When launching your boat...

External Since: May 10, 2008 Posts: 273

do you add extra lines to the bow ring and another to the stern ring, or do
you use the bow and stern dock lines on the boat?

One person launches like this:
*************************************************
"I use the knot to attach a stainless steel carabiner to the line. When I
launch or retrieve the boat, I attach one carabiner and line to the bow
ring and another carabiner and line to a stern ring. I tie the end of the
stern line to the dock and then push the boat off the trailer into the
water while holding the bow ring line, which I walk over to the dock. That
way, it makes it easy for me to tie the boat to the dock while I move and
park the truck and trailer.

For retrieval, I tie the boat to the dock, back the trailer down into the
water, and pull the boat onto the trailer by hand with the bow line.

I use carabiners because they snap on better and a bit more elegantly than
snaps."
************************************************

This is an elegant sounding method, but it leaves me wondering what happens
to the line attached to the bow ring. Removing that while kneeling on the
bow could get pretty *hairy*.

As I'm always open to good ideas, I thought I'd present this and see if
anyone has a better way.

External Since: May 04, 2007 Posts: 3021

John H. wrote:
> do you add extra lines to the bow ring and another to the stern ring, or do
> you use the bow and stern dock lines on the boat?
>
> One person launches like this:
> *************************************************
> "I use the knot to attach a stainless steel carabiner to the line. When I
> launch or retrieve the boat, I attach one carabiner and line to the bow
> ring and another carabiner and line to a stern ring. I tie the end of the
> stern line to the dock and then push the boat off the trailer into the
> water while holding the bow ring line, which I walk over to the dock. That
> way, it makes it easy for me to tie the boat to the dock while I move and
> park the truck and trailer.
>
> For retrieval, I tie the boat to the dock, back the trailer down into the
> water, and pull the boat onto the trailer by hand with the bow line.
>
> I use carabiners because they snap on better and a bit more elegantly than
> snaps."
> ************************************************
>
> This is an elegant sounding method, but it leaves me wondering what happens
> to the line attached to the bow ring. Removing that while kneeling on the
> bow could get pretty *hairy*.
>
> As I'm always open to good ideas, I thought I'd present this and see if
> anyone has a better way.
>
>

Jeeze.

I should have applied for a copyright. Or Chuck should, since this was
lifted from his boating message board.

I can't reach the bow carabiner while in the boat. Too far, even if I
plopped down on the front deck and tried to reach the bow ring. My boat
is very deep at the bow. So I bring the line up through a deck chock,
attach it snugly to the cleat, and bring the rest of the line into the
boat so it doesn't wrap itself on the prop. That way, it is there and
ready to be deployed when I return to the dock. It doesn't interfere
with the anchor, because I don't use the chocks on either side for
anchoring. Sometimes, I drop the line into the anchor storage bin on the
deck after wrapping it on the cleat.

This photo shows my deck hardware:

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b287/hank100/Parker2100CC/IMG_0434.jpg

You certainly don't want to just bring the bow line into the boat
without fastening the line onto something. My boat happens to have
proper deck hardware to handle lines, but if yours does not, you can
certainly find a place to bolt on a cleat.