Launching Worries

TGIF

TGIF

New Member
Nov 4, 2009
12
Ft. Lauderdale
Boat Info
1989 Weekender
Engines
Merc 260
Hello Everyone, I have a Newbie Question.
I've been launching my boat with the help of my Dad. I will back down the ramp while he holds the lines and guides the boat to the dock.

This weekend I got out of the truck just at the apex of the ramp, and noticed he unhooked the winch strap. I asked him about it and he said thats the way he has always done it, and the weight of the boat will keep it on the trailer.

Is this an accident waiting to happen? I just watched a youtube vid http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9T2lYFsQMFw&feature=related and wonder if this is a common practice.

Thanks in advance
Steve B
PS its a 23' Sea Ray Weekender
 
Steve, I unhook the boat winch only when the trailer is in the water and I can release the strap without getting my feet wet or if the water is low, I will climb onto the truck to do it. I hope this helps.
 
Imho - yes, yes, yes....ditto.
 
Thanks a million for the quick responses men. I had a gut feeling this was not proper technique, but its still hard to argue with Dad (even at 44 yrs old). Maybe that will be my next post, how to persuade the non-persuadable.:smt021

I brought the boat back home (Ft. Laud) and plan to take it out on "a most excellent journey" on New River. :smt038

I love Dad but I don't think he's too concerned about doing things the right way. Later I'll describe how he taught me to load a firearm.:smt009

Thanks again
Stevie B
 
hold on a second fellas;
need more info. if you have roller bunks the yes comments are in order.
if you have solid bunk trailer not so much

i am forced to single hand launch all the time. in the cold winter water here i would freeze before i could launch and wade to trailer to unhook strap.

if you have solid bunk i think you will find its difficult to get your 230 to even move on trailer unless it is mostly floated.


what i do; back to waters edge, unhook bow line, make fast a 50' mooring line to bow cleat and front post, then make sure there are no coils or snags or line isnt fouled on any thing. then slowly back down ramp till boat looks like it is near free of trailer and bump brakes till boat floats free. ease back up ramp till front of trailer is clear of water.

at this point retrieve mooring line from trailer and line boat to dock or shore if no dock.


THIS IS FOR SOLID BUNKS NOT ROLLERS. ROLLER YESS DONT UNHOOK TILL IN WATER
 
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TGIF said:
Thanks a million for the quick responses men. I had a gut feeling this was not proper technique, but its still hard to argue with Dad (even at 44 yrs old). Maybe that will be my next post, how to persuade the non-persuadable.:smt021

I brought the boat back home (Ft. Laud) and plan to take it out on "a most excellent journey" on New River. :smt038

I love Dad but I don't think he's too concerned about doing things the right way. Later I'll describe how he taught me to load a firearm.:smt009

Thanks again
Stevie B
Click to expand...



dont be so hard on your dad. you haven't said what kind of trailer you have.

i doubt he is so irresponsible as to stand by and watch your boat fall off your trailer.

would take his first hand on sight opinion over any any ones here mine included
 
i have tried to move my boat on the trailer and find if its not almost completely floated it wont move

you make a good point but thats what pre launch prep is for.

i'm in and out water with my boat several times year. as stated above unless its a roller trailer i dont see the problem.

as captain bob says" if is going to happen it will happen out there"
as far as playing what if. you can do that all day and at the end of the day, i'm sure you could find all sorts of potential disasters to form contingency plans for.

i know how hard it is to winch my boat back on and how much water it takes to float it. these thing dont just fall on and of. if your cowboying enough to jerk one off like that you need to revise your launch habits in the first place

it not clear in the vid if the boat was all the way on the trailer when pulled or roller trailer and just rolled off.
 
Thanks for the heads up. I do not power load or unload just have to back in far enough to get the boat to float on or off. This means in our case that the back wheels of the tow vehicle are about 6" deep in the water. I will just try this stuff if I run across it.
 
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Hey Again,
I know its difficult to read tone from written word, but I was being a little aloof when speaking about Dad, and I would lay down my life for him. I hope I didn't sound too criticizing.:thumbsup:

I am happy to see that i have raised a question that warranted two pages of discussion. And man there is alot of experience here.

Now i may need to find a can of the Liquid (Bay City) Rollers, as I have solid bunks.

Keep the comments coming, I love it

S
 
I don't see any problems removing the winch strap because the chain is probably still attached right? While this may work at your "normal" launch, if you visit somewhere else where the launch is steeper or you happen to hit the brakes to avoid a dog or child you might be sorry if you have removed BOTH the winch and the chain!

No need to get your feet wet either. Stop when the wheels of the trailer are in the water but you can still reach the winch. If it falls off at that point, it will be in the water and that's the objective anyway, right? :grin: Hopefully nothing gets damaged!
 
I'm voting for 'don't undo it until it's in far enough in that if it slid off you're fine'. Some carpeted bunks hold onto boats really well and if the ramp isn't steep it's a minimal risk... but for the 20 seconds it takes to stop and take off the safety... why chance it?
Sure enough if you have an incident... someone will be there with a camera and you'll be on youtube...
 
I've had the most unpleasant experience of having a boat fall off the trailer backing down into the water. And it was due to the fact that the strap was undone before the boat was in the water. It takes 2 seconds to undo the strap and chain once the boat is backed down into the water and the level of safety it provides until the boat gets there is invaluable. Untying the boat before it can land safely in the water is a recipe for disaster. It may not have fallen off YET the way you are doing it, but dont chance it. Thats my 2 cents...

Mike
 
One good tap of the brakes while you're backing down the ramp could put the boat on the asphalt. Every season we see a boat that was dropped on the ramp--you don't want to be that guy.
 
This is how Kim & I do it.....( sorry, no strap ons or chains) :grin:

In the parking lot away from the ramp she gets in the boat & puts up the bimini, turns on the batteries and what ever else she does up there. I remove the transom straps, put in the plug & smoke a cigarette. Everything we will need for the day is in the boat.

With Kim still in the boat, I back down the ramp until the trailer wheels are barely in the water. Then, I get out & remove the winch strap & chain. Then I back in until the transom of the boat is floating above the trailer. Kim then starts the engine & backs off the trailer.

I have to back slowly down our ramp as if I try to stop too quickly for whatever reason the boat can drag my truck backwards.


TGIF said:
Thanks a million for the quick responses men. I had a gut feeling this was not proper technique, but its still hard to argue with Dad (even at 44 yrs old). Maybe that will be my next post, how to persuade the non-persuadable.:smt021
Click to expand...

I'll let you borrow Kim for a while. If you can win an argument with her your dad should be a piece of cake......:lol:
 
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Must agree with Scott on this one. I have had several boats from 16-24' that I trailered. If the ramp you are using is flat you may get lucky enough never to have a problem. My 1st slip was near the public boat ramp, (still miss the many hours of fun watching launch fueds) every year 1 or 2 boats would try to back down, quick pull out trying to make an adjustment and the yelling starts. My 1st year there we had 6 of us picking the back end of a 18' fishing boat up that put 3/4 of it on the pavement.

To me, it was never worth the extra 2 minutes I saved but everyone must make that choice, just be ready with a plan if the boat hist the cement and not the water.
 
Gary has been taking a beating on this on.... And I am with him, and Scott. We make all of our preps in the make ready. No straps or chains, I slowly back down the ramp truck rear tires just touching the waters edge, wait for boat to start, and back up another foot. Kara backs off the trailer and I go park the truck. We use a 10 lane public ramp. We go 2-3 times a week and have for the last 8 years doing it this way. Less time on the ramp and near the docks... Less chance of some moron weekend warrior hitting us.

Now when we go to other lakes with other different ramps we use the winch strap until boat is floating and running.

What I am saying is, u need to base the strap issue on ur comfort level, ability and ramp conditions. There is no single right answer. When in doubt for any reason.... Yes use winch strap or chain for safety of u, boat, other people etc.
 
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