Boatlatch and some trailer mods?

i have had several boats around that size and have launched and retreived all of them solo, sometimes you just have to get wet !! just pull out enough winch rope to get to the back of the trailer , then untie the boat from the jetty (assuming there is one where you launch) and pull it across and winch it up if you normally drive on, try winching while you have no one to assist if you take your time and its not blowing 45 knts it can be easy.   cheers

If you are on your own, it might pay to bring the boat in with the wind blowing you back into the jetty and when you reverse the trailer, try and get as close to the jetty as possible.  That way, the wind can't blow your boat too far off course when you start winching.  Only problem is, your boat might bump up against the jetty a bit but at least it can't get blown way off course and maybe to the next ramp/boat next to you.  Others with more experience might disagree?  That's probably what I would try though.

You will need a long mooring line, one end tied to the bow and the other to the stern.  Back the boat down to the water (bunks in, rear straps off). 

Take the mooring line and put it over two jetty pylons, one about midship and the other about one length behind the boat. Make sure the lines are clear.

Unclip the boat and slip her into the water.  Get back on the jetty and walk the boat to the end ( so you don't hog the jetty) and tie her up.

Park car.

On recovery, pull the winch strap off the winch, to just about where the bow will reach when it's in place to be recovered and place the hook over a roller or cross beam or anything so that it doesn't drag on the road.  Back the trailer into position.

Walk the boat with the mooring line, again tied to the bow and stern, so that the boat is positioned between the first set of trailer rollers or bunks.  Take up the slack in the line to keep the boat in place and walk down to the trailer and clip the strap on.

Start winching.  Do not just let the mooring line go, till the boat is secure on the trailer, if you do the wind might push the back of the boat out of alignment.  Clip the chain on, clear the mooring line and you're done.

Everything Alfred has said, just I use to use on my Trophy a single long line connceted at back and front bollards of boat, then loop it over one of the posts on the jetty just before I release the chain on the post. This way no ways it can get away from you. Then once in the water float it off and tie up.

Same when coming in and tieing up. Using this single rope loop from bow to stern makes life soo much easier to control than hanging onto two ropes, then float it back on to trailer. Latch on the strap and wind her on the last meter or so.

My Trophy was 21 foot and over 2 tons of boat. I launched and retrieved it on my own everywhere.

just pratice, pratice, pratice, YES take a day off in the week when it's calm and quiet, and just load and unload over and over till you got it slick and pat.

cheers and good luck

Tony

Tournament if you have the dunbier trailer mate spend the $250 for their rollered guide posts. I have them on my 23ft Wellcraft & launch & retrieve on my own no worries. As others have said I have a rope with 3 loops in it 1 end goes on back bollard, middle goes on front bollard & other end I hang onto. Walk boat up to trailer from jetty using rope between bow & stern always with wind blowing boat AWAY from jetty then you just guied her up the middle even in 30 knotts. Once she is siting firmly on roller hold front part of rope & walk down jetty, onto ramp holding boat up on trailer clip winch rope on boat & winch her on. Guide posts stop it from floating around piece of piss mate. I have my guide post rollers set up close to the sides of the boat within 10mm.

I do exactly as Alfred says, where I launch my boat I can step up onto the finger jetty while still holding the mooring line so it makes it a bit easier, however winds and tides can make it a harder when retrieving, sometimes I may have 3 goes at getting the boat central on the trailer rollers, secret is to get the trailer as close to the jetty so that when the boat is central on the trailer you can still fend it off with your foot if you have to.

A bit of practice and you will soon know what to do.

Hope this helps

Trevor

they arent hard to knock up out of steel or better scrap SS steel.

I made my own, took about 2 hours and 2 foot of 100mm round bar, 2 foot of 50 x 50 angle and a tension spring or piece of inner tube rubber.

Works so easy and its easier to retrieve by yourself than with well meaning help. I do have an ally boat (6 meter) though which you can knock around abit more than glass.

If I can find a pic here and your interested I'll put a pic up of it.

boat latch   X 3

best money i've spent on boat.

thanks i will givethose ideas a go cheers

 i have a a 6metre boat that i pull onto my trailer easily alone!! i have a power winch set up on my trailer if your south of the river you could come take a look! easy to set up and very quick to put on the trailer!

Same as Alfred, except I manhandle my boat about halfway onto the trailer with the mooring lines, then loop it to the bollards, then go down and connect the line and winch it on. Just don't forget to unloop the mooring line from the bollards!!!!!!! I have also gotten to know just the right depth for the boat to go on the trailer and stay there.

how would you launch a 7.85m glass boat?

I can retreive on my own no problems by driving up, but launching is harder, as i have to jerk it off the trailer, it wont slide off. So using a rope attached to the jetty becomes dificult, as it slides off quicker, and possibly could hit the jetty.

Fully rollered trailer? I would tie the bow rope with a metre or so of slack in it so that when you jerk it off it is floating but still held straight by the rollers. Can walk onto the jetty and get it into position from there.

http://www.snapperboatlatch.com/index.html

bodie i unhook mine once i've backed the trailer in then climb over the bow and start the engines then back off the trailer then pull back to the jetty tie up then go and park the car, it takes a few minutes so you can't really do it on weekends when people are waiting to launch.  cheers

 You can see the bow to stern rope looped over the hand rail, ready to go when I get to the ramp.

yes it was an exstreme case, but launched and retrieved on my own, my last tub, the Ugly Betty, 28foot allie.

anyone can do it with pratice and thinking it through first.