Educate me

I enjoy reading this stuff on here, but it sort of freaks me out as well. In the past I have only had a car topper type boat I could toss in the water just about anywhere. In the next year I am looking at either a v hull fish/ski type boat or a pontoon. What is the proper procedures to launch at the ramp?? LOL. I don't want to be a featured topic on here!

Re: Educate me

Launch or retrieve your boat and then get out of the way! Nothing else.

Re: Educate me

gee bob, don't ya wanna make a sht? you will i assure you, if you go boating at all. i've boated since i was a kid and i'm 50 now. i still make mistakes while boating... so ya might as well get prepared....

1st i make sure the boats ready for the water and will run. i do this at home.

at the launch ramp i usually have two to launch, me and the ol'lady.
prep is done in the pre launch area, not on the ramp.

her part is get in the boat and get out the fenders and lines, both sides unless we know which side we'll be off loading on. she turns on the blower, puts the seat bottoms on the back seats, opens the sliding hardtop and ft. sliding window. she gets out towels for the ft. seats.

my first thing is to put the plug in. then remove both tie down straps on the rear. put the ft. fenders that the ol'lady got out on the cleats, put line on ft bow lifting ring that the ol'lady got out. unplug the trailer lights. then launch it (note bow strap and safety chain are not released until boat is in the water). she controls the boat and ties up to the dock, i park the trailer. by the time i've go back to the ramp, she's lowered the drive and has it idling for me.

maybe 3-4 mins. to prep for launch with both of us, 5 min. for me alone..

prep for individual boats may vary i would think.

Re: Educate me

Wellcome !! Check out the "Things You Need To Know" thread in the" Boat topics and questions" forum -- best read for new boaters ; old ones too! peter

Re: Educate me

1 st - Make yourself a checklist including such things as: Transom straps off, plug in, keys available, ropes secure & etc. 2nd go over & do everything on checklist in prep area of launch. 3rd - launch & secure boat. 4th - park vehicle. 5th - Start boat, get out of way of next guy. 6th - go enjoy your outing.

Also make yourself a checklist for before you leave home: Got Gas, Got oil in gas, got keys, got life jackets, got lights hooked up, got ropes, got trailer attached/safety chains, got fire extinguisher, got paddle, got good battery hooked up, got front of boat secured, got transom straps on, etc

After you've lauched a few times, it'll become 2nd nature. (1 good sht is usually enough to never overlook it again...for most people)

Tom B.
(LongLine)

Re: Educate me

Like everyone has said, just Be Prepared. Don't wait until the boat is in the water to see if it is going to start. Do that at home before you leave the house. Don't load all your gear after the boat is in the water. Load up as much as possible before you leave the house. When you do get to the ramp, you will probably have a little time while you take care of all the last minute stuff, so if this is a place you have never been to or have only been to a time or two, take a minute to look around and see if there is a "normal" traffic flow (right side launch, left retrieve or ???) Most time this probably won't exist, but sometimes it does. The rest is courtesy, common sense, and experience.

Don't worry too much about making a fool out of yourself the first launch or two. You're probably going to so just deal with it. From what I have seen though, people will recognize lack of experience and are more likely to offer assistance. They can also recognize stupidity and/or rudeness and be "less likely" to help.

Wayne

P.S. Ziggy - you are the only person I have seen that has mentioned leaving the bow strap and safety chain until the boat is in the water. I have been doing that for 20+ years and have had to tell a few people why it is still connected when I start to back up. I will stop when the rear of the boat is over the water and I can still get to the thing without getting my feet wet. The steeper the ramp the more important this is.

Re: Educate me

pduquette said:

Wellcome !! Check out the "Things You Need To Know" thread in the" Boat topics and questions" forum -- best read for new boaters ; old ones too! peter

Click to expand...

Thanks, that is very helpful indeed.

xeddog said:

Ziggy - you are the only person I have seen that has mentioned leaving the bow strap and safety chain until the boat is in the water. I have been doing that for 20+ years and have had to tell a few people why it is still connected when I start to back up. I will stop when the rear of the boat is over the water and I can still get to the thing without getting my feet wet. The steeper the ramp the more important this is.

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My son has a light 14" Valco aluminum he trailers. His wife backs the boat in and he has every thing off but hand holds the strap until the boat starts to float. I think having a larger boat tied at the front is a good idea.
Scenario:
I'm in the boat, the wife is backing up the truck/trailer/boat into the lake. The boat is untied. The ramp is steep. The wife jack knifes the trailer and in her frustration uses a tad more skinny petal than needed to get straighten up. I am sitting in the boat on the ramp, dry, wishing I had a bottle of scotch.

Re: Educate me

Go in the morning on a weekday and practice practice practice.

I think they're all a bit different. Go when you have the time to screw around on the boat ramp for an hour or so. Launch it... several times. Little deeper, little shallower, push it off, float it off, get in the water, try to stay dry... ect. Nobody can really tell you what YOU'LL find easiest. Don't forget the plug, transom straps or blower (if you start it), outside of those three things any mistakes you make shouldn't be catastrophic.

Re: Educate me

Oh come on bob, give us all something good to read. I can see it now "I was launching my boat for nice day with the family when all the sudden this newbie came along".
Good luck and like they said before check list and practice make perfect and don't get frustrated. Chances are very good someone here has been there and done that, not once but twice.

Re: Educate me

Go to the boat ramp and watch.
You'll see it all.

Re: Educate me

bob1340 said:

Thanks, that is very helpful indeed.



My son has a light 14" Valco aluminum he trailers. His wife backs the boat in and he has every thing off but hand holds the strap until the boat starts to float. I think having a larger boat tied at the front is a good idea.
Scenario:
I'm in the boat, the wife is backing up the truck/trailer/boat into the lake. The boat is untied. The ramp is steep. The wife jack knifes the trailer and in her frustration uses a tad more skinny petal than needed to get straighten up. I am sitting in the boat on the ramp, dry, wishing I had a bottle of scotch.

Click to expand...

A big bottle!!

Re: Educate me

When doing anything with a number of steps that need to be followed, a checklist is the simplest answer. That is what we do when chartering a sailboat, before leaving the dock, and would work just fine when launching too.

Re: Educate me

You seem to have misunderstood the purpose of the SHT Forum. This is the place to tell about stupid mistakes, not to discuss a new boat or ask for advice.

Moving to Boat Topics.

Re: Educate me

The best word of advised from me would have to be: Dont get in a hurry to launch. Check and re-check everything either at home or before you go to back into the water. Dont tie up the ramp mind you. CHeck everything in the staging area first.

We always seem to forget something when we are under pressure or excited about getting on the water.

Re: Educate me

chomamma said:

The best word of advised from me would have to be: Dont get in a hurry to launch. Check and re-check everything either at home or before you go to back into the water. Dont tie up the ramp mind you. CHeck everything in the staging area first.

We always seem to forget something when we are under pressure or excited about getting on the water.

Click to expand...

There are some good points here, but this is really good advice. Once you are comfortable launching, it should be a process for you, and as long as you make it a methodical process and take your time, you will be fine.

My wife isn't real confident at the ramp, so we prefer I launch solo. I've got it down pat, doesn't take me hardly any time now, even though I am new to boating. But, one time we went to a new lake and marina, and it was packed. I got in a hurry and then panicked why I couldn't reverse off the trailer. WTF? Well, it helps if you remember to remove the transom straps on the back of the boat, lol.

just research the posts here. you'll be fine. Have fun!

Re: Educate me

The biggest thing at the launch is to get ready to launch and leave in the staging area,NOT ON THE RAMP(!!!!!)

At every boat launch there are 3 areas, the ramp, parking and then off the side out of the way is a staging area where you get evrything loaded/unloaded and the boat ready to float so you are on the actual ramp as little as possible.

As far as getting the boat in the water you can put someone who can drive the boat in it and launch or use a rope, depands on the particular launch.

the first couple times are a little scary, just take your time, after the fiorst 2-3 you will be an old pro.

Re: Educate me

Don't forget to put turn off your headlights before leaving for a day on the water on that checklist!

I am usually at the ramp at the crack of dawn and sometimes don't get out before the sun is creepin up. I can tell you from personal experience it's not fun to have to pull your battery out of the boat to jumpstart the truck before you can leave the ramp, especially if the locals are sitting around watching and chuckling.