"Vic Smith" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 01 Mar 2009 13:35:48 -0500, HK wrote:

Leaving the boat engine running in forward while you hop out to attach
the winch strap and winch the boat onto the trailer sounds like a
serious accident waiting to happen. And if one happened, you'd be cited
for negligence at the minimum.

I agree with that, and it set my off "danger" alarm.
But I think Mike has a jet boat, so maybe it works differently with
them.
Still, under power with nobody at the helm just sounds dicey.

--Vic

Actually, I should clarify. I never actually get out of the boat. I lean
over the bow, to connect the strap and use the winch. Rarely do I need to
winch up at all though. Additionally, the boat is firmly on the trailer at
that point. The most forward bunks are about 18" out of the water. She aint
going anywhere but up.

I would never recommend doing that while the stern is still floating free.
Leaving it in forward simply assists in winching if it didn't ride up to the
stop. You need to learn what you can and cannot do with your particular
boat. Watch guys single had their boats, and you'll see that this method is
not as uncommon as some might think.

--Mike