Re: Need advice on taking boat out of the water with trailer- first timer
All of the above ideas are good. Here is my list (with some duplication)after 45 years of boating.<br />1) Before you leave home read up on trailer towing (ie - insure you have the proper tongue weight, use safety chains for trailer, use safety chain for boat, secure tie downs, always recheck all of your trailer lights before you drive off from home and from boat ramp, adjust your mirrors, check your car and boat tires, bearings and brakes).<br />2) Practice backing up your trailer up in a large, empty parking lot. When backing, you turn your steering wheel in the opposite direction you want the boat trailer to go. Just remember that to get the rear of the trailer going in the direction you want you must swing the front tongue in the opposite direction. Don't try to learn this on a busy and steep boat ramp with your wife and kids watching.<br />3) Take a seasoned boater along with you the first time out and ask lots of questions.<br />4) Safe boat launching and recovery requires that you follow the same sequenced procedures each time. A checklist would be a good thing for a novice. <br />- Before leaving home check your boat battery is fully charged.<br />- Put the boat drain plug back in the boat.<br />- Make sure all necessary gear is on board and is orderly and secure. <br />- Prepare one long or two shorter launching ropes to use later when launching and securing the boat to the dock. Prior to launching, tie one rope to the bow and another to the upwind side of the stern so that you can safely guide and control the boat while floating. <br />- Make sure to take your boat keys with you.<br />- Check your fuel, engine oil, spark plugs, etc. at home, not at the ramp.<br />- Upon arriving at the ramp, pull off to the side and park out of everyone elses way. <br />- Get out and survey the ramp conditions (ie - water level and depths, wind, currents, underwater obstructions, the condition of ramp paving (steepness, holes, rocks, slime), the length of ramp underwater before it drops off, the dock areas or beach areas to secure your boat to after launching).<br />- Don't be afraid to ask other boaters who know the ramp what you should know and need to look out for when launching there. Are there any obstructions near shore to avoid after launching, etc..<br />- Go back to your boat and begin your sequential process of preparing to launch. <br />-Secure lines on the bow and stern and place them on the bow so they are accessible at time of launch. <br />- Lift your motor up if it is down. <br />- Unplug your trailer lights to avoid blowing them if you intend to sink them at launch.<br />- Recheck the boat plug is in.<br />- Unhook your transom and side tie-downs. <br />- Leave your bow safety chain and bow winch cable secure.<br />- Make sure keys are in the boat's ignition.<br />- Put and secure whatever extra gear and/or supplies you brought for the day from the car into the boat.<br />- Look to see where you will be parking your car and trailer prior to launching.<br />- Have your helper ready to help guide you down and back once you are on the ramp.<br />- Show and tell your helper how far back you intend to go on the ramp and how deep on the trailer. Instruct your helper on how to hold the boat ropes after the launch and where you intend to tie up at the dock or shore.<br />- If the ramp is steep and slippery be sure to have chock blocks ready to put under the back car tires after you park at the bottom of the ramp. If it is too steep and slippery you may not even want to launch if your fear you can't get back up and out of the ramp. <br />- Take a last walk around, make sure everyone is alert and out of the way before pulling into line to launch.<br />- When it's your turn, pull ahead far enough to have your trailer fairly straight and in line with the ramp. Your helper should already be in position to direct you down the ramp as you backup. The helper must be alert to any dangers you can't see (ie- kids, other cars, obstructions on land and in the water,etc.) and be ready to alert you. This is where all your backing up practice comes into play. <br />- Don't go fast. Keep the boat trailer lined up and under control at all times. Guide the trailer to the spot you deemed safe and best to launch your boat. <br />- Near the water slow down and test your brakes to be sure you can stop. <br />-Ease the trailer back into the water no further than you absolutely have to be to launch the boat. With a roller trailer I never even got my wheel bearing wet. A bunk trailer usually must go back further.<br />- Stop the car, set your brakes and have your helper chock the car's rear wheels if necessary.<br />- Walk back to the winch and hand the boat launching and tie lines to your helper to hold. <br />- Unsecure the boat winch tower safety chain or cable.<br />- Uncrank some winch line and if its not too steep unhook it so you can push the boat off the trailer. If it's real steep and the boat could launch too fast use the winch to lower it to the water.<br />- Once the boat is afloat have the helper walk it over to the dock and/or shore to wait for you to return.<br />- Secure any excess winch line to the trailer, remove and store your back wheel chocks.<br />- Pull slowly and steadily up the ramp without spinning your wheels if possible.<br />- Park your car and trailer where you planned.<br />Try to back the trailer into a hill or obstruction if you are in an area where theft may be a concern. Make sure the trailer is locked on your ball and hitch.<br />- Check you car for any more gear or supplies you may have forgotten.<br />- Check that you have your keys and then lock the car up.<br />- Look around and remember where you parked. <br />- Walk down to the ramp or shore and have your helper hold the boat lines while you get in to lower the motor or outdrive.<br />- Secure your gear, hook up your gas line if necessary, run your blower fan to clear any gas fumes prior to ignition, check your bilge pump, check your instruments.<br />- Check that the motor is in neutral and that the motor area is safe and clear of people. <br />- Prime and choke the motor as necessary and fire it up. Let it warm up while you have your passengers board.<br />- Once everyone is secure, have your helper push and/or paddle you out to safe water for motoring. <br />- Proceed cautiously in unknown waters. I know a man who ran his brand new Evinrude motor into some low water rocks near the ramp on his first time ever out boating. He just assumed that they was never any danger to worry about. When he pulled up the motor to check it the lower unit was totally missing.<br />- Big caution...boats don't have brakes and continue to move fast after you cut the throttles. Approach the shore and docks slowly. Always try to approach from downwind to maintain better control. After a fast throttle down, your own boat wake will surf you along for quite some distance. Don't rely on using reverse to bail yourself out. Eventually you will screw up and crash your boat and either hurt yourself or someone else. <br /><br />-At the end of the day back at the dock, just reverse the above steps taken and you should be ok and on your way home. Before backing the trailer down the ramp, pull out your winch line far enough to secure to the boat. Click the winch lock and secure the winch line to the trailer. At the bottom rechock your back wheels.<br />- If possible without motoring over have your helper walk the boat lines over to you and stand up wind of the boat to guide the bow and stern lines so the boat is lined up straight with the trailer. Be sure the motor is up out of the water before pulling it up the trailer. <br />- Hook up the winch line and pull the boat onto the trailer. <br />-Resecure the winch safety cable/chain.<br />- Remove the wheel chocks and check to see that everyone is safely out of the way before heading slowly up the ramp without spinning your tires.<br />- Get off the ramp and park out of the way to secure you boat.<br />- Re-secure your transom and side tie downs. <br />- Pull your boat's drain plug for the ride home.<br />- Secure your boats gear for the road trip.<br />- Replug in your trailer lights but only after the light casings have drained out to avoid blowing the bulbs. Test all of the lights prior to leaving.<br />- Secure the motor in the up or down position.<br />- Make sure your boat ignition keys are turned off and secure.<br />- Recheck that you have all of your gear you may have taken out at the dock or shore.<br />- After a potty break and head count you should be ready to head home.<br />- At home, have your helper direct traffic and guide you into the driveway if you are backing in.<br /><br />It is important that everyone in your boating party take safety and procedures seriously. As the captain you are the one responsible for their safety instruction and setting down the rules for the day. Don't let some goof off spoil your boating fun. Also beware that other idiots are out there not practicing safe launching or boating. Give them instruction and advise if possible and otherwise steer clear of them. <br /><br />Always be considerate of other boaters (on the ramp and on the water). Don't be a ramp hog!!!<br />Do your boat prep work at home or off to the side so that your actual ramp time is very short.<br />I take pride in keeping my ramp time under just a couple of minutes at most. With a pre-planned, systematic process you shouldn't need much longer than that.<br /><br />Sorry for the lengthy checklist. Over time this all becomes 2nd nature. Good luck!
, and don't put your exhaust pipe under water and, if you do by mistake, don't shut off the engine with it under water!<br /><br />Or, if you're feeling very frisky 
