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