Sandy wrote:

How do you get the boat back on the trailer and
then get the trailer back on the hitch ball?

You basically reverse the process... The trick is that the trailer
needs to be designed with this use in mind. It also helps if the ramp
flattens out at the top so you don't have to block the trailer wheels
while on the ramp. To retrieve the boat, you launch the empty trailer
attached to the rope, until it sinks out of sight (as when you lauched
the boat)... ideally you have attached some floats that rise and serve
as a guide, letting you know where the trailer is when you inch the
boat forward. Some trailers have a tall (8 ft) step ladder close to
the hitch, and this portion projects out of the water. Also, all
trailers will need two guide rails to help center the keel onto the
cradle. Once the boat is centered over the trailer, you attach a rope
to the bow and attach it to your towing rope. You don't attach the bow
rope to the towing vehicle because you want some play as the bow will
tend to rise as the keel settles on the cradle when you pull the boat
out. You therefore have two ropes, one attached from the towing
vehicle to the trailer and a second rope attached from the bow of the
boat to the trailer towing rope at about the 3/4 point. You then tow
the ensemble up the ramp and onto the flat portion at the top of the
ramp. At this point you are free to block the wheels, remove the
ropes, and attach the trailer back on the ball. One of the things that
makes this whole operation work is having a third wheel at the hitch
end of the trailer. The cheap hard plastic (small diameter) wheels
work OK for very light boats, but for heavier keel boats you will want
a real inflatable (large diameter) tire which you can raise and rotate
out of the way when the hitch is back on the ball.

Bob Whitaker
"Free Spirit"



On 2 Apr 2004 22:32:12 -0800, (Bob Whitaker) wrote:
[snip]

As mentioned by other posts, you need to make sure the ramp at your
destination can handle the boat. With boats this size, you can not
"back up" your car until the boat floats. Instead, you need to launch
in several steps. First you back up the tow vehicle until it can't go
any further. At this point your trailer is mostly under water (but
the
water is probably just barely touching the stern of the boat). Then
you attach a long (strong) rope to the trailer and to your tow
vehicle. Then you lift the ball off the hitch, and you let the
trailer
keep on rolling down the ramp... the trailer will move rather slowly
because it started out partially submerged... Eventually the trailer
will be completely submerged, and the boat will float off... then you
pull the trailer out of the water with the rope. It is not uncommon
to
need about 30 feet of rope to get the boat to float off. Needless to
say, you need to make sure the ramp is long enough for this maneuver.

[snip]

How do you get the boat back on the trailer and then get the trailer
back on
the hitch ball?