# Who’s Gonna Dry Launch?



## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

How many of you will be dry launching now that all public ramps are shutting down? This should be good...


----------



## Guest (Mar 19, 2020)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> How many of you will be dry launching now that all public ramps are shutting down? This should be good...
> View attachment 123780


Kayaks, man, Kayaks!


----------



## Megalops (Oct 23, 2011)

I need a back roller and electric winch. Shit I should have done long ago...


----------



## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

Megalops said:


> I need a back roller and electric winch. Shit I should have done long ago...


Reverse fast enough and hit the brakes and the hull will clear the rear crossmember...ask how I know!


----------



## Megalops (Oct 23, 2011)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> Reverse fast enough and hit the brakes and the hull will clear the rear crossmember...ask how I know!


I don’t have the cajones to do that, Sir! But that’s awesome!


----------



## LowHydrogen (Dec 31, 2015)

I'm good, I can launch in a heavy dew.

Joking aside, the ******** around here know their way around a set of bolt cutters. If not, there are plenty of dirt ramps, longer ride, but with the price of gas now it doesn't matter.


----------



## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

I can see the signs going up now...

ALL DRY LAUNCHERS SHOT ON SIGHT!


----------



## crboggs (Mar 30, 2015)

Eh?

Where are you seeing this?

I can dry launch all day, but hadn't heard about ramps being closed.


----------



## Zika (Aug 6, 2015)

Launched at a member's only ramp yesterday. There were 9-10 vehicles in the lot. Two boats were in a bigger hurry to get back when I returned. Let them tie up and I slid several boat lengths behind at the end of the dock and waited. The one crew helped an elderly man out and he proceeded to stand on the narrow dock and cough and wheeze. Waited until they were loaded up and gone, including droplets, before retrieving the truck/trailer.


----------



## southerncannuck (Jun 27, 2016)

Where are ramps being closed?


----------



## Charles Hadley (Jan 20, 2019)

I'm dry launching a cold modelo and gate station xxx burrito right now.


----------



## K3anderson (Jan 23, 2013)

Is there a different way other than dry launch?


----------



## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

K3anderson said:


> Is there a different way other than dry launch?


Wet launch like a man!


----------



## K3anderson (Jan 23, 2013)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> Wet launch like a man!


No Thnx, I don't like repacking bearings anymore.


----------



## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

K3anderson said:


> No Thnx, I don't like repacking bearings anymore.


If they are sealed they stay greased and water free


----------



## TheAdamsProject (Oct 29, 2007)

I believe all ramps in Miami are closed but have not heard how far that extends to the north. We are still open here in Central FL.


----------



## K3anderson (Jan 23, 2013)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> If they are sealed they stay greased and water free


They stay water free when they never go in the water too. Amazingly no rust either since the rubber on the tire can't rust and that's all that touches.


----------



## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

K3anderson said:


> They stay water free when they never go in the water too. Amazingly no rust either since the rubber on the tire can't rust and that's all that touches.


Sweet!


----------



## K3anderson (Jan 23, 2013)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> Sweet!


In all seriousness, my ramlin is a galvanised from 2002 and still works fine. Same jack from new. I wouldn't mind a new axle at some point but its almost 20 years old. I sprayed it with cold galvanizing last year just because it was greying out.

I bought a brand new 25' whaler in '07 and the aluminum trailer was wasted in 2 years. Axle toast, the guideons completely rusted through and fell off and it was washed and flushed 100% of the time. I went through 4 jacks in 6 years. Biggest POS ever. Some guy bought it in Italy and when they came to pick it up to ship they driver refused to take it w/o a new trailer. Obv you can't dry launch a 6500 lb boat, but, on a little skiff I'm dry launching from here on out.


----------



## jmrodandgun (Sep 20, 2013)

K3anderson said:


> No Thnx, I don't like repacking bearings anymore.


Damn it feels good to be a gangster


----------



## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

K3anderson said:


> In all seriousness, my ramlin is a galvanised from 2002 and still works fine. Same jack from new. I wouldn't mind a new axle at some point but its almost 20 years old. I sprayed it with cold galvanizing last year just because it was greying out.
> 
> I bought a brand new 25' whaler in '07 and the aluminum trailer was wasted in 2 years. Axle toast, the guideons completely rusted through and fell off and it was washed and flushed 100% of the time. I went through 4 jacks in 6 years. Biggest POS ever. Some guy bought it in Italy and when they came to pick it up to ship they driver refused to take it w/o a new trailer. Obv you can't dry launch a 6500 lb boat, but, on a little skiff I'm dry launching from here on out.


Back when I used to fish a lot I always wet launched. The trailer is a 2001 Competitor aluminum, it came with a new torsion axle on it and the original axle was included loose and in great shape. The previous owner was a schtickler for maintenance. When he sold it to me he handed me a stack of paper about 1” thick with a maintenance check list for immediately after fishing, monthly, quarterly and annually. I keep it just as clean. If I launched 3-4 days a week and lived on the water I’d probably dry launch too.


----------



## K3anderson (Jan 23, 2013)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> I keep it just as clean. If I launched 3-4 days a week and lived on the water I’d probably dry launch too.


Well mine was magic tilt. My second and just as much of a POS as the first, so that my have something to do with it. The aluminum bar holding the winch also snapped in half. The thing had a whopping 10 miles in actual travel time on it.


----------



## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

K3anderson said:


> Well mine was magic tilt. My second and just as much of a POS as the first, so that my have something to do with it. The aluminum bar holding the winch also snapped in half. The thing had a whopping 10 miles in actual travel time on it.


I wouldn’t put a jetski on a magic tilt!


----------



## SWFL_Gheenoe (Aug 24, 2017)

The wettest dry launch ive ever done


----------



## Charles Hadley (Jan 20, 2019)

Just wet launched that modelo and burrito.


----------



## Capt. Moose (Dec 12, 2015)

Can’t wait to try the new trailer. Picked it up yesterday..


----------



## Tautog166 (Jul 7, 2018)

Launch all day. Load, dunk em and I’m out.


----------



## sotilloa1078 (Mar 27, 2014)

#drylaunchgang power winch is a game changer for me. I’ll Never have a trailer without it again.


----------



## Capt. Moose (Dec 12, 2015)

sotilloa1078 said:


> #drylaunchgang power winch is a game changer for me. I’ll Never have a trailer without it again.


Got a link?


----------



## crboggs (Mar 30, 2015)

This happened while running 70 down I-375...I prefer to keep my hubs dry...


----------



## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

Dude, you need better hubs and better seals.


----------



## DuckNut (Apr 3, 2009)

crboggs said:


> This happened while running 70 down I-375...I prefer to keep my hubs dry...


That was a direct result from using bearing buddies.


----------



## Snakesurf (Jun 18, 2019)

From what I can see a few of the parks are shutting down that have boat ramps but there are a lot of boat ramps that aren't in parks. Whats up?


----------



## crboggs (Mar 30, 2015)

Backwater said:


> Dude, you need better hubs and better seals.


Yup. Was a newbie and didn't know about salt water getting into hot hubs. 

Funny how learned wisdom changes behavior.


----------



## K3anderson (Jan 23, 2013)

DuckNut said:


> That was a direct result from using bearing buddies.


Help me understand.


----------



## K3anderson (Jan 23, 2013)

SWFL_Gheenoe said:


> The wettest dry launch ive ever done


I love these skiffs in pictures, etc. The idea of them is freaking awesome. I just cant see how people aren't falling off every time they go out though.


----------



## AZ_squid (Mar 14, 2018)

crboggs said:


> This happened while running 70 down I-375...I prefer to keep my hubs dry...


----------



## jmrodandgun (Sep 20, 2013)

Sometimes it just be like that. Sometimes you got to go deep.


----------



## scissorhands (Apr 8, 2012)

I just turn the switch and down the boat comes. My skiff lives on a sling.


----------



## Mike Haydon (Dec 19, 2019)

scissorhands said:


> I just turn the switch and down the boat comes. My skiff lives on a sling.


We dont like you anymore! Lol. Just kidding and super envious!!!


----------



## Mike Haydon (Dec 19, 2019)

SWFL_Gheenoe said:


> The wettest dry launch ive ever done


What rig is this?


----------



## Padre (Jul 29, 2016)

We fished yesterday and heard about ramp closures in Miami. They just closed all the beaches here. So we are scouting other places to launch the boat in case they close the ramps. Which is crazy because I used to live on the water and have my boat in a lift, which wouldn't have been a problem but they close the ramps so it only affects people who don't live on the water.


----------



## Sublime (Oct 9, 2015)

Mike Haydon said:


> What rig is this?



ECC Gladesmen and Ramlin trailer.


----------



## Guest (Mar 20, 2020)

Padre said:


> We fished yesterday and heard about ramp closures in Miami. They just closed all the beaches here. So we are scouting other places to launch the boat in case they close the ramps. Which is crazy because I used to live on the water and have my boat in a lift, which wouldn't have been a problem but they close the ramps so it only affects people who don't live on the water.


Hmm, interesting.


----------



## crboggs (Mar 30, 2015)

AZ_squid said:


> View attachment 123912


*lol*

I had replaced those hubs prior to a trip to the Keys. But shortly after this I discovered hubs with those little zerts on them. Which kept things lubed until I got rid of the boat. 

After re-wiring the trailer twice and replacing the hubs a couple of times I swore off that mess for good. From now on I'm either going to be dry launching a small skiff or keeping a larger boat on the water...but that won't happen until I'm too old to pole a skiff anymore...


----------



## Mike Haydon (Dec 19, 2019)

@Copahee Hound how is your build coming? That pic is cool of the other gladesman.


----------



## AZ_squid (Mar 14, 2018)

crboggs said:


> *lol*
> 
> I had replaced those hubs prior to a trip to the Keys. But shortly after this I discovered hubs with those little zerts on them. Which kept things lubed until I got rid of the boat.
> 
> After re-wiring the trailer twice and replacing the hubs a couple of times I swore off that mess for good. From now on I'm either going to be dry launching a small skiff or keeping a larger boat on the water...but that won't happen until I'm too old to pole a skiff anymore...


Salt water is a monster. I was just poking fun. I recently setup my skiff to dry launch but only because here in south TX the wind is insane some days and it allows me to bypass some big open water runs. Trailer maintenance is just part of the game if you're going to play in the salt. I have a buddy who keeps his boat on a lift behind his house and that's a whole other set of problems to deal with. I'd rather keep the trailer and be able to garage the skiff.


----------



## SWFL_Gheenoe (Aug 24, 2017)

K3anderson said:


> I love these skiffs in pictures, etc. The idea of them is freaking awesome. I just cant see how people aren't falling off every time they go out though.


Ive owned this one for just over a month, havent fallen out *yet* but Ive made a few close calls... 
It tips like youd expect, if you step off CL then it will roll... big time...
Floats in literal spit, and if you touch bottom, its light enough to push your way through on the pole.
DONT try a round turn to get up in skinny water.... Any throttle while the engine is turned rolls you right over 

Fun boat for what it is


----------



## Charles Hadley (Jan 20, 2019)

Insert


Boatbrains said:


> Hmm, interesting.


 Tin foil hat and conspiracy theory........now


----------



## DuckNut (Apr 3, 2009)

K3anderson said:


> Help me understand.


Pump it full of cold grease. Drive a while and it heats up and becomes less viscous and the spring pushes it right out the back seal. Rinse and repeat and all the dirt and sat attach to the grease and wear out the seal and the seal is shot and the bearings are filled with dirt and salt.

But all I needed to do was to look at all the grease slung around the back side of the rim. This is how bearing buddies leave you crippled on the side of the road. The only seal that ever fails with them is the backside and you never see it until you take the tire off on the side of the road.


----------



## sotilloa1078 (Mar 27, 2014)

Capt. Moose said:


> Got a link?


www.powerwinch.com I have the 712


----------



## Guest (Mar 21, 2020)

Mike Haydon said:


> We dont like you anymore! Lol. Just kidding and super envious!!!


I'm just thinking that maybe Smack wouldn't be opposed to starting a thread titled "who thinks scissorhands is annoying"?


----------



## Mike Haydon (Dec 19, 2019)

mike_parker said:


> I'm just thinking that maybe Smack wouldn't be opposed to starting a thread titled "who thinks scissorhands is annoying"?


Someone said they would trailer because the lift has other problems but I would be ok with that! Lol. I would just invest in one if those 1 minute boat covers that slides on the rail and drawstrings around the bottom of your whole boat. Because i could afford one if i could afford the house with the lift.


----------



## Padre (Jul 29, 2016)

Mike Haydon said:


> Someone said they would trailer because the lift has other problems but I would be ok with that! Lol. I would just invest in one if those 1 minute boat covers that slides on the rail and drawstrings around the bottom of your whole boat. Because i could afford one if i could afford the house with the lift.


I recently sold a house with a covered lift that I kept my skiff in. Now that I am trailering, my skiff gets better care. It was difficult to wash parts of the boat on the lift and almost impossible to wax. We were going to buy another house on the water but after renting for 4 months to figure out where we wanted to move we decided not to buy on the water for a couple of reasons. One, I like the margin in my money not having those huge house payments. Secondly, I enjoyed being able to fish where I want to with the skiff on the trailer. When I kept it on the lift, I basically fished within 10-15 miles of my house. Now, If I want to fish an hour away, I can. I do miss being able to drop the skiff in the water and go to a restaurant on the harbor. But all those restaurants are closed now anyway. I am afraid they might close the ramps here and then I will wish I still had my boat in a lift.


----------



## Snookyrookie (Sep 9, 2016)

Padre said:


> We fished yesterday and heard about ramp closures in Miami. They just closed all the beaches here. So we are scouting other places to launch the boat in case they close the ramps. Which is crazy because I used to live on the water and have my boat in a lift, which wouldn't have been a problem but they close the ramps so it only affects people who don't live on the water.


Dade closed all ramps and marinas this morning. Too many people loading up their bay boats with 8 people and not observing any social distancing so they screwed everyone.


----------



## Guest (Mar 22, 2020)

Padre said:


> I recently sold a house with a covered lift that I kept my skiff in. Now that I am trailering, my skiff gets better care. It was difficult to wash parts of the boat on the lift and almost impossible to wax. We were going to buy another house on the water but after renting for 4 months to figure out where we wanted to move we decided not to buy on the water for a couple of reasons. One, I like the margin in my money not having those huge house payments. Secondly, I enjoyed being able to fish where I want to with the skiff on the trailer. When I kept it on the lift, I basically fished within 10-15 miles of my house. Now, If I want to fish an hour away, I can. I do miss being able to drop the skiff in the water and go to a restaurant on the harbor. But all those restaurants are closed now anyway. I am afraid they might close the ramps here and then I will wish I still had my boat in a lift.


Agree, if I did live on the water I would have to keep the skiff on the trailer for these same reasons. That said, I would also have to have a custom system built to offload the skiff right there and lower to the water. A davit system or something like a rail system to get the boat off the trailer and down. Of course, I am blessed to have over 25 ramps with in 20 miles of me with gulf access plus some really nice dry launch sites when needed!


----------



## Godzuki86 (Nov 30, 2013)

SWFL_Gheenoe said:


> The wettest dry launch ive ever done


I miss shell island sometimes.


----------



## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

I put an electric winch on my trailer this year so I can dry load. I don't have a problem dry launching
my problem is just going


----------



## Charles Hadley (Jan 20, 2019)

permitchaser said:


> I put an electric winch on my trailer this year so I can dry load. I don't have a problem dry launching
> my problem is just going


Is the winch extremely slow?watched a video of a guy e winchin his hells bay and it took for ever


----------



## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

Charles Hadley said:


> Is the winch extremely slow?watched a video of a guy e winchin his hells bay and it took for ever


Heck I don’t have a clue. Never used it. It also has a handle so once you get it on the trailer you can crank it up


----------



## bw510 (Sep 1, 2011)

Manatee county is closing Thursday 6am


----------



## efi2712micro (Sep 17, 2015)

permitchaser said:


> Heck I don’t have a clue. Never used it. It also has a handle so once you get it on the trailer you can crank it up


Installed an electric winch and tried it twice then removed it. Wayyyy to slow and taking too much time at the ramp. Still dry launching and dry loading just 8 times faster manually. The winch is in my garage if someone wants to part with $100.


----------



## Jacob Sutton (Mar 14, 2020)

TheAdamsProject said:


> I believe all ramps in Miami are closed but have not heard how far that extends to the north. We are still open here in Central FL.



Manatee county and I think Sarasota county closed some if not all of there “public” ramps. Several marinas and clubs are still opening there’s up.


----------



## tcov (Apr 7, 2018)

Taylor County (FL) commissioner’s voted to keep ramps open yesterday (3/25/20)


----------



## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

bw510 said:


> Manatee county is closing Thursday 6am


Look at this BS! I live 8 mins from here.


----------



## efi2712micro (Sep 17, 2015)

Backwater said:


> Look at this BS! I live 8 mins from here.


wow .... this is ridiculous! People can’t self police and the few spoil it for the others! Really drives me nuts!


----------



## Charles Hadley (Jan 20, 2019)

Was on water all day today, every bay,pontoon,and off shore boat loaded to the hilt with people. Every sand bar and bank loaded more than labor and memorial day combined idiots in pods of 20 on jet skis in circles everywhere, waterways here today were dangerous. I'm sure st.johns county ramps are next.


----------

