the ramp and river conditions.

I have one rule that's probably overly paranoid that some don't follow. My rule is during this process, there is always someone in the truck. If there's a problem, like the e-brake cable snaps, I want a warm body in the seat able to react, not a scramble up a wet ramp in to the drivers seat of a possibly moving vehicle. That's a personal thing though, I realize not every can or does enforce that rule. I'm fortunate to have never had to launch or retrieve alone.
 
I always remove the back straps then back to the waters edge. I let out enough winch out to take the stress off the bow tower as the stern raises as it's backed into the water. Once the stern unloads off the trailer I attach the bow line and through it to the admiral or first mate on the dock. Then back down the final last bit, hit the brakes and she floats right off.

I learned a little lesson early on. I came to the boat ramp and a 24 was laying on the hard just at the ramp entrance. Seems he unhooked the bow strap and began to back up. Problem was he had a roller trailer. He could not back fast enough to keep up with the fleeing boat.
 
I know some guys swear by roller trailers, but I won't own one. I guess it all what you're used to. I've never had a problem with bunks, I'll keep buying bunk type trailers.
 
Our first boat, the old 90 180 BR we got rid of when we bought the new Sport 190 this year, had roller trailer.
I am so, so glad now I have a bunk trailer, so much better.
 
On my second roller trailer & I like it a lot. I wouldn't kick a bunk trailer out of the driveway though. :)
I have 43 rollers supporting the hull. With a bunk trailer with 2x4's on the flat the only thing supporting it is where the brackets are as the 2x4 just bends. Now a bunk trailer with 3x6 or larger bunks on edge, That's a different story. On a light boat it probably does not matter though.
 
OldSkool said:
I have never owned one but hear that the hull will memorize the rollers and begin to dimple at each roller. Is this true?
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It depends on the way the boat is built. I've seen some boats develop a noticeable rocker in the aft end of the hull bottom - sort of a like a wide "dent". In most cases, they will eventually work their way out and "rebound" to the original shape - sometimes not. Given my occupation, I see a lot of boats on trailers - probably moreso than most people. I have NEVER seen a Sea Ray exhibit this issue. Roller trailers are more expensive than bunks - and obviously a selling dealer would make a little more money selling a roller trailer. The ONLY time I recommend a roller trailer is if a customer will be launching/retrieving (on a regular basis) into shallow water where they can't drive/float the boat off. I do, however, think the plastic skids/toppers that can be put on bunks are FANTASTIC. I even put them on my own trailer.
 
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I launch and retrieve solo all the time because my wife isn't comfortable with any part of it (backing the trailer or parking it and she won't dock the boat). I currently have a roller trailer and prefer it for solo launching because it's very easy to manually winch with only the rear-most bunks in the water and the boat pretty much centers itself on the rollers.

Here's a tip that I do when I launch solo... I loop a long dock line to the the stern cleat on the dock side of the boat and run it up to the bow so I can hold it when I push the boat off the trailer. I loop another dock line to the bow cleat and secure the other end to winch post as a safeguard so the boat doesn't go floating off without me. Once I push the boat off and it's floating I have both lines in hand and I can walk to the dock and guide the boat like a puppeteer and get it secured to the dock. I then start the boat and let it warm up while I go park the trailer.

I do the same thing in reverse for retrieving -- use the dock lines to guide the boat to the trailer. I can pull the boat until it's snug against the rear rollers and secure it tightly to the winch post with the bow line. This allows me to attach the winch strap to the bow eye without worrying about the boat floating away.
 
Lazy Daze said:
Dave, if you first take the tension off of the strap (loosen it about a 1/2 crank, or so, but don't remove) the safety chain should come right out.
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Just saw this two years later! I still had not figured this out on my own! Duh! Thanks, yet another boating tip learned!
 
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