I have yet to launch my Vompac 16 without getting my feet wet. Suggestions? :D
Consider yourself fortunate. I have yet to retrieve my 19 without getting my armpits wet. "Just drive her up onto the trailer" the powerboat boys say. Right.
Wes
I got a pair of rubber boots that pull on over your shoes to use when it was too cold to go barefoot.
At 68 I launch my Sun Cat by myself repeatedly without getting my feet wet. Recovery, on the other hand, is always a wet experience.
To accomplish this I use long bow and stern lines with the stern line led forward along the side deck to a readily accessible position far forward on the bow. You could even preposition both lines attaching them to the winch handle or winch support beam.
Back the trailer down the ramp as close to the side dock as possible stopping the trailer at a point where you can reach both bow and stern lines without getting your feet wet. Disconnect the winch strap from the bow eye. With lines in hand step onto the dock and TEMPORARILY secure bow and stern lines to pilings or cleats. Then SLOWLY back the trailer down the ramp to get most of the boat into the water. Return to the dock and reposition your bow and stern lines to control the boat when floated allowing a little slack. Now back down the ramp to float the boat and return quickly to the dock to check/fine tune bow and stern lines. Go park the vehicle and trailer.
Sounds like a lot of steps but it really is simple and you can fine tune the technique to fit your boat and ramp configuration.
I just love to hear nearby powerboaters say "Hey, did ya see that, he launched that sailboat all by himself!"
capt_nemo
Launching...no problem. Extend the trailer tongue. Release the strap and hook from the bow eye. Bow and stern line for person on the dock along side the ramp. Fender over board, and back the Expedition down into the water till the exhaust burbles, Hit the brakes and momentum carries her off the rollers and floats her into the water.
Taking her out, back the extended trailer into the water till the exhaust bubbles, hook the strap to the bow eye from the dock. Shove her back a bit away from the trailer hull bunks. Step on truck bumper, walk out on extended tongue of trailer to winch and crank her onto the vee block. With no wind or currant, those fiberglass driveway markers bolted to the trailer hold the hull in the right place over the trailer. Vee block and two poles...it's a three way touch. Once cranked into the vee block drive her out of the water drop the stick.
skip.
(http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh299/1930fordroadster/ComPac%2019/DSC00404.jpg)
No keel bunks. I cut them off. A 6mm aluminium Keel Boot, Marine-Texed to keel bottom for bouncing off rocks, Blue water base house paint.
(http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh299/1930fordroadster/ComPac%2019/DSC00386.jpg)
Made some 10 mm aluminium arms to lower the vee block to under the eye and miss the Dolphin stay under the bow sprit..
(http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh299/1930fordroadster/ComPac%2019/DSC00406.jpg)
(http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh299/1930fordroadster/ComPac%2019/DSC00407.jpg)
I also moved the rear axle back for more weight on the ball hitch. Plus switched the jack and winch steel around. Moves the winch in front of the jack. Moves the boat forward on the trailer, and bolted that axle angle that slides on the trailer frame to the 4" channel of the trailer. That forces the axle and tire to be flat on the road. No axle bend.
I like the idea of using the momentum to slip the boat off the trailer! Actually, was looking to try this a few times, but chickened out!!! LOL!
Skip,
I note that you have removed your keel bunks. I am curious to know why. I don't have any on the trailer of my CP16 and I have been thinking about adding them.
The last time or two that I hauled her out I couldn't easily line the keel up onto the rubber rollers. Thus... I am thinking I need the keel bunks.
Should I just "Skip" adding them?
- Ted
Ted,
I removed mine to replace them on my CP19, but decided to make it a winter project out of laziness.
I will pull the boat without them, then add them back on adjusting them as high as possible, and with some wiggle room.
Previous owner had em setup with no wiggle room, and it was a hard launch for me.
I would suggest you do the same, meaning raise them high so that it wont be too high to interfere with the boat bottom, and a little space for ease of the boat coming into and out of them, and that way it also helps you retrieve without sitting the boat on a side bunk.
Mac
Thanks for the reply.
My trailer came with none at all. I put some PVC piping in to mess about with and, after a year, they broke off, as one would expect. So, I will have to make some from scratch.
My boat usually sits in a lake and I only take it out on rare occasions, so I have been living with it.
Skip
I like your idea of putting an aluminum shoe on the bottom of the keel to help protect it. How did you lift the boat to enable you to attach the aluminum plate? If I can figure out how to do it, I'm going to do the same. Thanks for any info.
Bill