Bowgus wrote:
Well ... that's how all the big boys around here do it. Bob just backs the
4x4 truck and trailer into the creek and Ted just powers his twin engine 30
footer onto the bunk, revs it a few times for effect, ups the outdrives, and
away they go. Give it a try sometime ... it is remarkably easy to do.


"Harry Krause" wrote in message
...
Bowgus wrote:

First make sure the trailer is level side to side on the ramp, then just
power the boat up onto the trailer ... too easy.

"Harry Krause" wrote in message
...
Yesterday, just for the hell of it, I did a solo launch and retrieval
of
our Parker 25. The launch was easy, as I was using a deep ramp. The
boat
just floated free of the trailer, so I tied it off and parked the tow
vehicle and trailer.

The retrieval was more complicated, but I was able to do it. I'm
wondering, though, whether it would be simpler to buy and install an
electric trailer winch with the capacity to pull the boat up into
position on the trailer. It's a bunk trailer, and, simply by tugging
hard on a line attached to the bow deck chock, I can get the boat
pretty
much up on the trailer. I winch it up the remaining two feet using a
hand winch, and, while I can do it, it takes considerable effort. The
winch is sized properly for the boat...but it is a large, heavy boat.

Installing an electric winch on my trailer is not difficult. Where do
you put the battery, though? And...how long do these electric winches
last? I always see guys at the boat ramp struggling with "dead"
electric
winches...do they burn out in a hurry? Does rain shorten their lives?

Advice? Brand recommendation? We're talking a 3-1/2 ton boat/motor/fuel
and gear load here, I'd guess.




I don't like powerloading the boat on the trailer.



Sheesh. Doing that puts extra strain on the trailer, and also tends to
tear up the bottom of the launch ramp. Powerloading is not the way most
trailerboaters at the three ramps on the Bay I frequent. And it was
frowned upon at the NE Florida ramps I used.