Launching and retrieving
 

Ok folks, I am new to boating and want to know how you guys launch and retrieve, I have been told a couple different ways. To launch, I back her down until the wheel wells are just below the water, hop in the boat and have the wife undo the front latch to release the bow strap. Then she unhooks it and gives me a push out. I have also seen people unhook everything, back it down and hit the brakes once the trailer is far enough in the water to give the boat some reverse momentum to glide out. My wife is not the most adept vehicle driver or boat driver so I have not gone this route. For retrieving she gets about in the middle of the trailer so that she can attach the bow hook then we reel the boat in from there. I have seen some people just power it all the way up to the front support.

Personally I think you're doing it the right way! But do what's comfortable for you. Powerloading can potentially damage the boat if you're not experienced.

A lot of the technique you use will probably depend a lot on the grade of the launch ramp. My usual launch/retrieve spot is steep enough that I can have my boat just floating off the bunks yet I can still step out to operate the winch without soaking my feet. So I back it down to that point, throw some lines to my mates, release the winch and then just drive the trailer out. Retrieval is just the opposite, though I don't back in quite so far. Once the bow strap is attached it's only a few of cranks on the winch to bring it home. No need for power loading. Of course, a lot of your technique depends on the overall weight of your boat.

You're doing well! Do not powerload! I've seen a few failed power load attempts - they were not pretty.

Thanks for the responses, I will stick with my method. Now if I could just teach the wife how to back the trailer down...

I have that same problem.....with the wife that is. :shakehead:

I wish I could find this somewhere online, but there was a great lesson on Ship Shape TV (when I actually used to watch it), about single handed launching. It showed a very clever way to launch the boat using two lines tied to the boat, and a line tied to the trailer. Very cool. If I can find it, I'll post the link.

For the record, by girlfriend just likes to sit and watch during launch, whether it's in the passenger seat of the truck, or the boat... She's too afraid to try and help. Maybe one of these days... :)

We all seem to have the same problem - uncooperative first mate... In shipping terms, that would be reason enough to make the first mate walk the plank, but given that the first mate is also the cook, that would be unproductive in the long run...

I was relatively new to launching and retreiving until last month... The first time I launched, I was a nervous wreck... A couple of launches later, I put together a laminated list of steps to launch and retreive.. Here are some things I have learnt

1. Do a few dummy launches when you have a half hour to spare. I would simply back the trailer down into the water until I felt some bouyancy on the stern. I then marked the trailer fender with a visible marker so I could repeat the feat in an actual launch.

2. I did not get the wife to push the boat out since that would annoy her... I would get on the boat and power back-out with the outdrive still in trailer mode. It won't foul the prop since the prop is sitting at the stern level.

3. During retreival, I would get the boat up on the bunks until it stopped by itself and use the manual winch to pull it up... A bunk guide helps tremendously to line the boat up...

To launch I unhook the straps and back down until the lower unit is in the water. My wife then starts the boat to make sure there are no problems. I then back down enough that the boat slides back just a small amount and she pull off the trailer and picks me up at the dock.
I am a power loader or I should say my wife is. I always back down until one inch of wheel well is out of the water. And she drives up on to the bunks; and I hook the winch to the eye! She powers all the way up. and I pull it out. She can do this in river current also. (I hate to say it, but she can load it better than me!) I have loaded both my Mariahs this way due to their weight. I one time had to crank my buddy’s Z302 on the trailer, and my arm hurt for a week! Everyone finds the way that is best suited for them. Just be cautious and safe.

I would be very careful when putting the RPM over 1200 with the outdrive all the way up. This can cause some serious damage to your gimbal ring I believe.

hmm... good point... I see how the shear force could effect it... Will keep that in mind...

Not to mention the added stress you'll be adding to the u-joints! :eek_animated:

I think it's worse on the U joints than the bearing... but wouldn't want to damage either.

I admit I power load - but very little. It's really bad on the ramp and causes nasty erosion. Some boaters will get quite angry if they see you doing it, so be careful. I see it as a slight necessity, otherwise there's too much chance of getting the boat on crooked or causing damage.

When I unload, I back in till its light on the bunks, but not enough to float off, then fire up and back her off. (I have help in the truck)

When I load it, I back in the trailer a little deeper (usually just burying the fenders) then I drive it right up to the roller at the end. Been doing it that way for 8 years, the only time I had any trouble was in one nastya** storm!

indykoch is right, some shallow ramps don’t allow power loading due to erosion. Fortunately for me all the ramps I use are concrete and deep. If I have to be deep enough to crank it on, the back usually floats and sits crooked and I have to pull in and out a couple of times to get it on straight! :(

I wanted to point out one thing. I know in Ohio if you caught caught releasing your bow hook before the boat is in the water and then backing in to slide it off you will get ticketed. I first heard about it when some people got seriously injured when their boat slid off the trailer as the guy was backing it down the ramp. In general that is a very dangerous practice.

My first mate can back the boat off the trailer and put it back on with no problem. She just refuses to back the trailer. Oh well, you can't have it all.

loading/unloading
 

Early on in our boating life, I learned that it would be better for me to back down, so I taught the first mate to back off/load the trailer. Everywhere we go has concrete ramps and steep enough to lower the lower unit most of the way. With our 252, I now back far enough down to lower unit into water so wife can start the motor, I unhook the cable and back and brake the boat off the trailer. This seems to work good. When loading I pretty much do what Moondance does. A little power loading the last 2-4 inches at 1/4 trim up to keep the strain off the cable. On my boat, the previous owner backed too far in and rammed the nose below the rubber stop on the trailer. Not a good idea.

In our area, people come out to the boat ramp on Saturdays and Sundays just to watch to action. I would guess many a divorce started at the boat ramp. We once saw a lady standing on top of her submerged truck holding her husband's golf clubs over her head. Don't know where her priorities were!:rolling_laugh:

First Mate Launch
 

My First Mate does an awesome job.
We unhook the bow and stern straps, put out the bumbers, I line it up, jump in the boat, she backs it in and off we go.

Her only issue is backing up the trailer, once its in position we have a Green Light to go.

On Retrival, I dock the boat, line up the trailer in the water, she backs it in while I bring the boat around. Using very low throttle speed, we bring it to the point where very little cranking is need, then she pulls it out to the staging area to re attach the starps and pull the plug.

She doesn't care for driving the boat, but without her it wouldn't be much fun.

Hat's Off to My First Mate......:wink_thumbup:
BTW: She's a good cook also

with me it sounds a little different. I don't want my mate to have to walk up a huge hill to the truck so I get that part. I back the truck down while she drives around in the boat a bit. When I finally get the trailer in the water she just drives the boat right on the trailer I hook it up and off we go to secure area. If she does not get it on the first try I am amazed. She does not like to drive out on the lake but she is a great driver. You are right, It would not be much fun without her. Just like the song says " put a girl in it":rolling_laugh::yes_grin:

Launching and retrieving
 

I have an open bow deck boat with bunkers, 12 volt electric wench, and trailer with boat guides. When launching my boat I will back trailer into water just covering the lights. I will climb over bow of boat with dock line tied to a front cleat. Lower stern drive and start engine until tempature reaches 150% or better. Shut off engine and climb back over bow holding dock line. I tie line to ball of trailer. Release safety chain and wench. Back trailer deeper until seeing boat lifts alittle off bunkers. Untie line from trailer back away. When returning, the trailer is submerged all the way in and pulled out to get bunkers fully wet and fenders are halfway showing. I pull the boat on until boat gets hung up on bunkers. Climb over bow onto trailer holding dock line on cleat again. I will place wench line snap into boat retriever pole and power boat onto trailer. No sweet at all. Doesn't matter how shallow the water is,and no sore arms. :wink_thumbup:

Launching and retrieving
 

http://www.boatretriever.com/cart.cfm
Here is picture of the Boat Retriever Pole and Snap

http://www.jcwhitney.com/webapp/wcs/...atalogId=10101
Here is a picture of 12 Volt Boat Winch