I think the ramp idea is the best. Easiest way would be to go nose first, but the engine will most likely catch on the dock. So you would need to remove the engine.

If the got something underneath the hull like a 2x4 you might be able to pivot the boat 180 degrees. If you could go engine first in the water I don't think it would catch on anything so you might be able to get away with not removing the engine.

If there isn't a good way to remove the engine you could also use ramps to go down sideways, but I would suggest a chainfall to control descent.

I think y'all can absolutely do this.

It will definitely make You Tube if it goes sideways. (The project, not the boat).

Holy Moly!

As water rose that day I was too slow getting guns out of safe and up in house. Truck swamped as nd wouldn't start. Elderly neighbors were concern so I waded over to their house. The pontoon was another neighbors and I knew where key was if I needed to evacuate on boat. Tied boat off to that rail, I was in neck deep water.
When water started going down I think I was kinda ptsd, but was too late to push boat off rail.
There she sat.

Gunny456 said:

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It will definitely make You Tube if it goes sideways. (The project, not the boat).

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Agreed!

I must be missing something. Pull the motor, get another boat, tie off to bow and full send. Plywood ramp if you don't want to scratch up the hull. Towboat usa will do that for under a grand if you dont have another boat to use.

Or...call the insurance company and let them handle it. They now own it if that was my boat.

You said you can't get a frontloader down there but can you get a trailer?

My immediate thought, after studying your photo, is to secure a sheet of 3/4" treated plywood forming a ramp, under the bow, extending to the water. You may or may not want/need to reinforce that ramp with a couple of 2x4s or 2x6es, insuring the plywood is secured to the deck with screws. You can control the descent with a come-along, and/or simple rope and pulley system you could rig up yourself. I can visualize doing this job alone, but it would certainly be easier with the help of several others to lift/push the boat forward. Using gravity, leverage, and objects to support the stern (to ensure the lower unit/prop does not contact the ramp/bulkhead/deck), I believe you can get that boat back afloat without much expense.

It may prove necessary to make a wider ramp using two sheets of plywood, perhaps with a +/- 4' gap between them. Then after securing the bow with a line to the dock, swing the stern 90 degrees so as to slide the boat sideways down the ramp, and into the water. Again, depending upon the clearance (if any) of the prop/lower unit, you might even be able to lower the stern into the water first. You might use various materials to lubricate the plywood ramp to protect the hull from damage/friction


After reading the thread, I see others with much the same idea. Good luck!

Nope. Not without taking out a neighbors fence. Also it's pretty slopy and not enough room to maneuver.

I have used PVC before on getting boats in and out of the water. Looking at your pic, I'm thinking the PVC would have to be over 20', just don't think that there is enough water to be of help. I think it needs to be spun around and winched onto another trailer. I'm in, surely we can get a dozen guys here to go get this done.

How deep is the water at the bulkhead? And what is the distance from top to water? Can't tell but looks like to get to at least 2ft of water it may be under 20ft.

I think y'all are way over-complicating this.

Small ramp of bunks from the top tier of the deck that overhangs the bottom by a foot or so, trim the engine up as high as it can go, attach a rope to the bow eye that's tied off to the deck, then just push it down the ramp into the water. A short drop on an aluminum hull like that is highly unlikely to cause any damage. Biggest risk IMHO is to the lower unit going down the ramp.

Some aluminum boat hulls are not necessarily known for being built hell for stout.

for 600-1000 you can rent a 100t crane with a 100+ foot boom

Quote:

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A 100-ton crane typically has a main boom length between 140 and 230 feet (approx. 4270 meters). With hydraulic extensions, maximum tip heights can exceed 200300 feet. Maximum boom reach varies by model, with some reaching up to 60 meters (approx. 197 feet) on the main boom alone.

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I'm in!!

People forget the leverage of pry bars. I believe two guys on the back of that with 8' 2x4 boards could scoot that thing down a ramp pretty easily. But I'm having a hard time seeing how that prop doesn't bounce off the end of almost any ramp just before it goes into the water.

I'm thinking that if I'm sliding it in, I'd pull the prop, strap some 4x4's on hull sticking out back to protect lower unit.

Deerdude said:

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I'm thinking that if I'm sliding it in, I'd pull the prop, strap some 4x4's on hull sticking out back to protect lower unit.

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That would work too, 4-20' macrolams to make bunk board runners into the lake. Get a hydraulic jack and some stands, place them under the boat and slide it down

I would start the ramp just under the T of the tracker. Notching pvc so top sits on top of the wood and is screwed in. I'm thinking 2 sticks of 15-20' of 8" or 10" pvc. Tied together so they cannot spread more than a foot apart. Tie rope to the motor side and get it around a tree or something so you can let it go without free fall. It will slide down the pvc easily and I think you have enough room for the lower unit. And yes take prop off since it is easily put back on.

Actually 6inch ridgid pvc will do the trick!

Have you priced 8" or 10" heavy wall PVC lately?

Owner told me he doesn't really care about the lower unit but I believe I can get the prop and lower unit off in a few hours so why not remove it?

Contractor also is providing a bid for a fly by removal with barge and excavator and if it's under $1000 I think that's the way to go . Lots less risk and work. Owner just didn't know who to talk to and what to ask for.

halfastros81 said:

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Owner told me he doesn't really care about the lower unit but I believe I can get the prop and lower unit off in a few hours so why not remove it?

Contractor also is providing a bid for a fly by removal with barge and excavator and if it's under $1000 I think that's the way to go . Lots less risk and work. Owner just didn't know who to talk to and what to ask for.

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So he doesn't care about a $2k+ lower unit, but does care about paying a grand or so to have it done right, which is with a barge with crane/lifting mechanism. Something doesn't compute here. I mentioned on first page the way to do this was with a working barge, and I still feel the same. As much as i love to do stuff on my own, building a HD or Lowes ramp down to the water is just asking for problems, and as Gunny mentioned, injuries.

edit to add

While it's sitting there, maybe go ahead and clean the hull a bit for the guy, since it's not gonna get it any other time, even if just a pressure washer, something's better than nothing.

Everyone has their own level of confidence/expertise to draw from, and trust. Thus, it comes down to whatever the person IN CHARGE is comfortable with tackling, and how much (if any) experienced help he has available.

As stated earlier, I'm confident I could accomplish it using leverage, gravity, and other assorted tools/aids as necessary. But then, I have always done my own work, but know my own limitations. The OP surely knows his as well, and he's got a variety of suggestions to choose from.

I look forward to seeing/reading his solution.

Yes sir. Want to make sure you know I wasn't trying to give a smart ass answer about not caring about damaging the boat.
Just saying if the fella does not care if the boat/motor is damaged it makes it a lot easier to get it back in the water if it doesn't matter to him if it gets messed up.
I got to thinking I may have worded that wrong. If I came across wrong I deeply apologize.

Oh I know that. I'm not very good sometimes typing words and afraid that I come across bad. Sometimes what I type ain't what I wanted to say after I go back and read it. Can't always express true thoughts well in print.

No worries . I didn't take it that way at all. The outdoors board knows who you are and what you bring to the table and wer'e grateful for your input.


Part of this is the owner is getting heat from the property Owners association to get his boat out of his backyard as it's been there almost 2 yrs .
Obviously he doesn't want his boat damaged if it can be avoided and I think it can but there's also a component of he needs it done sooner rather than later to stop
The "harassment". I'm working with him and we'll have this done before the calendar turns to April one way or another .

81 let me know, I'm pretty sure this can be done very safely with not that much money put in. BBQ would be my payment!!! Send me your cell and lets get this done before fishing gets really good. I will be unavailable once that happens.