Best boat retrieval ever
- Thread starter Anita Marie
- Start date
schiavolou
New member
"Do not try this at home..."
flatfishfool
New member
Nicely done. That is standard practice at Ninilchik/Deep Creek, AK where there is no harbor available but good salmon and halibut fishing opportunities. Trailers are worked by large log skidders or 4x4 tractors.
Key elements are:
1. the proper trailer accessories with high side guides, large bow "catcher's mit", use of bunks instead of rollers
2. come in fast to maintain steerage and keep it straight
3. the tractor operator needs to put the trailer in at the right water level and also be prepared to pull forward to temper #2 above if the boat comes in too hot
4. with rough seas and/or large swells time it right or sit it out
Surprisingly this surf launch/retrieve rarely goes wrong but see some photos toward the end of the High Tide II album where some charter boats didn't fair as well as the guy in the video:
http://www.c-brats.com/modules.php?...lery&file=index&include=view_album.php&page=4
Key elements are:
1. the proper trailer accessories with high side guides, large bow "catcher's mit", use of bunks instead of rollers
2. come in fast to maintain steerage and keep it straight
3. the tractor operator needs to put the trailer in at the right water level and also be prepared to pull forward to temper #2 above if the boat comes in too hot
4. with rough seas and/or large swells time it right or sit it out
Surprisingly this surf launch/retrieve rarely goes wrong but see some photos toward the end of the High Tide II album where some charter boats didn't fair as well as the guy in the video:
http://www.c-brats.com/modules.php?...lery&file=index&include=view_album.php&page=4
The 28 Kingfisher I recently sold has seen 8 years of service launching on the beach at Ninilchik. It is rough on the boat and really hard on the trailer. The boat is on it's second trailer and is due for a third soon. Lower units also take a beating if the guy on the log skidder doesn't do things quite right. The captain on my boat was pretty good at hitting the trailer with no misses. We learned last summer he had no concept of pulling up to a dock. He had only run boats off the beach.