www.iFourWinns.com

Don't let this happen to you...

It was a nice evening the other night and I had a friend in town that I hadn't seen in a long time so we decided to launch the boat and take a little spin.

I decided to go to a ramp I had never been to before just to check it out. The ramp and dock looked ok. Nothing great, but good enough.

I got the boat ready and checked and rechecked my normal items. I backed the boat into the water and realized that to float the boat at this ramp I would have to back in a bit more than normal, such that the boat would be a ways out past the end of the dock. No big deal. Once I backed in I brought my dock lines over to the dock and made one turn around a post at the bow and stern and handed the loose ends to my friend who was standing on the dock. I hopped in the boat and started it then went to the bow and realeased the boat from the trailer. All of this is normal procedure so far.

Now with the boat floating I had to push it back a ways so that the trailer wouldn't catch the bow of the boat as I pulled it out. To push it back I got quite a bit of slack in the dock lines and just pushed it back and told my friend to hold it there while I pulled out.

Well, I followed my normal procedure and slowly pulled out as I watched the water line to make sure the trailer didn't catch the hull of the boat. What I didn't notice is that the slack in the bow line was such that the rope drooped down and as the side guide at the rear of the trailer came up and out of the water it caught the rope.

I had just turned my head and started to proceed out of the water when I felt a little tug/resistance and added just a touch of throttle. Pretty much as soon as I did that I knew something was wrong. I turned back, heard a yell and then saw the boat bounce up onto the concrete ramp. I had already back off the throttle and was applying the brake, but it was too late.

So, I didn't forget the plug, the boat didn't slide of the trailer, I didn't forget to remove the tie downs. This is the first time I have heard/seen this particular issue.

The keel is pretty gouged up (about 24" long) and the skeg has a slight little gouge also. The boat was mostly still floating when I stopped, so I was able to lift/push it back into the water pretty easily. The rear guide on the trailer is now about 30 degrees off vertical.

My friend got a little rope burn on his hand.

stuff happens.

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Current Operational Boats:
'04-Four Winns 180 Freedom 150 HP Evinrude
'72-Chris Craft Commander 31 Sedan Twin-350Qs

Here are a couple of pics of the damage, click for a larger version.

Hull/Keel:



Trailer Side Guide...the support is supposed to be straight vertical:

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Current Operational Boats:
'04-Four Winns 180 Freedom 150 HP Evinrude
'72-Chris Craft Commander 31 Sedan Twin-350Qs

Holy Cow! The Rt side guide on my trailer looks EXACTLY like that. I did it creating a "lambo door" out of a Dodge pickup though.

That stinks man, could always be worse I suppose..

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H210SS 6.2
F150 Platinum

Wow! I can see how easy that could happen. At least your friend wasn't hurt bad.

Did you end up going for the ride?

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2010 H190 4.3VP
Tow Vehicle:
2007 F150
Previous boats:
2009 H180 3.0VP
1996 Horizon QX 3.0VP

If you have boat insurance it should be covered.

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2003 268 Four Winns Vista
F-350 King Ranch Diesel (Tow)
1990 Four Winns Fredom 180

That's unfortunate. Sorry for you!

Certainly try your insurance.

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Gordon Arnold
New Hampshire

2003 268 Vista ..................................................................Prior: 97 245 Sundowner

Not too bad - glad your bud only suffered some roap burn, since that could have been ugly. I also say get with the insurance company - while not real bad it does need to be repaired obviously. Those guides are useless in my opinion...don't do much guiding unless you are trying to trailer it sideways anyway....only advantage to them is they are a pretty good step.

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http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o71 ... wqm355.jpg


08' H210SS
VP 5.7Gi

I'm bringing the boat in to get an estimate from a local fiberglass repair shop tomorrow. Depending on the cost and how it compares to my deductible I will certainly be considering making an insurance claim.

I strongly considered just cutting the side guide(s) off the trailer. Instead I just bent it back. Unfortunately, the base plate is now a bit more deformed.

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Current Operational Boats:
'04-Four Winns 180 Freedom 150 HP Evinrude
'72-Chris Craft Commander 31 Sedan Twin-350Qs

Out of curiosity, what lake/ramp were you at when this happened?

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http://youtu.be/-4ckF7u1iNk
2003 PowerQuest 260 Legend SX
2014 Lund WC 14

2007 H210 Volvo 5.7 Gi/SX (sold in 2012)
2007 H180 Volvo 3.0 (sold in 2009)

This was at the Union Street ramp in the City of Douglas. This is the ramp right next to the large ship/musuem that sits on the south end of the Kalamazoo Lake....Saugatuck.

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Current Operational Boats:
'04-Four Winns 180 Freedom 150 HP Evinrude
'72-Chris Craft Commander 31 Sedan Twin-350Qs

Me myself I dont understand your use of lines to launch the boat anyway, I am confused as to your whole procedure, why didnt you unhook the boat back out 30 40 feet pull the tow veicle away, have them park it, and come back to the dock and pick up your friend, your ay seems like a recipe for disaster and you got it.


Mike

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Mike
2007 Horizon 200 SS
5.0 GXi SX drive.

Recipe for disaster my ass. If you don't understand, don't assume I'm an idiot.

This method of launching is pretty typical and is really they way I always launch. The only difference in this case was that the length of the ramp and the length of the dock required that I had to push the boat back out past the end of the dock. This required that I have some slack in the lines. The boat was floating and was clear of the trailer. The bow line just happened to be drooping down just a little bit too low and was totally by coincidence the trailer guide caught it while I pulled out the trailer.

Assume I was launching solo. This friend isn't someone I would want to teach how to pull the truck out in one evening. He has never been around boats and he never pulls trailers. Honestly, trying to communicate the nuances of pulling a truck/trailer out of the water at a boat ramp could have ended with my truck in the water. Or he may have just gunned it and pulled the boat right up on dry land. I woudl have ust the ropes bsically the same way.

Thanks for the empathy.

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Current Operational Boats:
'04-Four Winns 180 Freedom 150 HP Evinrude
'72-Chris Craft Commander 31 Sedan Twin-350Qs

And they will eventually bend if you continue to use them as a step.

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Current Boat:
2004 Sea Ray 320 Sundancer "Nauti Luvin'"

Previous Boats:
1999 298 Vista "Seas The Day"
2008 H200SS "Nauti Luv"
2006 Tahoe Q4

Repair estimate in hand:

3/4 of B.O.A.T

I'll be calling the insurance company in the morning.

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Current Operational Boats:
'04-Four Winns 180 Freedom 150 HP Evinrude
'72-Chris Craft Commander 31 Sedan Twin-350Qs

Sorry to hear about your incident. Glad to haer nobody (or boat) got seriously hurt.
Do you really think that $750 is worth making a claim for? What will be the ramifications to your premium over the next couple of years? i bet if you ask your agent they will say "minimal" until you get your renewal next year... Atleast that is how it would be in Canada. My house and car insurance went up $40 per month (never made a claim) this year "just because"

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Marc, Kathlin & Nathalie


'89 Chaparral Laser 32

'93 Vista 245, 5.8L w/ King Cobra

Former Boats
'01 H260, 7.4 VP Duoprop
'98 H200, 5.0 GL w/VP SX drive