Launching Your Boat

You decided to buy a boat. You paid for a ball hitch to be put on the back of your truck, and you figured out how to hook up the trailer onto the back of your truck. You learned how to drive your truck with a trailer on it, and even figured out how to back up in a straight line. This one feat alone should be something to be congratulated on. Now that you are a boat owner, all you have to is to figure out how to put your boat in the water.

The first thing you do is find a boat ramp. Back your truck up to the boat ramp. Slowly back your car down the boat ramp until your trailer is half way in the water. Depending on the trailer, you may have the ability to submerge the entire trailer. Place your truck in park and put on the emergency brake. If the ramp is covered with moss, algae, or seaweed plus water; your car might slip. If your car begins to slip, stop trying to get the boat in the water. You are going 2 need another person to carry out this maneuver. One person to make sure that the truck doesn't slide into the drink, and another to deal with the boat. However, if your truck does not slip, you're golden.

Once you have put your truck in park and put on the brake, get out of the car and walk back to your boat. The boat is already in the water with the trailer. Remove the straps that connect it to the trailer. Either maneuver or pilot your boat 2 the side of the dock and rope it to the cleat. Jump out of the boat and get back into your car. Pull your car off the boat ramp and park it in one of the approved trailer parking spots. Jump into your boat and slowly idle your way out of the way of the rest of the boats, and continue on for a great day of boating. Congratulations, you've successfully launched your boat.