Chestermere boat launch after hours
 

So I got a cheap boat with a good trailer, and I’m going to have to switch trailers. My options are Chestermere (preferred), or likely CVR.
I’m not going to pay $50-$65 a boat just to switch trailers and I think I remember reading that if you use the launch before they open, they obviously can’t charge you. Yet I suppose they could nab you when you retrieve. IMO it’s absurd they pay someone to sit there and collect payment or whatever they do.
Anyways, anyone know if the launch is gated and locked after their staffed hours? Seems unlikely they would since what if you didn’t come back before they close?
I’m about 25-30 mins East of there so I’m not going to guess and drive 2 boats out there.
TIA

You're an hour max to CVR, you know it's free there. It ain't the high or the low, it's the difference, which is about 40 minutes. Do the right thing...

I don’t follow I’m afraid. High or the low? The right thing? I can’t imagine it’s against the rules to use the launch after hours.
And it’s also more than just a matter of 40 mins. I need someone to drive out and back, on my dime, or do 2 round trips.
If you actually know the rules there and it’s not allowed to use the launch if someone’s not there, then that’s another story I suppose.

As a resident of Chestermere, I can answer your question for you. There is indeed a gate(blue steel arm really) that they use for the entrance and exit at the boat launch. It is locked after the staff at the office leave for the day. I will agree with you that the cost for use is ridiculous.

Thanks bud. I think the price is purposely ridiculous to keep people away. To be honest, I can’t blame residence from not wanting the lake to turn into a zoo. There’s a million D-bags out there with their wake boats and 1000 watt stereos, who seem to like nothing better than to force you to listen to their music and rock your boat over and over. lol.
I drive past it a lot, but that doesn’t give you much of a view of the whole lake. Yet from what I see, it doesn’t seem like there’s ever lots of boats in the water.
Anyways, thanks again.

Eagle lake

B.

Ghost dam nice large paved parking lot with lot's of boat dock to tie up to. No need to worry about after hours. Crawling Valley will still have you register your boat with EID before you can launch it.

My guess is the private launch / campground is closed and Ive heard it’s not easy or possible to launch at the West one. Too shallow.
Have you launched at the West one?

Register? Are you talking about writing your HIN number and name in the book, or whatever? Or have they actually started making people register?
Ghost is a bit out of the way, but thanks for the tip.

CVR open the gate at 8 am campground closed boat launch open and free. They meet you at the gate get your vehicle licence plate and boat number. Your name address ask where and when the boat was last time in the water. check to see if plug is out ( it's law) Check maybe for invasive mussels or weeds. Give you a sticker and away you go. There is a launch that goes right into the lake and one in the marina. It covers the EID area, CVR, Lake Newell, Rolling Hills. Takes only a few minutes of your time. Hope you have a Boaters Operators Licence.

Yes . 16' Crestliner spring like now so water was up. You are 6 min from launch if in strathmore, it's a quick look to decide. Roller bunk trailer will help

B.

What you mean by on your dime? When do you want to do the switch? Are you out by Strathmore? Maybe send me a pm

Does eagle lake have a launch? I’ve never been there

If all you want to do is switch trailers, roll the boat off onto the grass, wind it back onto the new trailer. No need for a launch. I have done this with boats up to 22 feet, Fiberglas with 300 horse on the back and it works fine assuming you are using roller bunk trailers. Never tried it with flat bunks.

Ya I don’t think that’s an everyday, all day thing. I know at Newell it’s not, but maybe they just get the campground staff to do it at CVR.
I’ve had my boat license for however long it’s been needed, but not once has anyone asked for it. I’d welcome the chance to show it, lol.

Awesome, thanks bud. I’ll head over there and have a look.

I thought about that, and briefly about jacking the boats up, till I realized how much work that would take and or disaster it could become.
My boat is on a tilt trailer, which might help in a ‘dry launch’. My concern was the boat would obviously fall to one side, and possibly fall a bit off the back of the trailer.
I spent a pretty penny and hours upon hours restoring my baby, and the idea scares me a bit, lol.
Having to adjust the trailer to my boat might complicate that plan as well.
Thanks for the advice.

I live 5 mins from it for the past 30 years and never attempted it, if that tells you something. I think spring is your only chance at using a boat on it. The weeds choke it off.

x2 on the unload and load it on the grass. Had to do it the first time when my weather rotted winch strap broke and my boat rolled of the trailer while I was slowly going uphill from the launch. I had recently sandblasted and painted the trailer and forgot to reinstall the new safety chain. The boat was also newly painted and luckily it never left any marks. More importantly, there wasn't anybody around to witness the event. Seeing that there wasn't any damage and the boat loaded up so easily, I did it another time on purpose with a different boat when upgrading trailers.

I doubt that would work with a bunk - too much friction there. Plus if you pull, push or force it in any way I could see that bending stuff - but not a bad idea for a roller trailer.

I have dropped my boat on the lawn to do some maintenance on the trailer and rolled it back on when done , no problem . I did have a roller trailer . With bunks could a guy slather them with soap ?

Bottom line is if your not comfortable doing it , use a launch .

north end of macgregor isnt too far from strathmore either

Your the second person to suggest this, and despite how concerned I was, I did it. My concern was the boat rolling on its side.
I put 2 tires, one on rim with pressure the one on top just rubber, on either corner. The trailer has bogey rollers so there’s no room at the back.
I used the winch to control the tilt (tilt trailer), then anchored the boat from behind and pulled ahead slowly, stopping often to check. When retrieving with that trailer I never backed in far, and would crank it up most of the way, so I knew how well it would slide off.
when it was as far back as it could go, I put 2 bare tires stacked under the hull, about console level, and a jack stand with some bluejean material to avoid scratches. It stayed right where it was and I just backed up the roller trailer under it. Winched it the rest of the way when it sat down on the front rollers.
thanks for the tips guys.

I suppose that would greatly depend on the boat and trailer, yet you don’t have to back up so far to float the boat off bunks completely either. There ment to slide, yet a complete dry slide on a heavy boat could be an issue for sure, I’d guess.
I had the benefit of a tilt trailer, so I stacked the 2 tires and they were basically touching the hull before I even tilted. That got most of the weight off the bunks. A guy could do the same thing if he jacked up the trailer, then lowered it with supports (tires) underneath.

I’m glad I didn’t read your reply before I did it, as it likely would have been enough to make me not try it, lol. Not like it saved me much, but I hate asking for help.

Lmao. Yes the embarrassment is often the worst part. I once had my 5th wheel travel trailer drop a few inches from the hitch cause I was scatter brained.
Luckily I had firewood behind the hitch, and enough of it that the trailer only dropped say 6”. Yet it was loud enough that the people next to me all stopped and stared. I mildly tried to act like I did it intentionally (for some reason), and wasn’t surprised. lol.
Did your boat slide off on a road? That’s awesome there wasn’t any scratches. The second I was done painting my boat, I thought “Great, now I have to worry about scratches”. Guess what scratches look like on a black boat with light grey primer or shiny aluminum underneath? I’m tempted to just glue a hundred fenders to the hull.

perfect

Glad that worked out so well for you. When I did it I just rolled the boat off and on again. No tires, Jack stands or any of that stuff. You took way more steps doing it than I ever have but whatever makes you comfortable. All the best.