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This is a video by FMH demonstrating a dry retrieve of his skiff, using an electric winch with a manual extension cable. Neither his feet nor his trailer hubs come close to getting wet.
Dry Launch/Retrieve of Skiff: video 1
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This is a video by FMH demonstrating a dry retrieve of his skiff, using an electric winch with a manual extension cable. Neither his feet nor his trailer hubs come close to getting wet.
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I dream of recovering my boat without getting the axles wet. I’m not sure my Gheenoe’s ring is strong enough to handle the pull.
Dry launch certainly has its value, but that particular example seems like it would be exceptionally hard on your keel over time. Maybe it would be better on the glass if the angler could vacate the bow prior to winching on. Hells Bay advocates against this method of launch. Of course it is situationally dependent, and always up to the owner of the boat.
This is what my trailer setup looks like. now....
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3,191 Posts
How much weight is in your boat?
I've winched up a classic and a 13er many times, no issues. Boats had full cooler, fishing and safety crap, 6gal tank, a 6hp and 9hp at different times. You should be fine, just make sure the bow gets started up on the rear roller to prevent point loading the keel/ring. Neither one of my trailers had a rear roller that did much of anything, it would hit the bunks first.
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Grease your bunks too with liquid rollers or Slydes spray and it makes dry launching and loading easier.
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Silicone tent spray works really well too. Don't unhook the boat until you're backed in.
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I almost learned that the hard way. Fortunately we were pulling the boat out and when I let go of the boat to grab the winch strap, the boat slid right down the trailer and back into the water.
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Yep, that stuff is slicker than greased owl $h1t
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That’s what I’m stressin’
I don’t see many guides bothering with dry launching and they are probably putting in and taking out boats much more often than we are. I also find it very interesting that HB recommends against it. I would venture a guess that just having a trailer sit in a salty coastal environment does more damage than getting the hubs in water if hubs are rinsed after.
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·There is a lot of stress on the keel at the roll over point where it meets the roller. The hull skins are thin on a cored hull and it “might” not be too good for them.
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Not just that, even though it took forever. That is never going to happen where you have any sort of current.
You could hand crank faster than that electric winch and not piss anyone off waiting on you at the ramp.
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The aluminum trailer under my Maverick is 20 years old and looks like new after thousands of wet launch and retrieves. Keep the stainless fasteners sprayed with CorrosionX Green or some other corrosion inhibitors, spray the axle and hubs and pressure wash it after every trip and it will last forever. Guys that wet launch and never rinse or lube anything are the ones with trailers that are a year old that are falling apart. Don’t wait until the next day, wash it before you get home or when you get home...just my thoughts.
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I think having a dry launch capable trailer is for the times when dry launching is the only way you can launch and not every time you launch your skiff. People use dry launching every time they launch to preserve the trailer while putting unnecessary stress on the hull.
Thank you Nancy for posting that video.
I am often asked at the ramp about how the process is done so I decided to video and post it. The video you see is of my 06 Waterman and I've been doing it that way for 3 years with no hull issues. I have a 2007 Marquesa that is set up the same way with no hull issues in 12 years of launching. Going back to the 70's this was a very common set up on flats skiff (Hewes and Maverick mostly) trailers. I just replaced the hubs on the Marquesa and that was because I felt after 12 years it was a good idea. Both trailers look virtually like new and I can't help but think not submerging them has attributed to that. Getting that back roller submerged no doubt would take some of that stress off the bow stem but it hasn't been an issue for me yet.
I am often asked at the ramp about how the process is done so I decided to video and post it. The video you see is of my 06 Waterman and I've been doing it that way for 3 years with no hull issues. I have a 2007 Marquesa that is set up the same way with no hull issues in 12 years of launching. Going back to the 70's this was a very common set up on flats skiff (Hewes and Maverick mostly) trailers. I just replaced the hubs on the Marquesa and that was because I felt after 12 years it was a good idea. Both trailers look virtually like new and I can't help but think not submerging them has attributed to that. Getting that back roller submerged no doubt would take some of that stress off the bow stem but it hasn't been an issue for me yet.
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That is a very interesting alternative. We find that submerging the rear roller generally brings the water just below the hubs, on most ramps. What I can not recall is how much of the walkboard is submerged when we do that, but I think that we could still use the electric winch and a remote pull cord like FMH, both of which really make the process extraordinarily user-friendly and dry.
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