Noob C Dory question #4 – boat ramp launching

Assuming a ramp and a finger dock - learn to get trailer as close to dock as possible. This gives you less scope on your bow and stern lines. launching and retrieving becomes MORE difficult to control the farther away trailer is from dock.
 
I am pretty new (3 years) to launching boats. I will say this - ignore the other people on the dock, The high strung guy can just wait. Take your time never let yourself be rushed. People may scoff at this but I dont power launch or load. I back the truck up till the back of the boat floats or the front of the trailer fender is just above the water, If launching alone I will drop my tail gate - hop on it when down to the water have my lines ready hop onto the tailgate unhook the boat and pull her off. If doing it with my wife I drop to the water get her the lines unhook and let her hold it.

Slow steady and let the @holes wait their turn. I never jump the line but when I get there I cannot let myself be rushed as when I do I make mistakes. We take about 2 minutes now to launch and load but when we started probably more like 10 minutes or so.

Once in a blue moon we get to a place that doesnt have a dock next to the launch in those cases I will backup my truck to the water, unhook, hop on the boat and let my wife back it up till she almost (she being the boat not my wife LOL) floats, lower and start engine, back her off the trailer, my wife then parks the rig and we meet at the dock.

I will say this the 23 is easier to launch than my 18. Sounds weird but oddly due to the flat bottom and the stability it simply is.

H
 
Lots of variables: rollers, bunks, slicks. Steep ramps, shallow ramps. Trailers which allow the boat to sit high, vs boats trailers where the boat sits down between the fenders; the torsion axle vis the leaf spring axle...

The way the trailer is set up has a lot to do with the ease--side bunks help. With my Caracal cat, I have both center and side bunks--slides right in place, and doesn't move. The 25's are really tight between the fenders--and some sit on top.
 
Back
Top