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Is it safe to back down the ramp with the front strap unhooked


1107

Back down the ramp with the front strap removed to expedite launch  

118 members have voted

  1. 1. How do you back down the ramp? With--

    • The front strap removed.
      21
    • The front strap attached.
      97


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I always leave the front strap attached.  It’s a much safer habit I always felt with my first boat I owned.  It was an old I/0 and would occasionally not start or the prop would not lower.  Obvious you want to make sure all systems are up and running prior to trailer release.  In a newer boat, it’s rarely an issue.   But it’s also a bit of a risk to have the driver get out to unhook the bow strap.  That’s how my wife and I have always done it but now while I’m in the boat I’m going to unhook the strap myself.  It’s can be a dangerous place to be between the boat and the tow vehicle as happed to the young boy last year in Portland.  Not so much when you’re in the water but if the vehicle slips, you don’t want to be right behind it. 

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  • 3 weeks later...

I leave the front strap attached.  A friend of mine lost his brand new north river 20' on his first trip at the local ramp, it wasnt even very steep at all - just a light alum boat but his story and embarassment stuck with me.  Same friend I have sat with for 20 minutes with it in the water waiting on the same boat to thaw enough and release from his frozen trailer, so I have seen it both ways with him.  When I bought the boat my inboard mechanic advised to back it down hooked up, fire it up when it hits the water, open the engine/vdrive areas and inspect for leaks/etc, then go unhook and back the last couple feet in the water using that momentum to back off without having to use much power.  It works well for me because we have a long skinny area that I have to back out through and if there is wind or boat traffic, using much reverse just tends to spin me in the worst direction haha.

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Front strap is always attached until ready to get off the trailer in water.  We prep before hitting the ramp and it literally takes 1min to launch.  Too much money to slide off on a ramp and you never want to be "that guy" to spend hours cleaning up a mess that saved you 15 seconds...

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  • 1 month later...

Always have 3 of us min for an outing. Remove all straps & loosen the fron remaiing strap.

I have a half roller trailer so as soon as the back floats it starts moving.

As the rear is over the water & still about a foot above the water one of the lads in the boat unhooks the winch strap so as soon as she floats, she is gone so we are out of the ramp in no time with the boat started to pick me up once the trailer is parked.

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Always with the front strap on until the boat float with about only 2/3 of it above the trailer and the engine start with no issue.

One time, the engine did not start because the batteries lost too much voltage during the winter layoff. This day, I was really happy not floating unattached with a wind blowing me toward the shallows and shore.

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4 hours ago, tvano said:

i think the real question may be "is it worth the cost and pain if you un-hook at the top and dump it on the cement"?

See "The Qualified Captain" videos if you want proof.

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Last year or so I started not unhooking until the winch is directly above the edge of the water. Then I unhook and off load the boat. 90% of the time it's just me. My ramp is rarely busy so I dont feel too bad taking some extra time. Just not worth it to risk it. Couple of years ago I put pledge on the bunks and it scared me because of how easy it went up and off the bunks.

Steve B.

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14 minutes ago, Steve B. said:

Last year or so I started not unhooking until the winch is directly above the edge of the water. Then I unhook and off load the boat. 90% of the time it's just me. My ramp is rarely busy so I dont feel too bad taking some extra time. Just not worth it to risk it. Couple of years ago I put pledge on the bunks and it scared me because of how easy it went up and off the bunks.

Steve B.

pledge huh,  i woukd have to stop unhooking for sure

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I unhook the strap on one ramp that I regularly use as it’s nearly level and very busy. 
 

On other ramps back down until boat is in the water but not close to floating and unhook the winch. This way the boat won’t drop off the roller. 

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2 hours ago, Cole2001 said:

I unhook the strap on one ramp that I regularly use as it’s nearly level and very busy. 
 

Like Dad used to say... "no one ever got hurt by going slow".  There's no way I will rush a lauch to save - what? - 3 minutes?

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2 minutes ago, Eagleboy99 said:

Like Dad used to say... "no one ever got hurt by going slow".  There's no way I will rush a lauch to save - what? - 3 minutes?

Oh of course. This ramp is so level and with a 7k boat I wouldn’t worry one bit about it moving. More so just easier than needing to rush. 

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I typically leave it strapped, but there is no way IMO our boat is coming off the trailer with dry bunks. So sometimes I’ll unhook on the ramp. Our ramps are a gentle grade so we have to get super deep to even get the boat off the trailer once unstrapped. 
 

The one pro of unhooking on the ramp is not having the winch do a high speed unwind on you if the trailer is too deep. I had somebody back me down too far, and when I unlocked the winch, it spun like crazy and hit me in the head. Gave me a nice cut on my scalp. 

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7 hours ago, Steve B. said:

It doesn't last long, but it is toooo slippery.

I used Pledge for years but I switched to Liquid rollers... but here is the trick, I only spray the bow bunks (the short ones up front) and the first 2 feet of the 4 main hull bunks.  I don't spray any further back. This way the boat is solid on the trailer when it is out of the water but when launching and retrieving with the back floating (all of the contact is with the front bunks ) it will easily side off or side up into place when winching the last foot or so.  

As far as unhooking: the main bow winch hook stays on till the boat is floating in the water.  Just not worth the risk.  I used to fully unhook, back in and let my wife float away all in one motion.  One too many times of something stupid not working (shop left the shift solenoid disconnected so wouldn't go in gear, boat wouldn't start because the emergency switch got flipped, etc.)   We are still very quick at the ramp, but boat goes down with the strap on, wife starts the boat and gives me a thumbs up that she is started (because with the M6 and a surf pipe I can't tell even when standing at the bow) and then I let the strap out till I have slack, un hook it and she is off.  Zero risk.   Same routine when she puts it on the trailer, I back in, she splits the guideposts and plants the boat on the trailer (she is damn perfect every time), I connect the strap, winch it up the last 1-2 feet, she keeps it in gear at idle just to help out a little, when it's its the roller I give her a closed fist to signal we are good, she kills the motor and signals back that the motor is off (again, because I can't tell.)  Then we pull out.  Super fast, never any risk.  We are "fly by the seat of our pants and don't makes lists or routines for anything in our lives" kind of people... but the ramp just seems to be one place you need a good routine that keep people safe, the boat undamaged, and let's you be quick.

 

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our ramps are pretty steep.  I keep the strap hooked until we get to the edge of the water.   it is usually just me and my 13yo launching.  when we get to the water, we unhook the strap and I back in and float the boat.  13yo holds the rope on the dock while I park the boat.

I agree that these boats are heavy and are not likely to slide off the trailer if the bunks are dry.  but I nearly lost an 18 footer years ago, and that experience sticks with you. 

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59 minutes ago, tvano said:

agree w @gregtay re: make sure the rig will start prior to leaving the trailer/dock.

i've seen way too many boats shoved off the trailer/dock then a no start.

make sure the rig will start prior to leaving the driveway.

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1 hour ago, kylesullens said:

make sure the rig will start prior to leaving the driveway.

 

that is a good check but no guarantee it will start on the water.

i know you will run most starts in the middle of the pond but if it doesn't come off the dock/trailer under power that is just short sighted.

Edited by tvano
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2 hours ago, kylesullens said:

make sure the rig will start prior to leaving the driveway.

IMO, the only time I do that(fake lake) is at my shop winterizing, and springtime prior to season. Other than that, during the season, the boat gets used almost every weekend, 1 or 2 outings per weekend. Fake laking that often would drive me nuts. It is a calculated risk. The 2 times I had to be towed back happened on the water. Now if you have an old boat that you only use once or twice a year, then fake laking in the driveway is a good idea.

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48 minutes ago, carguy79ta said:

IMO, the only time I do that(fake lake) is at my shop winterizing, and springtime prior to season. Other than that, during the season, the boat gets used almost every weekend, 1 or 2 outings per weekend. Fake laking that often would drive me nuts. It is a calculated risk. The 2 times I had to be towed back happened on the water. Now if you have an old boat that you only use once or twice a year, then fake laking in the driveway is a good idea.

my point exactly. if you are not 99% sure the boat will start, you should test it in the driveway.  if you have 50-150k wrapped up in your boat, you should be confident that it will start.

if you have a 1992 Reinell that you only use 3 times a year, test it before you go and clog up the ramp.

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