Launching your boat alone with pictures

[Donald Garner]

Here is the process I go through when launching my boat by myself.  The below pictures will help explain the process.
The boat is secured and ready for travel to the lake.


First unfasten the safety chain; remove the motor toter and transom strap. Next attach your pull rope to the boat and trailer


Back trailer down to the water's edge and disconnect the winch strap and double check to make sure your pull rope hasn't come off


The last step is to back the trailer off into the water till the boat floats off the trailer.  Once the boat floats off the trailer pull your tow vehicle up pulling the boat up to the ramp.


At this point I disconnect the rope from the trailer and pull the boat up to bank or dock.

[Chip Harm]

Great post Don, the pictures give us visual learners a better understanding.  Looks about the same as I did yesterday on the Red....only difference is I use a ski rope thtat is bright red

[Donald Garner]

Chip Tks. any rope will do.  I've tried a couple different types and I like the nylon best cause it floats some what.  I keep the rope stored in a ziplock freezer bag underneath my back deck.  It can double for a tow rope if the case arises.

[Mike Cork]

Great post Thank You for taking the time to put this together, Outstanding

[K2Racing29]

Nice write up. I don't use a rope. I simply let out a bit of the safety strap leaving it hooked and back the boat into the water until the transom begins to float. I hop out and reach under unhooking the strap. Crawl into the seat, fire her off and drive the boat off the trailer to the pier/bank and secure. Park vehicle and head out. The rope trick got me in trouble in bad launching conditions. 


Please do not use Outdoor Hub Mobile, Please find and use TapaTalk for your phone

[Donald Garner]

I had an incident with my G3 once launching it using this method on Nolan Lake.  Somehow or another the snap came undone and the boat floated off the trailer and kept going.  Lucky for me the wind was blowing and blew the boat down to the dam which was right next to where I launched from.

Thanks for sharing your method; I'll have to try that sometime.

[E5Zero]

Good stuff, thanks.

Only comment I have is I do not unhook my winch strap until I am almost in the water, some of the ramps I use are pretty steep.

[Donald Garner]

E5Zero,

I hear ya, I'm the same way.  In the picture the back of the trailer is in the water.
We had a club member had his boat slide off the trailer right onto the ramp at the military rec site on Toledo Bend once.  After that everyone started unhooking right at waters edge on the ramp.

[MotherNature]

This is an awesome post Donald, thank you so much for posting it!

[bassindude]

Ive been launching very similar to this since seeing my Grand father do it years ago.  Only difference is I tie my rope to the Trailer and put the excess on the edge of the boat. Great tutorial Don.   Jim