singld handed launch / retreive

[davez104]

Launching is the easiest part, gravity does all the work for you. Retrieving can be a bit harder on your own, worse if there is a bit of wind or current working against you. I don't have too many dramas though. I've worked out how much cable to have pulled off the winch and how far to have the trailer backed in to the water so I can pull the boat up on to the first rollers and connect the winch cable. The cable then holds the boat on those rollers while I get to the winch and start winding her up. Boat is a 5.2 metre Haines.

Dave.

[Chimo]

Hi davez 104 and others

Re your method which I used to use also but having been caught by wind and especially wind, current and passing boat wakes I made a couple of changes to the system that seems to make it work even better.

Perhaps you might consider this too.

What I do when retrieving a 2 tonne or so Vagabond by myself.

I pull up on the sand, as everone is suggesting, but I try and get to the up current and / or up current and up wind side of the ramp.

When the trailer is in position on the ramp with the cable extended, as you suggested, push the boat straight out into the current / wind and then adjust your speed of retrieve by pulling the "long" bow line ( as suggested by an earlier post) to ensure the bow reaches the last trailer roller and the boat is in line to be hauled out.

The challenge was always to quickly get the boat started up the rollers while it was straight before it blew or was washed off line.

That problem has now been overcome using the "missing step".

Ie Pull the boat in with the long bow line and as you can now do this from up near the winch post, pass the bow line over the hook; you attached to the winch post earlier, and then while pulling thru the hook and keeping the bow of the boat tight against the roller move to the boat bow so so you can attach the winch cable hook.

Reverse the process, holding the bow line tight till you are at the winch and wind the winch ensuring you only let go of the bow line when the winch line is tight and has begun th retrieve the boat.

Works a treat for me, maybe it will help you too when doing the solo thing.

Cheers

Chimo

[charleville]

the Redland Bay ramp, althought it is well protected, does not have good beach areas beside it and so it is not so good.

See Redland Bay boat ramp below...

[whiteman]

Off the trailer stick the nose of the boat on the ramp (I luv tin) while you park the car. You can lift it a fair way so it won't be washed away by the tide. Same on reverse. Most single handers are twice as quick as the weekend warriers so don't worry about a bit of ramp rage.

I've got a 5.5m cuddy so I reverse mine back into the ramp, cut/tilt the motor and hop off onto the concrete. If anyone says anything I act deaf (which I am almost).

[quigley595]

Folks,
you are all just fantastic!!! Thanks so much for your help. Although I dont lack confidence, my post was to ensure I had the general idea right before I fronted at the ramp (within the week I hope if the weather here on the SunnyCoast fines up again).
the ramps near me are usually chockers, but i think I will be able to get out on a weekday when it is more quiet.

thanks again... champions all!

regards
mike

[jimbo59]

Wobble the car/trailer whil'st reversing,use two or more lanes with your vehicles,get out scratch your nuts, look at the sun for 2 minutes tell the growing crowd behind you to get stuffed after all your OLD.

Start car drive slowly up the ramp, stall it a few times,drive into 2 bays sideways.

Wander down to the packed ramp stubbie in hand,slip over on green moss,swearing loudly jump into boat drive off at great speed and rock all the boats on the ramp.

When you come back in drive infront of every -one else and show them your 5 undersize whiting.Get car, hog ramp, fall over cursing beattie for not cleaning the ramp.
Drive off be sure to drop a big doughy,you dont want to stall it now.

[familyman]

Dont be convinced to get retriever mates or similar (spring loaded roller guides )as I believe the spring are too heavy for tin boats .I have a glass 4.8 m half cab which I use by myself mostly.I put vertical guides, like ski boat trailers but much shorter,on my trailer then mounted a rubber roller on top to guide boat into the trailer .It also give you a leverage point to pull the nose into the trailer.Once you get a bit more experience you can pull the winch cable out then set the ratchet so you can pull against it to help push the stern around .Just watch and learn at the ramp,both what to do and dont do.Good luck.
cheers jon

[quigley595]

Jimbo....

How long have you been stalking me and watching me at the ramp??? lol

Wobble the car/trailer whil'st reversing,use two or more lanes with your vehicles,get out scratch your nuts, look at the sun for 2 minutes tell the growing crowd behind you to get stuffed after all your OLD.

Start car drive slowly up the ramp, stall it a few times,drive into 2 bays sideways.

Wander down to the packed ramp stubbie in hand,slip over on green moss,swearing loudly jump into boat drive off at great speed and rock all the boats on the ramp.

When you come back in drive infront of every -one else and show them your 5 undersize whiting.Get car, hog ramp, fall over cursing beattie for not cleaning the ramp.
Drive off be sure to drop a big doughy,you dont want to stall it now.

[seatime]

Hi davez 104 and others


The challenge was always to quickly get the boat started up the rollers while it was straight before it blew or was washed off line.

That problem has now been overcome using the "missing step".

Ie Pull the boat in with the long bow line and as you can now do this from up near the winch post, pass the bow line over the hook; you attached to the winch post earlier, and then while pulling thru the hook and keeping the bow of the boat tight against the roller move to the boat bow so so you can attach the winch cable hook.

Reverse the process, holding the bow line tight till you are at the winch and wind the winch ensuring you only let go of the bow line when the winch line is tight and has begun th retrieve the boat.

Works a treat for me, maybe it will help you too when doing the solo thing.

Cheers

Chimo

Good advise with the bow line Chimo, if there isn't a hook on the winch post the bow line can also be 'turned' on the post itself, if needed.

Another method is to have a line from a stern cleat run to the bow, to hold onto if there is wind and/or current problems.
Run it on the windward or current side, keep it in-hand with the bow line, with some practice you can control the drift of the boat quite effectively.

regards
Steve.

[rick_k]

have seen a couple of trailers with a length of rope from the front of the frame tied off, with length to spare, on the back rail of the trailer. Part way along the rope is a rubber ring from the old clay sewer pipes, tied into the rope in two places. That is, rope goes to one side of ring. A loop of rope dangles to where it is tied to other side of ring, and then rope goes to back of trailer. I suppose a rubber band made of innner tube would do.

I figured somehow they were using the stretch in the sewer ring (I know that doesn't read well) to make sure the boat was pulled into the back rollers by the rope, before taking up the slack on the winch rope.

Would love to see one in action.

If there is a strong cross wind, and there is no one around to help, according to theory you can tie a weight to the up wind back corner of the boat on a few metres of rope. That is, chuck the weight/anchor out a few metres, tie to the upwind stern corner to hold the boat straight. Winch away, retreive weight/anchor and away you go. I have never had to do that with my 4.3 m tinny.

Last of all, a couple of wobble rollers right down the back centre line of the trailer can help centre and straighten a tinny for winching on.

Rick K

[charleville]

That sounds pretty good, rick_k.

I used to use an electric winch for my 4.75m Quinnie until I did something stupid and stripped the gears in it. I must get around to fixing that some day.

I have learnt to live without the electric winch simply by pulling firmly on the bow rope (let's call it by its proper name - the "painter") as I walk back from having hooked up the winch rope to the manual winch to start winding. Something a bit springy would make it easier, I think.

In relation to the electric winch, they are very noisy and to be honest, unless you have a power socket hard-wired into the car's battery and available at the rear of the car, they are a bit of a pain if you need to hook them up to the car battery every time that you want to winch the boat up. I have found that as I got more experience with the boat that it is far quicker simply to keep some pressure on the painter and to wind up the winch pretty swiftly by hand.

Nonetheless, if you are hit by solid cross-winds, the electric winch operated by a lanyard from the rear of the trailer as you steady the boat is pretty effective.