Anybody got a tip on how to load a boat onto a trailer by yourself? Like does the vehicle's parking brake have to be set? Or will placing the trans in park be o.k.?

If you don't know that you need to do both, you might not be boating material. miles

Brakes, hmmm

Just go spend a couple hours watching at a busy launch ramp on a weekend. You'll get the hang of it. Take your wife.

If You don't know how You shouldn't be boating at all.

And a camera...........

Can I take my dog instead? I like her better.
Still like the parking brake thing answered

Emergency brake, in park, block tires, including trailer tires (might need scuba gear for that) and road flares.

Hey I wan't born on a boat, geeze, just trying to get some intelligent advice

Some weekends are better than the movies at the boat ramp.

That was intelligent advice.

Make sure you use the parking break. In order to load by yourself you need to learn how far back in the water the trailer needs to be. A few times in you will figure it out. Once you know where to place trailer your boat will drive right onto it.

I also roll out about 4 feet of strap from winch just in case boat does not go to front roller. connect it to the boat then you can get off boat and winch it up till its secure on trailer.

The harder part to me in putting boat in by myself. tie bow line to front of trailer and back trailer in till it floats off. Just make sure bow line is secured or you may be swimming to get your boat.

DON'T FORGET TO PUT PLUG IN EITHER!!.

Only need to use the parking brake if trans is auto, otherwise just throw in neutral and hop out.

I've heard driving forward down the ramp is the best way. Go fast. Make sure the tie down straps are off the boat and trailer and ALWAYS make sure the plug is in.

You'll do OK if you follow my advice.

Geno

Now you know where you went wrong.........

Seriously? What could possibly be the down side to using the parking brake?

Depends on how steep the ramp is as to whether I apply the park brake.

I usually don’t.

The reason I ask is my van is 25 yrs old and I have never used the parking brake so I'm not sure if it will release

he came here looking for help !

Give it a try[before you go-like in your driveway].
---------Or----------
Is this one of those "in a van down by the river" deals?

be sure to apply the parking brake, before you put transmission in park

X1000 [and take out of park before releasing].

WTF. Waiting for the OP's punchline. Hoping to God (for his sake) there is one?

Aw, leave the man alone! At least he asked!

The answer to his question is definitely put it into park and put the emergency brake on before you jump out to deal with the boat. When you go to pull away, put it into gear, let loose the emergency brake, and ease up the ramp to your spot where you can secure everything down.

Easy peasy.

Lol....i drive truck in low while my buddy gives the air boat about 4000rpm ...to help get the boat ...trailer...and the truck to dry land !

Depends on the size of your boat. If its not too big ideally just get the trailer in the water where you want it put the parking brake on, even add a wheel chock if you want to feel a bit safer. Then just push the boat off with a long enough rope that it can glide off and clear the trailer. Then pull the boat to the beach by hand. Good practice to tie the line to your trailer in case it glides away and you loose control of the rope. To load up do the reverse. Push the boat off the beach, pull it on to the trailer part way, hook up the winch line and pull the boat on the trailer. If your boat is too big to man handle like this you really need a helper especially as a newbie to this. After a couple dozen launchings you will probably figure out ways to do it yourself.

Side note- if any one's ever bored sit a lawn chair up at a boat ramp on a busy day at the beginning of the season. You'll soon learn all the things you don't want to do and witness a lot of drama!. Great entertainment, at one small place we lived in up the coast the local cable company ran a feed channel 24/7 from a camera at the boat launch. lol

I'm talking about a 14 ft. aluminum rowboat with a small outboard on it. Around 350 pounds total weight. On a sloping concrete ramp. I should have made that clear. I'm a first timer so the good advice is wecome. Thank you

Set the brake[but again, check it somewhere else first]

Perfect that's right where you want to be to learn the ropes. Doh! Biggest thing is go slow take your time and work through the steps. Trouble happens when people get in a hurry and flustered. The first thing I'd do is buy a good line, 1/2 or bigger rope so its easy on the hands and tie a that with a bowline knot (look that up) to the eye on the front of your boat. Then run it back under the boat and chop it off so its just short of ever getting tangled up in the prop. This line will live there never take it off. It should be just long enough to tie it off to mid way on the trailer or so and push your boat off to clear the trailer. Then just reel it back in to the beach or dock if there is one.

Another thing fubar find a place to practice with the trailer before you go to the ramp. Around your place or even go to an empty parking lot and practice backing in to stalls or whatever. It takes a bit to get a handle on backing up a trailer as the steering basically is backwards. A little trick to start off is put your hand on the BOTTOM of the steering when backing up and then turn the wheel from there the direction you want the trailer to go. If things go south, no worries just stop go ahead a bit till the trailer comes back in line then try it again.

Parking an auto transmission on a steep slope can cause transmission lock. You can't get it out of park because of pressure on the shift mechanism. Set the parking brake and let up on the brake pedal to put most of the weight on the parking brake. THEN put it in park. To move, put it in gear before releasing the brake.

I put it in park and set the parking brake when I back mine in at the boat ramp. If you're not sure if the parking brake will work then I'd exercise it a few times in the driveway before going to the boat ramp. If the brake won't work then I'd probably get a cheap wheel chock from harbor freight. As Salty says use a line tied to the front of the boat also tied to your vehicle when you push off the boat, that way it doesn't get away from you and you then untie the boat from the vehicle and walk it to the dock. It's pretty easy but pictures are better than words, there are a bunch of youtube videos that show how to do it. I got my first boat a couple of years ago and the youtube videos really helped me to learn solo loading and unloading, after a few runs it's no sweat now. Head to the boat ramp on a weekday (fewer people there) with no wind and practice getting it on and off the trailer, you'll pick it up in no time.

Ignore the jerkoffs with the condescending remarks here. I'm sure they were born knowing everything unlike the rest of us mortals that have to learn by asking and doing. Unfortunately for some being a jackass is somewhat synonymous with owning a boat. Don't be afraid to ask questions on this forum and there's a boating forum called The Hull Truth that has a lot of helpful people on it (unfortunately a few jackasses there like here too). It's not rocket surgery.

There are dozens of YouTube videos on the subject.

I've seen the beginnings of at least a dozen divorces over the years while watching husbands a wives launch or retrieve a boat.

Bingo! That's probably one of the most important things to remember to do at the boat ramp, along with remembering to put the plug in the boat.

Parking brakes are notorious for rusting, sticking and not grabbing very well if not used. At least find out how to unstick the parking brake before you try it or make sure a mechanic friend can come over and help before romping on the parking brake. Once stuck, the park brake can burn up the rear linings if driven very far. Might not be a bad idea to just have a shop check and lube the parking brake system, would be a lot cheaper than rolling into the water.

Besides the excellent tip to put your hand on the bottom of the steering wheel, here's one for pulling up the ramp after you've gotten the boat on the trailer:

Hold the brake pedal firmly with your LEFT foot, shift onto Drive, release the parking brake, then add gas with your RIGHT foot as you slowly let off the brake pedal. This prevents "rollback" into the water. Some new vehicles have "incline assist" which does this for you, but yours is not a new vehicle.

Ha! Yeah. Leave the woman home till you figure it out. I use the p brake and park, because I want to stay dry...I also use a long bow line, back deep enough to float most of it, hang onto the bow line, and give it a shove. Walk up the pier with bow line in hand, tie the boat off, park truck. On the way in, back to the required depth, walk the boat to the trailer with the long bow line, push it out to time lining up with the trailer. Trailer guides are a HUGE help. I'd get some. Walk to the front of the trailer, and pull on with the bowline.

the cat makes a good point. If you're handy jack up the rear of the van block it and take the back tires off. Work the E brake and see what all parts move to make it happen. Take a little paint brush and lube up the springs and moving parts careful not to get any oil near the brake shoes. Or take it to a shop should be a cheap deal as long as the brakes don't need re doing which if they do they do anyways.

It depends how big the boat is I think. I have never owned a boat bigger than 19' and launching and retrieving has never been and issue.

Ive never used a parking brake in an auto and have never had an issue. I live on a lake and have been launching boats daily in season for 25+ years

Keep in mind if you don't use your parking brake regularly it will size up and you will need a tow as you will have a frozen brake pad or shoe depending on your vehicle.

Hell...i use a 4 wheeler sometimes LOL.

To listen to the people here you need to set flares, put an orange vest on, secure a life jacket before looking at the water, block the tires, have EMS on site and have a cop block the road in both directions and alert the FAA.

Saftey Nazis on full alert!

search youtube for boat launch failures for what not to do!

Sounds pretty obvious but that's probably the main cause of drama at the boat ramp. lol. You normally want to store the boat with the plug out so rain water drains so put that on your check list. The only other thing that gets forgot is untie the rear of the boat. You want a couple good lines or ratchet straps holding each side of the stern right to the trailer for towing. Someone posted a vid back there showing buddy taking a wave over the stern during launching then waving like hell to his buddy to drive ahead fast! He forgo to untie the rear straps.

Me I would make sure I have functioning parking brake. Enough YT videos of submerged vehicles to make it common sense.

A 14 foot aluminum boat is pretty easy as you can man handle it to some extent.

Being well prepared, a good bow line on the boat, tie downs off, plug in and a stern line to help tie up at the dock make it easier.

Ramps are all a little different, but a set of shoes where you can get your feet in the water can be useful.

For loading a good set (tall) trailer guides that are well adjusted will help loading quite a bit. Not only guide the boat on the trailer but let you see the trailer while backing down the ramp.


Try it the first time on a weekday when you won't be time pressed.

I use my parking brake on a boat ramp. I do not believe it is necessary, but I do it for added insurance and piece of mind. Launching and loading a boat by yourself is pretty straightforward and easy once you get in a bit of practice.

Some things I did while learning:

Tear brake lights off trailer
Leave plug out of boat.
Submerge boat because it was still strapped to trailer
Drag bottom of motor up ramp

I was a kid. It wasn't. always cheap lessons, but lessons well remembered.
I like the suggestion of taking a cooler and lawn chair to a ramp the first pretty Saturday this spring. You'll learn a lot from observing. You'll also laugh harder than you've laughed in years.

Happy boating!

When my wife and I first got together 26 or so years ago I bought this sweet little plywood dory skiff that a guy I worked with built. Had a 25 on there and an old trailer I had the world by the tail! The first time we took the boat out we had a little... ahem... trouble here and there. She christened the little dory "the Domestic" as that was the first fight we had and it was a gooder. lmao The name stuck we had the Domestic for 10 years and caught a ton of fish with it, good times.

OK
To all the good people like Salty, I give you a heartfelt THANK YOU
I just called my mechanic and will have the parking brake checked out and/or replaced. I used to drive a 53 ft. 18 wheeler so I know how to back up and my property is over an acre so I can practice some.
Just in case, I have new oars on the boat so I can get back to the dock if my 1955 Evinrude conks out.
The ramp I'm going to use is a one boat at a time affair and being retired, I will only go out [to start] during the week so I can take my time.
It goes into a quiet canal that ultimately leads to the gulf so I can putter along til I get it right.
Once again guys, thanks for the good intel.
As for the usual bunch of comedians,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,I especially like the one about driving forward and going fast! LOL
Oh by the way, I have guide ons, front and rear

Husbands and wives loading boats is sometimes pretty funny.

18 wheeler jockey? WTF that's cheating man! haha

You're golden fubar. The only other thing I'd add if you don't have it is add a couple vertical posts off of the trailer 4 or 5 feet high right near the rear on either side of the boat. Two reasons. Makes it easier to see where the trailer is when empty in your mirrors 'specially with a van where you'll be mirrors only probably. Also its a big help pulling the boat back on the trailer especially if there's a bit of wind. Happy boating!

my guide ons are that high and when I back the trailer up, I'm going to have the back doors open so I can see whats going on.
Thank You, Dankerschane, Gracias, and whatever they say up there in Canada!

It ain't a trick. Plan ahead and be methodical. I set the brake and carry a tire chok in the bed of the truck.

Don't know anybody stupid enough to get out of an automatic vehicle left in reverse, but would appreciate pics if you do.

GFY will do

we talking a 15' tin can or 30' 10,000lber? Both quite different techniques

Haven't read all the answers but here is what I do.

Put on the parking brake before putting the truck in park and put it in drive before releasing the brake.

I tie a rope on my trailer crank attached to the boat that's long enough to let it launch off the trailer. Then I use the rope to get the boat and secure it either at the dock on the bank. Then leave the boat and park.

Thats pretty much what I thought I'd do to launch it , then when I retrieve it, use my boat hook to guide it to the trailer and hopefully push it into the guide ons, then crank it up.
Thanks for the help and reply.

I always drive mine on the trailer. The bigger the boat the harder to load by hand. While I might just pull a light 14' john onto the trailer, I will not be able to get my 20' Sea Ark trailered without driving it on if there is any wind or current at all.

If you have low side guides on the trailer,back down until they are just a little out of the water. Most beginners back the trailer down too far and the boat will float over the guides and get crooked in any wind or current. Most trailers are designed to have the boat driven on them and most guys are a bit too timid about it to start,but just go slow until you learn.

If you will get somewhere not crowded and practice about 5 times you will have the hang of it.

https://youtu.be/LRaQpMfzUuw

If anyone is ever bored, do yourself a favor. Grab a chair, and a twelve pack and head down the the most popular public boat ramp Memorial Day weekend. All the entertainment you need between new boat owners that can't back up a trailer (let alone launch a boat), clueless wives/GFs and drunks. O the things I have seen......

Use the E brake, make a bow line as long as possibe, without reaching the prop! It will aid in launching and loading. Just be careful and ask other boaters for advice! Use a chain or cable to hook boat, to trailer for a safety when towing. It's not science, just go for it!

This is the sequence I use and I do a lot of fishing! first of all fasten a tending rope to the boats bow (for when the boat is in the water), then unhook your safety chain from the bow, then to the rear of the boat unfasten your tie down straps, then put the motor in the full tilt up position, then install the drain plug, when backing in: set the vehicle in park when the back of the boat starts to lift out of the water and then also set the parking brake if on a steep ramp, walk/wade to the boat and release the winch, then push the boat off of the trailer all the while holding the tending rope, pull the boat to shore, secure and park your vehicle! you may have to back in a little further depending if you have a roller trailer or not. Enjoy fishing , its great entertainment!

Owned boats for over 30 years, most were I/O's in the 22-24' range. Would launch and retrieve them alone many times.
Trailer was towed with either a Chevy Suburban, or Ford F150.
To launch the boat I'd back the boat into the water just enough for it to float just above the trailer, set the truck it in Park, unhook the boat, push it off the trailer and down the dock, then tie off the bow and stern, get into the truck and pull it out and park it.
To retrieve the boat, backed the trailer in just enough to cover the fenders, pull the winch strap out about 4'. Get in the boat and drive it onto the trailer till it hit padded winch post. It was now on the trailer and would not float off. Get out secure the winch strap, raise the I/O and pull it out.
Final tie down was done in the parking lot.
I think I got to a point that I'd do it the same , even if I had other people along.
Having a wife that boated with me all those years helped, she know just what to do and when to do it. We were in and out faster than most people.
Ya, we got some great laughs watching others launch or retrieve, biggest mistake is leaving the drain plug out when launching, or leaving the motor or I/U unit down when pulling out, or unhooking the boat from the winch strap before backing in, or hauling out. Have watched a fair number of boats slide off the trailer as they were being put in or pulled out. Nice way to ruin a fun day on the water.

Good boat ramp etiquette is to back the trailer in far enough to make loading quick and easy. If the ramp isn't really steep park will do if steep set the parking brake. Drive the boat onto the trailer as far up as it will go. Jump out winch it up then drive up out of the way. So other people can use the ramp. Secure your gear and boat out of other peoples way. Makes for other happy people.
Same with launching. Load your gear and have everything ready so you spend minimal time on the ramp. Some people can't figure this out for themselves and have to get a vicious cussing or 2 to learn.

Back up as close to the dock as possible. Then guide your boat onto the trailer and hook up the safety chain before slowly pulling up the ramp. Read the rules on your boat plug being in when you arrive. Invasive species regs are fairly new and lots of us old buggers get tickets.

sorry, that is mostly prohibited by ordinance

just remember a boat trailer may have a shorter wheelbase (from rear axle to trailer axle) than your van. Them danged short trailers can get ahead of a truck really fast, unlike a proper semi trailer.

I just ease up onto the trailer with the motor. When I unload it I tie the bow line to the trailer disconnect everything ease the trailer into the water hit the brake so the boat will slide off.

Nothing provides instant laughs like watching the clusterfuck at the boat launch on a summer weekend. I’ll take my coffee and watch the circus but ultimately some elderly guy will be struggling to launch his boat and I’ll wind up helping.

Prep the boat by undoing the tie down straps, putting out fenders, have all lines on the correct side, etc. Back down to roughly where the waters edge and the tongue of the trailer meet, put truck in park and use E-brake, unhook boat from trailer and walk the vessel to the end of the dock, tie off boat to dock and start boat to warm up, go park truck and trailer. Get back to boat, untie from dock and get underway, once you’re where you want to fish you’ll realize that you forgot your license or something else important back in the truck.

Around here during salmon season the launches get crazy so my main goal in launching and recovery is being prepared ahead of time so that I can be quick and not hold up everyone else. I usually fish with at least 1 other person so we can do the entire evolution in less than 3 minutes. Guys that wait to prep their boat until they’re taking up the entire launch and don’t GAF about the 20 vehicles behind them often get an ass chewing from everyone else and in more than a few cases wind up with a broken nose or missing teeth. I’ve seen some great punches fly at boat launches because of the inconsideration of ass wipes that think they’re too important to care about holding everyone else up. I’m the guy that likes to help those that are struggling or new to boating rather than to start my day of fishing getting mad. There’s always the guy that has more money than sense and takes 20 minutes prepping his $200,000 offshore rig while making others wait but they’ll often come back to slashed tires as a way of thanking them for not rushing. I don’t do that crap but I know there’s many others that are more than happy to teach some inconsiderate ass wipe a lesson.

Good luck and be safe. 👍

PS....DON’T FORGET TO PUT THE DRAIN PLUG IN BEFORE YOU PUT THE BOAT IN THE WATER!

When I first started boating I thought to myself that I could NEVER possibly forget such a basic thing.

I'll bet everyone here can guess what happened next.

After I had been boating a few years, the day came when I saw a guy's entire rig roll down the ramp and submerge. I dare not laugh!

Well, your truck is on a hill, so a parking brake as well as tire chocks are a good thing. The hardest part at first is, how far to back the trailer into the water. Too much and the boat just floats around, too little and you can't get the boat on the trailer. Go during a slow day at the ramp and practice.......don't be a weekend warrior that picks a busy Saturday to try to learn how to do it.

as they say in La., "I'm a man like DAT!" I could launch and recover my 22 ft Hewescraft cabin boat alone in under 180 seconds. Not hurrying. lotsa practice.

I have always said if I was a divorce attorney I'd advertise at boat ramps.

I love that!

If it's backing up with a trailer you have issues with, I'd recommend practicing in the parking lot and not at the ramp.

BEFORE you get to the ramp while you're in line, undo tie downs, put in plug, attach bow line to trailer where the winch is mounted, release the winch hook. Get all equipment on board - gear, coolers, rods, etc.

Back into water slow and steady, stop when the boat floats and the inertia should take it off the trailer. Set the brake and put in park. Take the bow line from the winch mount and tie off to the dock. If there's a current, tie off fore and aft. Get back in vehicle and park. With practice this whole scenario should take less than 3 minutes.

In Michigan, those putting in have the right-of-way. Also know that everybody has a bad day and not to get ramp rage. My offer to back in people's trailers are taken far more often than not. There seems to be a bit of anxiety doing this simple task, especially with the ladies. I don't make a big deal about it, they're happy and I get on the water faster.

People make launching and recovering way more complicated than it needs to be. I normally handle everything by myself and it takes less time than the average gagglefuck I lay witness to. Live by this mantra. Sometimes you speed up by slowing down. Don't get in a hurry and fluk schidt up in your haste. To launch, prep everything in the staging area, not while blocking a ramp. Hell, make a checklist if you need to. In my geographic region the ramps have a shallow grade and I have a bunk trailer, so I disconnect everything and back in until it's floating almost completely free. I put the truck in park, get out, climb along the tongue of the trailer, onto the bow, into the boat, back it off and tie it up out of the way. Then I go park the truck. I get in the boat and check the bilge to make sure there is no water ingress. Then go have fun. You may want to keep the bow strap fastened or keep an insurance line on the boat when you are learning to launch.

To trailer the boat I tie it off out of the way. I get my truck and back the trailer in until the waterline is right at the top of the fenders. That is the sweet spot on the dozens of boats I have launched and recovered using bunk trailers. I put the truck in park, get in the boat and drive it onto the trailer. With a little throttle on most ramps it'll put the bow just short of the stop. I exit the boat over the bow onto the trailer tongue and winch it up the little remaining distance. I hook the safety chain and pull away to the staging zone where I will finish buttoning things up.

Roller trailers are a different animal. Steep ramps may require different tactics. I will try to remember to tell you a funny story later.

Driving onto the trailer will get you a ticket up here. Prop wash undermines the ramp. Produces a nice hole at the end of the cement. Can really screw up your trailer axles.

not an issue in Kodiak, even with 13 ft tide change every 6 hrs. Long ramps, I guess

Maybe I'm misreading this, but have you run your motor yet or are you going to put the boat in the water before you try it? Personally I want to know the 1. motor is going to start and 2. the motor will run once it starts BEFORE I put it in the water. That's a fairly old motor, which doesn't mean it won't run, but if it hasn't been run, sitting in the water is not the time to find out. Just a FWIW. Frequently all it takes for a motor to freeze up is to sit there through 2 or 3 seasons, and then you have issues for sure. Good luck. I remember my first time. You are smart to pick a day during the week to give this a try. Good luck. Once you get the hang of it, you'll be glad you got it.

My recommendation is that you put the vehicle in park, set the emergency brake, and kill the engine. If you want, throw some chocks behind the wheels too, especially when loading the boat.

One very cold Feb evening we returned to the boat ramp to load the boat. My fishing buddy went and got my pickup and trailer from the parking lot. It was a 1997 GMC 3/4 ton with 454 engine and 5 speed manual transmission with 18,000 miles on it. When he got out, he set the emergency brake, but left the transmission in Neutral and the engine running, because it was bitter cold. He got ahold of the winch line and after several attempts, because the wind was blowing, I managed to get the boat on the trailer straight and my buddy set the winch line hook. That's when I noticed that the pickup was starting to roll. The additional weight of the boat was more than the parking brake could hold. My buddy jumped off the trailer tongue into the water and tried to work his way around to the drivers door. By the time he was in the cab of the truck, the rear end of the pickup was floating and could not get any traction. The wind continued to drag the boat and pickup back down the ramp. A few hours latter a dive team and wrecker managed to get the pickup and boat out. There was one heck of a deep hole just off the end of the concrete boat ramp and just like the GM commercials of old, that GM pickup sank "Like a Rock", especially with the drivers door open when my buddy abandoned the pickup. The interior dome light stayed on like a marker the whole time too, even worked the next day at the salvage yard when we went to clean it out.

On another note, did you know that it is almost impossible to swim the length of a boat and pickup in insulated coveralls? We both almost drowned.

Paul, either your ramps are not as shallow as you think or you have a really long tongue on that trailer. Here I have two options for not getting my feet wet as far as I have to back into the water at some lakes: 1) Go over the bow and in through the back of the Explorer. Pretty sure I'm too old for that without amusing the crowd. 2) Get really close to the dock and suffer the occasional bent license plate/bent light bracket.

BTW, use the parking brake. If using the transmission lock only and there's any steepness to the ramp you can put excessive force on the lock when you try to release it. (Use both - Park should the brakes slip or you'll be a viral video)

And if alone ALWAYS wear floatation of some sort. Even on a nice day, fall out in the middle of the lake and the boat can drift away faster than you can catch it.

Silliness aside..:prep boat for trip in parking lot near ramp. Plug!,ice chests bait gear etc. Hopefully you ran boat at home on water hose so it’s ready to start w a prime or two. The long lead
Line on bow is key. Your bunks will be dry and friction should hold you to trailer. Place long bow line on top of winch. Once you’re in launch lane back into water until your trailer fenders about four inches from submersion. I brake hard and apply emergency brake before park on xmission. Also I release my safe chain and winch hook from eye before descending ramp. Upon setting brake move quick to bow area take the bow line. It should float to ffmfairly easy. Pull boat to beach or pull to dock. Ease rope around one but preferably two dock posts or fore and aft cleats. Quick half hitch to hold. Back to truck to park. Most folks run past a lot of fish within fifty yards of ramp. That boats gonna be pretty tender so ALWAYS wear pfd. Especially alone. I use an auto inflatable. Have a blast and enjoy it. Some of finest hours one will ever get.

Tight lines.

This is what puzzled me. You should always use the parking brake in your vehicle when you’re not in it. I’m confused why you wouldn’t. And yes, put it in gear, [bleep] the truck engine down until you are back in and ready to drive back up the ramp

I'll fire up the little 15 horse (small fishing boat) in the driveway and cut it as soon as it catches. No chance to even get even warm. At the lake I'll use the trolling motor to get clear of the dock if someone's waiting, then mess with the gas motor.

Since everybody is saying how they do it---

I'll back down the ramp to the point I can just step on dry concrete. Release the safety chain and bow strap. Tie the (long) bow line to the dock. Back up until I feel the boat lift. Go park the truck.

Loading is about the reverse. Tie the boat to the dock well away from the ramp, back the trailer in about to the point where the boat floated. Get in the boat and drive it on as far as it wants to go without a lot of power (fun times if you come in too hot and miss the bow stop). Hook up the winch strap. Leap gracefully (yeah,right) to the ramp. drive to the parking area, and finish getting ready for the road.

Shoulda bought a Ford. And put it in gear and killed the engine.

I have a 14' fishing boat. To load it, if I can, I back in real close to the dock. I walk along the dock with the bow line pulling the boat onto the trailer, then tie the rope to the back of the pickup. Drive out and pull it up tight. I can stay nice and dry.
If I can't get close to a dock, I can still usually stay dry. I use an extra long bow line. I back the trailer in, then push the boat out from the shore. Get in the back of the pickup and pull it up on the trailer. A couple tall upright guides on the corners of the trailer make this possible although the wind can make it tricky sometimes. Full length nerf bars on the pickup for steps helps a lot, too.

Oh yes indeed, even driving the boat on and with extra side rollers too.

(Come in hot and hope you don't spear the back of the truck or cut power, loose steerage, and the wind takes you sideways.)

A lot of repeating Suggestions, most of them very good. I also have a small 14' aluminum v-hull boat.
A few have mentioned guides, and that is a very good idea. I have roughly 36" guides on my trailer to make it easy at loading onto a submerged trailer, and to see the trailer as I'm backing down the ramp. Mine is a tilt trailer, but I've never really needed the added drop of the back end. I do not have my boat bungie corded down, I use retracting/ratcheting seatbelts. Locks in place quite nicely, and pushbutton release. I use a floating rope for the boat winch, and added a wooden float at the double hooks, which keeps it all floating. This makes it easy to toss to an incoming boat, and to launch one.
My anchor line is tied off, and runs through a locking mechanism to set length, so when I'm launching solo, I drop my anchor on land, before pushing the boat off the trailer, then walk the anchor out of the way until the truck and trailer are back in the parking lot. I have 2 drain plugs at all times. One is cable tied to the boat, about 1 foot from the drain hole, and the spare is in my tackle box. There are replacement brass sheer pins for the boat prop there as well.
A 14' boat is not hard to man handle once it is back on the trailer, either. I ride in as close as feasible, latch on the winch rope, and pull the boat up onto the trailer, then climb out and winch it into position. I do not go beyond the winch rope and the seat belt strap on the ramp. Pull out to the parking lot, and make any adjustments there.
And absolutely use the parking brake. If you want pics of the trailer, it will need to wait, its pouring rain here right now.

If you have any concerns about the parking break
Be sure to have a chock or 4x4 and just put it against the back of the truck tire
It's really never a bad idea when I launch or load most things especially with weight I toss one under

I have been doing this for a while and a mis hap would be quite embarrassing

That being said never had a mishap? You have,not done it much

I never forget a very good boat dealer with years of experience and my self put a small 18 or so ft open boat in and figured out quick we forgot the plug That may have made headlines around here had we not seen it quickly

Hank

There's a reservoir near here with an extra steep boat ramp. I have no idea why it was built that way. My pickup has a manual transmission. When launching there, I don't trust the parking brake when it's that steep. I shut the engine off and leave it in gear along with the brake.

We have two ramps that I use from time to time that I have to get my feet wet on. It's almost always warm here, so I don't mind getting my feet wet. It I have to I can use the dock to board my boat.

Well. You back the trailer in the water. Then you load the boat onto the trailer. Pontoons suck loading by yourself.

I never would have considered that. All our local lakes were created by damming up rivers. in the winter, they usually let the water down to what is called "winter pool". Then, one can construct a concrete ramp all the way out to the channel if so desired, so the washing you described isn't a problem here. I guess your lakes are never that low, so a ramp cannot be constructed underwater.

We drive our boats upon the trailer, walk to the front of the boat, and hook and tighten the front of the boat with the winch. Same thing with unloading. Get in the front of the boat, unhook from the winch, and back off the trailer.

I bought a boat last year.

Went to the boat ramp early on a rainy day and practiced it a bit.

I could do it by myself, but I'd hate to have a line of boaters waiting behind me.

Agreed. If I was gonna drown my truck, I'd want it to be a Ford, too.

You MUST apply the Parking Brake correctly.

To apply a Parking Brake correctly: Apply brakes and keep the brake petal down hard. Then apply the Parking Brake. This method uses the hydraulic brake system to assist setting the Parking Brakes.

I use my right hand.





Oh, boating. Nevermind.

I suppose it depends on the ramp, but I wouldn't try to launch on a steep ramp or one wet or with moss on it from wave action without a 4wd with the front end locked in and probably in low range. I saw a Toyota pick up under water under a moss covered ramp off Lake Michigan. My buddy had a big boat with a rear wheel drive Ford sedan and I've seen white tire smoke off those rear wheels trying to get that boat up and over that ramp. I had a roller trailer for my S14 Lund and never had to back it in far enough to get the lights or the hubs wet.

I tried PM'ing you some straight forward advice from someone who bought a boat having never run a boat in my life, except for a little outboard. And proceeded to go through 3 different boats. But you aren't accepting PMs.

I didn't know that.
I changed my preferences to accept them.
Thanks

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.

If you lose your bilge pump, pull your plug and go fast. It should pull water out and keep you
floating.

He did until it rolled off into the lake.

Tie a rope to it and pull it on the trailer til you can hook the front with a hand winch.