Re:Launching/ Careening?

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1

Posted by fanning.david (DEFanning@…>)

Richard,
That’s really interesting – I’ve tried to figure out how to get my boat
onto some sort of improvised trailer, but I don’t have either deep
enough water or a slip that doesn’t quickly end in sand… I’d have to
get pretty far out to float her on… I’d appreciate seeing what sort
of wheel you have at the tongue. I assume it’d attach to the trailer
hitch.

Here’s my problem: I resent having to sail my 21 to a boatyard to have
it hoisted and pay excessive charges to get the bottom repainted. So
without trailering, my other option is to try to careen her.

The tides down in the Caribbean where she’s moored aren’t very high (or
low) - a few feet at most - but I’ve wondered about walking her in
towards the beach, and then using the main halyard to pull her over.

I’m hesitant, with an unstayed mast, about putting that much pressure,
and wonder if anyone has advice? Is that too much strain to put on an
old carbon-fiber stick (is that what the mast is?). I could get the
local pirates to help, and keep putting support under the keel, I
suppose. Anything to get out of another $1000 plus invoice…

David

— In freedom21@yahoogroups.com, “Richard Meltz” <centaur_cycles@…>
wrote:

Hi Paul,

I have ramp-launched my fin keel Freedom 21 at the New Mexico Sailing
Club’s
home base, Heron Lake in northern NM many seasons. We have a very
long
launching ramp at a very gentle angle. This requires sending boat and
trailer WAAAY out before the boat will float free. So we all use a
“sling-launch”. The boat is backed down the ramp until the trailer
wheels
are getting wet. Then the trailer and tow vehicle are separated. A
third
wheel and tire is required on the front of the trailer. The tow
vehicle is
moved up the ramp and connected to the trailer with 40 to 60 feet (or
more)
of tow rope or cable. Then the trailer is rolled back into deep water
till
the boat floats off. This operation obviously requires some careful
planning, wheel chocking, etc. But we do it here in NM with boats all
the
way up to Catalina 30s! Retrieval is reverse of launching.

Best,

Richard Meltz

2

Posted by Richard Meltz (centaur_cycles@…>)


Hi All,
Here are some of the requested details on how we ramp launch
our Freedom 21. “Free & Clear 4” is a fin keel
model. Our sailing club has erected a tall mast raising pole with a block
and tackle on top. We roll the trailered boat underneath and use the
tackle to hoist the mast off the deck, turn it vertical, and lower it into
position down thru the deck to its step. After securing it, we rig
everything, then get ready to launch.

At the water’s edge, the trailer is chocked and
separated from the tow vehicle. We have a large wheel with tire mounted
on its own hub to the front of the trailer’s a frame. The wheel is
a spare for the trailer so it’s a full size 15” automotive wheel
and tire. The hub assembly was welded to the trailer so that when lowered
to the ground it would support the tongue and roll in a straight line.
This took several tries to get it right.

Our launch ramp was designed to accommodate fluctuating
water levels in our lake, so the paved ramp is very, very long. We attach
40 to 60 feet of tow rope between the trailer and the truck and ease back
slowly until the boat floats free. The trailer is completely submerged
and invisible y this point, except for the crane and winch at the front!
The crewmember onboard starts the outboard and motors the boat off the trailer
and over to the dock, while the driver pulls the trailer out, up to the flat
parking lot atop the launch ramp, then reattaches the trailer and truck and
parks the rig. Time to go sailing!

Retrieval is in reverse order, but several things are worth
noting. It’s vital to construct some carpeted guide boards so that
the keel will be grabbed and guided into position on the trailer. A
similar smaller V at the winch gets the bow centered. A long stick or
maybe three, one at each corner of the trailer, is helpful to visually locate
it. Remember it’s completely submerged so the helmsman can have a
hard time getting the boat on to the trailer just right. The crew needs
to grab the trailer winch cable and get it attached to the bow eye before the
boat floats back off the trailer!
Best,
Richard Meltz