Posted by dave scobie Link: visit SWEET PEA's www-site
on 6/28/2009, 22:47:20, in reply to "Re: Launching boats with Deeper Drafts"
there are a lot of variables that make for launching a boat. the trailer's tongue length is one; angle of ramp another; and then the tide/water height the third.
my M15's trailer was a 'long neck'. this was a rare trailer model. most M15's trailers, including the current pacific trailers, are about two-to-three feet shorter. i liked the long trailer (boat towed very well); and i never found a ramp where i couldn't launch 
.
there are some M15 owners that do get a hitch extender because of their local ramp situations.
now my M17 sits two feet higher in the trailer and the trailer is only two feel longer than the M15's. i have a 3' tongue extension; and must keep an eye on the tide and ramp angle.
my tow vehicle is an '05 ford ranger 4x4 and have once been very close to launching the truck.
FYI: you can extend a hitch using some anchor rode tied to the trailer and to the trailer hitch ball. you get the boat just to the water, chock the trailer wheels, and put down the trailer tongue wheel. tie the rode to the trailer, loop the rode around the hitch ball (like a pully) and slowly inch the boat further into the water. once the boat floats tie off the rode to the hitch pull the trailer out of the water using the truck. once the trailer is just out of the water reconnect to the truck.
i've seen this done, but never attempted on my own boat.
for both the M15 and M17 you need less water to retreive. the trailer crank can pull the boat onto the trailer in about 1-ish foot less of water than needed to launch.
dave scobie
M17 #375 - SWEET PEA
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