Solo Boat Launching

I have never attempted to launch a boat solo. There is one place here that has a dock by the ramp that one pretty much explains it's self. This ramp is 10 miles from my fishing spot. I still take a friend when I launch there because the water is very choppy and I am scared that the boat will come untied or get damaged bumping against the dock even though the dock is padded. Would I tie up tight or just a little loose so the boat could bounce off? (fiberglass)
So the ramps closer to my fishing spot are just ramps with rocks on both sides. It seems like the wind is always blowing into these ramps. I know that people launch solo all the time without messing their boats up on the rocks.
Any tips?
I don't mind getting my feet wet to keep my boat nice.

Re: Solo Boat Launching

Crap. I forgot to spell check.

Re: Solo Boat Launching

Launch by the dock, throw out a few fenders. Drive to the dock and tie off... i go a little loose so everything can move as it needs to. The fenders will do their job. Get out walk around to the truck, and go park it. Walk back to boat, and enjoy the day. It's actally very easy. Once you do this about 3-5 times, you will feel very comfortable. I back the trailer in to where i can approach it while under power... and cut the throttle and coast up to the bow roller... that way the winching is kept to a minimum and i am not power loading. Goodluck!

Re: Solo Boat Launching

Okay I will pick up some fenders. I am looking up some knots. I am thinking it would be easier just to have ropes with some kind of clips on the end.
In the way you mentioned above to you get your feet wet?
Any thoughts on ramps without docks?

Re: Solo Boat Launching

I always feel so rushed at the ramps.

Re: Solo Boat Launching

Ropes with clips to tie up to the dock.

Re: Solo Boat Launching

Depends on what is available at the dock... a cleat? just a post? That would depend on what knot i would tie. I would rather rely on the rope than a clip on the end of a rope. My feet dont get wet. Dont feel rushed... just don't fart around. People will see that you are alone. If you are not moving quick enough, someone should lend you a set of hands. I have never lauched without a dock. Our lakes have docks at all ramp locations. And just fyi... go back and edit your post instead of adding multiple posted thoughts.

Re: Solo Boat Launching

CLIPS = NO

Clip question: This basic question highlights the need to have someone with experience literally and figuratively show you the ropes.

Tying off at a dock (such as the launch ramp) requires leaving some slack in the lines and letting bumpers/fenders/lines do their jobs.

Others can explain the launch details/tips. I have my own routine based on preparation and aversion to risk. When you launch with a buddy, the extra guy is convenience and not necessity. Think about what the extra guy does that you can't do by taking an extra two minutes to walk over and do it yourself with wet calves.

Re: Solo Boat Launching

The dock has posts. I was thinking just to speed things up throw a rope around the post and clip the rope back into it's self. I ask about getting your feet wet cause I usually back in until the front tires of the truck are at the water line. The guy that goes with me is very heavy and we have found this is the best way to launch and trailer the boat because when he is at the wheel the boat leans so bad that the keel is out of the water and does not make contact with the rollers.

Re: Solo Boat Launching

I solo launch often. . .

A couple of tips. . .

I tie a line from the bow to a mid-point on the trailer and toss it up over the rail so it won't drag on the ground. This will mean that your boat will not float away once it launches.

I back the trailer in enough to float the boat off

I retrieve the boat with the line, hoist myself up on the boat, start the engine, go to the nearby dock, tie-up

I then go back to the ramp, and hopefully I have set the parking brake so that the vehicle is still there, I drive away to the parking area. Then I go back and get my boat.

The ramp is not all that busy, except on occasion .

Re: Solo Boat Launching

One of the things I like about having an aluminum boat with a failed paint job: not caring if it smacks into stuff while I park the truck

Also note: there is something more difficult than solo launching.......launching with a 4 year old! (totally worth it though)

Re: Solo Boat Launching

Learn three knots quickly: bowline, clove hitch and two half hitches.

Bowline will give you a great knot you can tie and hold loops for tossing over posts/cleats on the pier, and for quickly hanging fenders. Clove hitch is a fast knot for tying to posts, and releases quickly with one hand (if tied right). Two half hitches are good knot for being able to quick release a loop.

Should help a little with fenders and docking.

Enjoy - you'll get confident with it soon enough.

Re: Solo Boat Launching

I have boated most of my life. Just only like the guy above with an old fishing boat with a 9.9 hp motor. Now that I have a nice boat I want to keep it nice. More importantly I want to honor my father n law that gave me the boat by taking good care of it like he did and not make any stupid mistakes. My old boat I would just pull up onto the rocks.
My main question was solo launching from a ramp with no dock.
Good man for taking 4 year old out.
As far as clips go I could just have a knot ready to slip over the posts on the dock. I can tie a cleat hitch pretty quick.
When it comes to safe boating I don't consider any questions to be stupid.

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I took my boat out a few weeks ago for the first time by myself, which is just shy of 21'. I had brainstormed the night before how I was going to do it, how I was going to trailer it etc. When I got to the lake I was relieved to see the ramp was not all that busy (being a Friday morning) so I did all the usual things like undo the tie downs get the boat ready etc. I put on two ropes on the port side with the bumpers, one at the front cleat and one at the rear. I attached the rear rope to the front rope and then tied that to the post on the trailer to keep the boat from floating away when it started to float (really important to not have your boat float away for obvious reasons). Next time I might have a longer rope for the back because it didn't work all that well tied to the front rope.

Anyway I tied it off parked the truck and took off for the day. When I arrived back to the dock it was about 4 pm and there was this mad rush of rude people cutting in front of each other and idiots power loading their boats without backing their trailer in far enough etc.. I waited for most of them to leave and one guy I was talking to about the rude people was nice enough to come back in case I needed any help. I had thoughts of pulling the boat around the dock with the guide ropes and use the winch to pull it to the roller but someone docked their boat in my way and I ended up just saying screw it and went to power load the boat on the trailer. This was my first time loading the boat on the trailer because usually I drive the truck and my wife power loads the boat on the trailer. I was worried I would miss the trailer and be embarrassed in front of other people not to mention people waiting to load their boats.

I ended up loading the boat the first try and lightly powering the boat up to the rubber roller and hooked it up. The guy commented on how he had been boating for 30 years and still cannot do that by himself, and that I looked like I had been doing it for a long time. It felt great and I was ultimately happy with my solo voyage. I can't wait to do it again and make a few changes here and there. I can also practice at a local dock here on loading and unloading the boat without all the people waiting like at the lake.

Just do some planning and take a risk or two...after all that is how we all learn. Sorry for the long post everyone.

Re: Solo Boat Launching

johnsonjam02 said:

My main question was solo launching from a ramp with no dock.

Click to expand...

That really all depends on the conditions at the ramp. If it's a nice boat (don't want to bang it up) and a rocky shore, maybe you could find an overhanging tree to tie to? Or depending on the current, perhaps there's a spot where you could drop the anchor with the boat close to shore? I dunno, that one sounds like it could get tricky. In any case, unless you have a dock or can beach it, there's pretty much no way to avoid getting your legs wet if you're launching solo.

It may be that the ramp conditions make it worthwhile to just drive the extra distance to the ramp with the dock. At the lake I mainly used before I moved last year, I had one ramp that I used when I was with a group, but always went to a different ramp when I was by myself simply because it was better suited to solo launching.

You also mentioned that you back the truck in til the front wheels are at the waterline when you load. That's going to be WAY to far in for solo loading. You want the boat resting on the trailer when you get off to get in your truck, not floating above it.

Also, when approaching the trailer in a strong current, coming at it from downstream so you're pushing against the current will make things MUCH easier. You'll have much better control. Come at it from straight on, or with the current, and most people will miss the trailer 99 times out of 100....

Re: Solo Boat Launching

OP: You said you don't want to damage your boat. Clips offer nothing but an opportunity to damage your boat. Even if the clip is on the dock side, I guarantee that one day one of those clips damages your hand or goes slamming into your boat.

Ropes and lines are for tossing and not for breaking you or your boat.

Just friendly advice. No aluminum or gel is going to get smashed up by dock lines.

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first, you shouldn't have to get your feet wet if there's a dock.

second, none of your tires, except the trailer's, should be wet. Never the front tires.

Then--ramps, ramp conditions and the rules/customs at that ramp are all different. You need local advice, not national advice. For example, I always have a dock next to the ramp, and I have never in 54 years driven a boat off a trailer. so my advice won't match the equally good advice from a guy in Ohio who does.

So go to the ramp, park out of the way and watch. Remember that what you see, half of it is wrong. Try to discern the quickest, smoothest and driest techniques--those will be the best. then ask for help and be considerate about taking up time on stuff you can do elsewhere.

Also, when you ask questions (here) about techniques and equipment, remind us of the size of the boat, motor, etc. and if relevant, local conditions. Launching a 14' jon and a 25' cruiser are completely different, except for the plug part.

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It's possible to unlatch the bow with dry feet in some/many situations: Agreed.

What I find is that people will go to extremes to avoid getting their feet wet because they, well, don't want to get their feet wet, even if that is that smart thing to do in a given situation. So, my advice is: Get your feet wet if you have to. You can come up with ways not to, and some ramps just don't require getting wet, but for the love of testosterone: Don't be afraid to get your feet wet!

Quick example: I know a ramp where you can't launch close to the pier. Pulling the boat off from the pier tends to foul the launch so that the keel of the boat is breached across the trailer (you're just too far to pull at a shallow angle). In a case like that, it might make more sense to give a friendly, much needed, dead-on straight push with wet ankles.
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Re: Solo Boat Launching

I'm dreading the same situation.
I have a 22' cuddy and have never solo launched it (new boat to me). I don't think I will be able to climb into it while lanching because the bow will be too high, plus there's the rail. I imagine I will have to drag it off the trailer with ropes and reverse the process when I load up.

Re: Solo Boat Launching

OllieC said:

I'm dreading the same situation.
I have a 22' cuddy and have never solo launched it (new boat to me). I don't think I will be able to climb into it while lanching because the bow will be too high, plus there's the rail. I imagine I will have to drag it off the trailer with ropes and reverse the process when I load up.

Click to expand...

Yeah, solo launching definitely gets trickier when the boat gets bigger.

Pulling it off with ropes isn't bad when launching.

For loading, do some experimenting and figure out the depth to put your trailer so that you can coast on at idle speed and be firmly resting on the trailer (not floating). Then just winch her the last few inches. Or push it up to the bow stop with the engine if it's allowed and not frowned upon at that ramp.

Any way you look at it, though, with a big boat you probably need to just plan on getting wet when you're going solo and not next to a dock.