hello everybody,
this is my second try posting a massage here,I dont know what happened to the first massage(its hard work when you are a one finger typist)
anyway I have been reading this site for a while now and must say that it is a great site,has a lot of useful info for sombody like me.
I have just bought my first fishing boat it is a Crestliner Fish Hawk1650sc with a 90hp Yamaha(9.9hp for a kicker)
I have been using small rental boats all my life so I am not tottaly new to boating(also have my boating licence) but lack experience in launching,trailering,maintanence of bigger boats.all my fishing buddies have lost interest in fishing due to work or family commitments and none own a boat.
So here is my problem,a brand new boat sitting in the drive way and nobody to go fishing with,can not go alone because of not enough experience in launching(dont want to look like an Idiot on the ramp)
my request to you guys is this:any of you who dont own a boat as of now,but is an experienced&responsible,safe boater OR you own or operate a boat but dont mind showing a new boater the rops is more then welcome to come and fish with me in my boat.I live in Scarborough(Toronto)and dont mind travelling a reasonable distance for day trips.I work 7am to 3pm,Mon to Fri (never weekends).
thank you all for reading.
new member
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Wall-I-Guy
- Diamond Participant
- Posts: 4930
- Joined: Tue Nov 18, 2003 2:06 am
- Location: Kanata,Ontario
Re: new member
Hey fisher, welcome aboardfisher wrote:So here is my problem,a brand new boat sitting in the drive way and nobody to go fishing with,can not go alone because of not enough experience in launching(dont want to look like an Idiot on the ramp)
I'm sure you'll learn quickly that we ALL have our moments of idiocy 
Live and learn Goodluck with the new boat!I too hope to be breaking in a new ride this season. Have to sell my 4 yr old boat first though. Once I get it out of storage that is!
I'm dreaming of that Legend 169 Exterminator
from the carp show....Hmmmm!
Last edited by Wall-I-Guy on Tue Apr 20, 2004 11:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Canadian Bacon
- Diamond Participant
- Posts: 4396
- Joined: Wed Aug 13, 2003 7:56 am
Some excellent fishing at the bluffs in July..Do you have down riggers? Ther are a few of us west of you that are fishing Port Dalhousie and the Niagara right now. Later in July I fish out of Bronte Harbour and Oakville.. So I am sure we can hook up and get out.-
Muskiemagnet
- Silver Participant
- Posts: 735
- Joined: Sun Apr 11, 2004 9:13 am
- Location: Constance Bay
And just when I have managed to get pretty good at backing up boats, someone comes along with a tip that will force me to learn it all over again.Muskiemagnet wrote:Fisher- One tip for backing up your boat trailer. Grip the steering wheel at the bottom when backing up, this way the trailer will move in the direction you turn the wheel. Try this it will help. Good Luck.
Thanks MM - I wish you had been there for me years ago...there would have been a few less trailers wedged into great tightnesses.
Welcome to the Club of Learning, fisher. Sorry I don't live a little closer to help you out.
Fishhawk
"gotta run like a madman bye thanks see ya good luck"
"gotta run like a madman bye thanks see ya good luck"
Launching tips:
1) practice backing up the trailer in a parking lot. An hour or two will make all the difference.
2) Prepare a launch/loading checklist; covering things like
check Boat/bilge Plug
Life jackets in
Transom straps / savers off
Fuel
batteries
Fishing and other gear in boat
etc
I always walk around the boat just before I dip the wheel and give it a look over. I once forgot to put the plug in, but because I do a walk around caught it.
Unhitching the boat from the trailer:
If you have a roller bunks then you cannot unhitch the winch strap until the boat is floating.
If you have carpet bunks then you could unhitch the boat before dipping the wheels, if you had someone holding the boat.
As I launch alone, and at a dock there are two ways of doing this,
1) do not unattach the winch strap. Let the boat float then pull up a bit grab the strap pull it over to the dock tie off
2) when there is no dock and you have to beach the boat. Before dipping the wheels. Unhook the winch strap, tie off the boat using the bow eye and a a long rope rope to the end of the trailer. The boat floats then drive out very slowly pulling the boat back in.
Before Launching:
Prepare everything away from the ramp. This way you can launch and park quickly. There is nothing worse than getting to a ramp and seeing some airhead park on the ramp and then prepare the boat (take off boat cover put gear in boat etc.) all the prep work should be done before backing onto the ramp. This allows others the use of the ramp until you are calm and ready.
The first few times I let others know that I was a novice. Not once did someone complain in fact most other boaters were very courteious and lent a hand
Before dipping the wheels if you have never launched at that site inspect it first. Look to see if it is shallow deep has a concrete bed etc.
You only need to back in until the boat floats. To load back in until the bunk are wetter then pull up until a little less than half are out of the water (this is dependant on the size of boat trailer and ramp angle).
Launching and loading by yourself while at first looks daunting it is very easy if you develop a system and stick with it. It actually becaomes harder to do when you go out with a buddy who wants to help. This is usually where things go wrong.
My advice is that when you are comfortable launching by yourself and thern you go out with a buddy, tell him/her you have a system and you will let them know what you need done and when. Then double check what thjey ahve done. As trite as it sounds you are the captain of the boat and therefore responsible for the saferty and security of the boat and passengers/crew.
Good luck and enjoy your ride.
1) practice backing up the trailer in a parking lot. An hour or two will make all the difference.
2) Prepare a launch/loading checklist; covering things like
check Boat/bilge Plug
Life jackets in
Transom straps / savers off
Fuel
batteries
Fishing and other gear in boat
etc
I always walk around the boat just before I dip the wheel and give it a look over. I once forgot to put the plug in, but because I do a walk around caught it.
Unhitching the boat from the trailer:
If you have a roller bunks then you cannot unhitch the winch strap until the boat is floating.
If you have carpet bunks then you could unhitch the boat before dipping the wheels, if you had someone holding the boat.
As I launch alone, and at a dock there are two ways of doing this,
1) do not unattach the winch strap. Let the boat float then pull up a bit grab the strap pull it over to the dock tie off
2) when there is no dock and you have to beach the boat. Before dipping the wheels. Unhook the winch strap, tie off the boat using the bow eye and a a long rope rope to the end of the trailer. The boat floats then drive out very slowly pulling the boat back in.
Before Launching:
Prepare everything away from the ramp. This way you can launch and park quickly. There is nothing worse than getting to a ramp and seeing some airhead park on the ramp and then prepare the boat (take off boat cover put gear in boat etc.) all the prep work should be done before backing onto the ramp. This allows others the use of the ramp until you are calm and ready.
The first few times I let others know that I was a novice. Not once did someone complain in fact most other boaters were very courteious and lent a hand
Before dipping the wheels if you have never launched at that site inspect it first. Look to see if it is shallow deep has a concrete bed etc.
You only need to back in until the boat floats. To load back in until the bunk are wetter then pull up until a little less than half are out of the water (this is dependant on the size of boat trailer and ramp angle).
Launching and loading by yourself while at first looks daunting it is very easy if you develop a system and stick with it. It actually becaomes harder to do when you go out with a buddy who wants to help. This is usually where things go wrong.
My advice is that when you are comfortable launching by yourself and thern you go out with a buddy, tell him/her you have a system and you will let them know what you need done and when. Then double check what thjey ahve done. As trite as it sounds you are the captain of the boat and therefore responsible for the saferty and security of the boat and passengers/crew.
Good luck and enjoy your ride.
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wolfe
- Diamond Participant
- Posts: 7588
- Joined: Sat Feb 14, 2004 11:04 am
- Location: Marietta, NY & Wolfe Lake, Ont.
Welcome, Fisher, and good luck to you with your new boat; sounds nice.
With regard to launching, I am lucky in that my hubby trailers the boat and puts in 99% of the time. I have had to (trailer &) launch on the oddball occasion and I think it's safe to say all beginners look like idiots at the first crack or two. I know I did. It took me what felt like an hour to get my boat down the launch on Wolfe -- what must have been 25 or more tries of forward / reverse to finally get it right. (I wish I had MM's tip about using the bottom of the steering wheel, too!) A gentleman came up to me after and said "Why didn't you just ask for help?!" and I replied, "It's a matter of pride!" Just had to do it myself!
Anyway, like anything new, it takes practice. I haven't had any further practice, so my next endeavor will probably still cause much laughter among observers. That's OK. It's worth it once you're out there, right?
W.
With regard to launching, I am lucky in that my hubby trailers the boat and puts in 99% of the time. I have had to (trailer &) launch on the oddball occasion and I think it's safe to say all beginners look like idiots at the first crack or two. I know I did. It took me what felt like an hour to get my boat down the launch on Wolfe -- what must have been 25 or more tries of forward / reverse to finally get it right. (I wish I had MM's tip about using the bottom of the steering wheel, too!) A gentleman came up to me after and said "Why didn't you just ask for help?!" and I replied, "It's a matter of pride!" Just had to do it myself!
Anyway, like anything new, it takes practice. I haven't had any further practice, so my next endeavor will probably still cause much laughter among observers. That's OK. It's worth it once you're out there, right?
W.
Thanks everyone,great response and very helpful bunch of people.I feel a lot more confident already.I am going to practice in an empty parking lot.
and then may go to bluffers on a week day to practice launching(KEEPING YOUR TIPS IN MIND)
Markus & Salmon,thanks for the offer,sure we can hook up one day in near future and go fishing,let me do a bit of wading in a few streems for the trout opener for a week or so and then its pickrel opener soon,oh man so much fish and so short a Life;
and then may go to bluffers on a week day to practice launching(KEEPING YOUR TIPS IN MIND)
Markus & Salmon,thanks for the offer,sure we can hook up one day in near future and go fishing,let me do a bit of wading in a few streems for the trout opener for a week or so and then its pickrel opener soon,oh man so much fish and so short a Life;
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Moosebunk
- Diamond Participant
- Posts: 3306
- Joined: Wed Mar 03, 2004 3:29 am
- Location: A Superfishery Near You.
Hey fisher, welcome.
Listen bestest buddy old pal. I know we haven't talked in awhile but, I'm only a 10 hour drive north of you followed by a 5 hour train ride and then a 10 minute boat ride. Hows about you bring that fine glistening water rocket fishin' machine my way. I'd love to take it for a test run and show the ya the local hotspots. By the way, how shallow is your shallow drive?
Listen bestest buddy old pal. I know we haven't talked in awhile but, I'm only a 10 hour drive north of you followed by a 5 hour train ride and then a 10 minute boat ride. Hows about you bring that fine glistening water rocket fishin' machine my way. I'd love to take it for a test run and show the ya the local hotspots. By the way, how shallow is your shallow drive?
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Wall-I-Guy
- Diamond Participant
- Posts: 4930
- Joined: Tue Nov 18, 2003 2:06 am
- Location: Kanata,Ontario
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wolfe
- Diamond Participant
- Posts: 7588
- Joined: Sat Feb 14, 2004 11:04 am
- Location: Marietta, NY & Wolfe Lake, Ont.
You know, WIG, after I wrote that I thought the same thing! I had just mentioned in the "Boo Boo on the Water" post that men never ask for help! (Oops! I guess we ladies can be guilty of the same behavior! 
)
In any case, as crappy as a launching job that it was, I felt pretty darned proud that I got the boat in the water by myself!
W.
) In any case, as crappy as a launching job that it was, I felt pretty darned proud that I got the boat in the water by myself!
W.