Slight mishap at launch today...
 

So I was bored today, took a ride to the harbor to check launch ramp conditions, as Lake Michigan lake level is down a lot. Pulled up and saw this guy launching a 34 Sea Ray. Parked my truck and had to see how it would go for him. He was already backed in at that point, and was going over some stuff with the customer he was launching for. Boat actually got off the trailer ok. Then he attempted to pull the truck and trailer out. UH-OH! Stuck. Trailer axle on passenger side of trailer, completely off the ramp.

He asked since I had my dually, if I can give him a tug, as he was spinning all 4 tires. Hooked the strap up, and still nothing, both trucks just spun the tires. At that point, I said "this aint gonna work''.

I had suggested to him that if he had a floor jack, only thing I can see working is getting in that water, and jackin up the trailer. Considering the water is probably barely 40*, and he was a long way from home, he wasn't in the mood for that just yet.

I gave him the number to a wrecker outfit ive used in the past. They dispatched out, and he called his Girlfriend to bring him some waders.

Wrecker arrives first. Driver hooked the winch cable to his tow hooks, and tugged on it. Wouldn't budge, and I wasn't digging the creaking noise the truck/trailer was making!

After a while the GF showed up with some waders. He got into the water with the floor jack, jacked the trailer frame up, wrecker winched it and rolled right up.

Trailer fender sustained some damage, but after all that not bad. I actually knew the guy launching the boat, and the wrecker driver, who is also a boater. So he didn't beat him up to bad on the charges.

I stuck around until everything was done, as I felt for the guy. He was all by himself, and he's been hauling/workin on boats for a long time. It was just one of those things, and he was prob more concerned with making the customer happy then realizing what he was doin with the trailer. Glad it all worked out for him.

Rather than Monday morning quarterback the guy, I figured i'd help since I may be there someday in that spot! Moral of the story, be careful with the lake levels this season! FYI, several seasons ago, I used to launch a 40' here. And I'd be able to step off the concrete wall into my cockpit and back off trailer. Now you can see where the cockpit would be. Just to give a general idea of the lake level changes.

Wow not going to launch there. Was at Hammond last week I couldn't see the end of the ramp. Not sure if that s good or bad

Mark

Been there and seen that! When I was younger I worked at a marina next to the public boat ramp. Luckily the marina had a small barge and crane that they used for putting docks in... In one evening I think we picked 3 trailers.... That was one lesson I did not have to learn the hard way.........

that sucks . but what sucks more is the water level . that's shocking to see how low it really is . I thought I read once they were selling the lake water to overseas or something to that affect . it was the internet though

yes it is going to be a real chalange at most all the ramps around the Great Lakes this year, so I would like to think that we can all reach out and help one another when these situations do come up this season. good job Mild for sticking around to assist them!

I watched the same thing happen a few years ago but it was summer and had the whole ramp shut down . I called a friend of mine over in his bayliner cruiser and we dropped his anchor hooked the back crossmember and winched up the trailer for the guy . He tried to pay us for our help but we had a good time and were the hero's so that was payment enough .

Those ramp drop offs will bust trailers like nothing .

I've done it. Launching dads 30 scarab cc at sate park in Panama City. Just went back a smidge too far. I too ended up spinning all 4 wheels but I gave it a good pre loaded yank and got it to pop up. Only "damage" was the axle u bolt slid. Had to to loosen straighten and re tighten. Very frustrating when it happened.

Its funny you say that. When It first happened I kept thinking, man, how can we lift the back of that trailer up a bit??? I asked him if the guy he just launched (34 cruiser) had a windlass, and suggested dropping it and tryin to hook it to the rear of the trailer, and winch it back in. I didn't think it would take a whole lot of upwards force. But didn't seem like he wanted to ask his customer for that favor at that point just yet. Which I can understand. It was very windy today, and that coulda got interesting.

I was getting worried about his truck too. It was a shiny new F350 dually lariat. The rear wheels were well into the water. I don't know how deep the water is there after the ramp ends, but it has to be several feet deep at least. Had the truck gone in, only way it woulda came out is with divers and a crane.

We launched 3-4 times at Divrsey t the end of last season knowing the last axle or so was off the ramp. Guess that isn't going to happen this Spring!! Scary levels. I think you may see for the first time this year that its imperative to watch your depths everywhere while running near shore and outlying points.

This guy launches at all the marinas. He told me diversery is even worse than burnham (ramp in thread) right now. Earlier today he had launched a 38 at 31st and it went ok.

But yes, I agree. I'll bet many of the harbors depth and slip depths could be an issue!!

You would think with the water being that clear someone could have seen it. If someone was Out side of the truck. Man that water is clear.

That happened to me once I had to use the boat and some load straps to winch up the trailer, the had enough buoyancy to lift the trailer. What a pita though!

I had a similar thing happen to my buddy at Mich. City a couple of years ago, trailer was stuck in the sand, luckily someone happen to be there with a diesel dually to yank him out.

I usually launch out of Diversey and it seems every year it gets harder and harder

I think these marinas need to look at lengthening these launch ramps, which I know will probably never happen

Had I pulled up 5 minutes earlier, I probably woulda been there watchin that and yelled ''STOPPPPP"

How deep is it at the end of the ramp concrete dropoff?

Its actually a odd setup. Its concrete, then they added steel grate platforms to extend the ramp, which are supported by chains that are anchored to the concrete walls.

So in the pic of the trailer, what you're seeing is a steel grate. Once that ends, I have no idea. My guess is it drops off to maybe 6-10FT deep water there..? In the pic, the axles are probably hanging 10ft from the actual lake floor.

Same thing happened to me helping a friend launch his 43 Black Thunder in Ft Madision Ia. My friend called a small tug on the radio that was passing by and had him fish a line on the trailer and pull it up and out. Friend was/is connected to the right people... :thankyouthankyou:

TxHawk - that's how the fenders got crushed on that old manning as info.....:party-smiley-004:


:helmet::helmet::lolhit::helmet:

Your water is TNT clear if you just go far enough offshore.....:party-smiley-004:

We have tides to deal with down here and the more popular ramps have signs posted to mark the end of the ramp...very helpful!!

Wow though...launching a 34' Sundancer or Express Cruiser at a ramp???!!! What was he towing it with? Thats a lot of boat to be towing on the road!! I see them in the water all the time here and they have a 12' beam and weigh about 6~7 tons!!

I should correct that. I said sea ray, but I was generalizing. It was a cruiser of some sort. I didn't get the make or model. They all look the same to me. Coulda been a Four Winns, wellcraft, cruisers inc, etc. Tow rig was a new F350 diesel dually.

Understand...I was thinking "Damn...those dudes around there are seriously "Hard Core"LOL:lolhit:

just a thought... would it work if your ramp challanged to have 4 or 6 of the big round fenders, tie them to the back of the trailer... the boat would be heavy enough to back off, then the trailer would have some float/lift to help the wheels get over the hump... Getting out, stop at the end and power the boat on.

good question. Or maybe some kind of inflatable air bags that self inflate with a button. Though I'd prefer a couple blow up dolls tied to the back of my trailer, topless.

fixx
 

if it had outdrives then its a sport cruiser,,that trailer would not hold a sundancer(v drives)..sport cruisers are still a nice boat with a wrap around back seat..

+ 16. Topless blow up dolls ALWAYS help the situation. :evilb:

Mild Thunder, boaters like you, who take the time to help, really help make this sport so rewarding. You didn't just hang back and take video of someone's misfortune. Let's all "pay it forward" this summer.

I'm faced with the same problem where I launch. I plan on welding a 3 foot triangular skid in front of the wheel that exits below the tangent point of the wheel, so I can skid the trailer on to the front wheel.

Way to go, Joe! I'm sure that guy certainly appreciated the help. I'm letting Mr.Cig put his in the water at Hammond before I try mine! Lol.

I backed the trailer off the end of the ramp at Portage, IN a few years back...didn't know it. After the boat came off the trailer, I jumped in the truck and took off. There was a large crashing sound and a big jerk as I came out, but I thought I had just rolled over something on the ramp. Looked at the trailer when I parked...all the lights were hanging out of the back and the front axle support was torn on the driver's side. Fortunately, it held together for the trip home. We straightened the front axle and welded angular supports like what CNC described to address any future problems.

that's what powering on to the trailer does to ramps, as well as pulling all the soil out from under it. ever see a ramp shift or cave in? a lot of marinas are putting baseball sized rock ,or broken concrete as fill at the end of the ramp. ever hear a rock go thru a prop as someone powers on to the ramp sound very expensive, ruins a good day at the lake cause your to lazy to use the winch. I like the idea of trianges in front of front axles

That's a good idea on the skid plates guys.

Maybe I should trade in the one ton dually for something like this. :eekdrop:

I HAD to power on to my trailer with the Fountain. No choice. Otherwise it wouldn't go all the way up into the bow stop cradle. Not a matter of laziness. Usually it was a 5 second burst at most. I got yelled at a bunch of times, but there was nothing I could do.

No doubt , some people dont get it thats what I have to do

Try not to make that same mistake with the red tiger Mike :lolhit:

That's the plan Brian! :)

I've had an issue like this once with the DCB trailer. I bent the stainless fender into the wheel. Was biatch bending it back.

If I ever get another trailer for any boat, i'm going to have them end the front fender with the bottom of trailer frame.
If I back off the edge again, that will allow me to drag it forward til the front trailer tire hits and then it should be able to "roll" up on that without any damage.

I take it because the ramps were too short? If they aren't why wouldn't you just set the trailer deeper in the water? No insult meant just a honest question.

I've heard, yet not seen it done...

...That you can tie a line to the center of the aft end of the trailer, and then tie the other end off tight to the bow eye of the boat. Have someone in the boat put the boat in reverse to provide lift to the back end of the trailer while the driver of the truck pulls the trailer out in 4X4 Low Gear.

Granted, sounds like a nice way to pull the entire truck and trailer in the water though as well.

That is excatly what i was thinking when i saw the pic...pretty water

I have also been told that they did this and it worked. We also used the windless on a 580 Sea Ray to just lift the back end of the trailer. This method worked real good. Big boat with bow and stern thrusters and a strong windless in a protected cove. The big cat trailer that was stuck now has skids and can just be pulled out now. The skids are a really good thing to have if you have to worry about going off the end of a ramp.

This is one of those situations that a hydrolic trailer really comes in handy. When they delivered my cruiser they backed it in, lowered the front/tongue of the trailer and off she went. No need to back in so far.