I love going out on my jon boat with friends and family whenever I get the chance. But there are times when it’s nice to simply decompress and enjoy a little time alone surrounded by nature while cruising or relaxing in my jon boat. If you ever find yourself in this situation, you’ll definitely want to know how to launch or load a jon boat by yourself.
So, how do you launch or load a jon boat by yourself? Launching your jon boat is easiest with a long rope attached to your boat’s bow, all your gear on board, and a hard stop when backing your boat trailer into the water. Loading requires your trailer to be head-on with your boat, driving the boat up the trailer, and attach it to the trailer winch.
The most important aspects of launching and loading a jon boat by yourself are that you’re doing it safely and in a timely manner. However, there’s a lot of little details that can go into launching or loading a jon boat by yourself, which is exactly what I want to get into. Before you know it, you’ll be taking your jon boat out by yourself whenever you want.
Launching and Loading a Jon Boat by Yourself
Being able to launch and load a jon boat by yourself can be an incredibly freeing set of skills because you have the ability to hit the water whenever you want. It’s also a great way to build up experience when working with your jon boat since you’re forced to do all the work by yourself. Another instance of freedom and responsibility going hand in hand.
If you find yourself having to launch or load your jon boat all by yourself, you might be wondering:
- How do I launch a jon boat by myself without a dock?
- How do I load a jon boat on a trailer by myself?
Getting your jon boat in and out of the water is, of course, extremely important otherwise you’d likely not much enjoy owning a jon boat. It’s especially nice when you have the ability to take on the tasks associated with using your jon boat all on your own, which is why learning how to launch and load a jon boat by yourself is so empowering.
How Do I Launch a Jon Boat by Myself Without a Dock?
If your jon boat isn’t sitting by the side of a dock already, you’ll need to launch it into the water. While some people may default to picking up their jon boat by its handles and hoisting it into the water, this is only possible if you’re with a group of other people. Or maybe you’re the Hulk?
The first step in getting your jon boat safely and securely into the water is by ensuring you have a long, durable rope attached to the bow of your jon boat. The reason for having this rope is so if your boat gets away from you once it enters the water, you’ll be sure it won’t get too far since you can attach the other end to a cleat on the back of your car.
Another great feature of attaching a long rope to the bow of your jon boat is that it’ll allow you to more easily guide it once it’s in the water. Moving it around the dock or wherever you are is certainly easier with a rope you can grab a hold of as opposed to grabbing onto any handles or grips attached to your jon boat.
The second step is mostly a standard rule to abide by when going out on the water, which is to make sure your jon boat is packed with all the gear you’ll need. Having your gear ready and onboard your jon boat before sending it down the ramp will bring you peace of mind and keep the boat launching process move swiftly and smoothly. We all know what it’s like to be waiting for someone who’s running back and forth to load more gear onto their boat, so it’s courteous to be prepared as well.
The third step I suggest when launching a jon boat by yourself is to give a hard stop when backing up your jon boat down the ramp. Once you’re sure your jon boat will float freely and safely into the water, this hard stop will give your jon boat that extra “oomph”. As long as your backing your boat down the ramp at a slow and steady speed, this method will help you get your jon boat into the water safely without having to climb on your trailer to push it out by hand.
Once your jon boat’s in the water, you simply grab the long rope you attached to the bow and detach it from the cleat at the rear of your car. Leading it around is easy now and you’ll be able to hop on your jon boat and start cruising in no time.
How Do I Load a Jon Boat on a Trailer by Myself?
Now that you’ve finished up the day enjoying a bit of alone time on your jon boat, it’s about time to pack up and head out. Launching your jon boat is only the first big step when taking your jon boat out on your own since you still need to learn how to load a jon boat by yourself. Thankfully, loading a jon boat by yourself is not difficult and only requires a little bit of practice.
The first step when loading your jon boat by yourself is to tie off your jon boat at the end of the dock so others can finish loading their boats. Depending on how active your dock is at various times of the day, you may or may not have to wait too long. While your jon boat is tied off, you should go grab your car and prepare to back your trailer down the ramp and into the water.
When it’s your turn to load your jon boat, you’ll want to slowly and steadily back your trailer down the ramp. You want to do this just enough so that you’ll be able to get your jon boat’s bow up to where your trailer winch is located.
The second major step is to hop onto your jon boat, untie it, and shove off. Once you’re free from the dock and have your rope safely onboard, you’ll want to make sure you’re not too close to any other vessels or obstacles so you have enough space to maneuver and prepare for getting your jon boat onto your trailer.
The third step when loading your jon boat by yourself is to turn on the motor and slowly drive your jon boat up to your trailer. Once your boat’s close enough to attach to your trailer’s winch and it’s sitting securely on your trailer, you’ll want to turn off your motor, hop off your boat, and get your boat attached to the winch immediately.
Once your jon boat is attached to the winch, crank it until the bow stop of your boat is in a good position relative to your winch. Now that your jon boat is securely fastened to your trailer, all you need to do now is slowly and steadily drive your trailer off and away from the ramp. After this, I like to park my truck on the side so I can do a final inspection to make sure my jon boat is firmly attached to the trailer before heading out.
How Far Should I Back My Boat Trailer into the Water?
If you’re wondering what the sweet spot is for knowing how far back your boat trailer should go into the water, the good thing is that it doesn’t take too much time to get used to it. For the most part, it really depends on the location at which your launching and loading your jon boat, which means you’ll need to adapt to different environments whenever you change up locations.
Having said that, a good rule of thumb based on my experience is to get the rear fender of your truck a little bit under the waterline while keeping your front fender above it. When all is said and done, you generally want to ensure your jon boat is able to stay centered and staying within the boundaries of your trailer.
It’s important to not go too far into the water because you’ll then risk your jon boat swaying side to side without being able to stay centered as well as put your truck’s rear at risk of getting hit by the bow of your jon boat. You definitely don’t want to rush this process, so be sure that when you’re backing up your boat trailer into the water, you’re able to take in everything and execute accordingly.
In the end, being able to launch and load your jon boat all by yourself may take a bit of practice, but it’s very easy to get the hang of and will certainly give you peace of mind whenever you want to head out on your jon boat alone. Whether you’re out cruising around, fishing, or simply relaxing, it’s hard to beat a bit of peace and quiet when out by yourself on your jon boat.
