"Alta47" wrote in message
...
I bought a 13-foot aluminum boat and trailer this summer. I never owned
one before, so I had to figure out how to get it into the water using a
boat launching ramp. As far as I can tell, part of that process includes
backing the trailer into the water and then actually having to wade into
the water a short distance to push the boat off the trailer.

My stupid question is: Now that it's getting cold outside, if I want to
launch the boat in cold weather, do I actually have to wade into icy cold
water on a cold day to do that? I assume there must be another way to do
this.


Put a line / rope just a little shorter than the boat attached from the bow
the winch post of the trailer. Back down enough to float the boat a little
and let the boat drift back. Pull forward enough to get the line without
getting wet and pull the boat over to the dock. You want the rope a little
shorter than the boat so if the line falls overboard, it does not get
tangled in the prop.

"Calif Bill" wrote in message
m...

Put a line / rope just a little shorter than the boat attached from the
bow the winch post of the trailer. Back down enough to float the boat a
little and let the boat drift back. Pull forward enough to get the line
without getting wet and pull the boat over to the dock. You want the rope
a little shorter than the boat so if the line falls overboard, it does not
get tangled in the prop.

Interesting idea. Thanks. I'll try it.

When you get to the ramp, there is usually a place to pull off and prep your
boat without being on the ramp itself. You can take all the time you need,
making sure everything is ready for launching.
Many beginners pull onto the ramp and then take up valuable time loading and
prepping the boat for the actual launch, and that is exasperating for other
boaters that may be waiting to use the ramp. When you are on the ramp and
launch your boat, the only thing that you should have to load into it is
people, and the bowline.