Greg,

When I started your video I got a pop-up ad asking "Do you know the 7 first signs of dementia?" So who was that aimed at, me or you? or both?

It went way too smoothly. Several years ago I built a utility trailer and cradle to haul my San Juan 24. It was a tandem trailer with a 5 x 12 foot flatbed. The cradle bolted in and the central member was a 4" square tube. Inside was a 3 1/2" tube so we could telescope it out about 20 feet. It made it pretty snakey but was enought to get the boat on and off at most ramps. The process was not easy so I only used it a few times when we went up to Priest Lake, Idaho for vacation at my brother-in-law's lake cabin.

One year my brother and I got ready to put the boat in. Pulled to the top of the ramp where it was (we thought) level. I cranked down the dolly wheel to hold the tongue weight so we could ease the trailer back on the telescoping hitch. It started moving easily, too easily. About 5 feet into our 20 feet of tubing we decided to stop the process and block the trailer wheels and extend the tongue with the pickup. Both of us were holding the trailer trying to reduce the acceleration. I'm only about 5-9 and 160 lbs but my brother is 6-2 and tipped in at about 270 at the time. We were both grunting and sliding. Smoke started to come out from under the soles of our Chuck Taylors (am am absolutely certain) and we gave each other the look thas says "how soon do we bail out?" We found new strength reserves and got the thing stopped about 2 feet from the end. It was also just before the ramp crested and got steeper. I was able to get the bolt into the holes that locked the telescope in place but only just before we started the chuckle/laugh cycle that made my stomach sore for several days. His version was that he could picture me riding the tongue down the ramp faster and faster trying to keep it steered toward the water. He described a perfect Daffy Duck scene. After all the fun I rewrote the "Operations Manual" to include blocking the trailer and extending the tongue first, then launching.

I enjoyed your comments about boat sizes, etc. The past couple of years our 42 footer has started to change from and Escape Module to Too Much Work for the Fun. We have a large cruise to British Columbia planned for next summer and then we will probably make a change.