Three Suncats actually made it to our outing in the 10,000 Islands, including mine, Nomad (formerly Odd Duck).
Billy VanDeusen brought his beautiful SeaCat, and had a "tongue extender" that he used to get the boat farther down the ramp with out getting his truck wet.
It looked to be about 3 feet long, but maybe was only 2. He said he got it at Northern Tool.
Anyone else use a tongue extender to aid launching? The ramp at Port of the Islands is very shallow, and we had to wait for almost high tide to launch.
Thanks for your responses.
Ron
Hi Ron,
A few options off the shelf are out there for a 2" extended ball hitch bar, but they are only 18" long. You might be able to find a 24...Uhaul might sell them. You could call 'em.
Another member sailen69 had a 2 1/2 ft bar made by a shop for his CP16 but wished it was longer.
Here is the thread that talked about it with pictures.
http://cpyoa.geekworkshosting.com/forum/index.php?topic=4665.0
Having a much deeper keel on our CP19 and having to back way too far down the ramp for comfort to get her on/off, I opted for a super-long Extend-A-Hitch.
http://www.xtend-a-hitchnorthwest.com
Probably not needed for the Suncat, but I bet you could beach launch with one!
Thanks Salty,
Good stuff, and thanks for the link to the discussion with photos.
The one that Billy had for SeaCat was just a longer "draw bar" not like the "extend-a-hitch" although that would probably permanently solve any launching problem!
I think I'll poke around Northern Tool and see how many lengths are available.
Ron
A friend of mine that trailer sailed a Hunter 23 had a weld shop make a 4' long 2" square trailer ball mount. He just used the extentsion for launching, never for traveling down the road. We used this extentsion for 3 years at many ramps with on problems.
I had a 30" draw bar, essentially a heavy walled tube that went into the truck receiver, with a 1/2" plate welded to it and the ball, so that I could extend my hitch ball out under my truck camper which hung back past the truck bed by about 2 feet. A weld shop made it. It also had step welded on top to make it easier to get into the camper. I towed a 6500 lb boat/trailer for thousands of miles over 10 years with it, behind a chevy 3500 truck. Although I did have a set of safety chains running from the new hitch ball back to the truck receiver, and chains from the trailer to the hitch ball and fastened to the other chains, just in case something were to break. And a breakaway cable to activate the trailer brakes. I never had any problems. My real concern, with the leverage of that extra length, would be how well the hitch was bolted to the vehicle frame and the integrity of the hitch itself. I've seen quite a few older cheap hitches that are practically rusted through. I wouldn't hesitate to launch with a 4' temporary extension, but I wouldn't use it for towing at road speeds. I would use something a couple of feet long, as long as it was good and sturdy, and the vehicle and hitch could take the load of that extra lever arm as you flew over a dip in the road and your trailer tries to pry your rear wheels off the ground!
Rick
Ron I think a 4' square tube extender would be all that we would ever need. Let me know if you find a local source that could make one. I may be interested. You certainly wouldn't toe with the bar in place but I am sure it would be no issue based on what others have posted.
In my past life I had a Montego 25 that was much deeper than our Sun Cats. I used a 10 section of pipe with a coupler on the truck end and a ball to hook into the trailer. We would put the tongue wheel down and hook up the bar. Really not fun it was just a step above a chain or strap extender but it worked on shallow ramps. We only used the trailer 4 times a year the boat stayed in the water through the summer. We hauled once a year for winter and once to go on vacations so the bar wasn't used that much.
Tom L.
Thanks Tom!
Yesterday I roamed the Tampa RV super show with friends Tony and Dana Reed and wife Joyce. One of the things I was looking for was a local supplier of trailer parts.
I ran into an old friend, who works at Rentz in Clearwater. He said they could make up whatever length I wanted to assist in shallow water launches.
Here's the link: http://www.rentztrailerhitches.com (http://www.rentztrailerhitches.com)
They will make the part with hole for pin and 2" ball on the end.
When I get back in a week, I'm heading up there to get one made, and will let you know how much they want for it.
Ron- Sounds good. I'll be checking this thread. Although I don't ramp launch my 23, I want the option to do so, especially if I trailer it out to the CLR 2015.
Bob23
Bob,
Do you have a performance trailer? Serenitys had a tongue extension built in. I modified it to extend even longer, about 6'.
Shawn
I have a LoadRite.
Bob23
Here's a link to another hitch extension option. Looks like a good off-the-shelf product but not cheap at $335. I usually end up partially submerging my tow vehicle's rear tires at the local ramp. Even then I have to shove hard to get the boat off the trailer. My trailer has a 2-3' built in extension but still not quite enough.
http://www.etrailer.com/Hitch-Accessories/Reese/RP45018.html?feed=npn&gclid=CNa54OvtmMMCFROTfgodLYwA8A
I have a 5 foot long one a guy gave me after I told him I was going to build one. It worked great, but had me worried as I stand on the tongue for pulling the boat. So at some point I lowered the jack and that worked well to let me stand on it, which then put the jack wheel on the ground. I pulled the boat probably the easiest I have ever pulled it this way, then she drove the truck up till I could get off the trailer, then I turned that jack back up and had her go the rest of the way.
I hate the leverage, but it did work, and this guy said he used it on a heavier boat, KittyWake 26 I think he said.....Said he did that for years..... so Doubtful I will ruin my hitch on a 19.
Mac
the trailer under my catalina 18 has a telescoping tongue extention (about 42") but i also use another tongue extention that fits into my 2" receiver. that is another 30". the catalina draws 2' and sits high on the trailer so i need all i can get. i never pull the boat any more than maybe 100 feet to launch and retrieve. one thing i never do is use either extention when i am rigging the boat. if you do it bounces pretty much when you go forward and i think puts too much strain on the trailer hitch and truck. it does however keep my rear wheels out of the water at the ramp.
Well, I went to Rentz in Clearwater to see about the 4 foot extension, and Jacob, a young but knowledgeable sales person, gave me another idea. Although they could make up what I was wanted it would be quite expensive. He suggested that I try the Northern Tool 18 inch extension for $42.99 and if that isn't enough, then buy another one, and add it to the first one, extending the launching hitch by over 3 feet,( the two extenders plus the tow bar).
So that's what I'll try first.
How many SunCat owners use extensions on their hitch ?
Ron
Ron, That sounds like an expensive option $86.00 for three feet.
The people you are talking to would they make a 4 foot long 2" tube outside dimension with a 2-1/8" inside dimension tube welded to one end.
The way I would use something like that is to pull the tow bar out of the cars hitch and replace it with the 4' long tube. On the other end the tow bar could be slipped into the 2-1/8" hitch tube and pined. In fact the whole assembly could be pinned using three pins and no welding. All that would be needed is 4' of 2" square outside dimension tube and about 18" of 2-1/8" square inside tube.
I think a 2-1/2" outside square tube with a 3/16 " wall would give the proper clearance which would actually yield 2-1/18" inside dimension.
Having said all that with my limited experience, I haven't needed an extension but I do have to walk in the water to hook the bow eye but that would be the case no mater what. My rear tires are usually touching the water but not the rims or brake rotors.
Tom L.
I haven't tried it yet, Tom, but one of these gives you more than 18 inches of extra hitch, because you add the hitch bar to it.
As you said, you haven't needed it yet, so maybe one is enough. I think $42 is a pretty good deal. It's already to go, all I needed to add was a pin and clip.
I'll probably try it this week if I can find a decent weather window.
Ron
hoddinr,
I've launched at several different ramps over the past 4 years with my Sun Cat and have never had a problem or needed an extension, even at Low Tide. Almost all my Ramp launches and retrievals were accomplished solo.
Like Tom L. experienced, the rear tires of my Blazer are usually touching the water and I do get my feet wet when "hooking up".
capt_nemo
That's great information, Don.
Good to know that most area ramps have the right angle and depth of water to launch without much trouble. Billy VD on Bokeelia has one of these extenders also, and he got launched before me.
I had to wait 4 hours this month at Port of the Islands for enough water to launch and one hour to retrieve. If I could have gotten her in deeper it would have helped.
Ron