b]I bought my first boat about 10 years ago a 1980 170 searay bow rider 115 mercury o/b, I went to look at it and liked it and asked the owner if he could show me a test run as the river what just down from him. I asked him to show me exactly what to do as I have never launched a boat before so he took me through the steps, winch strap, plug, transom straps, pump the fuel bulb etc. I thought no problem. We went out drove the boat came back in trailered it and I paid him on the spot and hooked it to my truck and left.. Now to my SHT.. The next day I wanted to cruse the lake in try out my new boat pulled up to the doc walked through the check list tied a line from boat to trailer thinking no problems just a little nervous. I pulled up to the lane to the ramp I got out one more time just to make certain nothing will happen got back into truck very slowly backing down the dock then it happened I heard a BANG then a loud scraping noise and seen the boat sliding down the ramp minus the trailer. I thought what the crap. the line attached to the trailer stopped the boat and it was floating I made sure the rope was still secure I winched the boat back in the trailer to expect a hole in the transom getting that+o( feeling in the oh stomach expecting the worse. pulled back to parking area and to my surprise no real damage to the boat a bunch of scuff marks and a broken vacuum to the so and a broken transducer to the depth finder .my nerves was so shot I just put the straps back on and left.LOL. ON the ride back home I realized what happened. the trailer was a shorelander with rollers and that the boat ramp where I test drove at was not as steap as where my first solo. I was lucky but learned a lesson. I was more worried about doing something wrong I didn't pay attention to details. I now never release the winch strap untill the boat is in the water. I [/b]
