How not to launch your boat

Boat launching can be a slightly stressful situation at times. Often you are faced with impatient anglers who feel that you holding them up is going to cost them a fish of a lifetime. If you have to share the ramp with other water users, such as jet skis, this situation can become even more stressful.

I am a proponent of making sure that you are ready to launch when you pull up to the ramp. I can't stand people who drive up to the top of the ramp and begin to get the boat ready - that is what the preparation area is for! I have seen many anglers load the boat up for longer than ten minutes while others wait behind them and it never ends well. Fortunately I am a patient person, but others aren't always this way.

Enough of the serious talk though. While trolling around youtube I came across this slightly disturbing video of a failed launch of a jet ski. It would have been nice to see more people come to the rescue, but I guess there isn't much that can be done - I hope that wasn't salt water!

Boating Knots: Zeppelin Bend

Have you ever been out on the water and needed a rope of a certain length of rope only to have 2 short lengths of rope in the boat. I know that I have been in this situation and have obviously needed to join the ropes to make the required distance. I am no rope knot expert, in fact I am known for tying fairly poor knots, but even I use this knot!

One of the best knots for this task is the Zeppelin Bend, which can be used to attach two lengths of rope with similar diameters. It is easy to tie and quick to learn - the following video shows the process of tying the Zeppelin Bend very well.

Boat Sinks - caught on video

Watching your boat sink must be up there with the worst things that can happen to an boater. In my many years of owning a boat I have only ever once been afraid that it was going to happen to me.

We had taken a couple of older friends out fishing in the usual calm weather we experience, but for some reason on this day the wind decided to spring up quickly from an unusual direction. We made it back to the ramp, but the waves were considerable and we quickly found ourselves washed onto the ramp with water coming over the back and no way to move the boat off the ramp. As I watched the water continue to flood the boat (it was actually so full that it was coming back out) I thought that this was the end of the boat! Fortunately a couple of young lads helped us out and managed to muscle the boat up the ramp where it was drained and put onto the trailer.

This video shows the sad end to a great boat. I haven't been able to find much info about what happened, but the whatever happened to the pink mullet it wasn't good! This is a very useful demonstration of the way smallish trailer boats sink and a must watch for anyone who wants to know.

Wii nunchuck controls fishing canoe

Reading one of my favorite tech blogs today (yes I am a geek) I came across a crazy video of a guy who has modified his kayak with two electric motors and given himself the ability to control it with a wii nunchuck. For those that don't know, a Wii is the latest video game console from Nintendo and the nunchuck is the little thing that fits in your hand with a control stick (think joystick) attached.

It is equipped with 2 golf cart batteries and can travel at 4 miles an hour top speed. It is almost a boat rather than a canoe and the maneuverability is absolutely amazing! This video is well worth a watch just to marvel at the engineering, but the trailer they have built for it is also very cool! The enginuity of some people is really quite amazing!

I hope you enjoy the video and if you have something you want to say about it please leave a comment!

How to attach a boat anchor (with video)

Surprisingly, even to me, I have written about attaching a boat anchor to the boat before. However, I get many requests each week for a post about this and it is about time I addressed this topic.

Attaching the anchor rope to the boat
The most important consideration when attaching your anchor to the boat is to make sure that you are using a secure and strong knot. I have heard countless stories of people attaching their anchor with a single overhand knot (or granny knot as we call them), or even worse not attaching it at all, and throwing it overboard. These stories usually end with someone diving after the anchor rope and finally in tears!

The anchor bend knot is my choice for attaching the anchor to the boat. It is a strong and very secure knot, but is surprisingly easy to tie. This knot can also be used for attaching the anchor rope to the anchor chain (or directly to the anchor in emergencies).

Instructional Video


I hope this little post was helpful.

How to reverse a trailer - launching a boat.

Firstly position your vehicle and trailer as straight as you can and roughly a trailer's length from the place you want to reverse. Keep your eyes on the trailer out of the driver's window while slowly reversing, and start turning the steering wheel towards the right. Grasp the wheel at the bottom and steer gently and progressively - it is fat easier to add more steering than to correct it after turning too much. Grasping the wheel at the bottom should prevent you from over-turning the wheel and if your steering wheel starts straight, you will know throughout the turn, without looking, that at the lowest point your wheels are straight again.

When the trailer starts to turn, start straightening up while still reversing. Leave straightening up too late and moving the wheel to quickly will cause the trailer to jack-knife.

Eventually you will be steering in the opposite direction whilst still reversing. Bring the vehicle's front around to follow the trailer and watch where the trailer is in case it needs to be corrected.

Continue reversing in a straight line looking in both mirrors. Reverse carefully and slowly. When you can see more of the trailer in one mirror, steer towards that side to start moving the trailer the other way. Corrections only require a small steering movement.

Moving forward to straighten the trailer is a simple option before continuing to reverse.

With practice you will be confident in your ability to back up several hundred feet without jack-knifing your trailer or rear-ending anything you are ready to launch your boat at a boat ramp. Try and select a quiet weekday morning for your first launch and have experienced help at hand...

This information is from the American boating association and I would recommend reading their complete article on boating

Boat Ramp Etiquette

I found this great little article during my web surfing this morning and thought I would share it with my readers. I recommend reading the whole fishing and boating article here.

A good day on the water can be spoiled by a lack of ‘boat ramp etiquette’. This refers to someone who has insufficient consideration or understanding for other ramp users, isn’t prepared and takes too long to either launch or retrieve a vessel.

LAUNCHING
Prepare your boat before approaching the ramp. This includes loading all gear, checking fuel, removing tie-downs, fitting bungs, turning on battery switch, finding the key, etc. There is nothing more frustrating for other boat ramp users than watching someone drive onto the apron of the ramp and begin doing all the above jobs whilst everyone waits.

When you boat is completely ready to launch, get in line and wait for your turn to use the ramp.

Always check a boat ramp before reversing down it. Check for length of ramp, drop-offs, etc.

Carefully back down the ramp and get the boat in the water quickly and calmly.

When launching use a long rope secured to the bow to control the boat and clear other boats and trailers. On larger boats an additional rope on the stern will assist in windy or wash conditions.

Have someone on board to immediately start the boat and/or move it way from the ramp so the next person can proceed. Park your car and return to your waiting boat that has been moved away from the ramp (the sand or nearby jetty) is a good option.

RETRIEVING
Extra care and patience are needed when returning to the ramp at the end of the day. Tempers can fray easily after a day of sun and excitement. Children will be tired. Alcohol can cause unhelpful behaviour so try to stay calm and be as prepared as you possibly can.

Organise your gear whilst underway back to the ramp, not once you get there.

Approach slowly in congested areas for the safety of yourself and others.

Queue on a sandy beach if possible or make sure you identify who is before and after you. Honest mistakes can occur but good communication prevents unnecessary aggravation and “pushing-in”.

Unload passengers and have someone get the car and trailer and wait in the car queue until it is your turn, whilst you stay with the boat.

When it is your turn, move quickly and carefully to get the boat out of the water.

After retrieval, immediately move well away from the ramp before unloading gear and preparing the boat and trailer for the trip home.

Check tyres, lights, tie-downs, wheel bearings and couplings before leaving home and on arrival and departure at the ramp, also at any stops on the way (check bearings by touching the hub with the back of the hand - if too hot to touch - the bearing has failed).

As a quick check on the bearings, jack the trailer and spin the wheel. Any noise or roughness indicates trouble.

Boating Terms and Definitions

If you are like me then, at some point, you have probably wondered what all those strange boating terms mean. When my old man told me to move to the starboard side of the boat for the first time (I was about 7 I think) I gave him a very strange look. When he explained what it meant I remember saying "why don't you just say right." That was the wrong thing to say!

If you are looking for a fantastic resource that will explain every boating term from ABAFT to YAWL then I recommend a visit to fintalk.com's boating terms and definitions.

Fishing Boat - Sealegs

I was sitting in my office a couple of days ago reading my fishing magazine that had just arrived when I stumbled upon a review of the strangest looking sea craft/boat I had ever seen! So I thought I just had to share it with all my readers.

Sealegs is a New Zealand product and is basically an Amphibious Boat ie. a boat that you can drive on land, into and out of the water. Once you are in the water the legs fold up and you are in a regular boat! Its crazy, strange and extremely cool all at the same time! It would be great for a beach front land owner or someone that likes to launch their boat away from the crowds (or possibly someone that likes to fishing on the highway??) Enough with me explaining it though - you really have to see the pictures and the video!

You really have to watch the video, even if you only watch the first minute!