 Right - it's time to get out on the water! Our beginners' guide to launching and recovering explains how to get your new boat afloat
You've bought your Touareg, your boat and your trailer, brushed up on the law and picked the perfect destination. Only one thing stands between you and trailboat bliss: the occasionally tricky business of launching your boat. Having said that, launching isn't something to get too stressed about. Make sure you take your time and concentrate on what you're doing, and you'll be fine. Soon it will be second nature, and it will be you on hand with some friendly advice when you can't believe how long the newcomers take to get going!
In this article we'll run you through launching and recovering. Along the way we'll cover one or two tricks that can help you with difficult situations. Ready to launch? Let's go!
Tips for slips
Your first job is to identify a slipway. There are plenty of books and websites with directories of slips.
The first time you use a particular slipway, it's a bit more complicated than just turning up and getting on with it. It pays to do some research first, so ask yourself some questions, such as: is this a public slipway or a privately owned one? Can it be used at any time of day, or will the tide restrict when you can launch and recover? Where can you park your Touareg once you've completed the launch? Are there any peculiarities about the shape of the slipway? And will the gradient pose any additional problems?
Ideally, you will get the chance to visit the slipway before the day of the launch. Look out for potential difficulties such as underwater hazards, or any deviations in the slipway. Do your recce at low water, when any potential hazards will be easier to see. Just because the Touareg can wade through up to 500mm deep doesn't mean you want to take chances with unseen hazards.
When you arrive with your boat, it's important to take your time with the actual launching process. For a start, your trailer's wheel bearings will have heated up during the drive to the slipway, so you'll need to give them a chance to cool down before driving down to the water. In the meantime, there are a few preparatory jobs you can get on with. If the slipway is busy, stay out of the way while you ready the boat.
It might be obvious, but the first task is to check the drain bung in your boat. This is often left open when a boat is not in use so that rainwater can drain away. Leaving it open when you launch is a quick way to sink your first boat!
Next you'll want to transform your boat from being road-friendly to water-friendly.  Start by removing the lighting board and electrical cable, putting them inside the Touareg rather than leaving them on the floor to be driven over. To ready your boat for use, turn on the fuel and battery. Put the key in the ignition ready for the off, but don't turn it yet - your engine needs water flowing through it or you will break the impeller.
Then you can remove the securing straps; until you get used to them, try to remember how the straps feed through the fasteners, which will help you when you have to put the straps back on after recovery.
Nearly there...
Now is a good time to carry out your pre-launch checks. Do you have fuel, oil and water? Give the hull a once-over for any damage, and make sure you have all the clothing and lifejackets you'll need for everyone onboard (bearing in mind that it can get pretty chilly when you're out on the water). Finally, check that the painter (rope) is attached at the bow, and ensure that everything onboard is securely positioned so it won't fall out.
The last check is of the conditions - how do the tide and wind look? Keep an eye out for buoys in the water, as the way the current flows around them will tell you how the tide is behaving. Similarly, flags will give clues as to the wind.
Ideally, you'll aim to launch into the wind or tide (whichever is stronger). This way, you won't get swept sideways when you launch. Even if this isn't possible, be aware of how your boat might move when it comes free of its trailer.
The final step before heading down the slipway is to rig up a safety line from the bow of the boat to your trailer. With the travel straps already removed, it's possible that as you reverse down the slope your winch could give way, and your boat could end up dumped on the concrete. It's not very likely, but it's best not to take the risk.
Assuming there are at least two of you, you'll need a driver in charge of the Touareg and a skipper in charge of the boat. The skipper should get on board and sit down or hold on tightly.
The aim now is to reverse the trailer so that there is sufficient depth for the boat to float off. In an ideal world your Touareg won't get wet, and - absolutely ideally - nor will the moving parts of the trailer but, in practice, it's unlikely you'll be able to keep the trailer dry.
Once the boat is in the water, the skipper should lower the outdrive leg or outboard so that the cooling water intake is submerged, which will mean it's safe to start the engine. Because you're not in deep water, you're unlikely to be able to lower the leg all the way, but you'll be able to raise enough propulsion to get you going.
Now start the engine and let it run for a couple of minutes, to check for any problems. In the meantime, the bow safety line can be removed, leaving the boat attached to the trailer by the winch.
When you're sure that everything is OK, remove the winch strap and reverse the boat gently into deeper water. When it's clear, the driver can pull the Touareg and trailer out, clear the slipway and park up.
Although by now the driver will be itching to jump on board, it pays to give the trailer a quick hose-down first. Salt water is nasty stuff, so hose down the trailer and, if necessary, your Touareg's wheels too. This is particularly important if you're heading off for a day or two.
And that's it - you're done.
 The only complication can come when the slipway's gradient is very shallow, or if you're launching at low water (which is not really recommended). In this case, you might find you would need to drive your Touareg too far into the water to find sufficient depth for your boat. In that case, you'll find that you need to launch using a rope.
The principles are the same, but it's important you use the handbrakes and chocks to keep the trailer in place while you attach the rope. See 'Launching off a rope' on page 29 for more details.
Back to dry land
In theory, recovering the boat is just a matter of doing the same thing in reverse. The hard bit can come with guiding the boat onto the trailer in the first place, particularly if the tide or wind are particularly strong. Once again you'll need a driver and a skipper, and the first thing you may notice is that the slipway can look totally different if the conditions have changed.
Take your time getting onto the trailer. In generally sheltered situations, approach from upwind or uptide (whichever is stronger), so that the conditions will push you on without you having to use too much throttle. You'll want to get on the trailer as straight as possible, so don't be afraid to approach on a parallel course and let the conditions drift you onto the right line. In strong wind or tide, though, you might need to approach into the conditions, so that they act as a brake. If you're worried about how it's going, abort and come in again. It's much easier to do it once you've had a go and got a feel for the conditions; that's certainly easier than trying to convert a poor approach into the ideal recovery.
The other big skill is to work out how far the trailer should be submerged in the water. You'll be aiming to drive the boat between a third and halfway up the trailer, at which point the rollers or bunks will keep the boat aligned. Now get attach the winch strap and pull the boat right up to the bow snubber.
Now you've done the hard bit, attach the safety line between the bow and the trailer again, and drive up the slipway (the Touareg can tow loads of up to 3.5tonnes). If you used a rope to recover, stop, chock and apply the handbrake before removing the rope and leaving the slip. Otherwise, just clear the slip as soon as you can. Now prepare your trailer for the road again by switching off the battery, removing loose gear, attaching safety straps and refitting the lighting board and propeller cover.
And that's it - you've done it! Before long it will be second nature, but never the skip the basics. The safety of you and your boat are paramount.
The Touareg is the Official partner of Skandia Cowes Week, the sponsor of the SB3 Laser sailing series, and the SB3 Touareg Trophy Season.
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