Retreiving 6 metre boat solo

[TheRealAndy]

Is it possible? I am very close to buying one. If I take the missus out and no one else, its probably going to be a solo retreive. The biggest boat I have done on my own is about 5 metres, drive on. So how does everyone do it?

BTW. When I go solo, i drive on, keep throttle on and get out to hook it up. Will this same method work?

[revs57]

Yep, very doable andy.

When on my own, yes, you can drive on as you suggest, but I usually nudge the boat onto the sand next to the ramp (I use Moreton Bay Trailer boat club.

I've already taken the srap and hook down to the back of the trailer before reversing the trailer to the required distance/depth, I then push the boat up to the trailer, hook up, give the boat a bit of a tug onto the trailer, the keeping the tension on the strap, I wind her up.
Pretty simple, never had a drama.

cheers

Rhys

[wags on the water]

Yep, very doable andy.

When on my own, yes, you can drive on as you suggest, but I usually nudge the boat onto the sand next to the ramp (I use Moreton Bay Trailer boat club.

I've already taken the srap and hook down to the back of the trailer before reversing the trailer to the required distance/depth, I then push the boat up to the trailer, hook up, give the boat a bit of a tug onto the trailer, the keeping the tension on the strap, I wind her up.
Pretty simple, never had a drama.

cheers

Rhys

If you take me with you Rhys, you won't have to do it alone....;D ;D

Cheers,
Wags
I used to fish alone with the 519,and only experienced difficulty in high winds. There's always someone around to give you a hand though.

[Local_Guy]

Talk to Timiboy... absolute legend when it comes to launching and retrieving his 6.85m glass boat by himself. He didn't need my help. lol.

[mik01]

yeah he does it with ease.
can't see any reason why a 6m would drive on any worse than a 5.2.

just depends on the trailer setup I spose.

[BM]

If you have a full roller trailer or a skid trailer with spring loaded drive on guides you can drive on the trailer quite easily. I have single handedly recovered 8mtr flybridge boats before on properly set up trailers.

Easily done with a bit of practice.

Cheers

[BrenMac]

Yep agree, with a properly set up trailer, shouldn't be a drama. A strong cross wind makes it a little trickier, but an appropriate rope set up can overcome this if not driving on.

Don't really like the idea of leaving the throttle on and getting out of the boat- could be an accident waiting to happen.

Cheers
BMac

[seatime]

As with most things, practice makes it easier. When driving-on, the steps you took with your 5m will work much the same with 6m.
I don't see too many problems with leaving her in gear and hopping out to hook up, been doing it that way for over 25 years with heaps of boats and no drama's.
Depends how far up the trailer you want the boat as to how much throttle needs to be applied, also how deep in the water the trailer is. If it's a multi-roller, in gear with throttle is usually needed or the boat may roll back, skids may not require as much throttle.
If manhandling onto the trailer, I'd put the trailer in deeper than when driving on. If there's wind or tide to contend with put it in deep enough to be able to float the boat up to the skids or 1st rollers, should help prevent the boat moving off the centre roller when you take up slack on the winch.

regards

[ozscott]

I have a Vagabond on a multiroller. I have retrieved it several times with the kids and wife in the boat. I use a large 4wd electric winch with a quater inch cable...bit of overkill. I extended the remote control to 30 foot so even in the strongest wind I can get out at the back of the boat and hold her straight...but generally the tilt rollers on the back do the job. Never a drama. I dont like driving on for a variety of reasons, but thats just me.

Cheers

[TimiBoy]

Lol, thanks Guys! ;D;D Yep, I have a CC 685, and when the crew asks what they can do I say "stay out of the way please, it's easier on my own".

You're absolutely right, just get her up on the trailer, and leave her in gear, she won't roll off. Mine doesn't even if I switch the motor off, but I leave her in gear as a precaution.

Send me a pm if you want to discuss,

Cheers

[Noelm]

I guess a lot of factors come into play here, first off is the ramp itself, is there a place to tie up, beach or some other way of leaving the Boat while you get the car?? some do not, next comes the actual Boat and trailer setup, some (say like a cat) are a complete breeze, others not so easy, if the trailer is setup correctly, is in the water the right depth (it can be too deep as well) and the Boat lines up easy, then single handed winching or driving on is also easy, for one man driving on, one of those auto "catches" that engage as soon as the Boat hits it, this prevets to Boat rolling back off again, rather than leaving the Motor running while you jump out and hook up the cable, then comes the tide, some ramps are almost impossible to use safely at low tide, even with a dozen helpers, others not so tricky, so maybe a bit of a trip to the ramp at the lowest if tides to check it out and see how other Boats of similar size are fairing as well.

[bustastu]

Fair enough I only have a 5.8m Haines but what's wrong with getting (teaching) the mrs to unhook / hook it up for you. I just reverse it down and get in the boat and she unhooks it and away we go. On returnI drive it up and she hooks it up. Its only fair - if she wants to come out with you - she gets a job to do.

BS

[TheRealAndy]

Cheers everyone, will be launching it from VMR ramp and shorncliffe. There is a pontoon and a small beach. The boat I am used to driving on is a long boat used for laying the courses at sandgate yacht club. That one is dead easy unless there is a big breeze. Its probably more than 5 metres now I think about it, probably closer to 7 :) , but only 1.5 metres wide with about half a metre free board. Its pretty easy to step out of that one.

I will start driving my 4.5metre poly on the trailer for practice!

[cormorant]

I don't like the leave the throttle on bit unless you are able to just walk forward and clip on the hook as I have seen a few blokes fall from their boats ( including one we drove to hospital with a bad arm break slipping on the guard) and you are just churning up sand and crap at the ramp into your motor. Have seen some inexperienced people nearly cook motors as they trim them too high and others scrape skegs etc.

I have used a short rope on a piece of old cuved aerial that is attached to the winch post and it is easy to reach from front of boat and just slip over the front bollard through the front screen.. Kill the motor trim it up and hop out- winch last foot or 2 , safety cahin and drag her out.

A mate has guide bars at the back of his trailer and he just hangs a rope there which is tied to the winch pole and ties to a bollard on the side of his boat when up the trailer enough. Boat goes off center a little as it settles back but winch cable straightens it in half a turn.

[Vindicator]

I have a 6.7m and have no trouble at all launching and retrieving by myself. The trickiest thing to learn was driving it up onto the trailer, especially in a cross wind. Once its up there though you can just leave it in gear, jump out and hook it up. Of course it makes it easier when you've got an electric winch with a remote control.

Cheers
Kezza

[skipalong]

you should be able to handle it no probs

[Davey1]

What the other guys said about leaving the motor running, not good for the water pump sucking sand/grit through the engine.

Its pretty easy, just take your time, don't feel rushed by the guy giving you death stares waiting to use the ramp :) If you stuff it up it will take longer. Power loading & unloading can produce some nasty damage to your boat if you rush it.

If you have sideways forces like tide/wind, take into account the sideways drift you'll get so allow for that on your approach.

First time I did it, complete novice, the bloke waiting realised I had no idea, spotted it was a new boat and happily gave me a hand & heaps of friendly useful advice.

If you show that you're not mucking around once the job is done normal folk will be fine with that. Whether loading or unloading, moving quickly between boat & car is usually enough to shut even the most impatient ramp user up. Its when you hang around once you're loaded/unloaded that rightly p!sses other ramp users off. Do the fiddling before reversing down the ramp, once loaded hightail it out of the way to prepare the boat for the trip home.

Hope this helps.

[Darren Mc]

Mate you've got to have a look at the self launching/retrieving latches you can buy. Absolutely brilliant idea. Difficult to explain how to use them, but once you see one and see how easy they work you will say, what a bloody good idea.

[TheRealAndy]

Cheers guys. I have driven on and off trailers many times before, just curious as to how its done with the bigger boats that are not so easy to climb out of.

Its worth noting though, keeping the engine running is a sure fire way to destroy a ramp too. The wash chews out the mud/sand at the bottom of the ramp, which can cause the concrete to break off and collapse into the mud.

[Deiter]

edit....posting while drunk:D

[frank100]

Andy,
Here are a couple of pics of my home made latch. The position of the bungy cord deterimines if the latch is ready to attach the boat, or detach (by driving forward about 50mm).
I hope the photos explain it's operation.

Frank

[TheRealAndy]

Andy,
Here are a couple of pics of my home made latch. The position of the bungy cord deterimines if the latch is ready to attach the boat, or detach (by driving forward about 50mm).
I hope the photos explain it's operation.

Frank

I have no idea what is going on there Frank but I can tell instantly that it has potential and I like it. No, offence, but its the kind of thing my eccentric father engineers! Where abouts do you live? I wouldn't mind making a closer inspection.

[Mr__Bean]

If you are going to get a loading latch can I suggest that you get one that has the least amount of moving parts.

Some of the ones available rely on internal springs and things and whilst they are predominantly stainless steel they do seem to suffer from salt build up etc.

One of the simplest I have seen is a very basic cable loop set to the right height on your winch post. when you come up the trailer a clip monted on your boat cable eye catches the cable.

When you want to launch you place the boat safety chain on the cable and its weight pulls the cable loop down out of the way when you power forward a little.

Very simple and very effective, video here: http://www.###############.au/##########.wmv

Different attachments for different boats here: http://picasaweb.google.com/##########/RecoverEzyLaserCutPlates

Website here: http://www.###############.au/

And NO, I am not related in any way to this business. Just seems a very good product.

- Darren

[Mr__Bean]

Hmmmm,

Doesn't censorship give you the pip.....

Just Google this: Recover Ezy

Their webpage will come up and you can select the footage tab etc.

- Darren

[gofishin]

I got a quick look at great s/s release catch/system yesterday, but before i could talk to the owner the boat was gone. It wasn't a homer job either. Boweye was a weird oval ring, with central divider (not in the middle), and the oval ring ran paraller with the stem, i.e layed over on an angle. The s/s hook had a cam/over-centre type release latch that looked like it would release (once the latch had been unlocked) and the boat driven forward, i.e. when solo launching.

This system seems to be very well made, and looks like it would work pretty easy. Does anyone understand what I'm trying to describe;D , or who makes them & where to get them?
cheers
Brendon

[charleville]

This is the one that is at the Brisbane boat show every year ...

http://www.boatlatch.com/boat_retrieve.htm



http://img.skitch.com/20080515-n1f149ndt23d1ufdch2ehhy4cr.preview.jpg (http://skitch.com/charleville2/mtiu/skitched-20080516-070251)
Click for full size (http://skitch.com/charleville2/mtiu/skitched-20080516-070251) - Uploaded with plasq (http://plasq.com)'s Skitch (http://skitch.com)




.

[frank100]

Andy,
I live in Cairns, and you are quite welcome to have a look. If you look closely at the middle pic you will see a SS rod with a hook on the end, if the bungy cord is slid over to the hook the loop is in the "catch" position. If towards the boat the loop is in the release position (you can just see the bungy cord in the middle pic towards the boat)

Frank

[seatime]

The latch looks to be a good idea.
You still have to be prepared for a fall back system with any of these devices, usually that will be leaving the motor in gear whilst you hook up.
There's no greater danger of sucking in sand or grit if leaving it in gear, than there would be when driving on, imo. Unless it's an unsealed ramp or a dead low tide where there's build up, sand/grit in the intake would be of little concern (no difference to shallow water operation).
Driving on/off a trailer, with or with out a latch, involves practice and confidence.
Starting off the procedure in ideal conditions and learning how to gradually increase throttle will help build confidence.

[Searaider 2]

Mr_Bean , Darren
I had a look at the Web Site , that umit looks nice & simple & a good price .:thumbup:

[TimiBoy]

I took a risk yesterday, in light of comments about ingesting guff while leaving her in gear on the trailer.8-)

Once on the trailer, I put the CC685 in neutral. Didn't move. Turned off the engine. Didn't move. Jumped around and rocked the boat. Didn't move. Some guys on the other ramp thought I'd flipped my wig.;D

So I got out and latched, winched and clipped. It makes sense that she won't just roll off, given that when launching you really have to poke hard (about 3K revs) to get her to come off the trailer.

But, you know, I think I'll still leave her in gear. You do stir up a lot of muck, but you do that while you're driving on, too, and you are pushing/revving hard while driving on, but not once you're on the trailer.

[johnny roger]

brenmac,
you mentione a proper rope set up in a cross wind. what do you call a proper rope set up? how/where would you tie your ropes etc?
John

[Why Not]

Its a rope connected to the stern of the boat. Put it on the windward side and it controls the rear of the boat beautifully. A good trick which needs two people, one on the winch and one on the rope. As long as it not blowing a gale a 10 year old can line up the baot for you. None of this getting in the water thing.

For me I drive my 5.50M G.S Marine Extreme onto the trailer. My trailer has 12 keel rollers and some permanent rear guides (V blocks). They line my bow up nice. It just takes a bit of steering control when the bow is engaged to bring the stern around if the wind has moved you around. Once lined up, use the motor to recover onto the trailer. Here in the NT keeping yourself out of the water is a good thing. No chance of a snapping handbags or stingers latching onto you.

Why Not

[Fatenhappy]

Used to load and unload the 660 Whittley every time using power alone ...

Back her in and with the winch cable still connected onto the post just back off the winch rope for a foot or so. Start her up, warm her up then select fwd and just let her nudge forward to take out the slack against the post, go forward and undo the tether, disengage fwd gear and/or select reverse and let her slide/power off under control.... (make sure you keep the leg above mid range so as not to engage the prop on the bottom) ... 3000Kgs and 25' of boat

Back her off and either tie her up to a pontoon or nudge her up on the sand then park the F250 and trailer.

Retreival is exactly the opposite. Take it slow take it steady and its absolutlely easy

If theres a cross wind just allow for that and if need be just do a slow practice run to line up the engagement of the bow to the initial runners

And personally I don't care who says what, but I reckon guide posts on a properly set up trailer halve the work load and make the hole process incredibly easy.

As an aside we used to run a MacKay multi roller trailer ....

Cheers Greg