Second sail woes.... Oh No!!!

[Lost Lake]

This isn't getting any better!!!

Today the winds were 10 to 15 knots, just a few whitecaps. We dropped into Beaver Dam Lake, and the launch wasn't all that bad, but I tried to stay close to the dock so my wife could hold the lines and not have th boat real far away, and what do you know, the truck tire went off the side of the ramp and the truck fell into the pier! I have no idea why the ramp concrete is several feet from the pier, but it sure is. That put a nice dent in the side fender of the truck, and scraped and dented the bumper on the side.

I should back up a bit and tell you even before this I was in trouble. We stepped the mast just slick as can be, and attached the sails, everything was just humming along. The wife and kids went to the potty to get that out of the way, and I thought I'd just scoot ahead a bit and then swing around and back down the ramp.

I didn't remember the trees until I heard branches falling on the boat. I jumped out an there was the mast, in the center of a large oak canopy. Of course this had to be the 'Kid's fishing tournament' weekend, and the ramp, park and shore were just packed with people! Here I am again being the center of attention! Just then my wife came out and said 'Oh no" as she surveyed the mess I was in.

I wiggled the mast back through the trees by cutting the trailer short and backing through a gap in the branches. The Windex was ruined, and the VHF antenna was nowhere to be found. Then I proceeded to back down the ramp and crush the fender and the bumper.

The boat finally floated off the trailer, and is it just me, or do all these Magic Tilt trailers somehow re-lift the boat as it goes forward? Maybe that's where the tilt would help? Anyway, I drove forward and the keel or something must catch because the boat wants to follow me. I backed up again and she was off and floating, but driving forward she lifts and follows. With the wind again blowing into the dock and just my wife and girls holding the boat I was anxious to get out of the truck and help so I backed up and with the boat free, I went forward and just went! The boat jumped up a tad and then the trailer was out. I parked and then noticed the keel guide was now broken. It's just PVC, looks like it's homemade to me, I'd tend to that later.

We pushed off and the motor did it's job, turned into the wind, got some distance from the shore and hoisted the main. With my first mate handling the tiller I raised the jib and by God we were sailing!!! We sailed for about 2 hours, had one bad jibe (which taught all of us a good lesson) and one tack with the jib wrapped in front of the headstay, but all in all everyone had a ball.

Putting her back on the trailer was a treat again, as the rear of the trailer is soooooo low to get the bow on, and that puts the upper bow on the trailer v-stop thingy and the winch eye thingy way down low. We fussed for a while then just let it be and pulled it out and then winched it on the rest of the way.

So, broken parts, dented truck, humiliated again, but we finally sailed as a family and it went just fine. Anybody know where I can find a Windex 10 bird (just the vane that turns, the rest is okay) and what do I need for a new VHF whip? Just a piece of stainless wire?

[DOUG142]

Lost Lake,
Wow!!!! You have the worst luck. 
We just got back from LAke Delavan, Wisconsin.  GReat launch area.  Way to many, big, big power boats.   Everywhere.  The wind died to nothing and we bobbed around like a cork for awhile. 
Got fed up and motored to the launch and took her out and had a picnic in the park.
Sorry to hear about your truck...
atleast this time no one got hurt.... no fingers or thumbs... see things are getting better.
Next on our menu is Silver Lake in Kenosha county, Lake Elizabeth by Twin lakes, and then Lake Kegonsa our favorite.... you should try Lake Kegonsa real nice and probablyl closer to you than us. 
Will let you know when we head out that way. 
Another wonderful day of sailing...
doug142

[Lost Lake]

We had great wind while we were out, and as we were packing up about 8 sailboats pulled in. One guy asked if I was there to race, so I figured that's what they were doing. They loaded up three big orange blobs, they must race around them, must be some kind of marker. They all had long flat bottomed boats with no cabins and no motors. They sailed away one by one and I remembered back to my little boat that I could sail away without the help of iron wind....

I was happy I could get the feel of the 19, it is so different than anything I have sailed.

[fafnir]

Lost Lake,  I think I may have an idea for you.  I am not normally very superstitious but I saw from another thread that your boat does not have a name.  Pick a name and then add it to your transom with either those stick on letters or paint it on.  That should take care of your launching and sailing woes. :-)

--

[Lost Lake]

The boat is now named 'Silver Heels' from the Gordon Lightfoot song 'Christian Island' and I was going to change it to 'Blown Away' (I really had some cute names picked out but my wife likes 'Blown Away')

I heard it was bad luck to change the name of a boat, but my luck can't get any worse than it has been!

[multimedia_smith]

HI and Welcome!
One question arose in my mind as I read your posts...
Have you considered making a trailer extension?  That was my very first project (and one that I am glad to have every time).
I never use the tilt and I don't even have to get the tires wet... it just floats right off (and back on) the trailer.
Here is a pic of mine... although there are some available commercially.

http://www.com-pacowners.com/gallery2/displayimage.php?album=49&pos=20

You have my wishes of Good Luck to you.
Dale

[Gil Weiss]

There is lots to learn about launching/sailing/retrieving a boat and the situation is always different. We all have our share of mistakes, but that is how you learn.

To put your situation in perspective, I am attaching the following commentary and photos.

65' Custom Built Motor yacht, staterooms, gps navigation, twin supercharged diesels, etc.   $ 2.5 million

Crane and Rigging complete with faulty turnbuckle     $2,500 per hour

Champagne and Strawberries, dockside, for the excited "soon to be owners"   $250.00

Watching your dreamboat nose dive into the harbor, accompanied by two corporate representatives
just prior to "inking" the final paperwork.         Priceless

[Gil Weiss]

Last image from last post . . .

[crbakdesign]

Gil,

I can see the images as well. (Other's should check their browser settings to see if images are blocked.)

I always try not to laugh when someone trips, but WOW, that looks painful.

I should talk.  I took Steadfast out a couple of weeks ago to replace the fore hatch. Natch it rained for a week down here for the first time this summer. (Had a draught all year.) while I tried to refit a new hatch.  I finished the work, as the rain stopped for a couple of hours last Saturday, and pulled my boat up to the marina's ready area next to the ramp and unhitched the boat intending to go back for a couple of hours to get out of the rain. 

    I drove forward about ten feet down a slight incline and shut the motor. As I opened the door, I could hear what appeared to be a tornado in the distance coming for me.  I looked back, and my boat was riding towards me down the grassy incline at top speed!  The trailer hit the back bumper of the truck, spun me and continued up towards the lake, stopping just short of the 15 ft drop down to the waters edge.  I was lucky on two counts.  1. It was raining and no one in the marina saw or heard my misfortune.  2. It was raining so I didn't have to worry about if I soiled my pants in my panic!

   NO harm done! Boat was fine grinning at me like 'boy are you some kind of a fool for not chocking the wheels - I taught you a lesson!'  The moral of this story is DON'T unhitch your boat and trailer until her wheels are fully secured fore and aft, because you can't stop a two thousand plus rig when it wants to roll!

Fair winds all!

[Paul]

LOL re: "Lucky on two counts!"    So glad there was no harm done, though.

Murphy has a way of keeping us on our toes. 

[ilbuildit]

It is the same for me. I was looking at this the other day and below is the message that I get when I try to view the photos. It is giving the error on the site itself, it isn't from my own computer not allowing.

An Error Has Occurred!
It seems that you are not allowed to download or view attachments on this board. 

Hope this helps. I would like to see them.

Lee...

[crbakdesign]

Try looking at these posts again. I turned a switch on that may have fixed the problem.  Let me know!

[DOUG142]

Great !  It Works........The Pictures, What can one say?? WOW!!!!
Priceless is right.
Thanks for letting everyone see them.

[ilbuildit]

Yes, it works now. OH MY G...!!! Took me a few minutes but does everyone see the man on the Port stern section at full tilt. Hope he has clean underware!

Lee...

[mike gartland]

I'm seeing the pictures just fine....makes most of my launching follies seem like child's play.....hope no one was injured...other than some pride.

I guess it never hurts to check equipment a second and third time no matter what you are doing.

Mike