Launch & retrieving your boat

[Largeheaded1]

Does anyone have any advice for launching & retrieving a boat when you are by yourself? I have a 18.5" glass half cabin that, in a bit of a breeze, is kinda difficult to handle when you're on your own.

What do other people do?

[fishfinder]

If you are having trouble then there is really only one answer- to set up your trailer correctly. If its an older trailer then its probably not worth modifying, but this will depend on its design and condition. A new trailer set up to drive on may be the answer. Plenty of good advice available whevever boat trailers are sold.

[bidkev]

Does anyone have any advice for launching & retrieving a boat when you are by yourself? #I have a 18.5" glass half cabin that, in a bit of a breeze, is kinda difficult to handle when you're on your own.

What do other people do?

Hi Rusty,

Is your problem with wind or tide swinging the boat round?

Once you get the nose locked onto the first rollers, if you have a rope to each stern cleat you can align the boat round by pulling on the appropriate rope.

Another point. You'd be surprised how may folk don't actually have their winch cable already extended when getting ready to retrieve. The moment you get that cable snapped on and instantly tightened, the nose shouldn't go anywhere other than onto the first rollers. Like I say, it's just a matter of aligning then, and with those two ropes I can manage my 20 footer alone. HTH

kev

[basserman]

tottal agree with kigpin
i can handle my 18footer glass by my self with out needing to drive on and thats in a 20knot cross wind
the rope does help that much and all i do is conect it via a crabinna to which ever side the wind /tide is comeing from then all you need to do is keep presure on the rope while winching your heart away! ;D
BUT the biggest thig that can help you is a set of retrivermates no more need for the rope all i ahve to do now is get the nose somewhere inbetween the retiver mates and thay straghen the girl up as i winch ;D
a good trailer and retivermates with a rope back up should never see you in trouble at the boat ramp again ;)

[bungie]

I have one of these, can get my 17ft fiberglass runabout with a 150 on it, up on the trailer on my own with cross wind and/or fast tides. Yep I love it



Retriever-Mate

Eliminate your launching and retrieving problems, regardless of the size of your boat.

Retriever-Mate will guide you craft safely on and off the trailer, make it a one person operation. Ideal for launching in difficult situations, like, rough water, fast tidal currents and strong cross winds. Easily mounted to your trailer, Retriever-Mate will make boating so much more enjoyable.

MRD8: # fits boats 3.6 - 4.2m
MRD10: fits boats 4.2 - 4.8m
MRD11: fits boats 4.8 - 6.0m
MRD13: fits boats 6.0 - 8.5m

[charleville]

I bought an electric winch that operates by pulling a lanyard at the back of the trailer while you hold the boat steady in the wind. #This sure works for me.

I also saw a helpful hint somewhere recently about using a rubber cord (like a big rubber band) that you hook onto the boat from the front of the trailer to hold it firm up into the trailer to give you time to get back to the manual winch to start winding before the wind takes the boat sideways.

[Largeheaded1]

Thanks for the feedback guys. It's probably mostly wind that creates the problems. so maybe a couple or ropes off the stern cleats is the way to go initially.

The guy I bought the boat from said it is a drive on trailer, but he used to drag itr on the old fashioned way. How can you tell if the trailer is set up to drive on?

Cheers, Rusty

[Robbo_Townsville]

Who holds the boat while you run up the ramp to get the car and trailer?

[charleville]

"Who holds the boat while you run up the ramp to get the car and trailer?"

That's why you need to scout around boat ramps before you use them to find the ones which have sand or gravel beside the ramp or a pontoon jetty.

Lota end of Manly boat harbour and Jacobs Well have ramps with room beside the ramp. Colmsie, GC Highway Bridge ramp etc have pontoon jetties.

[drevil]

Where can you buy these Retrievermates?

[dnej]

I tried using the rope system.However I couldnt get this to work ,as when you stand near the winch, the rope is at to sharp an angle to the stern, and vertually run up the side of the boat. More explanation need guys.
David
PS saw the video at the tinnie show for the Retrievermate, looks great but a bit expensive

[basserman]

the rope isn't the easyest way to do comparied to a retirvermate but you just need to keep the presure on the rope while winching and this should keep it fairly straght
another way to do it is to pull the boat over to much and let the wind or tide push it back so by the time you start to winch the nose is straght
once you have the nose up in the trailer it should stay fairly straght if it isn't you would be best to check your trailer setup

as for where you get retivermates most good marine shops should be able to order them in ;D

[drevil]

So how can you tell whether your trailer is set up to drive on?

[basserman]

not sure at the diffrence but i would say a drive on has self adjusting rollers
mines a drive on trailer but i still prefure to hand winch after all your going to do less damage than if you drive it on

[bidkev]

not sure at the diffrence but i would say a drive on has self adjusting rollers
mines a drive on trailer but i still prefure to hand winch after all your going to do less damage than if you drive it on

Yeah! and beware the retrievermates. My mate took his off after punching a hole in his bow. Not really the fault of the remates in this case, as the wash from a jet ski taking off pushed him into the side of them.......hit 'em wrong and you're in trouble, even with normal rollers. That's one of the reasons I stopped driving on, even though I was set up for it.

kev

[nictim]

I have a v17
Im looking at one of those plastic trailers just drive on no problem

[GregT]

Whitworths and Bias marine stores both sell retrievermates at around the same price

[bidkev]

I tried using the rope system.However I couldnt get this to work ,as when you stand near the winch, the rope is at to sharp an angle to the stern, and vertually run up the side of the boat. More explanation need guys.
David
PS saw the video at the tinnie show for the Retrievermate, looks great but a bit expensive

dnej,

What you have to do is forst get the nose between the rear rollers whilst holding the rope that is on the "up" side of the wind or flow. Once the nose is locked in you can see how the rear of your boat is positioned and you move off to the windward or flow side and pull on the rope. As the back end of the boat swings into straight alignment with your trailer you then pull her slightly further uptide/wind and, keeping the rope tight (puling in the slack as you move, return to the winch quickly. If you are quick enough, or have pulled far enough uptide/wind, the boat should still be slightly misaligned, although this time, uptide/wind. wait till it swings straight to your trailer and winch like buggery.

Sounds difficult, and at first it may be, but you will get the "feel" after a few sessions and thereafter it will be as easy as beating an English rugby team :-)

kev

[familyman]

You could also try changing your winch cable to something like spectra or kevlar based cord that is soft.You then can pull the slack out with the winch through your hand ie hold the slack in a loop so that the rope is tight on the front on the front of the boat holding it into the rollers.The other two alternatives are an electric winch with remote or go to a different ramp where the wind is blowing the boat away from the ramp.In my experience it is easier to keep control of the boat if the boat wants to drift away rather than onto the trailer.Given 18.5 feet an electric winch would be my suggestion.good luck.

[Mr__Bean]

I have similar issues with the ramp at Rhyll on Westernport Bay Vic.

My boat is a 5.65 Fraser half cabin which is a fibreglass boat of similar size to the half cabin mentioned earlier.

At Rhyll the ramp is subjected to a strong cross tide and is also wind blown at times making it not only hard to get a boat on at times, but quite entertaining to see how different people cope with the challenge.

For me it is the drive on method, my trailer in a multy roller trailer that was pretty much setup for drive-on application, however I did have to add a couple of guides to ensure the keel aligned on the centre rollers rather than skid along beside them if offline.

Prior to doing that I had a couple of incidents whereby I chipped some gelcoat on the bottom corner of the keel - not happy about that.

I find driving on to be the safest in these conditions but you do have to have a good look at the trailer to make sure there are no areas that will catch the keel if you are a little off line.

The boat must be able to slide sideways a little to centre itself if it is going to work properly.

Once setup, it is a dream. Now I just align the boat a little upwind, or uptide of the trailer as I approach. Slow it right down as you get up to the trailer, then let the wind or tide take me across the last bit until it is in line. Then a little bit of power to touch the boat up onto the trailer.

Once touching the trailer you can gently steer the back of the boat around to align it and then straighten the motor and give a bit more power to go up the trailer.

All of this should be done slow and carefully, I don't know how many people I have seen that charge the trailer only to get it wrong and bash the boat into the side of the trailer or up into the mudguard area.

Main thing, keep cool and take it slow. If you are offline back away and go again.

Good luck.

- Bean