RG wrote:

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



Indeed. I have no good way to get off the damned boat once I slide it up
on its trailer on the ramp at our marina. There's no dock alongside the
boat ramp, and the drop from the gunnel to the trailer fender puts me in
pretty deep water. Crabbing my way from the fenders to the front of the
trailer on the frame rails...well...I'm sure to fall in. Frequently. The
problems with single-handed retrieval at our marina is one of the
reasons I'm looking for another marina.



--
Email sent to is never read.

No arguments from here. Just trying to provide an alternative to walking in
the soup.
RichG

I have to back in to the water until the rear tires of my tow vehicle are
right at the waters edge. No way to get to the tongue of the trailer without
getting wet feet. So, I usually wear hip boots in the winter, bare feet,
sandals or booties in the summer and climb up at the trailer fender to board
my 19" runabout. The docks are no where close to the ramps, so I have to
hurry to tie up the boat and get back to the ramp to move the tow vehicle
out of the way.
It's a luxury when I'm not solo and I can get in and out of the boat on
land, letting someone else back the trailer into or out of the water.

W" wrote in message
...
Here's another way to get a boat off a trailer.
After hurricane Alicia, my daughter way bringing our 25' sailboat back
from
a friends house on "high ground" when the trailer decided to part company
with her truck. The trailer ran down into the water logged drainage ditch
and at @50 MPH the tongue dug in and the boat neatly leapt over the front
of
the trailer, skidded 100 yards merrily down the ditch and came to rest
with
the bow of the boat half way across the next intersection. This happened
about a mile from our house and my nearly hysteric daughter came to get me
before making any attempt to move the boat. By the time we got back,
there
were two sheriff deputys there trying to figure out how in the hell this
boat managed to get there as the trailer was nearly out of sight back down
the ditch. The boat was completely unharmed except for one small scratch
on
the bow.

"jchaplain" wrote in message
...
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

Here's another way to get a boat off a trailer.
After hurricane Alicia, my daughter way bringing our 25' sailboat back from
a friends house on "high ground" when the trailer decided to part company
with her truck. The trailer ran down into the water logged drainage ditch
and at @50 MPH the tongue dug in and the boat neatly leapt over the front of
the trailer, skidded 100 yards merrily down the ditch and came to rest with
the bow of the boat half way across the next intersection. This happened
about a mile from our house and my nearly hysteric daughter came to get me
before making any attempt to move the boat. By the time we got back, there
were two sheriff deputys there trying to figure out how in the hell this
boat managed to get there as the trailer was nearly out of sight back down
the ditch. The boat was completely unharmed except for one small scratch on
the bow.

"jchaplain" wrote in message
...
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

bb,
You didn't by chance just wax that boat? Sorry to hear of your
misfortune.
Paul

"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

On Sun, 25 Jan 2004 14:39:04 GMT, "RG"
wrote:
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.

==========================================
I'm fairly new to the trailer and ramp game but here's what I do which
has worked so far:

1. Stage boat by taking off tie down strap, turning on battery switch
and blower, check drain plug, tilt up outdrive, etc.

2. Back down ramp so boat is half in water.

3. Remove safety chain and winch cable from boat.

4. Give bow line to wife on dock.

5. Back down a few more feet and hit brakes hard. Boat usually slides
right off. If not, repeat step 5.

On Sun, 25 Jan 2004 12:01:32 -0500, Harry Krause
wrote:
There's no dock alongside the
boat ramp, and the drop from the gunnel to the trailer fender puts me in
pretty deep water. Crabbing my way from the fenders to the front of the
trailer on the frame rails...well...I'm sure to fall in. Frequently. The
problems with single-handed retrieval at our marina is one of the
reasons I'm looking for another marina.
====================================

I once found myself in that situation and ended up going over the bow
and down the front trailer post. I've actally seen a few trailers set
up with foot pegs on the front post.

On Sun, 25 Jan 2004 14:25:17 GMT, jchaplain wrote:

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.

Well, I think thats pretty much what I admitted to, but thanks for the
echo.

Why would you think that putting thousands of pounds on an inclined
surface without restraint is ok to do?

I would have to say because I was taught that years and years ago by
people I considered knowledgeable in launching trailerable power boats
in our local, because as I have observed literally hundereds of other
folks launching their boats that same way at my local with no
problems, and because there is actually restraint called friction.

Just because it hasn't slid of
before?

Well, yes, that, and because I've never seen or heard of it happening
to anyone else in my boating area.

Someone could get seriously hurt.

Brilliant deduction. That was kinda the reason for my post and I'm
very glad you were able to gleen that titbid of wisdom from it.

It would be the smart thing
to do to keep the safety chain on until you get the transom in the
water.

Uh, yeah, that was kinda the conclusion I had made in my origial post.

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.

Oh, I don't mind you being hard on me. I realize there's always a few
folks out there who have a need to feel superior. Have at it.

I see nothing wrong with relying on what has worked before, or works
for other people. The method I described appears to the the norm for
launching boats in my area. When something has worked for me for
years, and appears to work acceptably for others also, I see no real
problem with considering it a viable process.

Now that I've experienced a problem with what was considered the norm,
I'll make changes to my procedures so it doesn't happen again.
Thanks for much for your helpful and condescending input.

bb

On Sun, 25 Jan 2004 14:39:04 GMT, "RG"
wrote:

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.

The ramp I had trouble with is one of my least favorite because it has
less slope than most others I use.

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.

Yeah, would have been much easier to learn a lesson and keep my mouth
shut, but I'm glad you were able to pick up a tip without having to go
through what I did.

bb

On Sun, 25 Jan 2004 13:47:09 -0500, Gene Kearns
wrote:

Strange. Even semi floating, I have had trouble getting the boat off
of the trailer.

That has certainly been my experience. Heck, it takes a good shot of
the brakes with my fenders under water to float the beast.

Is anything different with respect to "lubrication"? Different bottom
paint? polish? bunk carpet? frost? ice??

Nothing that I know of. It's 70 out, so no ice or frost. No wax. No
bottom paint, same bunk carpet. I have no clue as to why the darned
thing slid off the trailer on the least slopping ramp I use and with
no brake action. I guess it was just my time. I know I learned a
lesson with no injuries or substantial damage, and hopefully I've
prevented someone else from making the same mistake.

Thanks for the input, Gene.

bb