Good job, nice video. A few constructive comments. First, it is worth warming the engine for a minute before driving off. The engine temperature can be less than 10 degrees on a cool morning and putting a cold engine under load without warming even for a few seconds and getting the lubricant circulating is not great. Second, you’re going to come a cropper on a ramp with thongs. Gumboots with a decent tread that you can slip out of after launching and before retrieving is a lot safer. And on a really crap ramp, a set of thigh waders. Agree about keeping dry, I hate getting wet too. Third, and this probably only applies in Qld, NT or places where there’s a big tidal range, but be wary of dock lines with loops especially on a falling tide, use a docking line and proper docking hitch that can be undone when under tension. It’s surprising just how fast the water drops in some places and you might find it necessary to cut the line if you get caught by it, especially if it’s a long walk to the car or if there’s a queue. But otherwise textbook job, your vid shows exactly how it should be done and more importantly, can be done solo.
Hey yes great tips, it was a bit spare of the moment.... So not perfect but was good enough to illustrate the point. I do really want a nice ladder for the front, they seem to make them over seas but not in Aus. Would also need to fit with brake actuator. Yeah the dock line set up that I use is definitely for very short term only (minutes)....
Also, in other news my lovely custom 4 blade prop is on its way! So full review coming soon. Will look at control, holeshot, fuel usage, rough water ride / bow attitude etc. Expecting very positive results....
From the dude in Queensland?? Propeller warehouse? That's where I bought mine from, they are pretty good in quality and performance for the price of them, I was planning to buy Enertia's but couldn't justify the 2 -and -half times the price tag, overall quite happy with mine. Cheers 👍
I regularly launch and retrieve a 6.4m 2.2 tonne glass boat on my own - without a boatcatch - we do have nice floating pontoons at the local ramp. I wear wellies in winter to keep the feet dry.
Love your work Mark. I have a 670c great boat. I noticed that you had the elastic strap not further back closer to the catch ie more in the retrieve than the launch position. Am I seeing this wrong?
Thanks Paul! Umm can't exactly remember. When driving it off, once the boat goes back onto the catch. Move strap to rear and keep closest to car when driving it on. It's pretty simple stuff. I'm going to make the best bloody ladder soon and will have the whole situation sorted.... Generally when I have another person I'm already in the boat and they reverse it down
Often launch myself 5.5m glass boat no boat catch back in deep enough till stern starts to float safety chain off up bow ladder start boat up ,up through front hatch reach down unhook winch back to helm back off tie up truck n trailer parked normaly quicker than some couples yelling at each other at the ramp haha
Not the quickest thing around, but does it no problems. The gearbox is incredibly good, water under rated one of best on market. So it always keeps the engine on the torque band. So over all these punch well above their on paper specs in the real world.
I’ll be interested to see your comments on four blade vs three. I’ve used both extensively, but won’t comment yet other than to suggest you test everything at different rev ranges and speeds, and note fuel consumption at each test point, the results may surprise you.
Yep next Friday will test with 3 across different speed points, checking revs and fuel usage. Then I will change them over and test again. Will also do the 0-20 knot acceleration testing as per my recent video to compare, plus check out over all boat handling etc
On my slip I regularly get wind across tide and there's always chop which isn't helped by jet skiers doing doughnuts and then there's the slip itself, the part that is underwater is virtually flat as the harbour isn't very deep, spring tide HW not too bad LW springs are a no no mid tides are doable but you will regularly see me winching my boat on to the trailer at 90 degrees to the slip either because that's what way the tide is running or the wind is blowing and man cannot beat mother nature not even on a good day! In spite of all that I'm 59 and I do it myself most of the time mainly because none of my mates no what they're doing lol, oh I winch on by hand because the slip is shallow and aint no way I'm driving a perfectly good vehicle into salt water I'm not into that so I winch it on and then tow the trailer on to the dry part of the slip and then hook her on to the tow bar, easy peesy!
Well you can but it creates extra steps and probably getting to the point where you will hold other people up. Check out my Caribbean launching video for some different ideas
Nice work BB very well executed. Mate got to watch those slippery ramps at low tide, one can very easily come-a-cropper when you step off the trailer onto that slippery slimly concrete, seen it happen and has very nearly happened to me on a couple of occasions.. You mention custom 4 blade?? are you having a prop specially made like its a one off by the manufacturer? Cheers
Yep those ramps will get you! She is a Solas with custom cupping. Expecting much more stern lift, negative trim, planing at lower speeds and much more control offshore. At the moment, it rides too bum heavy. These boats don't love the XL fuel tank in my opinion, without tweaking prop. Weight is too far back.
Great vid, my biggest hurdle is so many other people at the ramp! Queued up like a check out🤣 So I go for winch when busy, most people are really good & help out👍
Yeah sometimes we winch in really heavy wind only. But otherwise we go straight down the middle ramp and drive off and on every time. All I need is a nice ladder on front of trailer. But they, they winch on very very easily and nicely every time also
@@BaitBallin She’s glass. The trailer does all of the hard work. I can get my cat off and on the trailer quicker than my 5m Quintrex. No wet feet either!
What are the safety precautions you take to avoid disaster at the boat ramp? Recently I saw a photo of a ute which got dragged into the water at the botany bay boat ramp. Heart breaking to see! I am sure there are plenty of similar accidents.
Yeah I honestly like to have a person in the car, drivers seat just in case and always have 4wd selected! other than that it's careful planning, train all involved before hand and use fenders etc
BB Good video but most of the frustration is the newbie’s to boating holding up the ramp doing all the stuff that should be done away from the ramp. Also the morons that pull in in front of you while you’re getting the vehicle. Sorry that safety chain has to be on and definitely gumboots thongs and slippery ramps don’t mix you do it once never again.
Yeah agree..... Happens all the time. Turkeys undoing and doing up all sorts of shit right on the ramp etc. These things are crocs brand and have bloody good grip, but agree some good boat gumboots are great. I've got the AFN white ones very happy with them
What’s the big deal? I do this all the time with my boat which is a lot bigger, heavier and more complicated. I’ve got a 24ft alu power cat and the ramp I’m using is crap compared to yours :-) You made a big mistake IMO by parking the trailer so far from the jetty/pontoon. It should be right next to it, so you can tie the boat to it and you can climb onto the boat easily…
Good job, nice video. A few constructive comments. First, it is worth warming the engine for a minute before driving off. The engine temperature can be less than 10 degrees on a cool morning and putting a cold engine under load without warming even for a few seconds and getting the lubricant circulating is not great. Second, you’re going to come a cropper on a ramp with thongs. Gumboots with a decent tread that you can slip out of after launching and before retrieving is a lot safer. And on a really crap ramp, a set of thigh waders. Agree about keeping dry, I hate getting wet too. Third, and this probably only applies in Qld, NT or places where there’s a big tidal range, but be wary of dock lines with loops especially on a falling tide, use a docking line and proper docking hitch that can be undone when under tension. It’s surprising just how fast the water drops in some places and you might find it necessary to cut the line if you get caught by it, especially if it’s a long walk to the car or if there’s a queue. But otherwise textbook job, your vid shows exactly how it should be done and more importantly, can be done solo.
Hey yes great tips, it was a bit spare of the moment.... So not perfect but was good enough to illustrate the point. I do really want a nice ladder for the front, they seem to make them over seas but not in Aus. Would also need to fit with brake actuator.
Yeah the dock line set up that I use is definitely for very short term only (minutes)....
Also, in other news my lovely custom 4 blade prop is on its way! So full review coming soon. Will look at control, holeshot, fuel usage, rough water ride / bow attitude etc. Expecting very positive results....
From the dude in Queensland?? Propeller warehouse? That's where I bought mine from, they are pretty good in quality and performance for the price of them, I was planning to buy Enertia's but couldn't justify the 2 -and -half times the price tag, overall quite happy with mine.
Cheers 👍
From Peter bobcat who buys off Solas then modifies. 100% satisfaction guaranteed or full refund.
He will also modify, switch, change until perfect.
btw be very careful, many people are selling fake solas props. you might want to check yours....
I solo’s my 670C & HT more often than I did with a crew. The ramp is the most important part. A good jetty and long ramp makes everything easy.
Yep agree
Looks cool when you by you self on ramp,but when you have several people crossing you and everyone cranky, hmm!
Definitely was Brad. I could hear that in the other room! Glad you kept your thong dry. Critical 🤣🤣. Great clip once again 👍
One day Il video current boat process. We have it working surprisingly well for a big old heavy rig.
I regularly launch and retrieve a 6.4m 2.2 tonne glass boat on my own - without a boatcatch - we do have nice floating pontoons at the local ramp. I wear wellies in winter to keep the feet dry.
Floating pontoons are so bloody good these days
Love your work Mark. I have a 670c great boat. I noticed that you had the elastic strap not further back closer to the catch ie more in the retrieve than the launch position. Am I seeing this wrong?
Thanks Paul! Umm can't exactly remember. When driving it off, once the boat goes back onto the catch. Move strap to rear and keep closest to car when driving it on. It's pretty simple stuff. I'm going to make the best bloody ladder soon and will have the whole situation sorted.... Generally when I have another person I'm already in the boat and they reverse it down
Often launch myself 5.5m glass boat no boat catch back in deep enough till stern starts to float safety chain off up bow ladder start boat up ,up through front hatch reach down unhook winch back to helm back off tie up truck n trailer parked normaly quicker than some couples yelling at each other at the ramp haha
Yeah that will definitely work! I am spoilt with all these modern gadgets..... Yeah must admit I find the odd boat ramp saga pretty funny
Great video and info once again. Cheers mate!
No worries! The big 4 blade review coming next weekend
@@BaitBallin Awesome looking forward to it! All this info has been great as I will be in the process to upgrade my boat to a BC most likely a 615C.
Perfect
Hi great vids how do you find the Pajero towing the boat
Not the quickest thing around, but does it no problems. The gearbox is incredibly good, water under rated one of best on market. So it always keeps the engine on the torque band. So over all these punch well above their on paper specs in the real world.
Good work, mate, nice clip
I’ll be interested to see your comments on four blade vs three. I’ve used both extensively, but won’t comment yet other than to suggest you test everything at different rev ranges and speeds, and note fuel consumption at each test point, the results may surprise you.
Yep next Friday will test with 3 across different speed points, checking revs and fuel usage. Then I will change them over and test again.
Will also do the 0-20 knot acceleration testing as per my recent video to compare, plus check out over all boat handling etc
On my slip I regularly get wind across tide and there's always chop which isn't helped by jet skiers doing doughnuts and then there's the slip itself, the part that is underwater is virtually flat as the harbour isn't very deep, spring tide HW not too bad LW springs are a no no mid tides are doable but you will regularly see me winching my boat on to the trailer at 90 degrees to the slip either because that's what way the tide is running or the wind is blowing and man cannot beat mother nature not even on a good day!
In spite of all that I'm 59 and I do it myself most of the time mainly because none of my mates no what they're doing lol, oh I winch on by hand because the slip is shallow and aint no way I'm driving a perfectly good vehicle into salt water I'm not into that so I winch it on and then tow the trailer on to the dry part of the slip and then hook her on to the tow bar, easy peesy!
Well done....I hope I am still able to launch and retrieve my boat at that age and beyond.
You made that look easy 👍🏻
Yeah we are slowly getting better 😁
@@BaitBallin you doing it great 👍🏻, can one person launch a boat without a boat catch?
Well you can but it creates extra steps and probably getting to the point where you will hold other people up. Check out my Caribbean launching video for some different ideas
Hi Mark, have you made any alterations to your bungee dock line to get the eye to fit over the cleat on the pontoon.
No they were just standard sized. They fit sometimes.... Not all
@@BaitBallin thanks mate, I've got the same pair, they would be great if the eyes were just a bit bigger so they can fit over cleats
Yes agree
That boat ramp is to easy do it in the river on a basic boat ramp with no platforms and tide rushing like I do every time with my 8 meter Concorde
nice job
Hi mate, have you ever looked at the CNC Marine boats, where you can build them yourself??? Or have someone build it for you.
I've known a few people that have built their own plate rigs, not sure if supplier. Turned out pretty good but bloody huge effort
Awesome vid..
Nice work BB very well executed. Mate got to watch those slippery ramps at low tide, one can very easily come-a-cropper when you step off the trailer onto that slippery slimly concrete, seen it happen and has very nearly happened to me on a couple of occasions..
You mention custom 4 blade?? are you having a prop specially made like its a one off by the manufacturer?
Cheers
Yep those ramps will get you! She is a Solas with custom cupping. Expecting much more stern lift, negative trim, planing at lower speeds and much more control offshore. At the moment, it rides too bum heavy. These boats don't love the XL fuel tank in my opinion, without tweaking prop. Weight is too far back.
Whereabouts did you launch the boat? Thanks for the video
Hanging Rock boat ramp Batemans bay
@@BaitBallin thank you
Next time lay the back seats of the car down and go through the boot and out your back door. Boom dry feet!
That would be even better but the bloody tailgate is one piece and hits the boat anchor 🤣👌
Great vid, my biggest hurdle is so many other people at the ramp! Queued up like a check out🤣 So I go for winch when busy, most people are really good & help out👍
Yeah sometimes we winch in really heavy wind only. But otherwise we go straight down the middle ramp and drive off and on every time. All I need is a nice ladder on front of trailer. But they, they winch on very very easily and nicely every time also
Should have climbed through the boot... Still impressive to hough
Always room for improvement. Now I can't launch my current boat with 5 people hahha
Piece of cake. I launch an 8.5m Sharkcat solo……:D
Glass or alloy? That's a good effort
@@BaitBallin She’s glass. The trailer does all of the hard work. I can get my cat off and on the trailer quicker than my 5m Quintrex. No wet feet either!
Yeh that's good. These days trailers are so good and boat catches!
What are the safety precautions you take to avoid disaster at the boat ramp? Recently I saw a photo of a ute which got dragged into the water at the botany bay boat ramp. Heart breaking to see! I am sure there are plenty of similar accidents.
Lack of boat ramp maintenance is also a big contributing factor.
Yeah I honestly like to have a person in the car, drivers seat just in case and always have 4wd selected!
other than that it's careful planning, train all involved before hand and use fenders etc
Did you use 4wd when driving up the ramp?
Tbh I normally forget and leave it in 2wd. But better practice would be to use 4wd yes. Especially when ramp slippery
Nice flex bro
I need that bumpers. What's the name of it
Just search for boat fenders on ebay. Make sure you get flat ones as the round ones roll off. They suck
@@BaitBallin I know. My round one sucks.
Hey mate do you have any trouble towing with your car just asking was looking at something similar myself
No dramas. It's cheap and good value for money.
@@BaitBallin thanks for getting back to me yeah there hard to beat for value for money
My sister's just both bought one each also. So 3 brand new in the family now.
BB Good video but most of the frustration is the newbie’s to boating holding up the ramp doing all the stuff that should be done away from the ramp. Also the morons that pull in in front of you while you’re getting the vehicle. Sorry that safety chain has to be on and definitely gumboots thongs and slippery ramps don’t mix you do it once never again.
Yeah agree..... Happens all the time. Turkeys undoing and doing up all sorts of shit right on the ramp etc. These things are crocs brand and have bloody good grip, but agree some good boat gumboots are great. I've got the AFN white ones very happy with them
All good and well but what you do when there’s 20 people waiting behind you and you don’t have all that time and space 😂
Yep exactly. That's why I never actually do this..... But it can be done if you don't have a helper yes.
With a busy ramp do you just retrieve with winch and pull boat uptown trailer with rope?
As long as there is two of us, it's a quick drive on and drive off. Some times do have to winch etc if conditions aren't great, dodgy ramps etc
What’s the big deal? I do this all the time with my boat which is a lot bigger, heavier and more complicated. I’ve got a 24ft alu power cat and the ramp I’m using is crap compared to yours :-)
You made a big mistake IMO by parking the trailer so far from the jetty/pontoon. It should be right next to it, so you can tie the boat to it and you can climb onto the boat easily…
Car park isn't close and there is some absolute ridiculous things that go on at this ramp. I.e people holding everyone up doing silly things
It's very easy to do by yourself if you can't you are hopeless l would have it done while he was thinking about 😂
Yeah it was slowed down for the camera... And not everyone can if you have disabilities etc.
A farting boat