For this scenario picture trying to get your boat into a mooring (parking) place that has just about enough room for your boat. Unlike what you learned in auto driving school for parallel parking, you do NOT pull alongside the forward boat and back in. Remember the Seinfeld episode where George was backing in and another chap was pulling in? They had a standoff for the whole show…blocking traffic, etc.  Well, in docking a boat, George loses.

Assuming you are landing port side to the dock, pull the bow in and use a spring line from forward on the boat to a cleat or piling aft of that point. Then the helm should be put hard right and given power. That will swing the stern into the dock. That is the art of springing your boat into the dock because you are using a spring line.

To spring off the dock, use the same spring line from the forward on the boat (bow) to a cleat or piling aft. Now turn the helm hard left and apply power. Once the stern kicks out, release the spring line and back out.

(Note on the spring line: Assuming there is no one on the dock to help, use a “clean” spring line. That means there can be no knots, loops or anything that will catch on a cleat, dock or whatever. The spring line goes from the boat, around the cleat and back to the boat. Once the boat is sprung off the dock, release the bitter end and pull the clean line through the block and back to the boat.) You are then clear to move about the country.

The following excellent and informative Boat Trailering Safety Tips are provided courtesy of MetLife and we highly recommend them to all our readers and customers.

Choose the proper trailer for your boat. More damage can be done to a boat by the stresses of road travel than by normal operation. A boat hull is designed to be supported evenly by water. When transported on a trailer, your boat should be supported structurally as evenly across the hull as possible. This will allow for even distribution of the weight of the hull, engine and equipment. It should be long enough to support the whole length of the hull but short enough to allow the lower unit of the boats engine to extend freely.

• Rollers and bolsters must be kept in good condition to prevent scratching and gouging of the hull.
• Tie-downs and lower unit supports must be adjusted properly to prevent the boat from bouncing on the trailer. The bow eye on the boat should be secured with either a rope, chain or turnbuckle in addition to the winch cable. Additional straps may be required across the beam of the boat.
• The capacity of the trailer should be greater than the combined weight of the boat, motor, and equipment. The tow vehicle must be capable of handling the weight of the trailer, boat, equipment, as well as the weight of the passengers and equipment which will be carried inside. This may require that the tow vehicle may need to be specially equipped with a(n):
  • Engine of adequate power.
  • Transmission designed for towing.
  • Larger cooling systems for the engine and transmission.
  • Heavy duty brakes.
  • Load bearing hitch attached to the frame, not the bumper. (Check your vehicle owner’s manual for specific information.)

Check Before You Go Out On The Highway

• The tow ball and coupler are the same size and bolts with washers are tightly secured. (The vibration of road travel can loosen them.)
• The coupler is completely over the ball and the latching mechanism is locked.
• The trailer is loaded evenly from front to rear as well as side to side.

Too much weight on the hitch will cause the rear wheels of the tow vehicle to drag and may make steering more difficult.

Too much weight on the rear of the trailer will cause the trailer to “fishtail” and may reduce traction or even lift the rear wheels of the tow vehicle off the ground.

• The safety chains are attached crisscrossing under the coupler to the frame of the tow vehicle. If the ball were to break, the trailer would follow in a straight line and prevent the coupler from dragging on the road.

• The lights on the trailer function properly.
• Check the brakes. On a level parking area roll forward and apply the brakes several times at increasing speeds to determine a safe stopping distance.
• The side view mirrors are large enough to provide an unobstructed rear view on both sides of the vehicle.
• Check tires (including spare) and wheel bearings. Improper inflation may cause difficulty in steering. When trailer wheels are immersed in water (especially salt water), the bearings should be inspected and greased after each use.
• Make certain water from rain or cleaning has been removed from the boat. Water weighs approximately eight pounds per gallon and can add weight that will shift with the movement of the trailer.

Pre-Launching Preparations

For the courtesy of others and to prevent rushing, prepare your boat for launching away from the ramp.

• Check the boat to ensure no damage was caused by the trip.
• Raise the lower unit (remove supports) to proper height for launching so it will not hit bottom.
• Remove tie-downs and make sure the winch is properly attached to the bow eye and locked in position.
• Put the drain plug in securely.
• Disconnect the trailer lights to prevent shorting of electrical system or burning out a bulb.
• Attach a line to the bow and the stern of the boat so the boat cannot drift away after launching and it can be easily maneuvered to docking area.
• Visually inspect the launch ramp for hazards such as a steep drop off, slippery area and sharp objects.

When everything has been double checked, proceed slowly to the ramp remembering that your boat is just resting on the trailer and attached only at the bow. The ideal situation is to have one person in the boat and one observer at the water’s edge to help guide the driver of the tow vehicle.

Launching

• Keep the rear wheels of the tow vehicle out of the water. This will generally keep the exhaust pipes out of the water. If the exhaust pipes become immersed in the water, the engine may stall.
• Set the parking brake and place tire chocks behind rear wheels.
• Make sure someone else on shore is holding the lines attached to the boat.
• Lower the motor and prepare to start the engine (after running blowers and checking for fuel leaks).
• Start the boat motor and make sure water is passing through the engine cooling system.
• Release the winch and disconnect the winch line from the bow when the boat operator is ready.

At this point, the boat should be able to be launched with a light shove or by backing off the trailer under power. Finish loading your boat at a sufficient distance from the ramp so others may use it.

Retrieval

The steps for removing your boat from the water are basically the reverse of those taken to launch it. However, keep in mind certain conditions may exist during retrieval that did not exist during launching. As you approach the takeout ramp, take special care to note such factors as:

• Change in wind direction and/or velocity.
• Change in current and/or tide.
• Increase in boating traffic.
• Visibility, etc.

First, unload the boat at dock or mooring if possible. Next, maneuver the boat carefully to the submerged trailer and raise the lower unit of the engine. Then, winch the boat onto the trailer and secure it. Finally, drive the trailer with boat aboard carefully out of the ramp to a designated parking area for cleanup, reloading, and an equipment safety check. Practice will make launch and retrieval a simple procedure. The best advice is to retrieve your boat cautiously with safety as your main concern.

Storage

Since your boat may be sitting on its trailer for quite some time before it is used again, it is important to store it properly. To avoid damage from sun and weather, cover the boat with a tarp. To remove weight from the wheels, put cinderblocks or wood beams under the tongue and all four corners of the trailer frame.

To ascertain the line you are using on your boat serves you well, you must take good care of it.

Keep Rope Clean

Dirt, sand, oil and acids will destroy line on your boat, whether it is natural or synthetic rope. To wash your rope, put it in a mesh bag or pillow case (to keep the rope from knotting and fouling up the washing machine), use a mild cleansing product and toss it in the washer.

Don’t Let it Kink

When you first take rope off the spool it must come off with a direct unwind pull. Taking the rope off the spool over the end will give you endless kinks and will be a nightmare to remove. Three strand rope needs to be coiled with the lay.

Keep Ends Clean

The end of a line should be neat. If there are any frays, they will continue to grow and ruin more and more of the rope. Ends should be whipped (using whipping line), back spliced, dipped (there are dipping products on the market wherein you simply dip the end and it seals the rope), or burned (an excellent way to seal off modern line — heat the end of the rope until it melts and seals itself).

Don’t Let Rope Chafe or Abrade

You never want the same area of a rope rubbing somewhere over and over. It will fail sooner. Chafe guards are good for moored or docked boats. You can use leather chafe guards, or if the line is small enough you can split and use an old garden hose.

How to Launch a Boat

by Jake Gourd

Many people new to boating are anxious about controlling their expensive investment; with practice launching your boat will soon be a straightforward task. The first thing any neophyte captain should do is hook their boat trailer up and head to a quiet car park and get some practice. Arriving at a boat ramp and attempting to launch your boat before you know how to reverse a trailer isn’t recommended.

Basics of reversing with a trailer

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.

At the launching ramp

The first important rule when launching is being prepared before you position on the launching ramp. That means ensuring that all your equipment safely stored, the boat drain plug in, the boat key in the ignition, any fastening straps off, the trailer lights disconnected and a safety rope connected to the bow of the boat.

Keep both the winch strap and safety chain on the trailer connected until you reach the water. It only takes second to disconnect them before you launch.

Slowly reverse the boat down the ramp and stop just before the stern of the boat hangs over the water. Disconnect the winch strap and remove any pins or other devices used to prevent any outboard motor from tipping down. When the boat is disconnected from the trailer back the boat down until the wheels of the trailer are submerged in the water

When the boat is ready to float off, have a boating buddy take the bowline or tie the line securely to your vehicle or winch handle.

Once the boat is away from the trailer, either beach the boat or tie it off to the dock with the bowline. An experienced boatman will have someone start the engine and move the boat away from the dock until the driver has parked the vehicle and is ready to board.

You should attempt to launch as quickly and as smoothly as possible to show courtesy to other boaters.

When putting your boat back onto the trailer the same rules apply, but there are a few other hazards that you should be aware of, particularly if you’re tired or feeling rushed.

When you tie up your boat at the dock, put your vehicle keys in your pocket, retrieve your vehicle and claim a space in line at the ramp to remove your boat from the water.

It is important that before you tow your boat out of the water ensure that the engine has been tilted up to avoid damaging it on the ramp.

Many common problems when launching can be avoided by ensuring everything on your boat is in working order before you set off from home!

Written for Bob Spalding by Jake Gourd. Online retailers of Campion boats and other marine, leisure and extreme sport gear based in the UK.

Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Jake_Gourd.

Whether you haul out for the winter or are lucky enough to live in a climate with year-round access to water, spring is the ideal time for tuning, toning, tightening and brightening to assure trouble-free boating in the peak season soon upon us. Here is a check-list Brielle Marine Basin recommends you use as a guide to get your boat ready for the season.

General Boat Items:

• Fiberglass and gel coat repairs
• Wash and polish
• Bottom paint
• Zincs
• Loose screws (esp. rails)
• Bright work
• Electrical circuits, bulbs
• Fuel tanks filled
• Life saving equipment
• Canvas tops, curtains
• Fenders and dock lines
• Mooring
• Registration #s and current sticker
• Outer drain plug
• Inner drain plug
• Owner’s manual
• Keys

Engine Items – Outboards, Inboards, and I/Os

Here are some other things you should check in your engine, unless they were part of your list when winterizing:

• Tune up or overhaul
• Oil
• Transmission
• Test run
• Compression, spark
• Carburetor (signs of varnish?)
• Clean battery case/ terminals/cable ends
• Add distilled battery water; apply corrosion inhibitor terminals
• Battery clamp or strap
• Flange nuts, not wing nuts, on cables
• Change spark plugs
• Thermostats
• Pressure relief valve
• Secondary fuel filter
• Replace water separator
• Clean/lube starter
• Oil tanks (water, dirt, filters)
• Bleed oil injection system
• Lube (dirt or water)
• Water pump
• Seals on prop shaft and under pump
• Prop: repair/balance as needed
• Top off gear lube, check washers
• Shift shaft
• Paint

Mechanical Items

• Dash gauges
• Fuel gauges
• Blower
• Water pump
• Controls
• Steering
• Bilge pump (auto and manual)
• Power tilt
• Hoses/clamps
• All belts
• All thru hulls
• Battery installed charged
• Lights
• Horn
• Wipers
• Compass
• Fire extinguisher installed charged
• Radio
• Fathometer