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" The planets have finally aligned to kick off the boating season. The weather&amp;#039;s gorgeous, your craft is tuned and fueled, and the water beckons. In case your launching skills are rusty, here&amp;#039;s how to leap from land to sea with the skills of an ancient mariner. 1. Before you back down the ramp, your boat, trailer and tow vehicle need to be primed for launch. Start by inspecting the ramp for submerged hazards, sharp drop-offs and slippery spots covered with algae. 2. Ideally you&amp;#039;ve test-started your boat&amp;#039;s engine to avoid the embarrassing dead-in-the-water syndrome. Carefully inspect your hull and drive components for parasitic marine life; remove pesky zebra mussels or any other freeloaders so they don&amp;#039;t infiltrate the lake you&amp;#039;re about to enter. Give the bilge drain plug(s) a final check to make sure they are installed and securely tightened. Center the steering. Use the trim control to raise the outboard motor or stern drive to the upper limit of its range to avoid dragging the skeg during launch. All essential gear\u2014life jackets, fenders, safety equipment and refreshments\u2014should be stowed neatly on board. 3. Shift your tow vehicle into four-wheel-drive if it is so equipped. Low range, if available, is handy for providing optimum control over a large boat and trailer. If you&amp;#039;re using a front-drive tow vehicle to launch something light, such as a personal water craft, locate, but don&amp;#039;t press, the switch that disables traction control. 4. Now check the trailer. Disconnecting the cable that powers the tail lamps will prevent bulb failure during their immersion. Remove the tie-down straps securing the boat&amp;#039;s transom (back end) to the trailer. Unhook the strap that connects the boat&amp;#039;s bow (front end) to the winch mechanism. Reel in that strap and secure the hook so it doesn&amp;#039;t drag on the ground after launch. Some trailers equipped with surge brakes have a lever (located at the front of the trailer tongue) to disable the brakes during backing. 5. Your able helper\u2014someone familiar with starting, shifting and steering procedures\u2014should now climb aboard the boat. In the event you have no helper and are attempting a single-handed launch, skip to step 11. 6. Lower the tow vehicle&amp;#039;s windows and mute the radio so you can hear communications from your helper. Adjust your mirrors so you can keep eyes on the boat without craning. After a final check to make sure there&amp;#039;s a clear path into the water, begin slowly backing the tow vehicle. Steer carefully to keep the trailer centered on the launch ramp and in a straight line with the tow vehicle. If your rig goes catawampus, drive forward to correct the tow-vehicle-to-trailer alignment. 7. As the boat hull enters the water, give the brake pedal an occasional light tap. This keeps speed in check and uses the boat&amp;#039;s momentum to slide your craft smoothly off the trailer. Do not be alarmed when most of the trailer, including the wheels and fenders, becomes immersed. 8. Halt the tow vehicle well before its rear wheels reach the water&amp;#039;s edge. (If the ramp angle is shallow, those wheels may have to enter the water.) Your boat should now be floating free of the trailer and under the command of your able helper. Remind your assistant to check the steering and reset the trim before starting the engine. 9. Use minimal throttle to extract the empty trailer from the water&amp;#039;s clutches without spinning the tow vehicle&amp;#039;s wheels. If the ramp is slippery and traction is severely limited, try switching off the traction control. To help your tow vehicle gain a secure footing, steer away from algae patches. 10. Don&amp;#039;t forget to reattach the tail-lamp cable before towing your trailer on the road. And when the boat is back onboard the trailer, return the surge-brake lever to its normal operating position. 11. Launching without an assistant is tricky, but it can be done. The essential difference is that you need a mooring line so the boat doesn&amp;#039;t float away without you. That rope should be loosely tied to either a dock or to the trailer until you&amp;#039;re onboard. Follow steps 6, 7 and 8 while also performing the helper&amp;#039;s duties. Once the trailer is down the ramp far enough for the boat to be buoyant, climb aboard by any convenient means. If remaining dry is your goal, try walking down the trailer&amp;#039;s tongue and hopping onto the bow. Once onboard, detach the mooring line, lower the trim, start the engine and drive the boat to a dock or to the shore so you can drive your vehicle and trailer from the boat ramp and into a parking space. The single-handed launch method should not be used if there is a queue of fellow boaters waiting for their turn on the ramp. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.popularmechanics.com/adventure/outdoors/a5808/how-to-launch-your-boat/>