Get a rope.

[Ron Fogelson]

I watch people each time I'm at the launch struggle to put the boat in the water when they are alone.

I used to try and back in, climb in the boat, fire up the motor and back off the trailer, trouble is sometimes you don't get it in far enough, sometimes it's too far and you get wet.  Other folks use the wench, they just let it free spool as the boat comes off and then try and stop it before it gets too far.  Point is some folks just have a hell of a time launch their boat by themselves.

With-in a week of my first boat I went out and bought some heavy dock line.  I put a strong snap clip on one end and stepped off enough length of line to be about 10 foot longer than my truck and trailer combined.  When I launch I unhook everything well out of the way before getting in line, I snap the line to the boat, hold the rest of it in my lap as I back it in the water, the boat sides off the bunks and floats out, I put the truck in park and use the rope to keep hold of the boat as I walk down the dock and tie it up. 

I have enough line that should the dock be on the passenger side of my truck I can walk around front of my vehicle and down the dock to tie it up.  I can launch my boat in about 2 min give or take and it never floats off on its own, I always have rope to tie up to a dock, and or use as a throw rope in an emergency.

Might be hard to understand here, but it works very well, is fast and you never get wet.

[ronalddipietro]

sounds good to me.. sometimes those you are watching are, well lets say, newbies, not too much experience going on there...patients grasshopper

[blake711]

Good info Fogy.  This is how my dad taught me from being a wee lad.   HE would back it down I stood on bank with rope it would float off and I would pull it up to the bank or the dock and wait for him.  Simple enough as a small kid and would work just as well for a single person.

[Ron Fogelson]

sounds good to me.. sometimes those you are watching are, well lets say, newbies, not too much experience going on there...patients grasshopper

I agree some are new, but some are old farts and thats just the way they have always done it; so I just thought I'd pass on what works for me.   

[ronalddipietro]

10-4

[Bassinkorea]

I'm sure this tip will come in handy once I buy a "Real" boat in the future. Even with my small boat, I use a very similar technique and I never get wet.

Great post Fogy