JASinIL2006
Vice Admiral
- Joined
- Feb 10, 2012
- Messages
- 5,729
Finally got the titling nightmare resolved with my 'new' boat, got a lesson in launching/driving/retrieving from an experienced and patient boater, so I took the boat up 800 miles up to a Canada, to a lake where we have a small cabin. I was accompanied by my 16 year old son and a friend of his. Even though we're only up at the lake a few weeks each year, it really was the main reason we decided to get the boat.
The public access launching area to the lake is sandy beach, so I backed up until the trailer tires were mostly submerged, waiting for the boat to float off the trailer as it did on my lesson-launching on the boat ramp in the Mississippi. Not only was the transom not floating, the boat would not budge, even with all three of us pushing. It turns out the lake landing is quite a bit shallower than a boat ramp... Upon further inspection, it didn't look like the boat was even close to floating off the trailer.
Although I had a momentary flash of fear that we had driven all this way and we wouldn't be able to use the boat, I recalled reading on this forum about people launching from shallow boat ramps, backing up their vehicles until the tailpipe was almost submerged. I had one of the boys watch to make sure the tailpipe didn't go completely under, and I backed up as far as I could. Eventually, we were able to get the boat off the trailer, beach it (not dock by launch area) and move the trailer. Even more to my relief, the boat started and were off.
We had a great week, the boys did some skiing behind the boat (we had borrowed wetsuits for the cold water) and generally just enjoyed the boat. I was surprised to see water in the bilge -- after my 4 hour lesson cruise on the Mississippi, the bilge was dry as a bone. We had some rain, and I suspect some water snuck in between the cockpit cover and the bow cover, but the bilge pump worked and all was well. (I have decided to add a second pump, with a float switch, to the boat.)
In the back of my mind, though, I was dreading the whole process of putting the boat back on the trailer, partly because of my inexperience (I didn't want to look like too much of a doofus in front of the boys!) and partly because of the difficulty we'd had getting the boat off the trailer when we first arrived. To try to improve my chances, I picked up two things when we went into town for supplies (both ideas I also got here): first, I bought some silicone spray and gave the trailer bunks a liberal coating. Second, I bought a trailer receiver extension that got me an extra 18" of reach into the lake.
Between those two additions, the retrieval was a piece of cake. I came in a bit angled on my first attempt - I think I didn't take into account prop walk. On my second attempt, I factored that in, gently motored up and onto the trailer and (with the help of the silicone's slipperiness) was able to winch it up the last few feet. I was happy and a little surprised, and even the boys seemed to be impressed (although I don't think they appreciated the challenge of doing this for the second time).
It was such a good experience all around, it made up for all the headaches we'd had with the dealer who sold us the boat (and then never filed the paperwork to transfer title). I can't wait to get out again, and I'm even getting the hang of backing the trailer and getting to go where I want.
This site has been invaluable -- between that, and an online boating course, I've learned enough to feel like I can do this without injuring anyone or looking like a total fool out on the water! I'm looking forward to the next outing...
The public access launching area to the lake is sandy beach, so I backed up until the trailer tires were mostly submerged, waiting for the boat to float off the trailer as it did on my lesson-launching on the boat ramp in the Mississippi. Not only was the transom not floating, the boat would not budge, even with all three of us pushing. It turns out the lake landing is quite a bit shallower than a boat ramp... Upon further inspection, it didn't look like the boat was even close to floating off the trailer.
Although I had a momentary flash of fear that we had driven all this way and we wouldn't be able to use the boat, I recalled reading on this forum about people launching from shallow boat ramps, backing up their vehicles until the tailpipe was almost submerged. I had one of the boys watch to make sure the tailpipe didn't go completely under, and I backed up as far as I could. Eventually, we were able to get the boat off the trailer, beach it (not dock by launch area) and move the trailer. Even more to my relief, the boat started and were off.
We had a great week, the boys did some skiing behind the boat (we had borrowed wetsuits for the cold water) and generally just enjoyed the boat. I was surprised to see water in the bilge -- after my 4 hour lesson cruise on the Mississippi, the bilge was dry as a bone. We had some rain, and I suspect some water snuck in between the cockpit cover and the bow cover, but the bilge pump worked and all was well. (I have decided to add a second pump, with a float switch, to the boat.)
In the back of my mind, though, I was dreading the whole process of putting the boat back on the trailer, partly because of my inexperience (I didn't want to look like too much of a doofus in front of the boys!) and partly because of the difficulty we'd had getting the boat off the trailer when we first arrived. To try to improve my chances, I picked up two things when we went into town for supplies (both ideas I also got here): first, I bought some silicone spray and gave the trailer bunks a liberal coating. Second, I bought a trailer receiver extension that got me an extra 18" of reach into the lake.
Between those two additions, the retrieval was a piece of cake. I came in a bit angled on my first attempt - I think I didn't take into account prop walk. On my second attempt, I factored that in, gently motored up and onto the trailer and (with the help of the silicone's slipperiness) was able to winch it up the last few feet. I was happy and a little surprised, and even the boys seemed to be impressed (although I don't think they appreciated the challenge of doing this for the second time).
It was such a good experience all around, it made up for all the headaches we'd had with the dealer who sold us the boat (and then never filed the paperwork to transfer title). I can't wait to get out again, and I'm even getting the hang of backing the trailer and getting to go where I want.
This site has been invaluable -- between that, and an online boating course, I've learned enough to feel like I can do this without injuring anyone or looking like a total fool out on the water! I'm looking forward to the next outing...