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unloading boat by yourself

5K views 20 replies 16 participants last post by  mrwhiskr 
#1 ·
I know a lot of us know this simple way but I see so many guys fighting to unload their boats when they are by themself.

This way might not work good if there is alot of current but in slack water it works great for me.Also cant do this if you have a roller tralier.

Before backing onto the ramp i tie the front rope onto the tralier tongue un-hook all straps and ready boat for lanuching.
Make sure your rope is about 5 -10' longer than your tralier.Coil your rope up and lay it on the front deck of the boat.Back "slowly" into the water until boat floats then start pulling ahead "slowly" until slack is out of the rope and your tralier is just out of the water about 5'. Put truck in park set brake un-tie rope from tralier tongue and pull boat up to ramp.
This is the most simplest way i have found and the quikest.
 
#7 ·
In the same vein, loading up alone can also be a challenge when the wind and current are working against you.
Late last year I made the mistake of backing the trailer in just a bit to far and the wind and current pushed the boat crooked on the trailer. The more I backed in and pulled out to try and get it to center the worse it got. There were a couple of guys out in the river in a boat who must of thought I was a total moron. I finally got some help from a guy fishing next to the ramp and I had to get the boat off and start over with him easing the trailer back a little at a time as I winched the boat on. It was the first time I ever had a problem and I fish a lot alone but what a royal P.I.T.A it was.
Hopefully won't make that mistake again...W
 
#8 ·
Well, it all depends on the situation with me. If there's a nice dock or bulkhead to walk down, i back the trailer in, grab the bow line and unhook the winch strap. Then walk down the bulkhead and pull the boat off with the rope. Then you tie the boat up and pull out.

If there's no dock or bulkhead, i back the boat in as far as i can, climb into the bed via the truck tire and onto the tongue, then i push the boat off, going farther down the tongue as needed to push the boat off while holding onto the rope, then i climb out of the truck bed and pull the boat up to shore, making sure either i beach it far enough not to have to worry about it drifting off, or i throw an anchor out (I have a rope long enough to go from front of trailer to back with a few feet to spare, which makes this way possible).

If i'm duck hunting, i've usually got on rubber boots/waders and i just wade out and push the boat off, tie off or beach.

To load, i back the trailer in pretty far to wet the bunks, then pull out so that only half the bunks are in the water. I idle the boat onto the trailer and keep the motor idling in gear while i go to the bow and hook up the winch strap. Then i turn the motor off and climb out the bow and winch it on. Climb into the truck bed and down to dry pavement....pull out.

These work for me because i have a small boat, and a pickup with no cap or cover on the bed, and i'm nimble enough to do all the climbing. Your results may vary.
 
#9 ·
my boat loading and unloading might be a little different then some....because i run a bass boat...but then again, maybe not.......i'll take off the two straps on the back, tilt the motor up so i don't bottom out, and back in till the back end of the boat floats. then i'll walk down...start the motor (because if i have the boat off the trailer and the motor won't start....i'm up a crick....with no boat...almost impossible to get it back on due to the drive on bunks) if the motor starts, i'll push the boat off the trailer, tie it off to the dock and let the motor warm up while i park the truck.....gettin' it back on isn't much different, except the trailer has to be a specific depth in the water in order to drive on properly and get it all the way on, otherwise it's drive on, leave the motor in gear running, attach the strap to the winch, tighten it down....and the rest is history....after turning the motor off of course.......but the one point i'd like to stress is starting the motor before you take it off the trailer.....i don't EVER want to deal with that ball of carp....or crap....:wink:

i got stuck late last season with a boat ramp that ended up way to shallow...only could get the tires 3/4 wet before they dropped off the end of the ramp....trying to get the boat on in that situation was no good, ended up having to dig up a few rocks to drop off the end of the ramp so i could get the tires on them....otherwise i'd end up setting the trailer frame on the ramp....no good. that water is awfully cold when it's 31 degrees.......
 
#11 ·
Seems like you guys have it pretty easy.:wink:

The docks that i use dont drop off very fast, so i have to back out into the water so when i get out of my jeep, ill be stepping into 6"-12" of water. My trick is, i back up where im along the boatdock. Drivers side facing the boat dock. I tie my rope to the front of boat, hold the other end of rope in my hand. Back into the water, when the boat comes off the trailer ill jump from the jeep to the dock so i dont get wet. If there isnt a boatdock on the drivers side. Ill tie the end of rope to my passenger side door handle. Then ill back into the water and climb through the jeep to the passenger side and jump from the jeep to the boat dock.:smile2: I fish a few tournaments by myself and people find it pretty humorous when they watch my "technique". Sometimes people just hold the rope for me. Makes it about 10 times easier. But i definitly dont rely on it!!!

P.S. If there isnt any boatdocks at all, i wear hipwaders.
 
#15 ·
I throw the anchor on the edge of the water or on the dock and back in, sometimes I have to make sure I'm not running over the anchor line, but other than that it isn't much of a problem. I just pull the boat off the trailer when it's floating, tie it off, and park the 4runner.
 
#16 ·
Seems like you guys have it pretty easy.:wink:

The docks that i use dont drop off very fast, so i have to back out into the water so when i get out of my jeep, ill be stepping into 6"-12" of water. My trick is, i back up where im along the boatdock. Drivers side facing the boat dock. I tie my rope to the front of boat, hold the other end of rope in my hand. Back into the water, when the boat comes off the trailer ill jump from the jeep to the dock so i dont get wet. If there isnt a boatdock on the drivers side. Ill tie the end of rope to my passenger side door handle. Then ill back into the water and climb through the jeep to the passenger side and jump from the jeep to the boat dock.:smile2: I fish a few tournaments by myself and people find it pretty humorous when they watch my "technique". Sometimes people just hold the rope for me. Makes it about 10 times easier. But i definitly dont rely on it!!!

P.S. If there isnt any boatdocks at all, i wear hipwaders.


i think this is where the "it's a jeep thing, you wouldn't understand" sticker is appropriate....:wink: you're wheel base is too short and/or your trailer is too high....but it sounds like your doing a darn good job of making due....
 
#17 ·
Ya your right, My trailer is too high. The ??? thing that the front of the boat sits on. "sorry cant think of what its called". Its too high. To load up my boat i have to back way up so my whole trailer is under water other than the thing where the front of the boat sits on. Its a real pain. The only way to fix it would be to unload the boat somewhere. Take the boat to the shop and have them cut it down about a foot so its not so high. But then when i had the boat sitting on the trailer it would be tilting pretty bad i would think. So i suppose ill live with what i have.
 
#18 ·
yeah, no point in fixin' whats already workin' for ya. it could have nothing to do with your trailer, you just might have trashy landings....they don't go into the water at a steep enough angle. we have a few of those around here, getting out of the truck and almost steppin' in the drink....water up to the bumper in the back....not so good.
 
#21 ·
Myself like another member has said always, always start the boat before I launch it. That said after it starts and idles, I hook the tether line to the back of the trailer and front of boat , I lay the coiled line on the front deck. Then when it floats off the trailer I have extra line to use to get the trailer out of the water, then tie off or walk line to dock. Works for me.
 
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