I finally purchased my first boat, an alumacraft escape 165cs and I'm really excited to get it on the water. I've watched videos of solo launches with docks and that seems easy enough but there are quite a few places near me that don't have docks at the launch. How can I solo launch without beaching the boat, I'm concerned this will destroy the keel? Apologies if I'm missing something but I'm new to this. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

The keel will not get destroyed or damaged on sand or soft bottom.  The damage occurs when its a hard surface like rock or gravel.

 

If you're that worried, you can put on a keel guard.  If it were me, and I had a new boat, I wouldn't want to damage it either.  Heck, my boat is 6 years old and I still treat it like a child lol.  If there isn't a dock and there's no soft bottom to beach, I would take someone with you.  That way the other person can attend to the boat and you can go get the truck/trailer, or vice versa.

 

Either that or just beach her right on the rocks like @TnRiver46 does!

 

The most important thing you can do is to get a system established at the access so that you can launch safely, quickly, and efficiently.  Don't waffle at the access with other people waiting.  That creates more problems that you don't want to deal with.  Get everything ready before you start the launch process.

Thank for the reply. It's not a new boat, 2016, but still new to me and my first so I plan to treat it like it's new. 

 

So the sand won't damage the keel at all? I'll definitely avoid rocks and gravel for sure. If I can, I'll get a keel guard put on in the offseason. 

 

I've made a checklist and I'm very aware of the launch etiquette and will do my best to ensure I'm as quick as possible without feeling like I'm rushing and missing something. 

1 minute ago, Conclusion said:

So the sand won't damage the keel at all?

On occasion I beach my boat on the sand when all the dock space is tied up.  Just make sure to ease in there slowly and don't plow into it.

 

You're on the right path here.  You should post a photo of your rig in the Show Your Ride thread.

Aluminum hull is more forgiving than a glass hull in this instance. Pea gravel up to golf-ball size shouldn't be an issue. I ground my old/rebuilt Alumacraft F-9 in loose gravel without a problem.

 

Dragging an aluminum boat onto

rocks sand or logs won’t hurt a thing. I’ve got a 1957 aluminum v bottom, a 70s aluminum canoe, and a 2007 aluminum center console. Ive never once damaged anything by dragging them onto land . This is fishing not a fashion contest 

1 hour ago, Conclusion said:

I finally purchased my first boat, an alumacraft escape 165cs and I'm really excited to get it on the water. I've watched videos of solo launches with docks and that seems easy enough but there are quite a few places near me that don't have docks at the launch. How can I solo launch without beaching the boat, I'm concerned this will destroy the keel? Apologies if I'm missing something but I'm new to this. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Here's a video of a no dock solo launch & recovery.

Early and late season here there are no docks so this is common practice for me.

Hip Boots for cold water & shallow water anchors are helpful.

Without the Talons, the boat would just be slid onto the beach.

Finally, a push pole can be helpful as well. 

https://youtu.be/6p3qjh0e0w4

A-Jay

13 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

Here's a video of a no dock solo launch & recovery.

Early and late season here there are no docks so this is common practice for me.

Hip Boots for cold water & shallow water anchors are helpful.

Without the Talons, the boat would just be slid onto the beach.

Finally, a push pole can be helpful as well. 

https://youtu.be/6p3qjh0e0w4

A-Jay

Ooh wee, that 6.2 sounds GOOD!!

I bring my glass boat onto shore albeit with a keel protector.  In white caps I wouldn't like it, but for most launches it isn't a big deal.

 

Other option is a super long rope and tie off to an anchor/weight/something on shore and then pull in when you get back.

Thanks for all the replies, this is great information and makes me feel better. 

 

@A-Jay great video, I've watched your solo launch one before and also really helpful. Stupid question, when you've parked the truck and head back to the boat are you literally just climbing over the wide to get back in to it? 

3 minutes ago, Conclusion said:

Thanks for all the replies, this is great information and makes me feel better. 

 

@A-Jay great video, I've watched your solo launch one before and also really helpful. Stupid question, when you've parked the truck and head back to the boat are you literally just climbing over the wide to get back in to it? 

Thanks and Yes, just climbing in.

Time in the home gym paying off again. 

Also - helpful tip for when you recover to the trailer:

It's good to know that the water you're stepping off your rig into 

is SHALLOWER, than the top of your hip boots.

Don't ask me how I know this.

I have since added a 'tape line' on my push pole

which indicate less than crotch freezing depth.

A-Jay

 

 

1 minute ago, A-Jay said:

Thanks and Yes, just climbing in.

Time in the home gym paying off again. 

Also - helpful tip for when you recover to the trailer:

It's good to know that the water you're stepping off your rig into 

is SHALLOWER, than the top of your hip boots.

Don't ask me how I know this.

I have since added a 'tape line' on my push pole

which indicate less than crotch freezing depth.

A-Jay

 

 

Perfect thanks again. Seems like I'm going to need to invest in some waders and a pole. 

 

Lol ouch I can't imagine that would be a fun experience, particularly in the cold water.

Just now, Conclusion said:

Perfect thanks again. Seems like I'm going to need to invest in some waders and a pole. 

 

Lol ouch I can't imagine that would be a fun experience, particularly in the cold water.

Been there - done that....definitely NOT a fun time.

10 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

Thanks and Yes, just climbing in.

Time in the home gym paying off again. 

Also - helpful tip for when you recover to the trailer:

It's good to know that the water you're stepping off your rig into 

is SHALLOWER, than the top of your hip boots.

Don't ask me how I know this.

I have since added a 'tape line' on my push pole

which indicate less than crotch freezing depth.

A-Jay

 

 

Cold water immersion is great for recovering from all those workouts.?

32 minutes ago, GreenPig said:

Cold water immersion is great for recovering from all those workouts.?

Agreed but perhaps not in that specific area . . . .

#shrinkage

?

A-Jay

15 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

Agreed but perhaps not in that specific area . . . .

#shrinkage

?

A-Jay

Come on. You've got heated truck seats and remote start on that truck.

18 minutes ago, GreenPig said:

Come on. You've got heated truck seats and remote start on that truck.

He might have both - but all I got is the remote start...and mine shuts down if I don't get a key in within 5 minutes.

3 hours ago, Conclusion said:

I finally purchased my first boat, an alumacraft escape 165cs and I'm really excited to get it on the water. I've watched videos of solo launches with docks and that seems easy enough but there are quite a few places near me that don't have docks at the launch. How can I solo launch without beaching the boat, I'm concerned this will destroy the keel? Apologies if I'm missing something but I'm new to this. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

I've got a Crestliner 16 and a half foot aluminum boat.

My main ramp is an old road the dead ends in the water.

So after I dump the boat in the water, I pull it up on the old asphalt or rip rap.

Since my boat floats in a couple inches of water, I can pull it almost all the way in. (yours should too)

Then I usually grab the nose, lifting and pulling it ashore the last foot or so.

So there no real ramming of the boat ashore, more like guiding it to a rest.

You want a long enough rope to get the boat in the water and you can pull ashore after pulling the tow vehicle up. I like to ease the boat into the water as opposed to launching it out and it taking up all the slack jerking the boat back towards me. My goal is to have the boat come off the trailer but be barely moving away from me.

Instead of getting in the water like A-Jay does on the way out you can just tie the rope to your trailer and do a "hot" unload.  ie, for the last couple fit give it a bit of gas and hit the brakes.  Boat floats out, hits the end of the rope and stops while you pull the trailer out of the water and grab the rope and secure it to something on shore or pull the boat to shore.  Saves any cold possibility on the way out.

I am far from being an expert boat launcher but please allow me to chime in on this topic.

 

Unless I have someone with me that really knows what they are doing, which is rare, I do all of the work involved in launching my 16.5 foot Starcraft AL deep V boat. So if my wife is with me the only thing she does is drive the truck off the ramp, that is all. Late in the fall the state DCNR removes the floating docks at the ramp or sometimes they draw down the lake level putting the docks on dry land so I have beached my boat many times. I avoid a place with rocks but the sand or pebbles have not damaged my boat.

 

If you are new to this my advice is get some practice launching at a time when there are few people using the ramp. My local ramp is jammed with boaters on the weekends until about 6:00PM so I avoid the place and instead use it after work during the week or late in the evenings during the summer weekends. As others have said you will need to refine your methods for efficiency, spending as little time on the ramp or in prep areas, getting right down to business. A ritual of getting everything ready with walk arounds is very helpful.

 

If beaching your boat be mindful of the tilt on your outboard in shallow water. You want to have it low enough to get cooling water into the water pump when running but you don't want to drag the outdrive in the lake bottom or suck all kinds of crap into the outdrive.

 

There are tons and tons of youtubes on solo boat launches. Some are good others are not. You will have to develop your own method from experience but if little old me can do it anyone can. Again I'm not an expert but I can get my boat launched or retrieved quite quickly solo and in the 100s of times doing so I would say I've got my feet wet 2 or 3 times, very rare. The times I have got wet were due to engine issues not my trailer techniques. It seems some people are fine with hopping into the water I'm not one of them. 

 

Enjoy your new boat, be safe have fun!

I actually saw a guy do this about a month ago one morning.  He launched right behind me and the boat floated away.  In my head I thought "uh oh" but then sure enough the bow mount auto deployed and he went to park.  Came walking out on the dock and stepped into his boat.

 

 

Chest waders are more of a hassle to put on, but not much more money than hip boots. They are very useful when the wind really kicks up and the boat just doesn't want to go on the trailer.

 

Mine are insulated because I bought them years ago for duck hunting.

6 minutes ago, Johnbt said:

Mine are insulated because I bought them years ago for duck hunting.

 

Funny, I purposely bought uninsulated chest waders for duck hunting too because it was so freaking hot when I was duck hunting.

 I bought mine before global warming.     You know, back when the rivers used to freeze up in central and southern Virginia.

56 minutes ago, gimruis said:

I actually saw a guy do this about a month ago one morning.  He launched right behind me and the boat floated away.  In my head I thought "uh oh" but then sure enough the bow mount auto deployed and he went to park.  Came walking out on the dock and stepped into his boat.

Ya - same here. Last year I was in queue at North Arm to launch the canoe when a guy did this.

 

As his boat 'parked itself', I said to him "That's cheating".

 

His replay was, "But oh so satisfying."