Launching and Retrieving Alone

I could be wrong here, not being an aerodynamics expert... But when you trailer,, your tow vehicle will break up the airflow prior to it getting to the boat itself. When you are on the water, your boat has no windbreak and can obtain unobstructed airflow into the intakes. To me this is a fundamental difference. Not that I would chance NOT running the blower. Better safe than a mushroom cloud!

That's a good point and not being into how the wind acts I can't sat for sure, but I have 1 ton ford dually that is very low low to the ground and my boat sits very high. The air inlets are above the cab and total height of the boat including arch is to high for most gas stations. I have to pull my anchor light when traveling to clear everything. I can't store anything loose in the cockpit when I travel because it blows everything everywhere. Just keeping conversation going. :thumbsup:
 
Wow! Tons of good info!

I launch and land mine by myself. It's just easier that way since my sons are 11 and 13. As far as bunks being worse than rollers, not true. Mine are covered with HDPE and they're as smooth as rollers with more/better support. The Naval trailerables all have HDPE on the trailers in San Diego.

Have to laugh about the concerns with the wives here. I always see the men either arguing with their wives or them just doing it them selves. One one rare occasion, I DID see a single woman that did the entire ordeal on her own! Very regimented and detailed. So it's not impossible for a woman to deal with this. Teamwork would be the optimum situation. Both would be safer and both contribute equally. You can tell I'm single here.

On the bilge vapor, yes, airflow is completely different on the trailer. IMHO, the aerodynamics on boats are completely ignored when you read of the guys here that either have CO issues when cruising or have to run with the bilge blower on. MAJOR ISSUES!

Logically speaking, the engine is evacuating the bilge as it runs. Since it IS a huge air pump. Moving the engine comp air through the carb does pull the vapor from the carb into and out of the area. Unless there is a sizable fuel leak.

Right?

dg
 
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Great question. I learned years ago to plan the ramp/launch deal and prepare before I leave home. The steps I always follow are generally as follows:

  1. Make sure your boat starts and runs before you leave home.
  2. Have a set of tools and minor spare parts that stay on the boat.
  3. Once you arrive at the ramp determine from observation which side (port or starboard) you are going to tie up and place your dock lines in the cleats on that side.
  4. Transfer every thing that you are taking with you from your vehicle to the boat BEFORE aproaching the ramp.
  5. If you have a drain plug...make sure it is IN.
  6. Take your turn and back down the ramp. I try to not wet my hubs/bearings if I can help it (this varies with tides, ramp incline,etc)
  7. Carry and use wheel blocks under the rear wheels of your vehicle while on the ramp...this may save your life much less your whole rig in the event of a brake failure. I also tie a line to the blocks and attach to the hitch so as I pull up the ramp I retrieve the blocks. This keeps you in the vehicle untill you reach the top of the ramp anf can safely put them away.
  8. Let your vehicle rest against the parking brake and wheel blocks and NOT against the Park pin in an automatic transmission.
  9. Push you boat from the trailer while holding the bow line.
  10. Secure your boat to the dock, get in the boat and turn on the bilge blower (if you have'nt already). Move your vehicle from the ramp and park(and LOCK) your vehicle.
If you practice these steps you will get good at it and it will become automatic with you. Do it all in reverse when you come in.

Remember, courtesy on the water makes for a better and safer experience.:thumbsup:
 
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"Push you boat gently from the trailer while holding the bow line" that is not gonna work for most of us ( I trailer a 290)...what kind of boat do you have ?
 
He must also be putting in where there is not much current. Most of the places I put in you do everything he said up to push boat, where I am you get in boat and start engine and back off trailer and turn into the current, on incoming tide, until you get out past the dock then pull to dock under power to tie up. Most places there are no walkways to walk to boat out and the current would either push the boat into the walkway or drag you off of the walkway. We have to load and unload under power.
 
I launch and load my 260 solo all the time. The best piece of advice I have is to take your time and do not be rushed by the goof balls at the ramp. Once you establish a good mental checklist and learn to keep your cool, things fall into place just fine.
 
I launch and load myself and the tips on the above post are very good tips. The tip abput the trailer fenders just below water isthe key in my case. Practice, practice.
 
One thing that I use launching and retrieving our little boat, and would highly recommend, is wheel chocks behind the rear wheels of the truck. Just in case....
I agree wheel chocks. When I trailered my 22 cooper prowler with our trailblazer we were near the top of the trailering weight limit and the trailer was not set up with brakes. I often launched and retrieved alone and kept my rubber chock on the passenger seat . That way I could stop the truck and place it from my seat about 2 feet from where I needed to be to get the boat floating. Continued backing till my front wheel contacted the chock . Shift to park. Parking brake on then unhook the boat. Retrieval just the opposite and grab my block from the door on my way up the ramp.
Best thing is to have a regular drill you plan and follow every time when instated I used a checklist That began before hooking the trailer up at home and ended when it was unhookedand blocked in the driveway That way nothing is ever missed .
 
My first 2 boats had roller trailers. The third had bunks. I only launched it once (with help), and then got rid of that stupid trailer. Have had all rollers ever since. We always use ramps that have a dock alongside, and I routinely do it myself if I am going fishing alone.

Back in until the back roller and transom are just under water. Then unkook the bow eye and safety chain, give her a slight push and then walk out the dock to meet the boat as she glides by. I use 25' lines to make it easy. With the trailer in this position I can always walk behind the car since its still dry land.

For retrieval, first I pull out the winch strap and attach the hook to a u-bolt that I installed on the side of the trailer's fender. Then I back in until the last roller is just under water. The fenders are wayyy out of the water so its easy to step on them. Then I pull the boat up so the stem is between the aft roller bunks. That puts the bow eye right next to the fender. Then step on the fender, and move the hook from the fender to the bow eye. Walk to the winch stand and crank her up. The rollers are such that the boat self centers, even on a windy day.

Easy peasy...
 
Just understand that there will be some days where nothing goes right...and days where the boat seems as if its loading itself.

A few years ago, before everyone had a camera in their pocket, i witnessed the following total disaster...

A lake in our area is very popular with sail boaters. Lots of people use storage yard in the marina to store their boat on the trailer. Even some of the larger boats, like a Catalina 25' and such. Anyway, there is a ramp for the fixed keel boats. Very steep, so that you can get your boat deep quickly. Guy had backed his tailer down, stopping just as the truck was at the edge of the water. He set the brakes, got out, shut the door ... and watched the entire rig slide into the lake. Seems that in spring time there is a lot of moss growing on the ramp. Gets a little slippery.

Ever since then, I make it a point to keep the wheels on dry pavement, unless the ramp is a VERY gentle slope.
 
A few years ago, before everyone had a camera in their pocket, i witnessed the following total disaster...

A lake in our area is very popular with sail boaters. Lots of people use storage yard in the marina to store their boat on the trailer. Even some of the larger boats, like a Catalina 25' and such. Anyway, there is a ramp for the fixed keel boats. Very steep, so that you can get your boat deep quickly. Guy had backed his tailer down, stopping just as the truck was at the edge of the water. He set the brakes, got out, shut the door ... and watched the entire rig slide into the lake. Seems that in spring time there is a lot of moss growing on the ramp. Gets a little slippery.

Ever since then, I make it a point to keep the wheels on dry pavement, unless the ramp is a VERY gentle slope.
I got one even better than that...

It was about 40 years ago. The guy was launching a simple 16' OB. The car was an old Ford prone to slip out of gear. He forgot to put in the drain plug AND forgot to untie the transom straps. He backed in and just couldn't push the boat off the trailer. All the time it was filling with water. One final hard push and the car slipped out of park. The boat was already compromised, so it sank in an instant. When the rig stopped moving you could only see the roof of the car sticking out of the water.

The guy ran next door and used the homeowner's phone. Within minutes his buddy arrived with a tow truck. After a little swimming with a steel cable the tow truck had everything back on dry land.

The owner opened the hood of the car, took off the air cleaner and stuck a paper towel in the carb to clean out the water. The engine fired right up and started to drive away. The extra weight in the boat on an already undersized trailer caused the trailer frame to crack in half just as he was driving out of the parking lot.

The worst part was that I (almost) always have a camera, but didn't have one that day...
 
I guess if you do it regularly you get used to it, but I always hate it when I have to put my boat on a trailer. Luckily the marina I am at now has a private ramp that is never crowded.

My story, is years ago and I remember being there as a little kid watching. My grandfather owned and did some restoration on a number of old Chris Crafts. One winter he painted the bottom of the 20ft custom runabout I mention in my signature. I guess the paint being a bit sticky caused the boat to stick to the trailer bunks sitting over the winter. When he backed down the ramp the next spring the boat floated alright, but so did the trailer and his Buick. They were able to get the boat loose pretty quick and all that happened was the trunk of the car got filled with water. No real harm, but a good story - one of the few times I ever saw my Dad and grandfather start to panic. I am sure he was more worried about the boat than the Buick.

Ok, actually I have two stories. In college I worked for a summer camp teaching water skiing. We did our skiing on Lake Keowee in SC - the camp was in NC - so we made day trips to ski. I also helped take care of the boats, the camp had several Ski Nautiques for the water skiing. On day I was putting a boat in the water and the lake was very low. I backed down and all of a sudden the boat is all cock eyed about to fall off the trailer. I didn't realize it at the time, but I had dropped the trailer off the end of the ramp due to the low water. I should have figured out how to get the boat off, but being a young testosterone filled boy, I put the Jeep Wagoneer (complete with woodie sides panels) in 4wd low and locked in the hubs! You can figure what happened next - the trailer came out just fine, but it broke the leaf springs and the wheels stayed put in the water! By now a dock building crew was at the ramp launching their rig and enjoying the show. They helped me get the boat off the trailer and welded the the leaf springs back on trailer - you can't make this stuff up.

I don't care how long you have been doing it, messing with boats on trailers is tricky stuff - things can go wrong really quick!
 
A few years ago, before everyone had a camera in their pocket, i witnessed the following total disaster...

A lake in our area is very popular with sail boaters. Lots of people use storage yard in the marina to store their boat on the trailer. Even some of the larger boats, like a Catalina 25' and such. Anyway, there is a ramp for the fixed keel boats. Very steep, so that you can get your boat deep quickly. Guy had backed his tailer down, stopping just as the truck was at the edge of the water. He set the brakes, got out, shut the door ... and watched the entire rig slide into the lake. Seems that in spring time there is a lot of moss growing on the ramp. Gets a little slippery.

Ever since then, I make it a point to keep the wheels on dry pavement, unless the ramp is a VERY gentle slope.

I have seen so many folks have their tires on the wet slimy ramp burning off their tires trying to get a boat up the ramp.

It is so funny to see new members resurrecting the old threads and commenting like the original poster (OP) was still on here.

Aquia185 was last seen: Oct 31, 2007


MM
 
I have seen so many folks have their tires on the wet slimy ramp burning off their tires trying to get a boat up the ramp.

It is so funny to see new members resurrecting the old threads and commenting like the original poster (OP) was still on here.

Aquia185 was last seen: Oct 31, 2007


MM
We need to check every date on all the posts to see how old it is before we reply. I'm just as guilty as everyone else I guess.

Regardless, some topics are very relevant no matter what the time frame. Not all replies are necessarily directed at the OP.
 
We need to check every date on all the posts to see how old it is before we reply. I'm just as guilty as everyone else I guess.

Regardless, some topics are very relevant no matter what the time frame. Not all replies are necessarily directed at the OP.

I have noticed this happening and thought it funny, some have been replies or questions to an OP who has not been here for years. This OP has not been on her in over 10 years! LOL

MM
 
When I launch alone I back up until the fenders are about a inch under the water then attach the launch rope, push her off and tie her up. To retrieve I tie the boat up back in until the fenders are just bobbing out of the water, then drive her on and up. Once she is up I crawl over the bow and attach the safety chain first then get out and winch the rest.

Hope this helps,
Exactly how I do it. Same boat and trailer is yours.
 

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