CampCook wrote:I also singe-hand launch and retrieve on most days. Almost identically to the way Tkanzier does it with a couple of minor exceptions. I tie the line from the stern cleat to the line from the bow cleat so I always have both lines in hand. I tie a third line looped around the bow/stern line forward to the truck hand hold in the back seat. When I back in the boat floats free and I can manage to get up on the dock with out getting wet and still have a secure hold on the boat. With a bit of practice you will be able to amaze others at the dock.
This is the method I used - worked a charm. A great 3 days of sailing in all kinds of conditions.
One thing I did learn - its damn difficult to find an unlit boat landing at 2am. Spot light purchase in very near future.
Another thing I learned - My Admiral is darned awesome. She dove on a stuck anchor rode in 20 feet of cold murky water.
Hmmm . . I always walk on the trailer tung to winch in or out . . .
They have nice docks at my harbor so I can actually walk the boat onto the trailer holding the lifelines. If alone I take the bow line through the ladder on the front of the trailer and just pull on that and tie it to a dock cleat to keep the boat from backing away from the trailer before I can jump back inside the van from the drivers side door, walk back to the rear and walk out onto the trailer tung through the open back doors on the van. I just "walk the plank" to the eye in the front of the boat with the winch line in hand and hook it up. Crank the boat forward a little so the front is tilted up on the v block, count to ten (so some water drains from the ballast) and crank it up almost all the rest of the way (I leave about an inch or two slack so as not to twist the front support) pull out and do a little bump crank it in the rest of the way and done.
