lauch and recover , right , wrongs , unforseen

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jimboooo

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ok ,yesterday , looked at the forcast , checked the boat and trailer , tyres etc .so here goes for the first trip out today for 3mths ! trailered fine , pre -float check , bung is in ! trailer board off , prop bag removed , reversed down the slipway , roll boat off trailer ( still atached to the winch , climb over the trailer onto bow , lower outboard , turn key , instant start , " a small yeasss " all good so far , so knowing the engine is running fine , i turn it off , attach a slip rope to the trailer and go forward to remove the winch hook , by now it needs some slack , so climb back over the bow and along the trailer nice and dry , release the winch a bit and release hook , climb back on board , lower engine , start , then it went tits up ! slip line got caught , so i paused and faffed about , got a bit of cross wind , by which time the boat had started drifting to 90 degrees to the trailer and slipway ,engine about to grind on the slipway ,i turned her off , lifted the leg , "bo***ks ", que me jumping into the sea up to my waist to push her back around , boat is 20ft cuddy , i got control of the situation and tried again , cool off we go , lovely hour and half she was a dream , came back in and that cross wind caught me again !! "two soakings " good job it was cold or the slipway audience would have been there to witness my mr bean launch ............
 
What about a good, substantial/robust telescopic boat hook to use like a gondola pole, for those transverse, shallowing moments?

Good to see you making an early start on the season.

The British launch methods are slightly different to ours, as the trailers we use are designed to be driven on and off.

Where is the location of the pontoon/jetty in relation to the ramp/slipway?
 
The trailers we Brits use are designed to be driven on and off as well. Not sure pushing around with a pole (especially a telescopic one) is going to work against a significant tide or wind, especially against say a smooth weedy concrete slipway for instance. Just needs a slightly more 'aggressive' approach to driving on and off. This can't be done on some slips, as the boat needs to be substantially off the trailer to start the engine, and some have no pontoon or jetty - once off the trailer, you are committed to going boating in one form or another. There are many methods to overcome these various issues, and often different slips need different plans and ways of launching and recovery.
 
I understand what you are saying Brendan, I was trying to see if the OP was just sharing a boating moment or if he was looking for some imput/suggestions on the launch/retrieve process, not knowing how often he has done this.

If suggestions are wanted, maybe an idea of the layout of the infrastructure at the launch site.
 
I agree, and any input is always welcome, as there is always a slip that will challenge even experienced trailer boaters. Sometime local knowledge is the answer, or at least warns you of problems such as a several foot sudden drop where the slip ends, which isn't evident from looking at it.
 
jimboooo, dunna worry Mate.
It will all come together.
As they say in Greece
'Cigar Cigar'
IE , do everything dead slow like.

One tip.
To help when retrieving.
Have two poles made up on the trailer to 'guide' you back in.

Hey and tother thing.
I,ve been chuckin boats in off trailers for longer than I care to remember.
Had a heck of a job a couple of months ago.
In an out the boat.
Shunting the tow vehicle up and down the slipway
Would the flippen thing float off?

Almost had water pooring up the exhaust pipe of me Pajero!

Loads of reverse on the outboard
Jumping up and down on the boat at the pointy end and the blunt to no avail.

Large Audience on the slipway.
My Local slipway.
Locals watching

Mucho sniggering and subdued gaffawing etc etc.
Cos the Barstewards knew what I'd done wrong!!!

Left two straps at the blunt end of the boat---- still attached to the Trailer!!!!

The subdued sniggering devolped into mucho gusto belly laughing and hand clapping when I finally launched with a crimson facade!!

No wuckin furries Mate.

And I,m an 'Expert'!
 
Always the way, if you ve managed to stay dry walking down the trailer frame !
Nothing damaged, so all is well, and you just know that if there hadnt been any wind, the slip line would have come off easily ;)
 
Last year, a few weeks after passing PB Level II, launching on the slipway in front of the classroom where the next course is going ahead.

Reversing the trailer on the end of a nice stout rope to avoid the rear of the car getting wet. Knot in rope undid halfway down the slip and the boat and trailer launched themselves. Could have almost got away with it if the trailer hadn't turned 90 degrees in the water and therefore required assistance to get it round to where I could pull it out again. :(

However my son was in charge of the boat bit and had the painter in hand so as it floated he pulled it to one side and tied it off, so that bit looked intentional!

Martin
 
Solitaire said:
Were you single handed?
Click to expand...

yes i was single handed and have launched recovered a fair few times over the last two years , it is always a pain . no pontoon or jetty so once off the trailer and out of the way of various buoys , boats etc that people have strewn across the slipway entrance it is a case of motoring a couple of 3 -4 hundred yds, tie to a lader on the sea wall , climb that , run to the car and move it !!!!!! repeated on way back in ....... all comments are gratefully recieved , i think i am doing things correctly ( have seen many people making far more of a meal of it even with 14ft boats ) but you live and learn and if anyone has any good tips i will take them on board so to speak , i am already thinkin of a small pulley attached to the trailer to run my rope through at least then it cant snag .
 
My ex had a snazzy way of launching. I backed the boat right to the waters edge, then instructed her, that all she had to do was go straight back.

So she put full lock on and backed, me, the boat and trailer, straight off the side of the slipway. Fastest launch ever!!
 
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