Boat Handling Hacks for Geezers / Necessity is the Mother of Innovation

[Special K]

I’ve never seen the Dakota retriever. I don’t know what I’d tie it to at Sardis


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The Dakota Boat Retriever may be the greatest thing since sliced bread for anyone who launches their boat by themselves.
Here's a link showing how it works: The Dakota Boat Retriever ~ How it Works. I absolutely love mine.
You can actually hook to anything a pole, bush, tree, bush or even a tent stake driven in the ground.

[Grumpa]

I feel your pain, too much basketball on concrete has caught up with me. 2 things that help a lot are a Ulterra trolling motor (remote deploy and stow) and a Grotto boat latch (unlatch with the tug of a rope and self latching)

[Special K]

I feel your pain, too much basketball on concrete has caught up with me. 2 things that help a lot are a Ulterra trolling motor (remote deploy and stow) and a Grotto boat latch (unlatch with the tug of a rope and self latching)

I had a lifetime of sports including baseball, football, softball until I was 48 years old (myself). I'm sure my all of my joints and connecting tissues are just plain wore out... at least that's what the doctors are saying. I'm interested to research the Grotto boat latch that you speak of.

[cattoon]

Drotto latch, I’m already looking at it and have submitted it for financial approval .....

[skeetbum]

Older than some, younger than others. Most of what bothers me is something I broke or had to have fixed. Now I climb in and out of a truck with two knee high steps 50 to 70 times a day, and that doesn’t help anything. I’m looking at the blooms and not the roots with a good woman by my side, think I’ll shut up while I’m ahead.

[Special K]

Older than some, younger than others. Most of what bothers me is something I broke or had to have fixed. Now I climb in and out of a truck with two knee high steps 50 to 70 times a day, and that doesn’t help anything. I’m looking at the blooms and not the roots with a good woman by my side, think I’ll shut up while I’m ahead.

I know climbing up and down in that truck takes its toll on you every day, especially with previous injuries/surgeries and all of the aches and pains from it. I'm sure all the humidity in Florida doesn't help much either.

[deltarat]

Drotto latch, I’m already looking at it and have submitted it for financial approval .....

I promise you that you will love it. It is one of the best things that I have bought. I am 70 with severe arthritis. I disconnect everything on the boat, let down my tailgate and back in until the boat floats. I step on my running board and then the tire and over in the back of my bed. Then I just step from the tailgate onto the front of the boat and pull the Drotto latch and back off. When I return, I drive on and the Drotto latches the boat, with no bending over and hooking the winch and step on the tailgate and back on the ground,pull out and tie everything down. I fish alone 99% of the time and if it broke I would be ordering another that night.

[Grumpa]

Fortunately where I mainly fish we have decent docks, I back boat up as close as I can to the dock and just step into the boat. Tug of the rope and it unlatches, tie off and park truck. Not sure I could climb into the bed of truck and get to the boat. Sometimes I have a little trouble hitting the center when hooking back up, but once everything aligns it self latches and can be pulled out of the lake. I would ordered another if I ever needed one

[cattoon]

I’m not sure if finance approved it but I decided to make an executive decision.... I need the 3”.

[M R Dux]

I am solving the joint issues, I'm having them all replaced. Both knees, serious spine surgery, right hip later this summer, right shoulder will be soon. 6-8 hours a day on the boat, standing up the whole time, is wrecking me further.
I'm soon solving that also. New sit down boat by the end of the month!

I had a custom ladder built for my trailer that will come with me when I turn the Bay Pro 230 back in. It saves me a whole bunch of struggle throwing my leg over a 32 inch side boat.

I have a Drotto latch and it works great on some boats, not at all on others. My Excel Bays have a very sharp bow and I tried it on them with no success. I'm going to try to set up my new Storm Cat different so I can use it.