When trailering alone........or not

[bgreene]

I frequently trailer alone - my tips being..........

1. Never rush.....back slowly, get out of your vehicle to confirm where your boat is in relation to the ramp, dock, and if far back enough.

2. Use long bow and stern dock lines ( especially the bow line ). This way, when you put the boat in yourself, you can hang onto the bow line, stay out of the water yourself, and tie it off to anything - even a high bulk head so you can then drive away to park the trailer.

3. Of course, whenever possible, put the boat in on the down current side of the dock - so the water current helps by pushing your boat against the dock, and not away from it !!
Funny how many people seem to overlook this simple fact, but it's very important.
If on a lake or other water way without current - the wind may serve the same way.

4. Never rush yourself ..... I repeat this because it's the key to safe dropping and retrieving at the dock. People rush.......and thats' when the danger/ accidents can start happening.

Be safe - too many accidents at boat ramps.

[Destroyer]

Good tips... thanks

I'll add a few to the list:

1) When at the ramp, set your parking brake..HARD..then put your vehicle in Park. I've seen cases where the extra weight of the boat made it almost impossible for someone to take their truck out of park and put it into Drive after they retrieved their boat.

2) Have the proper tongue weight on your trailer so you don't sway from side to side as you are going down the road.

3) Make sure to remove the belly strap or stern straps before you back your boat into the water.

4) And although it's not a trailering safety check, always, always check your drain plug before you put your boat in. :beer:

[bgreene]

Ah yes................. the all important drain plug check...............

Back when I started up with my 1st trailer boat - a 16' tin skiff, after putting in and parking I returned to the boat and heard a " funny sound of water rushing from somewhere"....

Oops, boat would have sunk fast if I didn't put it in !!

So many ramp fiasco's occur. Reason I posted was based on a post someone put up about trailering alone. I do any time of the year, including late fall / early winter. Got to be careful, but go slow with everything and it's ok. Rushing.........that's what I believe causes a lot of mishap.

[reelapeelin]

90% of the times my boat goes out the driveway, it's well before sunrise for 1 1/2 hr interstate run to the lake...if you tow in dark, be sure you have ample light for roadside emergencies and that you can mark the fact that you are on the side of the road...

[bgreene]

That's a real good tip too !!!

Trailering is really a bit of a hassle. Not hard to do......... just a hassle to do well.

Anyone who thinks a trailer is just a frame with wheels - wrong.
So much to do and maintain, besides avoiding issues at the ramps.

I only trailer for two reasons:
1. So i can go where the fish are - up /down the jersey shore and delaware bay.
2. I like to keep the boat at home so I can keep it crazy clean and fuss with it.

This may change in the future, thinking about options.

[step up here]

well to trailer a boat alone may not be so bad but at my age i would never go fishing or boating alone! :head:

[chumbucket]

I trailer my boat alone a lot of the time. Another thing I found useful for launching and loading in the dark or low light; Take note on a good bright sunny day of how deep your trailer needs to be for optimum launching and loading. Mark your fenders at the waterline, then apply reflective tape at the marked lines on your fenders. Now when you back down, the tail lights on your truck will illuminate the reflective tape. If the tape disappears below the waterline, you know you're too deep. You'll also know if you're not backed down enough.

[reelapeelin]

Just got back from the beach Sunday...trailered the boat down on Wed, back home Sunday...5 1/2 -6 hrs each way...took interstates going down and came back on backroad Hwy 9...I find the back way more relaxing and the hills not as extreme as trying to maintain interstate speeds...

Of course I can't say I was alone...wifey read and slept...Kate slept...

[Road King Cole]

Of course I can't say I was alone...wifey read and slept...Kate slept...

I often bring the wifey and or the dog, but might as well be alone, they are both almost equal in help provided. Instead of tying up the bow line, I let the wife hold it to make her feel like she is helping...

Good thread, great tips....

rkc

[RidgeRunner]

Informative.

I carry a set of reflective triangles in my truck box. Easy way to be seen on the side of a dark road. Also a bottle jack a block of wood for stability of jack, 4-way, bearings, grease, chisels, hammer, rags, an extra hub loaded with bearings, spare tires, basic hand tools and some rags and gojo for washing up.

Everybody has their way of launching. A Pre-launch checklist is a must as is keeping your cool. A busy launch ramp can be intimidating.
Beyond that when I launch, I prefer to back the boat off the trailer. I back it in to my pre-marked level (CB)(or until the stern starts to float) set the brake throw her in park (REEL), get out and release the safety chain and winch strap from the bow eye. If I hit my mark the boat will stay put on the bunks. (If it starts to slide off I can pull the truck out just a hair before releasing the winch strap) I then climb over the bow via the winch stand and see if she will start and make water before backing it off and mooring it to the dock. It is quick, effective and saves a lot of time in the event the engine won't start. I don't think it would work for the guys with roller trailers or runaway Yamahas (RWilson). A quick look around your tow vehicle post-launch to make sure everything is locked away and you didn't forget anything: sunglasses, cell phone w/charger, food, drinks and incidentals..
Be safe..

[cfelton]

Another thing I've noticed is alot of guys never check the tires for cracks, air pressure correct, and wheel bearings for looseness and grease. I grease my bearings after every dunking. Also check axles for rusted out spots around the leaf spring brackets. A good friend lost a wheel last year turning around at the ramp when his axle snapped into about an inch behind the brake backing plate, where the leaf spring is attached. Check your trailer jack and lug wrench, make sure they work ok. I replaced a tire yesterday because it had alot of dryrot cracks. Now I have four matching new tires and a good spare. Good topic for starting out a safe year of boating!!

[macojoe]

I also use a big rubber wheel chocks behind the wheel of truck, more when I am loading the boat, as some of the ramps can be slippery, I have a rope with a S hook on the end to hook to the truck bumper so when i drive up ramp the chock will be in tow. This way i no have to pull it out before i am in truck, and don't have to walk back down the ramp to get it.

[Destroyer]

well to trailer a boat alone may not be so bad but at my age i would never go fishing or boating alone! :head:

Hmmmm....I'm 67 and I trailer, launch, boat, fish and retrieve alone all the time. (A powerwinch on the trailer is a must). Please don't misunderstand me, I love having company, but a lot of times ppl have something else to do. To my way of thinking lifes too short to not go fishing when you get the chance. You just have to observe the proper safety precautions... always wear a life jacket of some kind (I like the kayakers type because of their cut out arm holes). Always wear a safety lanyard. Always attach your engine cut off switch cord onto your person. Unless there are health concerns it's really not that hard for a single person to do it alone. Try it, you'll like it.

[RidgeRunner]

Carry at least the minimum USCG requirements for daytime and nighttime signals. Get familiar with how and when to use them. Same goes with a VHF and the fire extinguisher. Carry a cell and/or a Epirb/SPOT/Personal Locating Device. Consider carrying a handheld VHF and a ditch bag. PFD's save lives but only if you wear them. Buy and attach those personal strobe lights to all PFD's for after dark boating. Learn how to navigate by dead reckoning using a chart, compass and a timepiece. Make a cheat sheet with your approx. lat/lon of your favorite places, laminate it to make it waterproof and carry it with your flares and VHF so you can rattle them off even if all your other systems fail. Don't rely solely on your fancy pants chartplotter to get you home. (We all mash the enter button as fast as we can after powering up our navigation devices, in doing so you recognize that you should not rely solely on anything that requires DC current in order to work) Know what heading will take you to the house when you run offshore. File a float plan with a friend/dockmaster/marina. Join a tow service. Learn the difference between simple towing and salvage. Carry some liability insurance in case the worst happens. Familarize yourself with your surroundings, especially true in new places.(Ask around, most folks don't mind helping out the handicapped)
#1 -BE PREPARED FOR ANYTHING/EVERYTHING - Water never stops.
#2 -Never take your boat out unless it is 100%. (Mechanically Speaking)
#3 -Don't push your luck against adverse conditions. There will be other trips.
#4 -Never get into the wiggle water as captain. Clear heads make good decisions.
#5 -Be mindful of other boaters, never assume they see you, never presume to know their state of mind, condition of their vessel etc.

I know it started as a trailering thread, but why stop there?