Trailering/boat ramp loading/ unloading

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searayjay

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Oct 12, 2006
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Boaters,
I have been boating on the St. Croix for the last 10 yrs but this is the first year I don't have a slip. Therefore I have to trailer my boat(many times will be alone) and drop into water and load back on trailer which I have never done with a good sized boat( searay 240 and bunk trailer)
I have no problems backing a trailer but does anyone have any advice on splashing the boat off trailer...how far do I back in, etc?
I have watched a few people at the ramps and I plan to practice on a cloudy weekday afternoon to avoid any crowds.
Thanks
 
it depends - on the ramp mostly. With bunks you have to get in pretty far, ideally enough that the boat floats up off the bunks. I had a friend that insisted on never getting his hubs wet - he coated his bunks with some kind of teflon tape, would fly down the ramp, nail hard on the brakes and the boat would slide off. He was a bit of a nut though, would not advise this approach.

I don't know if it would work as well on bunks as it does on rollers, but I put an electric winch on my trailer a few years ago. Best money I ever spent.
 
Experimenting will tell you. Deep is good to an extent. If the ramp has a drop off at the end, and most do, you don't want the trailer ending up in it. When you're retrieving you want the bow area to be on the bunks a bit and not totally floating over them.

Can you power load at the ramp?...some don't allow it, some do.

Does your trailer have guide posts of any sort?

With my boat/trailer setup the sweet spot for backing in is just before the fenders totally submerge. We can power load though. A quick, short bit of gas to free from the tip of the bunks when putting in and the same when loading.
 
There is a great video on YouTube on single handed launching, I'll try and find it later today
Good luck
Niles
 
Thanks all.
That video is great.
I'm going to practice on Tuesday after the crazy holiday.
 
Very good video. However, there's one point I don't agree with --- unhooking the safety chain and winch strap prior to starting down the ramp. For shallow slope ramps this practice will be fine the majority of the time. But with a steep ramp you may find yourself with the boat coming off the trailer before entering the water.
Although I seldom solo launch I always get the trailer in the water before removing the chain and winch strap. Taking this precaution only adds a few seconds to your time on the ramp and may save you an accident at some point.
One other safety practice of mine I learned/read here on Boatered not long after I joined. Always use a wheel chock any time I get out of the truck. I have a rope attached and loop it over the trailer hitch so it follows me up the ramp when retrieving the boat.

In other related boat ramp advice (which you may already know/practice), always park out of the way to get all gear, etc loaded on the boat. I've seen a few folks get really upset when a person blocks the ramp to load their gear.
 
Good advice so far. I solo launch and retrieve my cabin cruiser every time. You'll get a routine down in just a few trips after you mess it up a few times.

For me it's all about the routine I do it exactly the same way each time. That way you avoid the small mistakes (like forgetting to unhook the wench and not realizing until you are in the boat and it won't come off the trailer). Ask me how i know this could happen :)
 
quote:
Originally posted by Bob Ware

Very good video. However, there's one point I don't agree with --- unhooking the safety chain and winch strap prior to starting down the ramp.
Click to expand...


Once you start down it can be hard/impossible to unhook the winch strap when the boat is pulling against it. I tied a 1/2" dock line to the winch post, looped it through the bow eye and tied it off again on the winch post. Unhook the strap and chain and head down the ramp. You just have to untie the line to release the boat. Worked great on my 24' Chris Craf express (similar boat to the op's).

My .02
 
The guy in the video claimed he can launch, park his truck and pull the boat away in a minute and a half. BS, He's full of poo poo.

I have a 240 and I have a bow line and stern line with clips at tag end so I can connect both lines, then I have a long line with a loop on one end that goes on and will slide the length of the connected bow and stern line if need be. That line will tie off to the truck. The bow and stern line gives you great control of the boat when lining up the boat on the trailer for retrieving. It's windy 90% of the time at my launch.
 
Please don't do what I did, that is go way down the ramp at low tide only to find your trailer off the edge!
 
When I had trailer boats I found that each ramp was a different experience. How I unloaded was very ramp dependent.

The slope of the ramp is a major item to consider. Is there a pier beside the ramp? Are there any currents or wind? How many other people are waiting to unload/load?

George
 
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