Quickest Way To Launch A Boat By Yourself 

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I launched my first boat yesterday and I was by myself. You’re tips were priceless! Thank you 🙏

And don’t let anyone rush you into making mistakes.

That is a way to look like a pro. Only advise to bring the boat around to the far side of the dock so that the next guy can use the ramp while you park the truck.

Genius with the long rope. Thank you!

I like Luke, he seems very genuine and helpful, probably very cool to have a chat with.

I'll be launching in a day or so and have never done it by myself. This is very helpful! Thanks

Thank you for the great tips. I’m a new boater and still learning how to retrieve boat by myself without going in the water.

This was SUPER helpful! I had to practice that knot a few times but it does work perfectly. Also the tie off for the stern was very helpful as first thing happened was the stern wanted to drift away from the ramp! Im keeping this in my "Favorites" as never to old to learn. Thanks Luke

im 65 with artificial knees and arthritis. hard for me to get in the boat from the trailer. thought about doing it this way, but since i had never seen anyone do it i thought it wouldnt work. now i know i can ill be going more.thanks

Just bought a new 2020 tracker xl boat last Saturday. First boat. This helped a lot. I appreciate the pointers. Thank you, Sir.

Very good, simple to the point video. The smallest things sometimes are the biggest. Great tip with the water bottle. Salt water is your enemy. Can't stress that enough. Good job.

It's easy when there are piers to tie. The closest to us where we go is only a ramp, but no pier or mooring cleat, just the river bank and stones. This is then much more difficult for the boater himself.

Learn something new everyday, thanks for taking the time out to share 💯

That knot is called a draw hitch.

Simple, quick and effective if done safely.

Good Vlog for someone who has a small boat or flatboat. It is difficult to launch and load the large boat with deep vee. I have experience in both boat and smaller boat or flatboat are much easy to do a solo job. Good job.

Great video, super helpful and I’m going to use all your tips when I launch my boat this weekend for the first time. Thanks for making this.

Well Done! Thanks Salt

I’m always striving to be the best Dock Wench I can be so thank you for this video.

Great advice!...I'll remember this when I finally get a boat.

As usual you are just brilliant at boat handling at a ramp. Thanks tons j martin

Thanks again Luke!! Percy Priest Lake Nashville Tennessee.. this will help. Never got to go on the boat with dad before he passed. So going solo. Good tips 👍

This is fantastic! Thank you so much. I'm a new boater who just bought a new 18' cc and I've never launched a boat before. I've watched 4 or 5 vids and yours is the best one by far. Thanks again.

Great video and very helpful. Thanks for sharing.

Excellent. For Sure - One of the Most Useful videos on the World Wide Web.

Thank you for the video!😎👌

I do similar in launching but I walk my boat onto the trailer, have to be able to back up so you aren't too far from the dock but I'm not hopping off my bow onto my trailer :)

Thank you for this video. Very well done! I am close to attempting a self launch and self load. -Michael

Ramps in Grant FL. Home sweet home. Thanks for the demo.

What a luxury having the dock right next to your launched boat! At my lake, the dock is 30ft away from the ramp! I solo launch a 275 Baja Performance Series boat. I first have to launch the boat , navigate to the dock which is only 20' x 20', walk back to my truck and park it. This is all done with waiting traffic and sometimes in complete darkness with only a flood lamp. The key is to know how deep to submerge the trailer so that the hull is supported just enough to reel in securely. I place a reflective stick on marker at the front of the trailer to always know my correct trailer position in the water. The dock this gentleman is launching at is a piece of cake!

Awesome video, I plan to use this method next time I go out fishing. Thanks

perfect tip. thanks

When docking by myself in a stiff wind I use the power pole as a first mate. I tie up the bow, and the power pole keeps the stern from hitting the dock or swinging wide away from the dock. You can do this simultaneously with a double push on the power pole button and walk to the bow and jump off with the bow line in your hand (tied beforehand to the bow cleat of course).

Love your videos! I’m new to boating and these help me so much:) thank you!!!!

You perform the launchIng sólo just great!!! Greetings from Sudcalifornia!!

Great vid, thanks. I use the same routine, except since my favourite launch doesn't have a dock parallel to it, I am resigned to wading into the water rather than balancing on the trailer tongue :) Just one important step I add: when at the water but prior to backing it into the water, I detach the rear straps and secure the drain plugs.

Excellent tips. Thanks.

Good video. I trailer long distances and boat in salt water. One more way to eliminate rust on lug nuts is to add a light film of waterproof grease on the hub studs. I've been doing it of some time now and never had a problem either in transit or removing the wheel.

Good tips.Can also put a little dab of a product never sieze on lug bolts for salt rust

🙏🏾Thank you I appreciate this video I am learning to get in and out of my vessel on my own your video is very nice 💞

Good video I do a lot of trailer maintenance a trick for your lug nuts that works well for me is to put a bit of marine grease on the stud and lug before you put the lug on .This will let the lug spin right off when needing to change.My trailer is 20 years old and rust is almost inevitable in heavy saltwater use .Just what marks for me

Hi Luke, nice video. Thanks so much. Keep safe and God bless !

I am going to do my first launch with my 14 foot bass boat this weekend for a leak test, thanks for the video and wish me luck!

Good stuff. Thanks

This was a great video. I never can find anyone to go with me so most of the time I won't go because I'm leery about launching by myself. I think I'll be fishing a lot more now. Thanks!

Awesome video very helpful! Thanks

This is a great video, I like your cautious approach. Thank you for sharing

Excellent video and instructions

Thanks man. good tips!

Great tips thanks

You forgot to mention to make sure: 1. Have all gear in truck until boat is backed into water then load boat only if other people are waiting to launch thier boat. 2. Be sure to tie your boat up in the ramp area or loading zone ( not off to one of the side areas while you go park the truckand buy snacks and bait or while waiting for other guests that are running late that will be with you that day). 3. When pulling boat out of water, be sure truck remains on the ramp when boat is on trailer to wipe the boat down, secure boat and load gear into truck ( be sure to do this only when others are waiting to launch thier boats or retrieve thier boats.). 4. When arriving at the launch and other boaters are waiting for that ONE guy to get clear of the ramp launching his boat be sure to zoom right past everyone else and launch your boat by craming your trailer beside the other guy so both of you can be launching at the same time! 5. While waiting for your other guests to arrive 20 minutes late be sure to back your boat down the ramp but dont launch the vessel yet. Leaving truck, boat, and trailer on the ramp while waiting for your other guests to arrive.( only do this when other people are there waiting to launch boats also.) 6. Make sure you do all of the above especially on a Saturday. (You get extra points if you do this on a Saturday)! 7. Always launch your boat with the attitude that your day launching your boat and retrieving it is way more important than anyone else that happens to be there wanting to launch or retrieve thier boats). 8. While out on the water be sure when you see another boat anchored with people fishing, to cruise over close enough to hand them a drink and anchor your boat there also. (You get extra points if you do this only on the same side of thier boat that has fishing lines in the water). 9. When spotting an achored boat with people fishing be sure you cruise over to that boat and make at minimum a complete circle around them at least 20mph to mark thier spot more accurately on your fish finder for your next fishing trip. 10. When navigating a waterway with your boat on plane about 30mph near another anchored boat that has people fishing while you are travelling to your next location make SURE to slow down just enough so your boat will fall off plane and bow up as high as it can go so as you make the largest lasting impression long after you are gone past. Nevermind staying fast enough to remain on plane making the smallest wake. 11. Doing all this I mentioned above and you will be percieved as a boating pro with alot of experience and no one will be the wiser. All this is of the most importance on a Saturday because I fish during the weekdays

Good video. Thanks for taking the time to make it! You provided a good baseline of how to do it so everyone can tweek the process to their own situation.

Thanks for your videos . I really liked your idea of rope from the truck bed . I’m going to do that

Really good my good friend always uses this technique well thought out and proper way to sail

👍This is terrific! My little 5 fr 2 in girlie girl self can totally do this by myself. Thank you! 💝

Nicely Done!

I do the same thing with a 24 foot pontoon. Nice video!

Great video. I do something similar and added self stick non slip to the trailer where I step off on to it so I don't fall in. A lesson learned the hard way.

No doubt rinsing your gear helps with corrosion but nothing beats Never-Seez on those lug nuts, it's the first thing I do with new trailers.

Great video, thanks!!!!

This was well demonstrated. Thank you for sharing

Excellent video, I learned what I can do with my long launch rope to tie the boat to the dock. ❤

Great tips for one man fishing!

Great tip!!!!!

Very useful mate thx 👍👍

Nice, thanks.

Did this since I was 8 with my dad. Good father son bonding launching boats.

Thanks Bro!

Great work!!! Awesome video!!!

something i started doing years ago with mudteuck and now with everything especially my boat trailers..coat the threads heavilyr with nickel or copper antiseize (copper is better). no more frozen lugnuts

Good info. thanks

Great video dude no extra yapping or bull crap music great work

I noticed something you do that you didn't mention, because I do it also. I always leave my door open to my truck, in case you need to get in the truck fast. Thanks for sharing. There's a lot of people that make this difficult.

Awesome. That’s exactly the way I’ve always launched my boat and I’m 70 years old. I didn’t know that fancy knot though. I’d use a triple half hitch.

Wow genius! Thank you for the video!

I’m looking into getting a boat by summer. This will be my first boat. Good video and information

thanks for taking the time to do the video. I learned this same procedure from an old-timer and it works great for me. I used to tie it off to the dock but the trailer works much better for me. I have had the rope break once but luckily I had my Ulterra ready to deploy and that worked fine also.

Great Advice

Thanks

The thing with boats falling of trailers is some people watched too many "how to launch your boat by yourself" videos that say it's okay to disconnect before backing down without mentioning that you should never ever do that if you have rollers in stead of bunks on your trailer.

Expert, simply beautiful

Many variations on how to solo launch, all with a basic principle of having a handling line attached to the bow to limit rearward travel. Depending upon trailer setup, you can use the winch post instead of tying off to your tow vehicle. The public ramps in Miami Dade are double lane ramps and require close control of your boat when launching. The distance your boat traveled during your video would have hit two boats over here if on a weekend. I use a 4' line with loops spliced into the ends, attached to the bow cleat and slipped over the winch post. Launch the boat very close to the dock with the trailer just deep enough to float the boat with guideposts holding it in position. Enter the boat from the dock, grab the staged dock lines, slip the loop off the winch post and move the boat to the farthest point on the dock. This allows others to launch while you are parking. I carry a garden sprayer with water to douse the hubs, axle, undercarriage / springs and lug nuts. Takes 30 seconds to hit all with clean water after launch. Helps keep the trailer from rusting in the lot while you're out enjoying a day on the water. Do the same for the drive home.

It's nice to have a dock to walk on parallel to the ramp. My favorite launch ramp doesn't have that so a different system is required, especially having a cuddy cabin boat.

Thank you man... Easy

Really good information . Great video 👍 thanks

lindo vídeo

great Job! Good video

About to launch a 14' sailboat off a ramp for the first time ever tomorrow, thanks to this I have a half a chance of not screwing it up... great concise, clear video, thanks.

well never mind my comment on the trailer back up tutorial... found the launching tutorial... good job.

Ok...now i need to start saving for the boat.

Good video and advice. Only thing is that most lakes in MI where I live, power loading is illegal. Yeah that sounds dumb but with the sandy bottom of the lakes here ramps get washed out and destroyed easily by power loaders. I wish I could do it but we are limited to pulling the boat on the trailer with rope

Great video...

I used 1 or 2 strong 3 feet bungy cords for a quick tie off to pier .Simple and quick esspecially with rough water..

Nice boat!!

For tying the rope to the truck, I have a large stainless tell snap ring that I just snap to the truck tiedown.

Nice job. Another tip: When launching, a good indicator that your boat is about to float, is when the trailer fenders are almost submerged. Also, when exiting the lake, sometimes I leave the boat in gear, low idle, to keep my boat from sliding back off the trailer, hook the nose to the trailer, then after latching the winch, shut the motor down. Perfectly safe as long as your motor isn’t hitting bottom.

Funny that the most rewatched part of this video is the knot tie on the truck cleat. I just did that and practiced with a rope and learned a helpful knot!

Thanks for this idea. You should learn the mooring hitch---you can tie it one handed and when you yank the tag end it clears the cleat without having to pass fully back through. You've got a slipknot on a bight or just the start of a daisy chain.

I launch alone most of the time with a 19'. Same way except tied to the trailer racket (looped around it) AND use a line on the dock side of the stern and tie it to the dock before launching. Prevents the boat from swinging sideways in a stiff wind.