Dangers of a Solo Boat Launch

We've all had a good laugh watching videos of the complete "fails" of folks at home or at work. Ring doorbell cameras capture most of these mishaps. Fortunately there is usually no videos being recorded of the accidents or near accidents at the boat ramp. But they happen, and they run rampant (no pun intended). The USCG reports that 95% of ramp falls, slips, crushed fingers and/or feet are never reported to a medical facility - but boy do they hurt! A boat ramp can look calm until one foot slips or trips, one tire slides, or one reach of the arm misses its mark, or you end up sopping wet. When launching solo every task falls to one person: backing down, unhooking, controlling the boat, parking the boat, parking the vehicle, and trying to respect other boaters by keeping the ramp clear and moving.

That mix can turn a simple morning launch into a real hazard. Slick concrete, wet trailer frames, impatient boaters, and moving water don't leave much room for mistakes.

In sweltering heat, Dwayne ensures he's safe when he deploys his boat using a Dakota Boat Retriever

Solo launching turns small problems into bigger ones

Yes, having two skilled people launch a boat is the optimal situation: one person in the vehicle launching, quickly clearing the ramp, and the other person navigating the boat until the first person returns. Simple, right? Right. But, when you're alone - or effectively alone when your boating buddy isn't skilled with vessel or vehicle - then all these processes fall on one person - you. Alone, these same ramp responsibilities happen in a more awkward order.

That is where the Dangers of solo boat launching usually begin. It is not always one dramatic mistake. More often, it is a chain of small issues:

• A transom strap gets missed.

• The boat starts floating before the line is secure.

• The tow vehicle blocks the ramp longer than expected.

• The secured boat blocks the ramp longer than expected.

• A foot slips while stepping to, from, or on the trailer.

• The boat swings sideways in wind or current.

  
  

Each problem adds stress. Stress leads to rushing. Rushing leads to mistakes and mishaps.

Boat ramps are mostly public spaces. Other people are waiting, engines are running, and patience for others is in small supply. That pressure can make a solo boater hurry through a checklist that should be slow and deliberate.

Let's Start Where We'll Finish

Boat ramps are often wet even on dry days. Tires track water up the concrete. Waves wash over the lower ramp. Algae, mud, fish slime, fuel residue, and sand can all make the surface slick. Any wet surface ought to be treated as if it were ice.

That said, every boater ought to consider a Dakota Boat Retriever (DBR). A Dakota will eliminate 99% of the hazards at the ramp and serves as an "extra pair of hands" when you launch your boat. You control the vehicle while Dakota controls the vessel. Simple. Safe. Smart.

Even here, danger lurks and harm awaits. It's a perfect time & place to use a Dakota Boat Retriever!

Consider the use of a DBR. Your body and bones will thank you for it. Dakota Boat Retriever