boat sliding off the trailer?

[NorCaliBu]

I'm starting to lean towards unstraping it though. It'd take one helluva big push to get it off the bunks without being in the water.

You might be sorry. I used to do that. I don't anymore. It was too close for comfort. I still get queasy thinking about that day.

[Helinut]

I'm starting to lean towards unstraping it though. It'd take one helluva big push to get it off the bunks without being in the water.

You might be sorry. I used to do that. I don't anymore. It was too close for comfort. I still get queasy thinking about that day.

Yeah, I guess it's just not worth the extra 30 seconds. But it would make for a helluva story!

[WakeGirl]

I'm starting to lean towards unstraping it though. It'd take one helluva big push to get it off the bunks without being in the water.

You might be sorry. I used to do that. I don't anymore. It was too close for comfort. I still get queasy thinking about that day.

Yeah, I guess it's just not worth the extra 30 seconds. But it would make for a helluva story!

Oh it does, believe me.

[nemalibu]

I do find it a bit strange to justify not performing a saftey related activity based on the idea that "it has never happened to me and I have been doing this for years". Clearly, once it happens to you you won't do it again.

When I was a bit younger I used to rock climb regularly. I unfortunately observed many unsafe but faster proceedures followed. More unfortunately I also observed some serious accidents and had a number of friends risk their lives to rescue people who "couldn't be bothered" with this or that saftey proceedure (I was also involved in two rescues, both of those emergency circumstances were completely preventable if proper process had been followed).

Until a couple of years ago I did not know about the risks of unhooking prior to putting the boat in the water. Once I learned about this (from someone else who was willing to educate me about the folly of the approach I was taking - even though it made me "fast at the ramp"), I subsequenty never back down the ramp without both the winch and saftey line connected to the bow ring.

One of the great things about this site is the opportunity to learn from the mistakes of others without having to make the mistakes ourselves.

I think that this web site is an outstanding service to the boating community.

[BB LSV]

One of the great things about this site is the opportunity to learn from the mistakes of others without having to make the mistakes ourselves.

I think that this web site is an outstanding service to the boating community.

[auto]

the reason i ask this is because my winch that holds the boat on the trailer makes a lot of noise while on the ramp. I was wondering if my winch broke would my boat slide off the trailer

One day after getting home, I realize that my winch strap had broken. The boat had rode all the way home on wet bunks with nothing holding the boat.

[Arctic Slalom]

i've never back our boat in w/o winch and safety chain connected. they are always connected, even on flat'ish ramps.

just not worth the risk (and I have an old a** boat)!

the fisherman in our area are pretty hard-core though. they're not afraid to do anything which will save them a second or two at the access. full on power loading, shoring their boats onto ramp, yelling at loved ones, slamming brakes, revving boat motors to creep up, etc. etc. etc. -it's highly entertaining!

those are usually the guys who give me 'the look' when I slowly and carefully back in....they get pissed all because i'm cutting into their relaxation time!

[Bill_AirJunky]

the reason i ask this is because my winch that holds the boat on the trailer makes a lot of noise while on the ramp. I was wondering if my winch broke would my boat slide off the trailer

One day after getting home, I realize that my winch strap had broken. The boat had rode all the way home on wet bunks with nothing holding the boat.

The winches these trailers come with are not the best quality. Over the years I've lost a couple of straps & had the winch implode on itself once.

I use transom straps & a safety cable between the bow ring & the trailer to actually keep the boat in place. I've seen too many accidents where the boat comes lose & either lands on the ground or hits a car causing even more damage. I've seen boats driving down W Lake Sammamish Pkwy, hit a pothole at 40 mph, and I can see daylight under the boat!!

All that said, I don't usually have any of it hooked up if I'm launching on a ramp I'm familiar with & know is not very steep.

[DIE2SURF]

Anyone have a good suggestion for a safety cable? Something rubber/plasic-coated would probably be best I'd imagine to minimize potential scratches on the gelcoat or trailer paint.

Also, where on the trailer do people attach it?

-Around the winch?

-Around the tongue/frame?

[zad0030]

I think its more dangerous to leave it hooked up. Becuase once the boat hits the water all the weight lies on the winch and its holding the boat from dropping in. If that winch were to fail you would have a swinging winch which could cause damage to not only your boat but also to anyone who might be nearby.

Unless your ramp is a cliff I dont think it will slip off, unless its lubed. Theres plenty of friction there. When we owned our tige we could never get the boat to float off easily. No matter how deep we went with it, it would need some power to get off.

[Indy]

I cant even imagine taking the winch strap and/or safety chain off before backing down the boat, and to say that its more dangerous to leave it attached is laughable, i am quite sure those large gouges at the ramps in my area are not caused by stray winch poles. I have silicon sprayed my bunks and as i unwind the winch to undo the strap, the boat slides off the trailer, i need about a meter of strap out before i can unhook it. I suppose each persons rig is different but i would not take such a risk for little benefit.

I do accept that it is dangerous to rely on a handbrake though and believe that the vehicle should have more than one axle secured before getting behind the vehicle. My trailer is fitted with pneumatic brake system that locks all 4 trailer disk brake calipers when the car is switched off. With car in gear and handbrake on, i am confident that it wont move.

At my local ramp i have seen fishermen, chocking there wheels before getting behind, a little extreme maybe.

[srintx]

I have been trailering and launching our family's boats for 25 years.

I have never had a boat slip off its trailer while launching.

But I have never launched without the bow eye tethered in some fashion.

Coincindence?

Probably not.

....just not 25 years.

[malibudreaming]

just when I thought I had seen everything, last summer I witnessed an older couple launching their boat. Husband in the truck backin er up and the wife in the boat waiting to hit the water and drive her away. Half way down the ramp the boat rolls off the trailer , grinds down the ramp about 30 feet and splashes into the lake. I will never forget the look on the wife's face, shear panic , absolutely helpless.

Hubby says he has always unhooked the winch and never had a problem. This was his first time at this particular launch, very steep.

After seeing this I will never disconnect the winch line of safety chain until the boat is in the water. If someone thinks I am to slow launching my boat I just say " I only have two speeds and if you don't like this one you sure as heck are not going to like the other one!"

[martinarcher]

We launch at a ramp that is almost flat. I have a really high 71' Ford with 33's on it and the back tires just make it to the water. I back the boat until the trailer axle is in the water, get our and unhook thew bow strap, then let my wife back the boat off the trailer. Unless we get the trailer really deep, it take quite a bit of motor from the boat to back it off. If I ever went to a new ramp or a steeper one, I would leave it attached until the boat was floating.

Tracie,

What happened to your boat on the ramp? It doesn't sound like it was good?

[CrazyTegger]

I think its more dangerous to leave it hooked up. Becuase once the boat hits the water all the weight lies on the winch and its holding the boat from dropping in. If that winch were to fail you would have a swinging winch which could cause damage to not only your boat but also to anyone who might be nearby.

Unless your ramp is a cliff I dont think it will slip off, unless its lubed. Theres plenty of friction there. When we owned our tige we could never get the boat to float off easily. No matter how deep we went with it, it would need some power to get off.

I don't care how steep or shallow your ramp is. If you hit the brakes wrong, newton's first law will wish you kept the strap on. We always have 1 person on the hitch unwinding as we launch.

I'd rather give some stress on that line than to have the boat on the ramp. The best risk is none at all.

[roonedoggie]

I never have my strap attached. Not attached when boat gets unloaded or loaded. I have heard that some folks will spray their bunks with silicon spray and that will cause a problem.

[XTI04]

I never have my strap attached. Not attached when boat gets unloaded or loaded. I have heard that some folks will spray their bunks with silicon spray and that will cause a problem.

[Killer]

my first boat was a '79 supreme on a factory drive on trailer (no winch)

you had to unhook it before you dropped it in or you weren't getting it off.

never sprayed silicone on the bunks, never saw the need for that. I dump my sporty in so the back end is floating, and the bunks are almost all underwater, just have to nudge it off the bow roller and away you go.

I'd never think about undoing the winch on my 'bu though...

[mellen_mpz]

we have never had ours attached when we launch. Always attached when we pull out of the water though. The only way I could see it coming off the trailer is if I was backing up really fast and slamming on the brakes and even then I doubt it would slide off. I always back up fairly slow and an super easy on the brakes.

Some guys are saying they dont hook it up when towing it up the ramp with wet bunks though......that seems retarded!!!

[electricjohn]

Like Mellon, I always back in and pull out real slow. My reason is so I don't bend the license plate on my trailer. It is mounted on the rear step pad, but hangs below the lip by about 4".

[ucontrol]

we have a very shallow launch area here and getting the boat off is not always easy. I have not been able to find liquid rollers, and am wondering if silicone spray lubricant or pledge or something else would help the boat slide off? sorry if this was a hijack.

Use Pledge in lieu of the Liquid Rollers, don't use silicone.

Well, I have a story to tell you. I have been boating and sea dooing since the mid 60's. I have Never had a boat, jet ski, or sea doo slide off the trailer. I always have unhooked the winch and rear tie downs at the top of the ramp and backed down to the water. About 3 weeks ago, I changed the bunks on my sea doo trailer as the carpeting was getting bad. I did spray the new bunks with wd 40 before putting the boats back on the trailer, I did this at home not at the lake or in the water. When I did go back to the lake, I did my usual thing and unhooked at the top of the short and not too steep ramp. About 1/2 down the ramp, both boats slid off the trailer and on to the cement, about 3 ft from the water. I was shocked. It took 5 guys to pick them up and carry them to the water. Luckely there was very little damage to one of them, a cracked jet nozzel, and no damage to the other one. Boy was I lucky. You can bet that from now the boat and the doo's will not be unhooked until they are in the water or on level ground. After boating for about 50 years, It was bound to happen. I am just glad it was not the boat.

[Soon2BV]

I undo all stras except te winch in the parking lot and load people.

Back down ramp and into water.

Truck in park, parking brake set.

Driver starts engine when boat is in water.

I get out and unhook winch, driver backs boat off trailer.

I get back in truck and drive away.

Whole thing less than 3 minutes.

Gives the engine a little idle run time and assures the boat doesn't leave the trailer before i am ready for it to.

Been launching this way since 1985 - no plan to change because it is safe and it works and i can always say i was the frst one in the water....

[Killer]

I undo all stras except te winch in the parking lot and load people.

Back down ramp and into water.

Truck in park, parking brake set.

Driver starts engine when boat is in water.

I get out and unhook winch, driver backs boat off trailer.

I get back in truck and drive away.

Whole thing less than 3 minutes.

Gives the engine a little idle run time and assures the boat doesn't leave the trailer before i am ready for it to.

Been launching this way since 1985 - no plan to change because it is safe and it works and i can always say i was the frst one in the water....

x2

fast & fool proof method right there, everyone should be doing exactly the same thing and there will be NO ramp issues ever again...

what happens if the boat doesn't fire up or you have a problem when you launch and the strap is not hooked up? gotta get that boat back on the trailer...