Can you launch a pontoon boat by yourself?
Yes, you can! But, it can be tricky. However, practice makes perfect.
Launching your pontoon boat when it’s just you might take a little bit of practice, but once you have your system in place, there’s no reason why you can’t do it again and again.
I can understand that you might be worried about doing so, but if you are like me and you love to go fishing by yourself, you don’t really have much choice in the matter.
The first time I tried to do it I hadn’t practised or researched the best method. By the time I had driven up to the ramp it was too late to do anything about it, and I had to get out and figure this all out – it took me ages!
But, that little bit of embarrassment was worth it, because now I can get launched in minutes and then set off onto the lakes for my day’s fishing where I can get peace and quiet away from home (all by myself).
Full Disclosure: The solo launching method I am going to show you works for me. It might not work for you, but please try it and tell me how you get on. I find that with this method I can actually get launched faster now than if there was someone helping me!
My launching steps below should mean you can do the entire process without having to do massive corrections to your trailer. You should also get be able to approach the launch without pulling up to short or too deep, and without the need to fiddle with winch straps and mooring lines whilst under the critical gaze of other more experienced pontooners.
It only takes a few minutes, here’s how I do it.
Step 1: Preparation is Key to a Successful Solo Launch
Fail to prepare, prepare to fail.
I’ve never heard such a suitable phrase when it comes to launching your pontoon by yourself.
Heed it, because you need to prepare.
Here are my preparation tips and tasks that you need to do before you even get to the water.
- Disconnect any electrical outlets
- Disconnect any incandescent light bulb plugs
- Stow away mooring lines, safety equipment, and transom straps inside the boat
- Gather your mooring line and fenders so they’re ready to use
- If your pontoon has a drain plug, double check to ensure it’s in place
- Learn how to back up your trailer in a straight slow line
This fine-tuning of your manoeuvrability skills should be practised well in advance of getting to the lake. I practice on my own driveway at home, but empty parking lots are even better due to the turning circles you will have available to you.
Pretend that a marked off parking bay is the ramp as this will give you great practise.
When practising your backing-up with the trailer, learn how small fine-tuned corrections can make a massive difference to how the pontoon trailer will behave.
On the actual day you first attempt this you will want to get to a point where the water is just above the wheels on your trailer.
Step 2: Approaching the Launch Ramp
Now this is one of the harder parts, as you might not have a spotter to help you unless there’s an eager to help person already near the ramp who sees that you are alone and by yourself.
Launching a boat is far easier with one person driving and another directing.
But, it’s not always going to be the case that you have this luxury.
However, providing you have practised the reverse and back-up manoeuvres multiple times, you shouldn’t have an issue with doing this part all by yourself.
The simplest way to get it right is to position both your vehicle and your pontoon trailer as straight as you possibly can, stopping about a trailer’s length away from your goal.
Step 3: Backing Up to the Water’s Edge
Now you are in a straight line and have your angles correct, start to back up slowly down the ramp towards to the water edge so that the water is just above the wheels.
The key considerations here are to:
- Drive very slowly
- Make just small and precise steering corrections
- Drive forwards a little bit if you need to straighten up the trailer
- Don’t get the boat into the water just yet
Once you are in position, with your trailer rear wheels just in the water, apply the brake into park.
Handy Hint: I have seen many people actually un-hook the bow of their pontoon before they reach the edge of the water. Don’t do it, as I’ve seen a few accidents occur this way.
Step 4: Unhook the Safety Chain and Secure a Rope
Now you’ve parked up just to the water’s edge, you can get out of your vehicle and approach the pontoon.
Unhook the safety chain and any straps and secure an anchor rope to the bow.
The boat should now be ready to be released so walk back up to your vehicle, rope in hand, giving yourself a lot of extra line so that your boat can drift back.
Pass the rope through the driver’s window, and keep it secured by wrapping it around your hand.
Step 5: Start to Back the Pontoon Boat into the Water
Now you can start backing up in a straight line again so that the trailer and pontoon go into the water.
As you back up, let the rope out as you go, and then if you hit the brake just at the right time, the momentum should take the pontoon off the trailer into the water. All whilst you have the rope in your hand.
Step 6: Pull the Boat Back to Dock Using the Rope
Now the boat is in the water successfully you can start to pull it back to the dock. Bring the pontoon in and then tie it off to the dock.
Step 7: Go Park Your Vehicle
Now the pontoon is secured to the dock, you can get back into your vehicle and go park up before your day of pontooning all by yourself.
Important Things to Consider
Anyone you speak to will have their own opinions about launching a pontoon by yourself and might even have a better way of doing things – with the most obvious being having a second person there to help you so you can do a proper launch procedure.
I have no doubt that there are other ways, this is simply the method that has worked best for me when by myself and alone.
Whatever happens, always be safe. As an example, I always keep my seat beat off when doing this manoeuvre just in case of the unlikely event that my truck will pop out of gear and roll backwards into the water.
It’s also very important to let not the pressure get to you.
If there are other people waiting to launch their pontoon behind you, then don’t let them rush you. The minute you feel rushed and under pressure is when mistakes will happen and accidents can occur.
Take your time, launch your pontoon with care, and make sure you secure it to the dock before feeling pressured into parking up your vehicle.
Watch this Video Tutorial
In the video below, this guy shows a very similar method to the one I use and his steps are almost identical.
Header image credit unknown. Found via a share on Facebook
