launching/re-trailering on a ramp

[Doug]

Hello everyone!I'm new to the board and a new owner of '93 Hunter 23.5. My wife and I took it out for the first time this weekend with the previous owner. It was very nice of him, and we appreciated the time he took with us.What I wanted to ask everyone: when launching and re-trailering a sailboat on a ramp, which method do you use:1. back the trailer as close to the side dock as possible, and after the boat is floating, release it from the trailer winch while your mate holds a bow and stern line from the dock. Then, join your mate on the dock, taking one of the dock lines, and then both of you "walking" the boat off of the trailer, and when the boat is clear, tie it to the dock. To re-trailer, reverse the above steps (I watched a couple of older gents do this with a Macgregor 26, and they made it look easy and fast, both coming and going.)2. back the trailer into the middle of the ramp area, release the boat from the trailer winch, and motor in reverse to clear the trailer (this is what we did, and almost hit a docked boat). To re-trailer, aim in between the guide poles on the trailer, and motor up to the winch (coming back in - it took a couple of trys, especially with the wind coming over the port beam. It seems to me motoring in a confined area, with the keel up (no pivot point) is not the best or safest means (especially in reverse).The Macgregor guys made it looks so much easier using the dock method (#1) - I think that's what my wife and I will try next time. We're thrilled with the 23.5, and should have a lot of fun sailing her. We were very impressed with her performance - very light winds, and yet still making 6+ knots on a reach.Happy sailing!

 

[Al Eckhart]

Launch Ramp Process

Doug,I've found, as you have,that using your outboard at slow speed and in a confined space takes a lot of practice and thorough preparation. Sailboats just don't want to respond at slow speed. As such, I always use the "older gents with the MacGregor" approach and have never had an accident. It's slower, but then, so is everything about our sport.Congratulations on your new Hunter 23. Al EckhartGALLIVANTC25T

 

[larry w.]

ramp launching

Doug; Back when I had a Catalia 22, I used to ramp-launch it. There was no dock alongside the ramp. Back the trailer down - I used an eight foot tongue extension - until the outboard is in the water and the boat is just beginning to float. Start the engine. After it's warm, release the winch line, back off and motor to the dock. To retrieve, I built a keel guide for the trailer. Raise the keel up to full, then lower it ten turns. This puts it about a forty-five degree angle, low enough to provide directional stability and engage the keel guide. Attach the winch cable and snug it up. Pull up the ramp. The boat settles onto the trailer dead center.

 

[Bob]

You can get some

boat guides that bolt to the rear rails of the trailer - they are pvc plastic tubes that you can adjust so that they just clear the rub-rail of the boat - they make it easy to winch the boat onto the trailer (or pull it on from the bed of a pickup) and keep the boat centered unless there is an extremely strong wind on the beam. They also make it easier to line up the trailer when backing up. Remember to unplug the trailer lights before immersing them in water.

 

[Stan]

check with locals about any ramp

Ramps that are used by a lot of powerboats that motor onto their trailers can be washed out beyond the end of the ramp. If the paved surface doesn't extend far enough, you can drop your trailer off the edge into the washed out hole. I hear its not cheap to get pulled out.

 

[tomD]

easy does it

I use method one. The freedom of a trailer sailer is somewhat restricted by the ramps that are in good shape, ie. deep enough to launch, and flat bottomed so the boat sits correctly when on the trailer--had big problems on powerboat lakes with uneven bottom, could not get the trailer to sit flat whiel the boat was being loaded on, I now examin the ramp very carefully before offloading. Powerboats use the engine to jump the boat onto their trailers and blow holes in the lakebottom in the process. avoid avoid.

 

[Doug]

thanks for the input

Thanks to everyone for the input. We'll definitely be going with the dock-launch method. And thanks for the heads up regarding powerboat holes in ramps. We'll be going out of Oceanside most of the time, and it looks to be a reasonably good ramp. We'll find out for sure this weekend.Doug