Launching with roller trailer

W

Wheeler Dealer

New member
Hey Gang,

We have run into a problem and are hoping you can help with a solution.

We have a roller style trailer and when launching our 16' CD we have a problem. The boat is very determined to get in the water NOW. I have a safety chain so I back the the strap off far enough to get it off but then all of the weight is now on the safety chain and the boat is trying to get off the trailer NOW. I have been able to hold the boat back with the help of the lovely Terrie in order to get the chain off but this is not ideal, as once the chain is free there is no stopping the boat from rolling off. This is a scramble for Terrie who is now running for the dock with rope in hand to keep up with the boat, (dangerous). I love the fact that the boat just glides off the trailer like it does, but there has to be a better, and safer way of getting to this stage.

Any & all input encouraged.

Jon
 
WD-50 -

You have the technology at hand. Leave the winch strap tight until you have backed it into the water. Then unhook the still loose safety chain, and crank the winch backward until the boat is afloat. Then unhook the winch strap.

Our 22 had a roller trailer, and I really liked it. I would back into the water just far enough to leave dry land between the rig and the trailer. Then I would unhook the chain and back off the winch. Usually, the boat just moved back a few inches and then stayed put. If I was by myself, I would hold onto the bow line, step up on the trailer tongue, and give the boat a gentle shove back. If Kay was with me, she would stand on the dock at the ramp with the bow and stern lines in hand while I backed the trailer down a bit deeper and tapped the brake. Whatever you do, don't unhook the sfety chain until you are done backing down the ramp.

It will just take a little experimenting with how far in to back the trailer, but you'll be a pro by the time you gt to Catchlimit next month.
 
Mike,

Thanks for the input. I have not been backing in until she floats as we are usually in salt water and I want to have the trailer last a long time. I will try just hand cranking her in and then unclipping but this will take all the fun out of just watching her go weeeeeee. I thought you may have a gizmo fix for this.

Thanks again, Jon
 
WD -

You're supposed to wait until you're in the boat to go weeeeeee. But don't do it in the Columbia unless you use a Porta Potti. The fine is $375 for weeeeeeeing on my fish.

If you have your heart set on rolling off the trailer from higher up the ramp, you can take the bow line and tie a looped half hitch around the trailer's winch post. Then let the strap out until the line is tight and you can unhook the strap. As soon as everybody is ready, just pull on the tail of the bow rope to undo the hitch, and weeeeeee away.

However - keep these words of wisdom from Les in mind when you find yourself hesitant to get your trailer hubs wet. The bearings will probably be fine as long as they are greased and sealed, but even if they get water inside, they will cost you about 35 bucks every couple of years. The boat you're cranking back up onto the trailer with that little bitty eye bolted through the nice shiny fiberglass cost you how much?
 
WD 50,
Whenever, I launched my 16' off the rollers, I would back the trailer until the water was just below the hubs and then do the releasing as Mike described above. (Don't have to weeeeee as much then either).
However, when I retrieved the boat, I would usually, but not always immerse the hubs. It usually wasn't long after the boat was on the trailer, that I was washing the salt water off. (I never observed any water in the hubs as it never seemed to get past the rubber caps over the bearing buddies).
If you ever want to give the Lovely Miss Terrie a break, you can do all this yourself......just attach a longer line on the dockside rear cleat then hold this line with one hand and the bowline with the other hand and you can control the vessels descent off the trailer and calmly step onto the dock and walk the Dory down the dock. (That way Miss Terrie, will probably have had time to consume a brewsky and attach a salmon on her hook by the time you've got the vessel secured to the dock cleats, the truck and trailer parked and you've returned to the dock). :smiled
 
As relative newbies with rollers (one year experience), we have had the same questions...we always remove the safety chain first, and then loosen the strap. Often the boat stays put well enough to unfasten the strap, I guess it depends on the steepness of the ramp. Sometimes, though, I just take the bow line and wrap it around the post on the trailer where the crank-gizmo is once or twice and then unfasten the strap. Then I just loosen my grip on the bow line and either the boat glides into the water or a gentle push gets her going...I thought we were the only people in the world having this issue, glad to know we are not...
Wheeler Dealer":232t6tg3 said:
Mike,

Thanks for the input. I have not been backing in until she floats as we are usually in salt water and I want to have the trailer last a long time. I will try just hand cranking her in and then unclipping but this will take all the fun out of just watching her go weeeeeee. I thought you may have a gizmo fix for this.

Thanks again, Jon
Click to expand...
 
Dave,

That's all I need, another opportunity for the LT to get a rod in her hands before me :evil:.

I like the long line idea for when I get to take the boat out alone though. Would also be good getting her back on when the tide is pushing the aft end around.

Thanks, Jon
 
Wheeler Dealer":1frgsfl3 said:
Dave,


I like the long line idea for when I get to take the boat out alone though. Would also be good getting her back on when the tide is pushing the aft end around.

Thanks, Jon
Click to expand...

WD.........When the wind is blowing hard off the dock and I'm trying to get the vessel on the trailer by myself, I'll take that long line on the stern cleat, loop the line around a dock cleat (creating a "change of direction" advantage) and then as I winch the vessel on to the trailer, I can control the stern by loosening or tightening the line and hence guide the vessel on straight.
Works pretty slick!
 
Golly gee --

Too old for all of those fancy shenanigans -- drive boat on the trailer, leave engine at idle to hold boat in position, go forward, bend over and hook up cable and chain, take a couple of turns on winch -- back and shut off engine -- then go forward to step off boat into pickup bed. 30-40 seconds maybe. Easier with two, but solo works. Of course, if you are solo you've gotta dock first and back trailer into the water. May be tougher at 90, but gotta wait and see :smile

Dusty
 
Dusty,
Maybe once the newness of the boat wears off and my confidence as skipper grows I might try driving it on.

Dave,
Using the dock cleat makes good sense, I'll give that a go for sure :thup.

Thanks, Jon
 
Hi guys,
I am still in the stage of trying to find a C-dory or deciding to buy a new one. Can you tell me if it is much more difficult to launch a 27CD than the 22? It sounds like the 22 and smaller boats are fairly easy. Is there a preferance for the roller trailer or the bunk?

Also, does anyone have experience towing a CD27? Would a 1/2ton Silverado be enough? I like the ease of use of the CD22 for towing and launching but think I would also like to have the extra room of the CD27.

Thanks for any info or opinion,
Steve
 
It's easy, motor the boat onto the trailer, fasten the safety chain, rev the engines and push truck, trailer,and boat out of the water.
Plan B
 
Dusty - this, of course, presumes that you can drive it on STRAIGHT! :wink: David has to do this with Anna Leigh at Guemes, and seems to manage just fine. We have had a devil of time with this method ourselves (last tried I think at Cornet Bay where the ramp is TOO DAMN FAR from the float...)
Sawdust":172fq2ro said:
Golly gee --

Too old for all of those fancy shenanigans -- drive boat on the trailer, leave engine at idle to hold boat in position, go forward, bend over and hook up cable and chain, take a couple of turns on winch -- back and shut off engine -- then go forward to step off boat into pickup bed. 30-40 seconds maybe. Easier with two, but solo works. Of course, if you are solo you've gotta dock first and back trailer into the water. May be tougher at 90, but gotta wait and see :smile

Dusty
Click to expand...
 
Steve I launch and load my 25' solo all the time. Trick is finding a good ramp with a dock. Trailer bunkers make the loading job much easier and as long as the trailer is level on the ramp I've never had a problem with the boat sitting crooked on the trailer.

Towing a 27' with a 1/2 ton not sure about, I towed Shearwater around for the frist few years with a diesel powered Tahoe but it was a beefy 1/2 ton. Came with the 3/4 ton tranny (4l80E), cooling system several other mods because of the diesel option and was a pretty good tow rig for Shearwater.
Have a 2500 HD Chevy with a Duramax now, as they say you can almost forget you have 6500 plus pounds of boat and trailer behind you.

stevej
 
Steve, very good point on the level ramps with a bunk trailer. I live in a area where some of the launch ramps are really un-even, and it makes it almost impossible to get the boat on straight. I have the slick bunks and it will slide to one side or the other if the ramp isn't even. So, know your ramp before you launch.
Jon
 
Pat,
After some quick research in the "site" search engine I found this old thread that has several "single hand" launching and retrieving suggestions. See page 1 of this thread. I remembered that we had discussed this some time ago.
 
Easy and safe solution for launching a boat with a roller trailer is to use
a substantial SS Snap Shackle. I leave the winch strap tight and the
safety chain on as well as the snap shackle to the bow eye. Back down
the ramp to launch position, remove the safety chain, slowly back off
the winch(Fulton T3700) to the point where the snap shackle is
supporting the weight and the winch strap is loose, unhook the winch strap, then pull the pin on the snap shackle with the short attaches line
and voila', the good ship rolls smoothly off the trailer. I have even been
known to remember to attach a bow line before puling the pin. Not
paying attention to the latter will almost always create a humorous
atmosphere at the launching site.

This system makes launching with a roller trailer almost too easy.

Enjoy :wink
 
I had an 18' SeaRay OB on a roller trailer for 16yrs and I used the method that Mike addressed. I always checked how warm my wheel hubs were before I placed them in the water.

I found that I could replace the tow line with a longer piece that allowed me to go abt 4' beyond the end of the trailer, fully extended. I don't know how that would play out with the strap setups or the smaller winches. I did change to a power winch that would allow for this because it would use a pulley hook, thus double lines to be wrapped on the drum, to connect to the bow eye. ( I could actually go abt 16' beyond the trailer first rollers.)

With the longer wrinch cable/line I could always maintain control of the boat with a bow, stern and winch line attached. All the lines were long enough so I could work this single-handed by securing the bow & stern line to a dock or pier before I reverse winched boat backing into the water. I could then disconnect the bow eye hook from either the boat or dock. I never lost control of the boat.

I should note that all the ramps I did use had a bulkhead, fixed or floating dock beside the launch ramp.

If I were to go back to a trailer I would go back to the roller trailer. I have seen some combo units, but that is for another time and more thought. Right now, I am thankful that I don't have to wait in line while a 'newbee' is tying up the ramp trying to practice backing, etc., on those hot humid days we get here. AND the line forms at the rear for those launching while retrievers wait.

Art

Art
 
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