Boat-On-A-Rope Launching Technique

Here is how to launch and retrieve your boat using a rope as an extension to get the trailer in deep enough at those ramps which are not steep enough to keep the tow vehicle out of the water.

  1. Make sure you have enough tongue weight to keep the trailer's jack wheel on the ground because you will be disconnecting the trailer from the tow vehicle. Any bumps in the ramp could cause a poorly loaded trailer to tip up and possibly dump your boat on the ramp. If you put as much gear as possible in the v-berth you should be fine. Maybe consider putting the outboard on after you launch. Adding a crew member to the bow would be ideal.
  2. Start out by backing the trailer a short distance down the ramp so that gravity can take effect.
  3. Stop and put chocks behind the trailer wheels.
  4. Lower the trailer tongue's wheel/jack (the larger the wheel the better).
  5. Attach a long and strong line between the trailer tongue and the tow vehicle.
  6. Disconect the trailer completely from the tow vehicle except for the rope.
  7. Drive the tow vehicle forward until the trailer is pulled off the chocks.
  8. Remove the chocks.
  9. Attach lines to the bow and stern of the boat.
  10. One person holds onto these lines as the boat is backed down the ramp.
  11. Slowly back the tow vehicle down the rammp.
  12. The person handling the lines can guide the boat by pulling on one line or the other.
  13. Pull on the stern line to bring the boat closer to the dock.
  14. Pull on the bow line to move the boat away from the dock.
  15. When the boat is floating, let the boat drift back until it is clear of the trailer.
  16. Pull the boat to the far end of the dock to get it out of the way of others who want to launch or retrieve their boats.
  17. Drive the tow vehicle forward to get the trailer out of the water and away from the launching area if it is busy.
  18. Stop and chock the trailer's tires.
  19. Back up the tow vehicle and re-attach it to the trailer.
  20. Raise the trailer tongue's wheel/jack.
  21. Done.
    When lowering the empty trailer down the ramp, you will need to have someone walk down the ramp with the trailer to quide it. That person will have to push or pull the tow rope sideways to steer the trailer.

Animation of Boat-on-a-rope:
Boat-On-A-Rope

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