Ziki Posted January 17, 2009 Report Posted January 17, 2009 I am in the market for a 16' Aluminum like the one pictured below. Having never owned a boat before I am curious as to how difficult it is to fish from/launch a boat of this size alone. Thanks!
River Rat Posted January 17, 2009 Report Posted January 17, 2009 get a long bow rope, tie it to your hitch or trailer with enough rope to clear the trailer obviously but not hit anything behind you at the launch.......ram it in the water get out and move the bow rope from the hitch to the dock.....park the truck and let the games begin. It's very easy after a few times at it. I launch my 17footer alone all the time. RR
BillM Posted January 17, 2009 Report Posted January 17, 2009 (edited) Yup, it's not very hard. I put the boat in the water until the ass end is floating. I then unhook it and push it off the trailer. Tie it to the dock, pull out the truck/trailer and I am on my way. That is an awesome tiller btw! Edited January 17, 2009 by BillM
lew Posted January 17, 2009 Report Posted January 17, 2009 Very simple to launch that boat when your alone. Simply tie one end of a 50' rope to the bow eye on your boat, and the other end to your winch tower. Undo all other straps and slowly back your trailer in the water until the boat floats free, then pull the trailer forward until it clears the boat. Put your emergency brake on and go back and undo the rope from your trailer and pull the boat over to the dock and secure it. Park your truck and go fishing. When your done, simply back your trailer in the water till the wheel fenders are just sticking outta the water, and drive the boat up on the trailer until the bow reaches the rubber roller on the tower, and your done. Hook up your strap and crank the boat all the way up until it's tight, put on your saftey strap and pull the boat up the ramp and outta the way of others that will be waiting. With a bit of practice, you'll be launching and retrieving your boat alone in under a minute.
Radnine Posted January 17, 2009 Report Posted January 17, 2009 I self launch (16 footer) by backing the boat down until the fenders are just under the water. Then climb down the tongue of the trailer to the nose of the boat and do the push-off-jump-on trick. Tie the boat to the dock and go move the van. Self launching is a dawdle with a bit of practise. Nice picture BTW, just replace that tiller with a side console and you've got yourself a boat
Greencoachdog Posted January 17, 2009 Report Posted January 17, 2009 I do the push off and jump on method too, but the bow rope is another popular method too... whichever works best for you! You'll probably want to find an uncrowded launch for your first few times, or wait until everyone else has launched. The more you do it, the better you'll become at it!
darsky Posted January 17, 2009 Report Posted January 17, 2009 my only issue about launching alone is the rope catching the guides as it slides off.
Sinker Posted January 17, 2009 Report Posted January 17, 2009 my only issue about launching alone is the rope catching the guides as it slides off. Keep the rope coiled inside the boat on the front deck. As it floats off the trailer, it can't catch. I launch a similar boat alone all the time. Nothing to it. Pick a method and stick to it! Getting it back on the trailer is the harder part, but after a few trial runs, theres nothing to it. Just find the sweet spot that your trailer likes to be in the water, and its a 5 min job. Sinker
medmart Posted January 17, 2009 Report Posted January 17, 2009 my only issue about launching alone is the rope catching the guides as it slides off. I had the same thing a couple of time's now i just tie the rope on the eye and hold it in my hand and let it slid through my hand as i back up
jwl Posted January 17, 2009 Report Posted January 17, 2009 (edited) key point I noticed mentioned was finding "the sweet spot" to get your boat back on the trailer if you drive your boat on the trailer..if you have load guides on the trailer you just have to figure out how far in the water you want the trailer...too little is ok, you can always winch the boat up the rest of the way..too far in the water is a problem..you will run the boat right up over the tower, perhaps ramming the boat right into the tower..or smashing into the back of the tow vehicle,or bashing your lower unti into the back of the trailer. My boat for example, best to run the boat up on the trailer if the back of the load guides is just touching the water, just takes some trial and error..just remember if you have a tiller, it's a longer run up to the bow to try and stop any incidents if they happen.. , I have a side console and first season with the boat I almost pout it throught the back windshield of my van ,soon as I hit the trailer I knew it was going to go up too far so I ran to the front and grabbed the winch tower so the hull wouldn't smash into that (that would be a nasty possibility of a good rip in the side of the boat) and the bow of the boat just touched the tailgate of the van...no damage done and a good lesson learned. Remember as well if you have a kicker motor your boat will tend to list to one side making it a bit harder to get centred on the trailer Edited January 17, 2009 by jwl
musky66 Posted January 17, 2009 Report Posted January 17, 2009 Easy stuff, what they said ;bit I find it best to get in the water with the boat when loading. I beach, or tie the boat up, back the trailer in, then wearing my Crocs (summer) or rubber boots (fall) I wade in as necessary to push the boat out ( with rope in hand) and shove it out past the guide ons and then pull it up onto the bunks. Hook it up and crank it on. I find it safer to do it this way instead of walking the tongue! When launching- I tie the bow rope to my winch strap, back in until the boat floats clear and then drive forward ( without putting to much initial pressure on the rope) and gently beach the boat on the gravel launch I normally use. Then I get out, untie, make sure the boat is secure, and park my rig.
ohhenrygsr Posted January 17, 2009 Report Posted January 17, 2009 dont forget to put the boat bumpers out cause it will hit the dock
misfish Posted January 17, 2009 Report Posted January 17, 2009 At the back of my trailer,when I had the tinny,I bolted on a eye bolt. The rope had two of those quick clasp on it. One was on the bow and the other on the O ring. Just backed it in,and drove out of the launch. I then grabbed the rope and guided the boat to the dock. Worked like a charm.
Pigeontroller Posted January 17, 2009 Report Posted January 17, 2009 Easy as pie. Just takes practice. I launch/load alone all the time. Yet I watch people at my Trailer Park struggle to do it, yet they only put their boats in once and take them out once in a season. I loaded my boat at this launch one day,More of a sand beach really and then rescued a similar sized boat that was about to be sucked into one of those tubes! There was a guy in it desparately holding the rim of the tube, while the current pulled at the boat, and his buddy was getting the car! I had to laugh, here I was loading my boat alone, and these two couldn't do it without me saving their butts. BUT, I launch all the time alone, it doesn't take long to get confident.
darsky Posted January 17, 2009 Report Posted January 17, 2009 PT-is that the legendary Chandos launch ?? If so-lots of current right there!
misfish Posted January 18, 2009 Report Posted January 18, 2009 PT-is that the legendary Chandos launch ?? If so-lots of current right there! LOL I was going to say the same thing. Im searching ,my pic.
forrest Posted January 18, 2009 Report Posted January 18, 2009 (edited) There will be challenges: -read up on pre-launch checklists -pick launches with deep water off of them and a dock to tie up to. -avoid the busiest launches at first (nothing like the pressure of knowing your holding up the line -avoid windy and big wave days if you can at first. -be safe when launching (no balancing acts if you are alone) forrest Edited January 18, 2009 by forrest
Greencoachdog Posted January 18, 2009 Report Posted January 18, 2009 Easy stuff, what they said ;bit I find it best to get in the water with the boat when loading. I beach, or tie the boat up, back the trailer in, then wearing my Crocs (summer) or rubber boots (fall) I wade in as necessary to push the boat out ( with rope in hand) and shove it out past the guide ons and then pull it up onto the bunks. Hook it up and crank it on. I find it safer to do it this way instead of walking the tongue! When launching- I tie the bow rope to my winch strap, back in until the boat floats clear and then drive forward ( without putting to much initial pressure on the rope) and gently beach the boat on the gravel launch I normally use. Then I get out, untie, make sure the boat is secure, and park my rig. Have you been taking lessons from Beans?
Greencoachdog Posted January 18, 2009 Report Posted January 18, 2009 Easy as pie. Just takes practice. I launch/load alone all the time. Yet I watch people at my Trailer Park struggle to do it, yet they only put their boats in once and take them out once in a season. I loaded my boat at this launch one day,More of a sand beach really and then rescued a similar sized boat that was about to be sucked into one of those tubes! There was a guy in it desparately holding the rim of the tube, while the current pulled at the boat, and his buddy was getting the car! I had to laugh, here I was loading my boat alone, and these two couldn't do it without me saving their butts. BUT, I launch all the time alone, it doesn't take long to get confident. You're exactly right!!! If you launch every time you go fishing, you become very proficient at it!!! I love watching the "once a year" guys... if I'm not waiting behind one of them. They're usually the ones that like to "take a swim" with their boat when they launch/trailer... if they'd go fishin' during the winter, they'd stop all that nonsense and launch/trailer like civilized human beings!!!
POLLIWOGG Posted January 18, 2009 Report Posted January 18, 2009 If you use a long line to launch take it off the bow eye before getting under way, wash off the bow can pull the line into the water and it can end up in your prop. If you rig a permanent bow line make sure its not long enough to reach the prop. If you rig a bow line to the aft cleat you have a ready dock line and a legal boarding devise that can be grabbed from the water. A long line from the aft cleat around the far dock cleat and back to you can be used to control your boat and draw it to the dock. A boat hook is handy when loading as its hard to push a boat with a dock line. Put the trailer in just far enough to line up the keel with the keel rollers so the boat stays straight when you winch it on, too far in and the boat floats all over and doesn't stay straight. Check out the ramp for hazards like a drop off at the end of the ramp or beach gravel piled up by power loaders before you launch. If its a roller trailer leave the winch strap or a safety line on till the boats in the water, you don't want the boat rolling off the trailer on the way down the ramp.
pikehunter Posted January 18, 2009 Report Posted January 18, 2009 Lots of good suggestions already mentioned. I launch with a long line tied to the tower and back it in as Lew said. Tongue walk it and crank it in when reloading, but then my boat isn't as heavy as the pictured craft, but it is a 16' tinny. What I find to be the 2 biggest factors to screw up a successful self launching is the wind and the ramp itself eg. depth, falloff, angle to the ramp and the ramp angle. Every boat ramp is different.
tinbanger Posted January 18, 2009 Report Posted January 18, 2009 think its been covered pretty well I tie to the winch tower back in till it floats off , then drive ahead S L O W till the boat beaches on the ramp ( if no dock) or get out and secure to dock . as Pikehunter noted some ramps can be an issue especially when reloading . unven ramps , current , too steep , too shallow, ramp traction or lack there of. but so far so good , depending on the vehicle , boat size etc , decide BEFORE you launch if you think you can relaod and get out ore be prepared to get some help.Get to know your set up and what it can do ( tow vehicle ,trailer ,boat) I have yet to get severly hung up launching a 17' ft boat with 90 hp with my mini van . We launch in some ackwoods 'access points' and so far so good. good luck and have fun out there. One more thing when relaoding and pulling boat out .... RELEASE THE PARKING BRAKE ! ( my personel favorite) TB
desship Posted January 18, 2009 Report Posted January 18, 2009 I launch my princecraft alone all the time, just remember to tie off. Most times boat won't go far that rope will keep you from getting your feet wet should it.
bigredfisher Posted January 18, 2009 Report Posted January 18, 2009 i no look for some fishin buddies to take with ya, ....... ya you can bring bigredfisher......... pick me pick me pick me lol, i hope that everyone answered your question, they are great people.
limeyangler Posted January 18, 2009 Report Posted January 18, 2009 (edited) I find having a pair of waders in the truck always a good idea....saves the balancing act on the trailer tongue. SPLASH Edited January 18, 2009 by limeyangler
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