trailering a Catalina 22' with a fixed keep

[Dan Jorgensen]

Any advice on trailering a Catalina 22' with a fixed keel? I have just bought the trailer and will have the boat hoisted on it on Saturday. Am I going to be able to put it in the water without going in with it? The trailer does have an extendable tongue and the landing is steep and deep.

 

[robert taylor]

technique

a trick i learned when trailer an o'day 23 was this. rather than leave the vehicle and trailor lined up when backing down, leave the vehicle at an angle to the trailor. that way, when pulling the boat or just the trailor out, you can get the vehicle moving slightly side ways as opposed to a dead forward uphill grind. after you get moving sideways, and trailor car and boat is moving, then turn uphill and continue.

 

[Dick of Sylvan]

Extending Tongue

Dan: If ramp is steep and deep, suspect you can launch with extended tongue. To extend, I like to be near level and in position to back up before extending. Then I block trailer real well, disconnect the wiring and hydraulic brake line, the safety chain (you could first add a longer safety), and the trailer hitch. Then move the tow auto forward and pull the extension by hand. This makes lining up the holes to hold the extension a lot easier than if still attached to auto. Then reattach trailer hitch to tow auto, unblock and back in until boat floats but stopping before rear axle is under water. If you still don't float, then you'll have to use more drastic meaures. Some trailers have neat little wheels mounted near the tongue so the trailer can be moved by gravity while attached by a cable or strap to tow vehicle. I have used the dolly on the front of my 22 tandem trailer for that purpose, but once I forgot to lower it all the way and it bent and had to be replaced. My 22 is a swing keel but some ramps are rather flat inclines. If I had a fixed keel, I'd mimic the Santana 20's trailers that use the front wheel method. Also, I'd be sure the boat is strapped well to the trailer when it is being towed, and I wouldn't want to make sudden turns. Dick

 

[Randy K]

Rope Launch

I have a fixed fin keel C22. Many people at our yacht club launch their boats using a long rope or cable. I use a 75' heavy rope. Basically it goes like this:-back the boat and trailer to the waters edge-chock the trailer tires from rolling-unhook the car from the trailer-tie the rope to the front of the trailer-tie the other end to your car hitch-pull the car forward until the line is taut-remove the wheel chocks from the trailer-back up until the boat floats off-pull up until the trailer is out of the water-chock the trailer wheels-back the car up to the trailer-remove the rope from the car and trailer-reattach the trailer to the carIt takes about 20 minutes to do this and you avoid having to pay for a lift. It is *best* if your trailer has keel guides to help the boat go to the right spot on the trailer. I also have poles that stick up on each side of the trailer to make aiming easier. The trailer, including the pads, will be submerged.