The Boating Forum - launching a 31 foot boat ........

i just read all the good advice you guys gave the fella about launching his boat....imm curious if theres anyone out there that regularly launchs a 31' boat on a somewhat regular basis ?........i 'plan" on launching at the river here in my town, but am worried about getting back up the ramp, especialy after reloading the boat ......
im figuring drop her in the water on fri....take her back out sunday or monday.....maybe leave her in the water for a week or so at a time.....problem is, there are no docks at the launch ramp, its mostly used by smaller (18-22' bass boats)

so im thinking ill need to drop a mooring out in the river somewhere (any regulations on that ?) and just dingy back and forth to the launch ramp......

my main worry is that the river has very steep banks, and im afraid if i go in far enough to float the boat, that ill end up swimming back out as the truck and trailer go bye bye......
also worried about "hanging up" on the bottom of the cement ramp......

would i be smart to just pay for a crane to drop her in the water and leave her moored for the season ?....and then craned back out ?....or am i worrying about nothing.......the boat only drafts 24", but im sure that ramp doesnt go out 30' into the river....also the boat weighs 10,000lbs, so getting her back out is a concern to(hanging up on ramp).......please....all advice good and bad eagerly accepted !
thanks
Bruce
the truck i would be using is a 4x4 ford f250 superduty with towing package

I don't have personal experience but I have seen several of them launched and retrieved. On a really low tide they have used the boat motors to assist in getting up the ramp.

Lee

Bruce I trailer my Grew 24' Weekender around to a lot of different waters (rivers and lakes). Many of times I’ve drove up north and looked at the conditions and not put the boat in. When my tandem trailer had rollers on her I had a lot of freedoms, but not that I converted her over to bunks I really shot myself in the foot! Now-a-days I really have to pick and choose.........I couldn’t imagine having to deal with a 31'er.

Remember, it’s not putting the boat into the water that’s the problem, it’s getting her back out! Since I’ve gone to bunks, I’d say I’ve reduced the amount of ramps I can use by 25% and upwards of 60 maybe even 70% up north!

If the river’s water is clear enough you should be able to see what it is you are up against, if the water isn’t clear enough to see the bottom clearly I think you have to jump in and check it out for yourself.

I would wade down the ramp with a piece of pvc pipe to sound with and mark the end of the ramp
and get a rough idea of the depth. Might need a skiff if it is too cold leave the pipe to mark the end
of the concrete and see if you have enough to launch.

If the ramp is very steep you will need the truck to weigh more than the trailer. If you spin in
4x2 then try 4x4, but a good idea for the test trial would be to have a friend with an another
heavy truck and cable to hold backup for you just in case you need it.

If you have enough ramp to make this work it would be very handy to have a visual marker
on the ground or paint stripe ect that you could reference to your seating position in the
truck (Since the pvc pipe or stick won't last there very long).


You may also find that a a loader or tractor may be able to assist you for less than the
cost of a crane. Obviously if you can do it yourself that is the best way out.

Steve

You have the distinct advantage of low range. The big trouble could be moss though and that'll defeat anything! I have seen more than one boater gunnin' it with the boat motors to help get it started. That's kind of scary but not totally because the boat usually starts floating before the truck gets into the water! A four wheel drive is especially handy if everything goes wrong and the rear end gets floated!
I've seen a few nightmares like the safety chains not being hooked up allowing the boat to slide off the trailer, the winch handle being jammed into the gel coat, missing the bunks whacking the trailer frame, a twisted bunk (floated or pushed sideways), mashed fenders, back spun winch handle whacking the snot out of the operator, you name it.

One huge problem with river ramps, as well as being steep, they're SHORT!!!! True story, with my little 17'er and my H3. Went to pick up the boat at a different ramp that I hadn't used before. My father-in-law backed the trailer in for me. I heard him gunning the motor, I walked back up the ramp dock and asked "What's up?". He yelled, "You're screwed, blued and tatooed!". The H3 has a super low range in it so I suspected the worst. Yup, he'd driven the wheels off the concrete and the trailer was sunk deep. No amount of torque was going to get the trailer wheels over the concrete. It was by a restaraunt and these old "Experts" came out and offered the "You're screwed, you need a tow truck" advice too. I thought about it and wanted to prove 'em wrong. I pulled out my winch strap all the way, took off my boots and belt, and dove down to the back of the trailer. I ran the strap under the cross member at the very back of the trailer and came back up. The water was COLD! I had my embarrassed and apologetic father-in-law push the boat forward. I hooked the strap to the eye on the boat, winched the trailer winch until it lifted the trailer up, and had him pull forward a few feet. Put the boat on the trailer and left, much to the dismay of the old guy crowd at the marina.

Lesson learned: Markers and poles alongside ramps MEAN something! In this case, it meant the danged end of the concrete!!!!!

If you DO get on a mossy ramp, carpet cut up might save the day, it won't slip like rubber will.

You have the right truck. Depending on the condition of the ramp you should have no problem. Take a buddy along with you for an extra pair of eyes and hands. Just go slow and don't rush it. If when you are trying to pull the boat back out you are having trouble with the truck spinning tires then have your buddy man the truck and you go in the boat and help push with the boats engines. I have done this many times and it works.

I don't tow and launch my boat but a few times a year because I keep it in the water but when I do I tow and launch with a Chevy 1500 2WD and I have a 30' boat that weighs in at near 9,000 LBS with trailer. On a good ramp and/or with high tide I can pull it right out, and I do it by myself all the time. If the ramp is questionable then I take a buddy incase we need the poats power to help out.

mhyzhen - 5/16/2007 11:16 PM

i just read all the good advice you guys gave the fella about launching his boat....imm curious if theres anyone out there that regularly launchs a 31' boat on a somewhat regular basis ?........i 'plan" on launching at the river here in my town, but am worried about getting back up the ramp, especialy after reloading the boat ......
.........................

My suggestion is to go to the ramp on weekends and watch and talk to the boaters who have been using the ramp for a while. They will have the best information for your particular ramp. Some ramps are not suited for large boats, others are.

As for a mooring in the river, some local governments regulate these. The Army Corps of Engineers is the official regulator of anything placed in navigable waters. This would include moorings. I know, I called and got the paperwork. Never set out a mooring though.

We regularly trailer a 34 sea vee and previously a 35 contender. Both boats are/were no big deal to trailer. Just make sure the ramp is long enough. I live in FL so I don't have any experience with a really steep ramps going up a hill, but we have have been to ramps that were too short for the trailer to get all the way back. There really is no difference in pulling out a 31ft boat over a 25ft boat.

I really don't think you would have many problems as steep ramps usually float boats quicker than those more level. I think I would pass on trying to walk a ramp to find where the end is though. You can always back the boat to the point you feel the trailer slip off the ramp, but that might be too late. If the water is clear enough, you might be able to put someone on the stern and let them watch things as you back the trailer. Either that or let them check for the end of the ramp with a pole of some sort.

Whenever I found myself with problems associated with my wheels dropping off the end of a concrete ramp, I'd pull the boat back off the trailer and park it. Then I would pull forward enough to feel my trailer back on the concrete with at least one axle if not two (my trailers were triaxles). Once I did that, I would power the boat onto the trailer, and then winch it the rest of the way on.

Like someone else said, launching the boat is rarely a problem unless water depth becomes an issue. Getting it back out is where the fun can begin.

I don't know how much your boat weighs, but I doubt you will have many if any problems.

Right a steep ramp is a plus not a negative, it will begin floating quicker and your truck should stay further from the water.

[QUOTE]DrJim - 5/17/2007 10:32 AM

Right a steep ramp is a plus not a negativeQUOTE]


The only problem is trailer parts being in a position to hit the boat before it hits the bunks or rollers (been there, done that) because on a steep ramp, the back end of the boat floats, the front comes down, especially on a longer pulpit.

PLUS, on a steep ramp I've seen one boat hit the concrete during the LAUNCH because the guy took the safety chains off and tapped the brakes when he was backing up. The boat took off the trailer and hit the concrete and water at the same time. It was ok, took a little help skidding it out making me want to barf but the boat was no longer a virgin!

DrJim - 5/16/2007 10:32 PM

Right a steep ramp is a plus not a negative, it will begin floating quicker and your truck should stay further from the water.

With my setup the steep ramps gives me grief on both the front end and the back end. With the front end my bow eye hangs up on the lower of the two stem rollers. And the stern ends up being all over the place on me....I've even got the side guide bunks, but they are so far in the water they don't even count. I don't like steep ramps, they're a royal pain in my books.

.... PLUS, on a steep ramp I've seen one boat hit the concrete during the LAUNCH because the guy took the safety chains off and tapped the brakes when he was backing up. The boat took off the trailer and hit the concrete and water at the same time. ........

Anyone foolish enough to disconnect his boat from the trailer before it's over the water will have that happen to him eventually. There's a reason for the strap and chain. :roll

rwidman - 5/18/2007 7:50 AM

.... PLUS, on a steep ramp I've seen one boat hit the concrete during the LAUNCH because the guy took the safety chains off and tapped the brakes when he was backing up. The boat took off the trailer and hit the concrete and water at the same time. ........

Anyone foolish enough to disconnect his boat from the trailer before it's over the water will have that happen to him eventually. There's a reason for the strap and chain. :rollMust have been a much smaller boat than the 31 footer we're talking about launching here.

Never saw anybody lose a boat by tapping their brakes on a ramp. Not saying it didn't or couldn't happen. A 12' jon boat on a roller tailer maybe?

No doubt the other points are valid as to angle of approach when loading on a steep ramp. Most of the time this is just an indication you have backed your trailer too deep.

If you are unloading the boat yourself, you have to free the boat from the trailer before you are back all the way down a ramp. Unless of course you are a fan of wading or like doing acrobatics off the back of your pick-up. I usually take a line and attach it to the bow eye or a forward cleat. The other end I either tie to the winch stand on the trailer, or to the dock if I can back the boat close enough to it. Then you can back the trailer, tap the brakes, and float the boat off the trailer. After that, you can remove the line from the winch stand and secure the boat after the trailer is out of the water enough to do that. Either that or you can run to the dock and secure the boat if it is tied to the dock.

I hope this advice doesn't offend anyone. As larger boats go, I've trailered and launched a Sea Ray 280 Sundancer, Sea Ray 300 Sundancer, Sea Ray 310 Sundancer, Sea Ray 32 Pachanga, and a Wellcraft Scarab 43 Thunder Series. No big deal as long as you have the space to get in and out of the ramp area, and other folks don't get in your way. As with everything, practice makes perfect.

... Never saw anybody lose a boat by tapping their brakes on a ramp. Not saying it didn't or couldn't happen. A 12' jon boat on a roller tailer maybe? ...

I did, not too long ago. Brand new boat, I suspect a brand new owner. And it was a bunk trailer. I don't know the length but 26 -30 ft or so. It was a CC with T top and dual outboards. Woman driving stopped at the top of the ramp, the guy got out and unhooked the strap and chains. He went back to the tow vehicle and got a dog and put it on the boat. Back to the tow vehicle for another dog. Then he got in and the woman started backing down the ramp. The boat started sliding off the trailer. She was going pretty fast and the boat hit the water, not the ramp, but the stern came close to going under. Probbaly the motor skegs that stopped it. :o

If you are unloading the boat yourself, you have to free the boat from the trailer before you are back all the way down a ramp. Unless of course you are a fan of wading or like doing acrobatics off the back of your pick-up.

I unhook mine when the winch stand is at the edge of the water. I don't get my feet wet and I don't stand on the truck. If it comes off at that point, it will be in the water with no chance of damage.

Be sure to have someone video this. It could get entertaining. Good luck on the launch & loading.

Lesson number one, never let a woman back you down a steep ramp at 20 MPH!!! :jk:

Boat ramps sure can be entertaining huh?

Not picking on you there Ron, but surely that boat wasn't sliding off simply because she was backing down the ramp. I would have to think she hit the brakes to get it started. Otherwise, that must have been one hell of a steep ramp combined with some really slick carpet on those bunks!

Definitely sounds like a newbie in more than one respect. Why would he have the outboards trimmed down before launching the boat?

Why do people spend all that money and not take the time to have someone teach them how to do simple things with their boats? Ego?

rwidman - 5/18/2007 10:29 AM

If you are unloading the boat yourself, you have to free the boat from the trailer before you are back all the way down a ramp. Unless of course you are a fan of wading or like doing acrobatics off the back of your pick-up.

I unhook mine when the winch stand is at the edge of the water. I don't get my feet wet and I don't stand on the truck. If it comes off at that point, it will be in the water with no chance of damage.You don't have a 31' boat, but how do you secure it after you unhook it?

When I said I unhook mine, I didn't mean at the top of the ramp as in "before you are back all the way down a ramp." Like you, I also unhook my winch strap with the boat already in the water, but not very far. You need a little momentum sometimes in reverse along with a hard brake tap to float a larger boat.

TN FREEBIRD - 5/18/2007 10:19 AM

rwidman - 5/18/2007 7:50 AM

.... PLUS, on a steep ramp I've seen one boat hit the concrete during the LAUNCH because the guy took the safety chains off and tapped the brakes when he was backing up. The boat took off the trailer and hit the concrete and water at the same time. ........

Anyone foolish enough to disconnect his boat from the trailer before it's over the water will have that happen to him eventually. There's a reason for the strap and chain. :rollMust have been a much smaller boat than the 31 footer we're talking about launching here.

Never saw anybody lose a boat by tapping their brakes on a ramp. Not saying it didn't or couldn't happen. A 12' jon boat on a roller tailer maybe?



:nono: Not on your life should you un-strap a 30 footer before it is on the water!!!!!!!

Our 32 Reg always tries to slide off the bunks when backing down and pulling up the ramp. Any ramp period, no breaks needed, just weight and inertia will do it. And yes, our trailer is set up properly though I might move her forward a bit, as we broke the stitching on the strap the last time we pulled her out. If my partner would have not heard the loud pop and stopped immediately we would have been sitting on the concrete as it slid three inches backward and thankfully stopped. High tide saved our bacon.

To the original post, the problem you will have is running off the back of the ramp with the longer boats. Every ramp is washed out at the end due to both natural flow and power loading. If you launch her, have some one walk down beside the back tires and probe for the end before you run over it. You will never yank that boat and trailer over the lip when getting out. The problem I see with marking the ramp is that you must hit the tide the same every time. If it's a lake, they can still fluctuate.

... and the most important part GO SLOW!!!! damn the guys waiting behind you. Thay aint got half the risk you will have.

To the mooring ball, to my knowledge, it is not against the law to moor a boat outside a channel provided you do not build a navigational obstruction, which given the right attorney, could not possibly happen. So I guess my answer to your fist question is yes, but heck no!

TN FREEBIRD - 5/18/2007 9:40 AM

You don't have a 31' boat, but how do you secure it after you unhook it?

I hook a dock line to a side cleat and a stern cleat (on the side where the dock is). My wife walks the dock with the lines while I back the tow vehicle, get out and unhook the boat, and get back in to finish launching. And yes, I often need a tap on the brakes to get it loose.

Note: If there's no one to help, it's just as easy to make the lines fast to the dock cleats or pilings yourself as long as you allow enough length to get the boat free.

TN FREEBIRD - 5/18/2007 9:35 AM

Lesson number one, never let a woman back you down a steep ramp at 20 MPH!!! :jk:

Boat ramps sure can be entertaining huh?

Not picking on you there Ron, but surely that boat wasn't sliding off simply because she was backing down the ramp. I would have to think she hit the brakes to get it started. Otherwise, that must have been one hell of a steep ramp combined with some really slick carpet on those bunks!

Definitely sounds like a newbie in more than one respect. Why would he have the outboards trimmed down before launching the boat?

Why do people spend all that money and not take the time to have someone teach them how to do simple things with their boats? Ego?



I was standing there watching at the time. I don't think she hit the brakes but they might have treated the bunks or something. It slid in and made a very big splash.

And he hit the dock pretty hard once he got the motors started and tried to back out.

OutOfTheLoop - 5/18/2007 9:45 AM

..................... And yes, our trailer is set up properly though I might move her forward a bit, as we broke the stitching on the strap the last time we pulled her out. If my partner would have not heard the loud pop and stopped immediately we would have been sitting on the concrete as it slid three inches backward and thankfully stopped. High tide saved our bacon.

I have a safety chain and bow tie down strap in addition to the winch strap. All are connected before the boat leaves the water.