shoal keel

[Rob Verner]

Has anyone launched a shoal draft fixed keel boat from a trailer? I'm considering buying a Hunter 270 and wonder how far into the water I will have to back to get the boat to float free?

 

[Clayton]

You'll need a hefty tow strap

Rob,I have a 26.5 shoal draft fixed keel that we trailer sail. We launch and recover a couple of times per year (depending upon marina space availability). The process goes as follows: Back the trailer down the ramp almost to the edge of the water. Chock the trailer wheels securely and disconnect the trailer from the truck. Attach tow strap to trailer and to truck and take up slack in strap (I use a 30 foot 4" yellow webbing recovery strap rated at 30,000 lbs). Lower the trailer tongue onto launching wheel (The previous owner of our boat welded a stub axle to the trailer tongue, this serves as storage for the spare and allows easy launching of the boat). Pull the trailer up the ramp a foot or so to get the trailer off the wheel chocks. Remove chocks and back trailer in to the lake until the boat floats off. Recovery is the reverse of this process. There are several pictures in the photo forum of this process. I believe they were titled launching large sailboats from trailers or something similar. Feel free to e-mail me at clayton.fawcett@lafarge-na.com if you wish. The first couple of times it is somewhat scary, but after that it is a piece of cake. Regards,ClaytonSee the link below...

 

[Jon]

Launching O'Day 240 from Trailer

I've successfully trailer launched my O'Day 240 many, many, times. The boat has a fixed, wing, keel and draws 30 in. The trailer has bunks and pads (no rollers) and the tongue extends. I've had to extend the tongue on every ramp that I've used. Some ramps have been pretty steep, and some rather flat. Usually I back my two-wheel drive Chevy Astro van such that the rear tires are just in the water (making sure that the exhaust pipe is above water).I've also found that, when retreiving the boat, if I first squirt liquid detergent, e.g. "Joy" etc., all over the trailer's bunks and pads, it's a little easier to slide the boat to its original position.For both launching and retreival, the trailer has to be pretty well summereged, so the boat float off or on the trailer.A friend of mine has an identical boat, but his trailer is all-rollers (no bunks or pads) and no extendable trailer tongue. His rig seems to work even better than mine.