More often than not I take my trailerable fishing boats out by myself.
I have a routine where I get ready back down the ramp, unhook the
boat, tie the boat to the trailer with a 20' or so line, then back
down the ramp. Usually, once the boat is partially floating, I have
to stiffly brake a couple of times to get the boat off the trailer.
If the transom of the boat is not partially in the water, the boat
just doesn't budge off the trailer.

Well, today, I went through my normal routine at a ramp I've used many
times before. About half way down the ramp the boat just slid off the
trailer. The skeg of the ob took the brunt of the impact, but the
boat slip at least half way off the trailer. I stopped he truck and
cranked the boat back up the trailer, then proceeded to back the boat
into the water and launch successfully.

My trailer has bunks with indoor/outdoor carpet, not rollers. The
ramp was one I've used before and not unusually steep. I was backing
down the ramp slowly and did not even tap the brakes. When I put the
boat back on the trailer I have to give it a pretty good shot of power
to run it into place. On this particular day I was going with another
person who has launched trailerable power boats for years and says he
goes through the same routine as I do and has never seen anything like
what happened today.

Like I said, my normal routine for years has been to stop out of the
way in the ramp area, check the boat, unhook the crank and safety
chain, attach a 20' rope then move to the ramp area. I'll then back
down the ramp and get the boat free from the trailer by stiffly
braking a couple of times when the boat is partially floating.

After this incident, from now on, I'll back down until the boat is
right at the waters edge before disconnecting the safety hook. I
can't say I see others doing what I'm describing, but I'll be damned
if I'll have the boat slide off on the ramp again.

What are other folks experiences in launching their boats? Do you
stop just as the boat reaches the water and then disconnect the safety
chain? I can't say I've notice anyone else doing this, but maybe I'm
missing someing.

bb

Sorry about your accident, but that's why I keep the winch and safety chain
in place until the boat's in the water and I'm ready to go. I usually let
the engine idle for a minute to be sure it isn't going to stall, before
releasing the winch and safety chain. It sometimes takes some power to get
off the trailer.

"bb" wrote in message
...
More often than not I take my trailerable fishing boats out by myself.
I have a routine where I get ready back down the ramp, unhook the
boat, tie the boat to the trailer with a 20' or so line, then back
down the ramp. Usually, once the boat is partially floating, I have
to stiffly brake a couple of times to get the boat off the trailer.
If the transom of the boat is not partially in the water, the boat
just doesn't budge off the trailer.

Well, today, I went through my normal routine at a ramp I've used many
times before. About half way down the ramp the boat just slid off the
trailer. The skeg of the ob took the brunt of the impact, but the
boat slip at least half way off the trailer. I stopped he truck and
cranked the boat back up the trailer, then proceeded to back the boat
into the water and launch successfully.

My trailer has bunks with indoor/outdoor carpet, not rollers. The
ramp was one I've used before and not unusually steep. I was backing
down the ramp slowly and did not even tap the brakes. When I put the
boat back on the trailer I have to give it a pretty good shot of power
to run it into place. On this particular day I was going with another
person who has launched trailerable power boats for years and says he
goes through the same routine as I do and has never seen anything like
what happened today.

Like I said, my normal routine for years has been to stop out of the
way in the ramp area, check the boat, unhook the crank and safety
chain, attach a 20' rope then move to the ramp area. I'll then back
down the ramp and get the boat free from the trailer by stiffly
braking a couple of times when the boat is partially floating.

After this incident, from now on, I'll back down until the boat is
right at the waters edge before disconnecting the safety hook. I
can't say I see others doing what I'm describing, but I'll be damned
if I'll have the boat slide off on the ramp again.

What are other folks experiences in launching their boats? Do you
stop just as the boat reaches the water and then disconnect the safety
chain? I can't say I've notice anyone else doing this, but maybe I'm
missing someing.

bb

"Bill Andersen" wrote in message
news:LCIQb.50487$Xq2.45591@fed1read07...
Sorry about your accident, but that's why I keep the winch and safety
chain
in place until the boat's in the water and I'm ready to go. I usually let
the engine idle for a minute to be sure it isn't going to stall, before
releasing the winch and safety chain. It sometimes takes some power to get
off the trailer.

"bb" wrote in message
...
More often than not I take my trailerable fishing boats out by myself.
I have a routine where I get ready back down the ramp, unhook the
boat, tie the boat to the trailer with a 20' or so line, then back
down the ramp. Usually, once the boat is partially floating, I have
to stiffly brake a couple of times to get the boat off the trailer.
If the transom of the boat is not partially in the water, the boat
just doesn't budge off the trailer.

Well, today, I went through my normal routine at a ramp I've used many
times before. About half way down the ramp the boat just slid off the
trailer. The skeg of the ob took the brunt of the impact, but the
boat slip at least half way off the trailer. I stopped he truck and
cranked the boat back up the trailer, then proceeded to back the boat
into the water and launch successfully.

My trailer has bunks with indoor/outdoor carpet, not rollers. The
ramp was one I've used before and not unusually steep. I was backing
down the ramp slowly and did not even tap the brakes. When I put the
boat back on the trailer I have to give it a pretty good shot of power
to run it into place. On this particular day I was going with another
person who has launched trailerable power boats for years and says he
goes through the same routine as I do and has never seen anything like
what happened today.

Like I said, my normal routine for years has been to stop out of the
way in the ramp area, check the boat, unhook the crank and safety
chain, attach a 20' rope then move to the ramp area. I'll then back
down the ramp and get the boat free from the trailer by stiffly
braking a couple of times when the boat is partially floating.

After this incident, from now on, I'll back down until the boat is
right at the waters edge before disconnecting the safety hook. I
can't say I see others doing what I'm describing, but I'll be damned
if I'll have the boat slide off on the ramp again.

What are other folks experiences in launching their boats? Do you
stop just as the boat reaches the water and then disconnect the safety
chain? I can't say I've notice anyone else doing this, but maybe I'm
missing someing.

bb



I stop with the trailer wheels in the or close to the water and unhook the
strap and chain. If launching by myself, I tie the bow line to the winch
post and then back in and slide the boat off the bunks. Pull forward a
little and grab the line and tie it off to the dock as far out as possible.
If launch with wife of another person, just have them hold the line and pull
in out the dock as I park. I dropped a 14' off a trailer, luckily the motor
was up and just scratch the transom when pulling up the ramp and the winch
dog failed. So I am very careful with a bigger, more expensive boat.
Bill

I would have to say that what you have been doing is unsafe, but you
have been lucky enough to get away with it until now.
Why would you think that putting thousands of pounds on an inclined
surface without restraint is ok to do? Just because it hasn't slid of
before? Someone could get seriously hurt. It would be the smart thing
to do to keep the safety chain on until you get the transom in the
water. This is why they call it boat ramp antics, because people don't
use common sense.
Sorry to be so hard on you, but you really need to think about doing
what makes sense rather than what has worked before or worked for
other people.



On Sun, 25 Jan 2004 04:55:34 GMT, bb wrote:

More often than not I take my trailerable fishing boats out by myself.
I have a routine where I get ready back down the ramp, unhook the
boat, tie the boat to the trailer with a 20' or so line, then back
down the ramp. Usually, once the boat is partially floating, I have
to stiffly brake a couple of times to get the boat off the trailer.
If the transom of the boat is not partially in the water, the boat
just doesn't budge off the trailer.

Well, today, I went through my normal routine at a ramp I've used many
times before. About half way down the ramp the boat just slid off the
trailer. The skeg of the ob took the brunt of the impact, but the
boat slip at least half way off the trailer. I stopped he truck and
cranked the boat back up the trailer, then proceeded to back the boat
into the water and launch successfully.

My trailer has bunks with indoor/outdoor carpet, not rollers. The
ramp was one I've used before and not unusually steep. I was backing
down the ramp slowly and did not even tap the brakes. When I put the
boat back on the trailer I have to give it a pretty good shot of power
to run it into place. On this particular day I was going with another
person who has launched trailerable power boats for years and says he
goes through the same routine as I do and has never seen anything like
what happened today.

Like I said, my normal routine for years has been to stop out of the
way in the ramp area, check the boat, unhook the crank and safety
chain, attach a 20' rope then move to the ramp area. I'll then back
down the ramp and get the boat free from the trailer by stiffly
braking a couple of times when the boat is partially floating.

After this incident, from now on, I'll back down until the boat is
right at the waters edge before disconnecting the safety hook. I
can't say I see others doing what I'm describing, but I'll be damned
if I'll have the boat slide off on the ramp again.

What are other folks experiences in launching their boats? Do you
stop just as the boat reaches the water and then disconnect the safety
chain? I can't say I've notice anyone else doing this, but maybe I'm
missing someing.

bb

On Sun, 25 Jan 2004 04:55:34 GMT, bb wrote:

More often than not I take my trailerable fishing boats out by myself.
I have a routine where I get ready back down the ramp, unhook the
boat, tie the boat to the trailer with a 20' or so line, then back
down the ramp. Usually, once the boat is partially floating, I have
to stiffly brake a couple of times to get the boat off the trailer.
If the transom of the boat is not partially in the water, the boat
just doesn't budge off the trailer.

Well, today, I went through my normal routine at a ramp I've used many
times before. About half way down the ramp the boat just slid off the
trailer. The skeg of the ob took the brunt of the impact, but the
boat slip at least half way off the trailer. I stopped he truck and
cranked the boat back up the trailer, then proceeded to back the boat
into the water and launch successfully.

My trailer has bunks with indoor/outdoor carpet, not rollers. The
ramp was one I've used before and not unusually steep. I was backing
down the ramp slowly and did not even tap the brakes. When I put the
boat back on the trailer I have to give it a pretty good shot of power
to run it into place. On this particular day I was going with another
person who has launched trailerable power boats for years and says he
goes through the same routine as I do and has never seen anything like
what happened today.

Like I said, my normal routine for years has been to stop out of the
way in the ramp area, check the boat, unhook the crank and safety
chain, attach a 20' rope then move to the ramp area. I'll then back
down the ramp and get the boat free from the trailer by stiffly
braking a couple of times when the boat is partially floating.

After this incident, from now on, I'll back down until the boat is
right at the waters edge before disconnecting the safety hook. I
can't say I see others doing what I'm describing, but I'll be damned
if I'll have the boat slide off on the ramp again.

What are other folks experiences in launching their boats? Do you
stop just as the boat reaches the water and then disconnect the safety
chain? I can't say I've notice anyone else doing this, but maybe I'm
missing someing.

bb



I've been using bunk trailers for nearly 15 years, and I never detatch
the safety strap and hook from the bow eye until the boat is in the
water, about as far down the ramp as I usually need to go. Up here,
early and late in the season, that requires that I plop both feet into
pretty cold water so I have good footing (standing on the trailer frame
is not what I call good footing), but hey, pneumonia is part of pleasure
boating, right?

I've seen a couple of boats slide right off bunk trailers on steep ramps
when boats were not attached to the trailers. Happens a lot more often
with roller trailers, of course. I don't much like roller trailers.



--
Email sent to is never read.

Hmmm...... I, like you, have had a lot more trouble getting boats to get OFF
of the trailer, than having to worry about them slipping off. Usually, the
ramps that I use have a very gentle slope.

However, after reading this, I'll use the more conservative approach of not
disconnecting the winch strap/dog until the rear end is in the water. I
happen to have two "new to me" 16 foot boats. Both have larger and heavier
engines than my prior boat. I have very little ramp experience with them so
far...so I guess prudence is called for.

Thanks for the admission of imperfection.

Sheesh...some of these guys would have you believe they never launched
without forgetting the plug!!!!

regards, RichG

Harry, re "walking in the cold water".... I added a "walker " (a flat piece
of plywood with non-skid) on to my removable trailer tongue. It helps me
avoid either getting wet, or, worse yet, falling off of the skinny
galvanized trailer tongue.

See a very bad pix of it at
http://groups.msn.com/CarolinaSkiffO...hoto&PhotoID=9

Around here, the water doesn't get as cold, but it is still smelly and
slippery on the ramps.
RichG

RG wrote:

Harry, re "walking in the cold water".... I added a "walker " (a flat piece
of plywood with non-skid) on to my removable trailer tongue. It helps me
avoid either getting wet, or, worse yet, falling off of the skinny
galvanized trailer tongue.

See a very bad pix of it at
http://groups.msn.com/CarolinaSkiffO...hoto&PhotoID=9

Around here, the water doesn't get as cold, but it is still smelly and
slippery on the ramps.
RichG



Ah, yes, but my inherent laziness took over last spring, and I didn't
want to drill any holes into the alum trailer frame, and...well, see
reason #1.



--
Email sent to is never read.

The boats I normally launch are light (under 1000 lbs.) but I would still
keep the winch cable connected until I got out of the van and was prepared
for the final 'push off'.
My new sailboat will be about 1300 lbs. so I'll be especially careful.
The one time I had a boat slip off a trailer occured on a city street. I had
a 12' wood rowboat on a modified utility trailer that flew off sideways as I
turned a corner and slammed into a telephone pole.
I quickly struggled to get it back on the trailer and moved on.

"bb" wrote in message
...
More often than not I take my trailerable fishing boats out by myself.
I have a routine where I get ready back down the ramp, unhook the
boat, tie the boat to the trailer with a 20' or so line, then back
down the ramp. Usually, once the boat is partially floating, I have
to stiffly brake a couple of times to get the boat off the trailer.
If the transom of the boat is not partially in the water, the boat
just doesn't budge off the trailer.

Well, today, I went through my normal routine at a ramp I've used many
times before. About half way down the ramp the boat just slid off the
trailer. The skeg of the ob took the brunt of the impact, but the
boat slip at least half way off the trailer. I stopped he truck and
cranked the boat back up the trailer, then proceeded to back the boat
into the water and launch successfully.

My trailer has bunks with indoor/outdoor carpet, not rollers. The
ramp was one I've used before and not unusually steep. I was backing
down the ramp slowly and did not even tap the brakes. When I put the
boat back on the trailer I have to give it a pretty good shot of power
to run it into place. On this particular day I was going with another
person who has launched trailerable power boats for years and says he
goes through the same routine as I do and has never seen anything like
what happened today.

Like I said, my normal routine for years has been to stop out of the
way in the ramp area, check the boat, unhook the crank and safety
chain, attach a 20' rope then move to the ramp area. I'll then back
down the ramp and get the boat free from the trailer by stiffly
braking a couple of times when the boat is partially floating.

After this incident, from now on, I'll back down until the boat is
right at the waters edge before disconnecting the safety hook. I
can't say I see others doing what I'm describing, but I'll be damned
if I'll have the boat slide off on the ramp again.

What are other folks experiences in launching their boats? Do you
stop just as the boat reaches the water and then disconnect the safety
chain? I can't say I've notice anyone else doing this, but maybe I'm
missing someing.

bb

Setting aside the laziness factor ...there are NO holes drilled into the
galvanized trailer. The galvanized "L" brackets span the square tube. The
bolts draw it tight. The only holes are into wood, where the "L" brackets
attach to the wooden plywood. Not a bad one hour job if you have the tools.
RichG

http://groups.msn.com/CarolinaSkiffO...hoto&PhotoID=9