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#21
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Boat fell off trailer
On Sun, 25 Jan 2004 14:46:16 -0500, "Paul Schilter"
paulschilter@comcast,dot,net wrote: bb, You didn't by chance just wax that boat? No wax, and nothing new. I haven't had it out in about a month, but nothing I can put a finger on as to why now. Sorry to hear of your misfortune. Thanks, but no real dammage, except to my huge ego. bb |
#22
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Boat fell off trailer
On Sun, 25 Jan 2004 09:34:27 -0500, Harry Krause
wrote: I've seen a couple of boats slide right off bunk trailers on steep ramps when boats were not attached to the trailers. Well, this certainly couldn't be considered a steep ramp, but my launch methods are modified from here on out. My favorite ramp is twice as steep. If it had started to slip off on that ramp, no doubt the whole rig would have come crashing down. Seems like I have to learn the same lessons over and over again, but I'm pretty sure this is one I'll get right the first time. bb |
#23
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Boat fell off trailer
bb,
Glad no one got hurt as well as no damage to the boat. I was out Wennesday at the coast with a neighbor down there when he launched his boat. He was launching on a fairly steep ramp and unhooked the boat halfway down the ramp. I was quite surprised the boat didn't slide off then and there. I had a little talk with him about how he launches and hopefully what I pointed out sunk in for him. I don't remember if he had bunks or rollers, but either way, I was surprised the boat stayed on the trailer! When I launch, I don't unhook the boat until I'm pretty much at the water with it. Even though I have rollers, I have to back in pretty far (back wheel at or in water) for the boat to want to come off the trailer and even then, I apply the brakes for that extra boost. Once the boat is floating, I'll get on the dock and tie it off. I'm thinking you should open the lower drain plug on your gearcase to make sure the shock didn't affect anything and cause a leak. If you do, you should only need to let a few drops out as the water will have sunk to the bottom or the oil will have turned a milky white from mixing with water. -JimL 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 |
#24
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Boat fell off trailer
I don't like real steep ramps....I made the mistake of keeping the
chains on my boat trailer too tight, and did not know the ramp was so steep (first time on it).....and the chains scratched my bumper pretty deeply, making kind of a mess with it. bb wrote: On Sun, 25 Jan 2004 09:34:27 -0500, Harry Krause wrote: I've seen a couple of boats slide right off bunk trailers on steep ramps when boats were not attached to the trailers. Well, this certainly couldn't be considered a steep ramp, but my launch methods are modified from here on out. My favorite ramp is twice as steep. If it had started to slip off on that ramp, no doubt the whole rig would have come crashing down. Seems like I have to learn the same lessons over and over again, but I'm pretty sure this is one I'll get right the first time. bb -- - Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). |
#25
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Boat fell off trailer
On Mon, 26 Jan 2004 05:12:48 GMT, JimL
wrote: I'm thinking you should open the lower drain plug on your gearcase to make sure the shock didn't affect anything and cause a leak. If you do, you should only need to let a few drops out as the water will have sunk to the bottom or the oil will have turned a milky white from mixing with water. Thanks for the heads up on that. I was planning on doing just that, but a reminder doesn't hurt. bb |
#26
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Boat fell off trailer
"bb" wrote in message ... 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. I have seen this happen before, which is why I have always waited until I had the trailer in the water before disconnecting the bow hook. Specifically, I will back the trailer into the water until the tongue is right at the water's edge, where I can reach it without getting my feet wet. On some ramps this is far enough to get the boat off with a gentle push. On other ramps I will back up another foot or two and tap the brake to slide the boat off. I would say that you were lucky that the boat only partially came off the trailer. I have seen it in the past where the boat came all the way off, and then had to be dragged down the ramp to the water. That is REALLY hard on the bottom. Plus it ****es everyone off who is waiting to use the ramp. Why did it happen this time and never before? Well, perhaps being winter the bunks never dried out from the last time you used the boat. Dry bunks will hold the boat okay, but the boat will slide much easier on wet bunks. If it has been cold and damp since the last time you launched the carpet pads could have still been wet. Rod |
#27
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Boat fell off trailer
On Mon, 26 Jan 2004 02:45:55 GMT, bb wrote:
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 I didn't intend to come of as condescending. You admiited you made a mistake, and I appreciate that. I've made plenty myself, and I'll admit them too. It's just that you defended it by saying it's always worked before when you know it was always the wrong thing to do from the getgo. Better luck this season. I hope to get less bend props and scuff marks myself this coming season. John C. |
#28
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Boat fell off trailer
On Mon, 26 Jan 2004 22:35:45 GMT, jchaplain wrote:
I didn't intend to come of as condescending. Fair enough, sorry for the somewhat harsh counter reply. It's just that you defended it by saying it's always worked before when you know it was always the wrong thing to do from the getgo. I defended it by saying I was taught the method years ago by trailerable power boat people who had lots of experience and by the observation that the method I used was certainly the common method on the ramps I use. What I never said was I knew it was the wrong thing to do. If I had the slightest inclination the boat might slide off the bunks on our local ramps I would have modified my methods before this incident. Hey, I learned a lesson with very little negative consequenses, and hopefully I've alerted someone else to the possibility. Happy boating. bb |
#29
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Boat fell off trailer
bb wrote in message SNIPBoat fell off the trailer SNIP
bb Any chance it rained recently and your plug was in? I could see a bilge water movement causing the mystery suicide attempt. |
#30
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Boat fell off trailer
"QLW" 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 [snip] So that we can avoid this disaster ourselves, what was the status of the safety chains and what caused the apparent decoupling? %mod% |
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