Boat launching procedures

[Swoop]

I just bought a new boat and decided to take 'er for the maiden voyage this past weekend.

This is my first boat and I wasn't quite sure of the exact Standard Operating Procedures for launching it off a ramp, but I figured it couldn't be too hard.

I consulted my local boat dealer for advice, but they just said "don't let the trailer get too deep when you are trying to launch the boat".

Well, I don't know what they meant by that as I could barely get the trailer in the water at all!

Anyhow, here's a picture below. See for yourself. What am I doing wrong?


:rolleyes:

[hospitalfood]

this is kiwi biker, not kiwi boater. how would any of us know ?

i examined the shot and cannot see anything obvious, i think you need to join a boating forum

[Crisis management]

Dumbass, you're supposed to use one of those 4x4's with a snorkel so you can get the boat in the water.

Alternatively, carry a bit more speed next time, water has a high coefficient of drag.

[Blackbird]

Hahaha - many a true word spoken in jest! We've just bought a Fyran 440 with a 50 hp Merc for fishing. A mate sent me that picture as soon as we bought it and I'm paranoid about stuffing up:(. Taking the Day Skipper and VHF marine radio courses before I venture out!

[hospitalfood]

seriously, it is good to know what you are doing.
i grew up sailing etc and have spent heaps of time on the water, and i have seen some very dumb things happen. i have also learn't from a few of my own mistakes.

if your going out on the water:-
tell someone where you are going and what time you will be back.
take the appropriate safety gear and use it.
don't assume your gear will be reliable, have a back up.
don't assume you will be rescued if something goes wrong, so don't go out if you are not sure that you can get yourself home.
follow the rules of the sea.
check the weather.
take provisions just in case.
take it easy.
don't get pissed.

[Morcs]

I knew an old pirate called captain Ron who swore that he could launch a boat without getting the trailer wet.

For some reason when i see a high bridge over a river I crack up laughing :clap:

[ynot slow]

Appaerntly you need to screw the bungs(by outboard) in prior to launching as well,heard a guy didn't do this,managed to salvage as hadn't unhooked the tiedowns,so promptly drove up ramp.

[slofox]

FarKrizake! you're sposta drive along the JETTY!!! Just run over the sticky up thingies....


Funniest thing I ever saw with boats...at Whangamata - we had been out on brother in law's boat water skiing (brother in law was Chinese BTW)...coming back into the ramp, there is a deep channel that was dredged out to give depth off the end of the ramp. We were right on the edge of this channel. I was port side. I could see the shallow water under me, so I hopped over the side to help guide the boat up....on the opposite side of the boat, over the deep channel, was brother in law's friend (also Chinese)...never been near a boat in his life. He sees me jump off so decides to do the same on his side...leaps over the side and disappears straight down into ten feet of water....fortunately he did come back up again (looking, shall we say, surprised) and managed to survive....I was a fat lot of help 'cause I couldn't stop falling about laughing...I suppose it might have been serious all the same...

[YellowDog]

this is kiwi biker, not kiwi boater. how would any of us know ?

i examined the shot and cannot see anything obvious, i think you need to join a boating forum
AS bikers don't understand 'reverse gear' this is probably the best place for such a post :)

[Swoop]

*Honest post*.

For a bit of FREE entertainment and a lot of laughter, pop along to the Half Moon Bay boat ramp...

I spent a VERY enjoyable half hour watching people attempting to reverse a boat down the ramp and into the water!
Highly recommended during the height of summer...:lol:

[ynot slow]

*Honest post*.

For a bit of FREE entertainment and a lot of laughter, pop along to the Half Moon Bay boat ramp...

I spent a VERY enjoyable half hour watching people attempting to reverse a boat down the ramp and into the water!
Highly recommended during the height of summer...:lol:

Or any refuse transfer station(rubbish dump)just before closing on a weekend,fun watching 2 or more trailers being reversed into an area where 4 can go.Yes I can back a trailer,prefer tandem lol,but can do it just.

[slofox]

Or any refuse transfer station(rubbish dump)just before closing on a weekend,fun watching 2 or more trailers being reversed into an area where 4 can go.Yes I can back a trailer,prefer tandem lol,but can do it just.

I learned to back a trailer in one lesson (not an easy lesson neither.)
I towed the trailer down a looooong driveway. And found at the end that there was no room to turn around AT ALL! Not even for the car. So I backed it out...eventually. Never had any trouble since...

[Gremlin]

*Honest post*.

For a bit of FREE entertainment and a lot of laughter, pop along to the Half Moon Bay boat ramp...
I don't know if the ramps are still in the same formation, but commuters in a hurry used to race down the boat jetties, then jump across to the pontoon (1m gap ish).

I saw two people not execute it very well :clap: One, as he jumped, slipped in his jandal, so got about half way, then gravity took over :laugh:

[kevfromcoro]

Things i have done in a boat...
Remember to hook the safety chain on the boat when going up the ramp,, otherwise the boat will end up on the ramp.

Dont switch the key off when you are heading for the beach at warp 10. they dont stop. and you will end up 20 mtrs up the beach

Never test the depth of water with both feet.

[wickle]

*Honest post*.

For a bit of FREE entertainment and a lot of laughter, pop along to the Half Moon Bay boat ramp...

I spent a VERY enjoyable half hour watching people attempting to reverse a boat down the ramp and into the water!
Highly recommended during the height of summer...:lol:
watch them put the boat back on the trailer can be a laugh to seen some good domestics start

[boman]

I learned to back a trailer in one lesson (not an easy lesson neither.)
I towed the trailer down a looooong driveway. And found at the end that there was no room to turn around AT ALL! Not even for the car. So I backed it out...eventually. Never had any trouble since...

I was a pasenger in a Anchor Milk tanker that missed the turnoff on a no exit road. The driver, a friend of mine, had to back a trailer and the dog up the road about 2kms till he found the drive to turn up. Very impressed. He only had a couple of stops in that distance. I know I couldn't do that in a car.

[Laava]

Also when towing your prized new 6m figlass from Aucks to Tutukaka, check at some stage that you have the keys! When it is floating away from the trailer, it is too late!

[dwnundabkr]

or the classic now picture this
530am one summers morning at the ramp with 15 other boats lined up to the start of a fishing comp
back trailer down launch my boat no probs, beach it return to ramp tow trailer up the ramp unhook trailer, race down drive pick up another keen fishos boat on trailer ask if all ready, Yep is the answer all go, get him to jump in, drive down drive to ramp back down ramp get other fisho to start motor unhook boat back him off trailer race up ramp to unhook his trailer race to my boat fire it up all done before 6am start only to hear from other fisho that i has just launched heeeelp i am sinking
hehehehe no bung

[nothingflash]

If you're gonna be a smart ass and ski up to the shore it looks way more impressive to onlookers and is much better for the ski's and definitely for the legs if you let go too soon rather than too late :crazy:

[Fly_boy]

watched somone launch there brand new boat they just got for the holidays at havlock . they backed the trailer in ok ,got the boat in the water and realized they had forgot the bungs, so in there rush to get the boat back out as it was sinking the never chained it to the trailer so they get halfway up the ramp and the boat slips off the trailer and is stuck until they get a crane to lift it back onto the trailer lol poor buggers

[LBD]

*Honest post*.

For a bit of FREE entertainment and a lot of laughter, pop along to the Half Moon Bay boat ramp...

I spent a VERY enjoyable half hour watching people attempting to reverse a boat down the ramp and into the water!
Highly recommended during the height of summer...:lol:

Any launching ramp...especially a busy one during the holiday season when boats and cars are queing up...tempers get frayed...good entertaiment

He did one thing right....Kept the trailer bearings out of the water...