Does your sailboat have a keel that pulls up? Then you might consider yourself lucky. This type of boat can be launched just like you would a regular motorboat. But if your sailboat has a fixed keel, it will take some special safety precautions. With this kind of keel, the trailer has to back down to the end of the ramp to get the boat into water deep enough to float and be disconnected from the trailer. Your tow vehicle cannot back it down far enough without getting submerged. You must follow a safe procedure for launching successfully.

Do you have the proper equipment to do the job safely? Your tow truck needs to be at least a mid-sized SUV or pickup truck, something fairly heavy. That weight is needed for safety. It is essential to keep all sections balanced, the truck, the trailer, and the boat.

Your tow vehicle must NOT be a front-wheel-drive type. Why? Because when the weight of the trailer presses down on the rear section of the tow vehicle, its front wheels lose traction. Some good choices of tow vehicles are rear wheel drive with manual 4-wheel drive option, all-wheel drive, or a 2-wheel drive as long as it is rear-wheel drive.

Of course you need safety accessories, namely rope and wheel chocks. You need a long, strong rope that is in very good condition. This will be used to let the trailer into the water, so the rope must be strong enough to bear the weight of the trailer plus your boat. Be sure it is thick enough and in good condition. Plan on replacing the rope each season if you boat often. You also need some quality wheel chocks with sturdy ropes attached so you can easily yank them out at just the right moment. Do not buy cheap equipment. If you have the money to invest in a boat, trailer, and tow vehicle, then you have the money to buy some quality tow rope and quality wheel chocks.

Follow these basic steps to safely launch a fixed-keel sailboat:

1. The driver backs the trailer up to the water’s edge.

2. The crew places the wheel chocks behind the trailer wheels.

3. Separate the trailer from the tow vehicle. The trailer’s spare tire needs to be mounted at the front of the trailer to hold the trailer tongue up. This allows it to roll smoothly.

4. Tie a very long rope from the trailer to the tow vehicle.

5. Pull the tow vehicle forward, away from the lake, until the rope is tight.

6. Pull the chocks out from behind the trailer wheels and back up the tow vehicle so the trailer and boat are submerged in the water. Unless sandbars are encountered at the base of the ramp, your driver should be able to easily back up until the boat floats and free itself from the trailer.

7. Drive forward with the tow vehicle to get the trailer up out of the water. Next put the chocks under the trailer wheels, then back up the tow vehicle and hitch the trailer back on.

If you run into sandbars, you could ask a power boater to assist. Boaters are a friendly bunch, and I am sure it wouldn’t take long to find a boater who could pull your boat and trailer out far enough to be in deep enough water. If there is a courtesy ramp you could use that. Tie on some dock lines and pull the trailer and boat into the water.

Wear a life vest or life jacket and stay safe. Leave the beer back at camp and stay safe all day.