Launching your boat without a ramp

[jleger98]

I saw this post on a different forum and thought I would post it here and see what the "real" boat owners do.

Who has launched their boat without using a ramp (on purpose)? what are some of the things to watch out for? why or why not do it? Example would be launching on a private lake, or in my case, an old mine pit with no ramp.

[RID22]

I've found a bunch of issues with this. You need to be very careful with you vehicle. Your tires may not sink when you're slowly backing in, but when you torque them coming out it's easy to bury them. I also didn't like the amount of sediment that was in the water, which gets on the carpet where your boat rests. Especially if you are powering your boat onto the trailer. If you have a white hull it's less of a concern. I don't suggest doing it more than a couple times. Here's a pic of my old 24ve and Hummer doing a dirt launch. It was my last.

[Domsz06]

no way would I do it, unless you had a rock shore or something. I'd sink my rig and boat trying to do it in OK, or here, way too soft of shores.

[G-MONEY]

I do it all the time but it's a rocky shore line.

[jleger98]

where we're lookin, its pretty gravelly, but the water drops off to like 300 feet about 30 feet out from shore. Thats my main concern. It'd be a bitch to explain to my wife how the trailer and truck ended up 300 feet under water.

[G-MONEY]

where we're lookin, its pretty gravelly, but the water drops off to like 300 feet about 30 feet out from shore. Thats my main concern. It'd be a bitch to explain to my wife how the trailer and truck ended up 300 feet under water.

Only do it if you have a 4X4!!!!


but at 300ft under water 4 wheel drive wont help

[RID22]

Only do it if you have a 4X4!!!!


but at 300ft under water 4 wheel drive wont help

Oh ya! I had to put my Hummer in 4 low to get my boat out of the water. Don't gas it!!!!!

[dogbert]

where we're lookin, its pretty gravelly, but the water drops off to like 300 feet about 30 feet out from shore. Thats my main concern. It'd be a bitch to explain to my wife how the trailer and truck ended up 300 feet under water.

Just tell her it got stolen and you need new toys

[Timmy!]

Oh ya! I had to put my Hummer in 4 low to get my boat out of the water. Don't gas it!!!!!

Was that pic taken at Grayrocks for the Tige reunion last year?

[tigeblue]

Only do it if you have a 4X4!!!!


but at 300ft under water 4 wheel drive wont help

funny this thread is up, I did it yesterday for the first time. Only did it because Folsom is so low right now there is only one ramp open in the area I launch at. I had to hit the 4 wheel drive to get out of the sand.

I will not be doing that ever again. One guy was stuck to the left of me. He didn't have 4 wheel. I offered some help but he already had someone one the way with a chain to pull him out.

Don't do it!

[wakeboarder247]

launching your boat in the sand w/out 4 wheel drive is crazy. That was awfully nice of you to offer him help.. was it a BU owner?

[Domsz06]

i'd be afraid I would sink, even if it is rocky, but hey, if other people are doing it, I'd probably try.

[jleger98]

Just tell her it got stolen and you need new toys

hmmm, new truck, get to see one sink....Mr Insurance guy, here I come

[wannabewakeboarder]

If I saw other people doing it w/o tearing up their goods, I do it

[tigeblue]

yeah i would do it again in the same spot just cuz I know it was cool. with the 4 wheel engaged of course