How do you launch???

I have a question for everyone out there that launches their boat.

After the mishap at San V this week with a Malibu Wakesetter falling off the trailer "pre-launch" I guess they unhooked and were on a small incline when the truck driver gave it some gas and the boat slid off the back onto it's side in the parking lot.

My question is do you.......

A. back down and unhook

B. unhook and then back down

I have been unhooking and launching for over 4 years without a problem but after seeing pictures the past few days I might change my thinking.

I always un hook before goign down, but again that incident just makes me think now?? BUt my boat weighs 3600 lbs so it is pretty hard for it to fall down.

Everyone that I've every ridden with always choose option A

I back down enough so if it did slide off, it'd slide off and land mostly in water, lol.

I have always unhooked and then backed down
everyone ive ever ridden with unhooks then backs down

what we do is we always leave the front hooked up, but untie the back tie downs at the top.. (duh) then we will back down until the trailer tires are in the water, the boat driver hops out and unhooks the front and then hops in the boat then the car driver puts 'em in..

We've always unhooked everything at the top, you just have to make sure you have a steady driver backing down who isnt gonna tap the brakes to hard, or correct themselves by throwing it in drive. Still have no worries just dont unhook unless your sure you know how to back down well.

~Tyler~

I always go with option A. I have heard that the boat will not slide off on dry carpet but with people in the boat it gives me my peace of mind and takes another 20 seconds.

I unhook,then back down.I couldn't imagine that happening b\c when I launch by myself,If I don't get the trailer deep enough I got to hop out of the boat and in the truck to get it in deeper to be able to get my boat off the trailer.Needless to say the carpet is wet,the boat is in reverse and still doesn't slide off the trailer.

We always back down and un hook. I have seen boats fall off in person. Why risk it. It doesn't hurt to get out after you back down to get out and unhook. 20 seconds is worth a 50 thousand dollar boat to me.

I loosen the strap a few turns and then put the winch back into the crank up direction (so if it did slide it'd only got a foot or so and not fall off). Then right after I get the boat started on the trailer I walk up into the open bow and reach over and unhook the strap. I don't like backing off the trailer until the boat idles for a probably at least 30 seconds to make sure all is good...so it takes no extra time to just unhook the strap while I'm letting the engine warm up a bit.

Option A for us. Normally we dunk and I start the engine, I go forward and lean over the bow & unhook & back it off. The driver doesn't have to get out and get his feet wet. Like big Ed it normally takes some gas to get off the trailer but I never want to experience the sound of crunching gelcoat.

Darren ~ unless the boat wants to come off with ease,I don't gas it.


I was trying to make a point.

my dad unhooks the back hooks first gets the boat in the water, then undoes the hook in the front

Definitely option A, but accidents like that make me wonder... I would be crushed if something happened to my boat. Usually, I back it down and then whoever is with me will be in the boat. Give a tap on the brakes once it's in the water and call it good.

I got the point, the crunching of gel coat is from dropping off the trailer before hitting the water, not the backing off.

option A.....why take a chance???????!

Option A

Depends on the steepness of the ramp... if it is steep like san v or blythe (option a ) mellow incline like elsie (option b)

Option - A, Regardless of the ramp I always keep my same routine.

Always option A. Doesn't take much longer. If you saw some of the idiots where I lauch(like walking behind the boat, golf carts cutting behind you)you may have to hit the brakes at any time.

I would never do it, but at the ramp a week or so ago I saw this guy do the fastest launch ever.

He stopped in the "get ready area", unhooked the stern hooks and double checked a few things (1 min tops). He then hooked a fifty foot rope to the bow eye, and held the other end while he backed the boat down without the bow connected to the trailer.

He got the boat in and hit the brakes, the boat slid off perfectly....he stepped out of the truck for maybe 5 seconds to secure the end of the rope to something..then was back in the truck to park the car.

Not more than 30 seconds later he was back getting in the boat.

Again, I would never do it, but you could tell that he had done this for years and had it down perfect. I have seen much worse by entire teams...this guy was by himself.

I always use Option A. I don't like to take the chance. I also have seen it happen in person and it's not a pretty site or sound.

Darren ~ I'm sorry but I don't think I understand???

My local lake requires you to be 16 with a boaters safty class and a drivers licensce, not 12 with a safty card like everybody else. Our friends have a house on the lake so the rest of my crew is at there house so i lossen the winch and my dad backs down and when the back of the boat hits the water i take of the hook and then the boat floats off the trailer. I start it up and drive (illegaly) to our friends house and my dad meets us there.

Same as Levi

Option A. Always.

Levi said... >>I loosen the strap a few turns and then put the winch back into the crank up direction (so if it did slide it'd only got a foot or so and not fall off). Then right after I get the boat started on the trailer I walk up into the open bow and reach over and unhook the strap. I don't like backing off the trailer until the boat idles for a probably at least 30 seconds to make sure all is good...so it takes no extra time to just unhook the strap while I'm letting the engine warm up a bit.<<

I'm with Levi too. Doesn't take any extra effort and allows the boat to warm up a bit AFTER you're sure it's gonna start at all!

Depends on the steepness and condition of the ramp… I am ok with unhooking the bow strap when launching at my regular riding spots that I am familiar with. If in doubt I will leave it strapped.

Once we load in a bit of lead for ballast in the parking lot and the extra weight of the crew… I am not too concerned with the boat sliding off the trailer. I have heard about hitting the brakes a bit too hard when backing down and dropping the boat… even seen it happen a few times… yes even a local dealer did it at a demo day a while back. But I have not heard about someone hitting the gas as the cause of the boat falling off. Hmmmm?

If it’s steep or rutted out with pot holes… I leave the bow strap hooked and let the boat driver unhook it once in the water. I usually back in my own rig so if I drop it… guess I can only blame myself.

That sounds great but I don't understand....why loosen the winch at all when you got to go back anyway to completly take it off the eyehhook,simply put it in the water and then undo the winch...what is the purpose of loosening the winch in the 1st place???

Option B always.

Had a dead battery once and forgot to rehook and pulled out with option B and it worked just fine -- wouldn't do that on purpose tho and wouln't recommend...

I loosen mine a little just so the driver, whether it's me or some one else, doesn't have to fool with the crank at all once the boat is in and running. Just reach over, unhook and go. Just a preference, not necessary.

I unhook the boat buddy and leave the safety strap on. Then I disconnect that after I start the boat...
I used to unhook all the way until people on this board got my nervous also...

back down and then unhook

Always go with backing all the way down then unhooking. You're going to get your feet wet anyway when I pick them up with the platform to the dock.

I tend to believe that the whole process has to be a routine or something will be forgotten.

Arrive-check gas gauge-blower-check plugs-back tie downs-boards in racks and locked-everyone in-back down ramp with dock right on port side-start engine-lift hatch to make sure no hoses pumping water into bilge-unhook front winch, prepare boat buddy-back off with throttle.

Seems that the more routine it is the less chance to look like a moron or worse hurt people or equipment.

Along the same lines as much as people want to help there has to be one person in charge. I'd rather my friends toss the football I leave in my truck around and then mount up when I tell them to than be those people at the ramp who are always in the way.

that has happened to me before, i had a driver for the truck, and i was in the boat, i put it up on trailer and then hooked it, pulled it up, and locked the winch, or so i thought, once i said go the driver pulled it up and the winch started unravling FAST, and boom boat transon hits ground. luckily mostly in water, and a few guy came over to pick the back up enough to back down back in water.

i usually go about halfway down the incline, keep it hooked but loosen it enough to break free when put in water, then put someone in boat, back it down, gets loose, start the boat, have the boater unhook, driver pull out and then hook everything up.

After seeing someone launch their boat half way down the ramp I always un-hook at the bottom of the ramp.

Big Shizzle,

What Bret said.... If it's already loose then I don't have to sprawl out to reach the crank. Just unclick and back to driver's seat.

I loosen the crank a bit as I'm there already when I unhook the trailer lights before I back it into the water.

Who unhooks their trailer lights before launching? (so the bulbs last longer is what I've been told - maybe an old wives tale??)

(Message edited by levi on August 01, 2005)

I leave my lights hooked up on the boat. But they are sealed LED's and water can't get in. I never unhooked the bulbs from my jetski trailer though and never once popped a bulb in 2 years.
I can imagine though if the water is cold and the bulbs are hot that it could damage them.

its not so the bulbs last longer, i don't think, i think it's to help prevent a short..but we definitely do that when we launch

Option A

I can't help it but I am just a risk taker and always use option B both in and out of the water. (unless on a super steep ramp or with inexperianced driver) Some day my SAN will probably be on the ramp with my picture and you guys laughing... but so far so good...15years. I am the guy that blows past the line and launches and retrieves in 20 seconds or so.

i just put my boat lift down

I used to use option A. Lately I use B. If my regular ramp was steeper, I would probably go back to A.

always option A for me, especially since its technically dads boat and I would be hung high in a tree if I f*cked it up, I can launch myself in probably less than 3-4 minutes at my local launch after my pre-launch packing/inspection. I undo transom straps in pre-launch, back down, into water, start boat, undo bow strap and bow safety strap. I am not all too shy about giving it plenty of gas to get it off if necessary... tie it up, park the van and Im gone

B...Not saying it's the correct way, but it is how I learned and has worked fine for me so far (knock on wood).

Our ramp isn't that steep so I use option B most of the time, you can back in and tap the brakes and the boat comes right off and your driver can get out of the way within a few seconds. I think launch ramp frustration is a bad way to start your day at the lake. Too many times you see people that have no idea what they are doing while launching or loading their boats thinking they are the only ones there to use it , these are also the same people who complain about the launch line being so long.

where are these pics, i wanna see'em

Yea any pics Gramps??
I have been for the last 4 years using option b.
Usually with my regulaR trailer drivers we can be
in and off the ramp in less than a minute, but I think I may take the extra time and nEver have to
be that boat that looses it boat off the trailer.
Now I have to admit I may start using option A.
Makes me sick to even imaging our boat sliding off the trailer!!

Question?
I'm not an engineer but why don't they make the bunks with a no-slip lip?
Kinda like this:


So, on the trailer, it fits like this:


And on launch and retrieval, the back floats off of the lip and moves freely...like this:


It only needs to be an inch or 2 tall, it would take no extra time, cost no extra money, and could save your investment from hitting the pavement.

Seen toooooo many boats lost on the ramp because they were unhooked and had to hit the brakes to avoid hitting a dog, kid, adult, or combo of. All were at Lake Mohave AZ. so that might explain why I've seen so many. Never backed down with out the front hooked up. Good idea on that lip greg. I'm re-doing the bunks on my trailer next month and may add something to incorporate that. THANKS!

I think perhaps since unless you winch it in tightly to its perfect location every time, it could end up looking like this on land...



Especially if using a boat buddy which at least on my X2 has the boat sit an inch or so back until strap is tightened and I have driven a bit (I find it easier to have boat move up a bit on its own from strap tension rather than overcranking that strap -- it does this within minutes of driving and unloads the tension from the boat buddy pin).

Just load up about 1100 lbs of PoP ProDucts weight bags and that boat won't slide off the trailer... works for me!

Good Idea Greg. If you had an automatic bow-lock, you would know you were in the best position forward. You should float your idea to a trailer manufacturer. Maybe some sort of medium-hard rubber? By the way, Option A...always.

Fredrik, I had considered that and they would probably need to have a little fudge factor built in...like this:

I didn't draw it that way initially to save confusion. As for over cranking, I can get the boat within an inch or two of the same spot every time without too much trouble. Either way, we always check the boat to make sure it is sitting on the bunks straight, so checking to make sure it is past the lip would just be part of the same inspection. Of course, if the boat were to sit incorrectly (as you have it drawn) it would be at even greater risk of slipping off when launching. Maybe the solution would be to have a spring-loaded retractable device that, if you didn't get the boat far enough up the trailer, would still sit flat on the bunks. (this would be an upgrade of course, and cost more)

Howie, I sent an email to Extreme Trailers seeing if they had any comments on our discussion...nothing yet.

Yep, seems like a spring-loaded retractable hook would work. Overall I think your idea is really good.

This would take care of backing down without risk. I wonder if people would try to pull out with it too though, which obviously could go either way depending on how the boat floats before settling on the back of the bunks if no other restraint like boat buddy is used.... Perhaps some CC style warning stickers would be warranted.