ramp launch info

[df]

I am looking for advice on ramp launching the capri22 fin keel. I finally got my trailer set up with a 30 foot tow strap/tongue wheel. This past week I went to pull the boat and ran into the following problems.1. I could not get the bow of the boat to stay on the bow support--as I pulled the boat out the bow would lower and come off the support. It was off 8 to 10 inches. (maybe the trailer was too deep?)2. As a result of number one--as the boat was being pulled the boat was now off the intended position by 10 inches or so and the trailer and boat wanted to tip backwards. The CG was now off. At this point I knew the boat would need to stay in the water until I figured out how to keep the bow in the bow support. The trailer I have is a single axle trailer with 6 pads, and the bow support is straight up--not at an angle as others. Could anyone offer some advice on the problem I have with getting the bow in the correct location. Also, how far should my front pads be under water?

 

[Jack]

Take it easy but don't rock back.

Your boat is probably rocking back due to the slope of the ramp. Set up your trailer so that the hitch is as close to the ground as possible to minimize the angle between the boat and the trailer. Tie 2 lines to the trailer near the front and Winch them tight before pulling out so that the boat is contacting the front V where it needs to be for transport. Ease the trailer and boat up the ramp with as little acceleration as possible. This teghnique worked for 18 times in the 18 years I used my trailer to remove my 27 foot 7000 pound Sun Yacht with 4'3" draft for the winter. I got about 25 feet of line wet each time on a 6 degree boat ramp. Hope this helps.

 

[Brett]

DO the SCOOT

After taking the boat out of the water, drive at about 5-8 mph and then slam on the brakes. It makes some noise but the boat should scoot nicely up on the trailer right up to the bow stop. Works like a charm. I do this every time I pull my MacGregor 26 out of the water.

 

[Doug Rodrigues]

Experimentation

Seems that every different boat requires a different technique. If you discover that your boat needs to be slid-up further after pulling it out of the water, try a few squirts of liquid dishwashing detergent at the rear of those support pads. That may help the boat slide easier.

 

[David M. Walters]

Bow eye is essential

I had the same problem with my Beneteau First 235 falling back 8-10 in. when retrieving and causing the tongue weight to be too low. The problem was that I had to use the bow cleat to attach the trailer winch strap to the boat, and it was nearly 3' above where the bow stop contacted the bow. What was happening, was that as the angle of the boat (level while in the water) changed to match that of the trailer (nearly 15 degrees on the ramp), the bow would now settle down to the bunks and the strap would be too long to keep it on the bow stop.This year, I installed a bow eye just above where the bow stop hits the bow. This becomes the new pivot point for when boat settles on the trailer, and thus stays right where the strap is holding it. This means that when winching the boat up to the bow stop, I've got to lift the bow a little to get the strap over the bow stop. This is easily handled by the winch. FYI, I'm sure you can't do the scoot method using the strap as an extender, but the other idea of using lines from your primary winches forward to the trailer sound like it might work. This would at least keep the bow tight to the bow stop as the angles change.Good luck

 

[fox]

thanks

Thanks David for the reply. I do have a bow eye and have done what you suggested. The winch has been aligned with the bow eye and I also modified the bow support to a double pivoting type support that you see on many EZ loader trailers. This support has a bow pad above and below the bow eye.