Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Boating alone

its not rocket science, i've launched and loaded a 35ft donzi zf by myself several times.

This is the boat

Hope you got a 1 ton dually diesel. Gonna need some Salt Life stickers on it too.

Uh, manual trans roll in neutral.

Unhook boat from trailer hook and strap. Remove trailer tiedowns from transom. Hang anchor with 50 ft of rope in front of boat on the trailer. Back into the drink to the point the boat floats free and continues into the lake from momentum. Shift to 1st or drive and move forward slowly, pulling detrailered boat to the ramp. Stop, put on Emergency brake, put in park and get out, unhook anchor and rope from trailer and set on ramp. Reenter auto and go park.

This^^^^.

Very similar to mine. (Other than the gay paint job. )
https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/galleries/13658630/boat#Post13658630

Looks like about a 15" draw, so a short shaft outboard, and works well in shallow water. Should be a good fishing boat.

Yep jag, man don't drive a stick.

Just so the ramp isn't steep and you don't drop the stern on the concrete. Or the prop if you don't lift the motor.

Develop a checklist, and follow it - whether you write it down or not. It's important to get into a routine to avoid forgetting something important - like the drain plug, license, life jackets, keys, etc. If something distracts you - a truck gets sunk, or a bikini top is lost, go back to the list so you don't forget.

If you have not run the motor in a while, before you go to the ramp, get one of those garden hose adapters so you can run the motor out of water. Start it and make sure it runs okay. Modern engines with fuel injection are much more reliable about starting, BTW.

When I back the boat into the water, I leave the bow line connected to the trailer. I back in enough to get the stern floating, then climb into the pickup bed, then jump/step to the bow and board the boat. I start the motor and let it run, before I disconnect the bow line. Then back the boat off the trailer, then dock, and then go fetch the truck & park it. If you feel secure doing it, I'll leave the boat motor idling while parking the truck.

I think the way most people kill boat motors is running them hard before they are warmed up.

That's what I've learned through experience.

And the people waiting for the ramp don't at least give you dirty looks?

Those are nice boats for small lakes. They don't cost a lot, and will fit into tight places that big fancy boats can't go

I load and unload my 18' Caravalle several times a year alone.

Ocean or lake?

Transmission in gear, engine off, wheel chocks on front tire In case a swell lifts the boat, trailer and rear end up a little.
If you only have two wheel drive and a surge lifts the boat and trailer, being in gear won’t help, parking brake won’t help, chock the front end!!

A side wind is my biggest problem.

I launch and retrieve a 28' 10000-lb boat several times a year, alone, using a manual transmission truck with effectively no parking brake. I don't hesitate to give away all my "secrets" because they're not really secrets...they're common sense. Stack the deck in your favor to keep from a.) spilling your boat on the ramp, b.) rolling your rig into the water, and c.) holding everyone up who's ready before you are. Set chocks under your front or rear tires, but have them tied to your rear bumper or hitch or side mirrors so they drag up the ramp. Put your rig in 4wd low range. Shut the engine off with the manual tranny in the lowest gear you have - that gives your engine's compression maximum leverage against rolling back. Leave your freaking driver door open in case you need to attend to something inside, quickly...Tie a long-ish mooring line or bow line from your side cleat to the dock so when you back in and jerk, the boat slides off the trailer backward and gets arrested and brought to the dock. Don't untie your winch strap until the arse-end of the boat is over or in water (someone did that to a friend without him knowing...picture a 24' Osprey landing stern first on concrete. That one broke his Volvo duoprop outdrive...). Don't put out lines and fenders when you're hovering over the launch lane - do that in the parking lot.

Or leave your brain at home and distinguish yourself at the ramp.

If I have my wife or my two young sons to help, we are in or out of the water in no time.

You may or may not have noticed, that ever since rear disc brakes on pickups became common, the parking brakes SUCK. That's a tradeoff that folks don't appreciate.

You want to see a real CF go to the Sandy Beach take-out in Maupin on the Deschutes in July and August.

ROFL, yes I learned in Kodiak that if you have a cabin boat, you are going to learn about sailing whether you want to or not!

To fight the side wind, I put what I call risers on the trailer. Pipes clamped on the trailer close to the boat sides. I miss the old boathouse.

If you don't need the brake on the incline without the boat you won't need it with it. As far as actually loading the boat on a trailer, I would recommend backing the trailer as close to a dock as possible or at least have a plan for climbing off the bow on to your trailer or vehicle...or getting wet. I don't make fun of people's biating abilities because it's like riding a motorcycle...just a matter of time before something gets you. Just don't forget the plug, turn over or hit something too fast and you be alright.