Ramp launch from trailer

[Daphnis]

My previous boat had a retractable keel and was very easy to launch. But now I'm getting close to launching  my new keel boat, a 1961 Triton with a 4ft draft, and I'm a bit nervous about it.
The boat was originally set down on its trailer from a boat lift.  I need to use a ramp at this new location. I don't have a trailer extension or a winch and I know that when my truck's exhaust pipe hits the water it's still not going to be far enough for the boat to float. My plan is to get to the ramp, put some wedges under the trailer tires, unhook the trailer, tie a thick rope between the tongue ot the trailer and  and the hitch of the truck, drive up until the rope is taut, remove the wedges and disable the brakes, slowly back down until I get the boat to float off the trailer.  Does that sound like it should work?
Any comment and  advice greatly appreciated. 

[dnice]

yep thats how you do it  :)
I would suggest maybe using a come-a-long attached to the truck end of things....just in case you run into trouble....or atleast just to ease your mind a little.

[AdriftAtSea]

Tying the rope isn't probably such a good idea.  I'd recommend adding a hardpoint to the trailer that you can shackle the rope to and then splicing the rope to the shackle.  Knots reduce the strength of the rope significantly. 

Dnice's suggestion of using a come-along, which would allow you to pull the trailer back up without moving the truck is a good one, if you've got the proper places to connect it to.

[DBEllis]

Hi,  I use a 10,000 lb tow strap with a tractor D-shackle to the tongue and a D-shackle to a loop of heavy chain over the ball hitch.  The tow strap can be stiff and jump off the hitch when backing back down to recover the chocked trailer, the chain hangs down and keeps the strap attached to the ball.  The shackles make smooth connections for the strap.  We need 4 feet of water at the wheels and this works.

Danny Ellis
Com-Pac 23D 'Jubilation'

[Lynx]

Check the ramp out very carefully. Walk to the end of it and see how deep the water is. Most ramps in fl only have less than 4 feet until a steep dropoff. You may check around to see who can use a lift to put your boat in the water cheeply. If doing it 2 or 3 times a year this may be best.

[AdriftAtSea]

Lynx has a good point...many trailer ramps end abruptly and if you're lowering the trailer with the boat still on it and hit the end...bad things will happen.

[Lost Lake]

If the ramp drops off sharply getting the boat in may not be so bad, but getting it out could be a problem!

Some stinkpots hardly back down the ramp so they don't have to get their trailer wet. Then they ram their boat onto the trailer, using lots of throttle and washing out the end of the ramp. I actually saw one yo-yo hit his trailer four times, the last time he had his 20 foot boat completely airborne! I thought he'd go right through the back of his truck. He had spotters at the front of the trailer to catch the bow and tie the winch strap to the eye before the boat rolled back into the lake. If I had it on video you'd all think it was some kind of joke!
I went over to talk to him and asked if he knew what the heck he was doing. He said his was a new 'drive-on' trailer that you powered the boat on and kept the lights out of the water. I showed him the lights were waterproof, but he dismissed me as a novice. Here was an idiot with more money than brains for sure....

So the end of the ramp may be washed out and have a deep ledge you'll have to pull the trailer up over to retrieve your baby. I've actually dragged my trailer frame over the concrete as I retrieved. Use a long pole to feel the bottom of the landing before you float your boat so you'll know if you'll have trouble getting it back out.

[kickingbug1]

having been arround boats and boat ramps for over 30 years ive pretty much seen it all until last spring a guy with a 23 foot keel boat tried to use the ramp that i use to launch my cp16. between his stupidity and his wifes lack of patience it should have been enough to put this guy off sailing, at least trailer sailing. he finally took my advice and headed north to keysport to have the boat hoisted in. being just a day sailor i might be speaking out of turn but i would much rather spend the money hoisting the boat than possibly damaging the keel and being frustrated to insanity.

[newt]

I used to day sail my Catalina 27, but the boat ramp had to be at least 5 feet deep. I used a 100 ft cable with chains at both ends- one for the truck and the other for the trailer hitch. We never had any problem, except when I launched with the speedo not installed in the thruhull. :o
BTW- good to see another CP boat on the list.

[matt195583]

Being a trailer sailer, I have had some thoughts since my first launching. the drawbar on my trailer will be getting redesigned to a sliding telescopic type setup that wont be hard at all given that it is a tilt trailer. The way it is now I simply cant get the trailer in the water far enough to float the boat on and if i have to drag it on the shape of the hull wants to seperate the 2 forward bunks . so sometime quite soon i will be staying back at work after hours to fabricate a new drawbar   :) .

[s/v Copacetic]

Don't forget that you need enough water to float the boat off the trailer, not just the draft of the boat. My Chrysler 26 swing keel has her waterline a bit over 4' off the ground when on the trailer, but draft is only 2.5'. I have a telescoping trailer tongue so no troubles.

I've seen it done with a long tow strap. Just be sure that the ramp slopes out as far as you need. Some ramps level off, some drop off.

[Leroy - Gulf 29]

FWIW, if you make a telescoping tongue... I found out a couple of things - being blonde it was trial by error.  First make sure the tube that the extension slides in has a way of draining the water out.  If not, it makes it a bit difficult to push the tongue back in.  Second, make sure you unplug your trailer wire and NOT wrap the pigtail around the tongue so you don't accidently pull all the wiring out of the trailer.  I don't know anyone that would do that though  ;)  ;D

[Inshalla]

I've seen guys break springs and or slide the trailer wheels to the very back of the trailer frame pulling a trailer out after backing off the end of the ramp. I have to back in till I have water up in the bed of my truck