Dry Land onto a Trailer

[Simon B]

Although this hasnt happened to me yet to I have seen a couple of boats fall off a trailer and end up high and dry on the slip.

My question is how would you go about getting your Rib back onto its trailer with fairly limited tools i.e. no crane. Brute force and lots of people were used when last witnessed however there are times when that many people arent available.

[Tim M]

I frequently take my boats off their trailers and then back on so I can use the trailer for other things. Getting it on is easy (I can get Neptune back onto her trailer single handed) - just hook the winch on and wind it in. It's easier with a roller or a break-back trailer. You might have to put some wooden blocks at the sides near the stern to make sure she comes back on level. Failing that a person either side would work.

If it's a particularly heavy boat and winching isnt possible you could try using a heavy duty rachet strap as a winch (I use a 2 ton one to get the boat off the trailer).

[Jono]

On the flat is a whole different ball game to on a slipway. On the flat you are effectively winching the trailer under the boat. I.e. the stern of the boat stays pretty much where it is and the trailer reverses under it as you winch the bow up and on. On a slip you’d be trying to drag the boat along, up the slip whilst keeping the trailer stationary unless you have someone easing the trailer/towing vehicle down the slipway very carefully.

Add a nice chain/rope strop that clips the bow eye to the trailer to save placing all your faith in the winch catch...

[Simon B]

Jono,

Thats exactly the problem I was wondering about, with a heavy outboard you'd risk trashing the planing pad (if not already damged) by dragging it back up again until it lifted onto rollers and cleared ground. Also there's the question of its entire dry weight resting on the rear set of rollers. Is there any advantage if the stern is jacked up on chocks or something simple and clever?

[Cypman]

The easiest way to protect the stern is to jack it up and place a car tyre under the keel. Much easier than chocks and usually more effective.

[Simon B]

Now we're getting there how do we jack it up?

[Matt]

With a Jack.

[Nos4r2]

well... I did it once on a hardboat by wedging a Redcrest under it and pumping it up

[MikeCC]

Originally Posted by Simon B

Now we're getting there how do we jack it up?

If you can't safely use the one from the car, then you'd probably have to find a lever of some sort to inch up the bottom and progressively chock it up to the height you want.

Originally Posted by Nos4r2

well... I did it once on a hardboat by wedging a Redcrest under it and pumping it up

. . . or this approach.
Not much different from the lifting bags that rescue services use!

Or if there's some round stuff handy, you could use that as rollers.

[wavecrosschris]

hang on, assuming the boat has already crashed off the trailer onto the slipway - doing horrible horrible damage anyway, but is still on the slip - why not try and move it back down the slipway (assuming you have some help from the crowd gathered nearby, who by now have removed their hands from over their eyes) to the point where the tide will re-float it? (and then start again?) (probably in the dark). I would have thought this would be possible up to a 6m rib?!