by GreenLake » Thu May 02, 2019 4:16 pm
The details probably depend on the configuration of your trailer. Getting the boat off the trailer isn't the problem, it's to make sure it's easy to get it back on again.
For my trailer, the key is to get the bow up on the rearmost roller. After that, I use the trailer winch to pull the trailer underneath the boat (to avoid the boat scraping along on the ground - still, a bit of old carpet is never amiss).
Mine is a tilt trailer, so launching onto the hard just means tipping up the trailer until the transom makes contact, then pulling the trailer out from under the boat. For retrieval, I've had to limit the tilt, so the bow doesn't "dig" in between the rollers. But even with limited tilt, the rear roller gets to be much lower than it would be otherwise.
Now, if you keep your trailer flat, then it makes sense to support the transom with a stack of tires, then pull the trailer forward and add another support just before the bow comes off. Saw horses that can hold 400 pounds each, or stacks of bricks with padding on top. All of those work.
To retrieve, you park the trailer so the bow overhangs it (or almost does) and then use the winch to pull it under the boat. After the bow is supported, remove the forward support, and continue. May work better with a trailer that has a trailer jack or third wheel. Or if you have one of those dollies that have two wheels, a long handle and a trailer ball.
The weight of the boat is about 600#, so you should dimension your supports to be able to hold more than half of that weight to be safe. (That's why I suggested 400# above - that way, some asymmetry in placement doesn't matter). If you use the winch to pull the trailer under the boat, or while pulling the trailer out from under the boat, you may need to anchor the boat unless it's on the ground. Otherwise you may tip over a support or pull the boat off of one.
Good luck!
PS: with 3-4 buddies you'll be able to manhandle the boat quite easily, but I've launched and retrieved using some or all of these methods by myself.
~ green ~ lake ~ ~