Launching HideAway - The Movie

[HideAway]

Launching HideAway - How Hard Can It Be?   Well for me it is difficult - I could blame the serpentine ramp which certainly doesn't help matters - but ultimately my old bad habits win the day. 

I highly recommend taping your launching and recovery.  Turns out there is something very wrong with our recovery that, hidden in the truck, I could not see.   My wife thought our recovery was normal but I nearly had a heart attack looking at this video.  After all the biggest boat we had launched was our Sea Pearl and it couldn't be easier - not so with HideAway it seems.  I've since made more modifications to the trailer and next time we will fully submerge the trailer before attempting recovery.

In this video there is a sailing scene we all can relate to.   Man the torpedoes! 

After months of projects, illness and some surgery we finally got me and the boat fixed and put back together enough that this weekend we will launch and do some sailing videos with a destination in mind - What a concept!

Here is the link

http://www.youtube.com/user/SVHideAway

Matt

[NateD]

 You're supposed to edit out those first attempts, we never would have known!

[Bob23]

   Now you guys know why I pay the travel lift guy 50 clams to launch "Koinonia". Of course it's only done once in the spring and then she floats happily for the summer.
   I was taught to back up using mirrors and it works for me. I tow a 16 foot construction trailer regularly and have no problems. Of course, there is the mystery of the mis-shapen fender. Someone must have hit me, right?
   Glad you're sailing. My days are coming to an end here in NJ. Maybe Saturday.
Bob23

[HideAway]

David,

I noticed that too, but yours bolts on and mine is welded so I'm hoping it will still clear.   I did make the winch strap parallel to the eye bolt on the boat.   We were leaving about 8 inches or so of the trailer bunks out of the water - mostly so I had a target.  I don't know how the others do it but I drive the boat on to the trailer- the strap just keeps it there until I'm on level ground.

Some friends were with us once when I pulled out and shouted loud enough for me to stop half way up the ramp.  Linda just waved me on and my poor truck had to rev about 5 grand trying to pull it out.   I was not a happy camper but now that I see what was happening I'll forgive them! To see how much the bow moved as I pulled out was a real heart stopping moment.  

Bob-  One of my goals is not to have dented fenders and such- so far so I have escaped those concrete ramp walls!  We are planning to make several sailing destination videos this winter (our sailing season)  so you guys can still sail while looking at the snow- stay tuned Matt

[Steve Ullrich]

Thanks for posting the video Matt.  Grateful for that tip about using the lower half of the wheel when backing up.  I've always done it the same way you do but I'll give the other method a try next summer.  I thought the launch went pretty well for you.  At least you didn't launch your cooler, and maybe a ladder and some other crap, along with your boat with Nate D standing there laughing at you.

[NateD]

Steve - You may have accidentally launched the cooler from the back of the truck, but I wasn't laughing, I was deeply concerned about the contents of that cooler.

One nice thing with the Com-Pac 16 is you can't forget to put the drain plug in. It's always embarrassing to launch a boat, park the rig, and then scramble to pull it back out again before the boat becomes a bathtub.

[Bob23]

Matt:
   I'm tuned. Your sailing videos are great and bring a welcomed relief to the winter doldrums we experience here in NJ. Right now, it's a colorful fall here and fall sailing on the Barnegat Bay is a treat...much varied color to look at on the mainland.
Bob...sail on!

[brackish]

Matt, great video, you and the Admiral very calmly going through the process.  Fortunately, my marina has a straight shot, steep ramp that goes deep quick, so it is less difficult to launch and retrieve.  But they won't let you store mast up in the yard.
going to try the lower wheel method next time, see if it helps me keep oriented.

Interested in that mast step.  Not factory I guess.  Looks very substantial.

NateD did the plug thing with my brother in law's power boat.  Conversation went like this.  "Joe, did you check the plug?  yeah it's in."  Little while later.  "Joe when was the last time this thing was tuned, seems sluggish?  See what I mean, can't seem to get up on plane."  light bulb goes off and it's a wallow back to the ramp.

Frank 2

[Steve Ullrich]

I was a bit concerned too, given that the beer was in bottles... Oh, and you were laughing, I was deeply hurt.  I'm still wearing the emotional scars.  For the benefit of those of you that weren't there, that was the shortest, narrowest and steepest ramp I've ever seen.  You couldn't see the boat over the top of the tailgate when it was actually on the ramp because your tow vehicle was still up on the level. It was an ugly thing...  We launched the 16 easily enough with the tailgate down, Nate had the dock lines in hand, but I sure wish I'd have put the gate back up before pulling the trailer back up the ramp.  Live and learn...

Steve - You may have accidentally launched the cooler from the back of the truck, but I wasn't laughing, I was deeply concerned about the contents of that cooler.

One nice thing with the Com-Pac 16 is you can't forget to put the drain plug in. It's always embarrassing to launch a boat, park the rig, and then scramble to pull it back out again before the boat becomes a bathtub.

[HideAway]

Frank,
You are right the mast step is not factory.  Remember this is hull #2 - over built in some places and not so much in others.  I talked with the original owner - who wants the boat back by the way- He told me the original step and reinforcement was not sufficient so he had this one made from 1/4" aluminum.   There is a depression in the glass directly under the mast step that the new one bridges.   Never had a problem with it in the 14 years we have owned the boat and its real handy to attach stuff to as you noticed.

We had to make a small modification at the front of the step to allow the mast to pivot during raising.  Until a year ago Thanksgiving day the boat had been in the water and the mast seldom lowered.  The new A frame to lower/raise the mast worked well except when the mast caught on the step.   I was using the forward chain plates as an attachment point for the A frame - However the chain plates are too weak so I'll have to come up with something else.   Matt

[sun17cat]

I have found that I can get a much better view when backing up if I open the back gate on my SUV and put the seats down. Doing this has made moving the boat around almost effortless. Also lining up the hitch is a cinch.

Jim

[HideAway]

Jim  I tried that but since I have a pickup truck the tail gate covers the hitch when its down.   I'm looking for a mirror to attach to the trailer that may solve the problem.   The only think more frustrating than that serpentine ramp is hooking up to the trailer!  Matt

[jgsharpe]

Hi Matt,

I've watched your youTube videos on the trailer mods carefully because I'm planning on some similar work this winter.  Thanks for posting these!  Would you have any measurements you could share on your 23?  My boat is in the water now, and before I pull her out (over Christmas), I want to add a keel board to the trailer as a first step.  This means I'll have to pre-adjust the bunks, which are already at the wrong angle.  If you have any sketches, measurements or advice that might help, I'd be most appreciative.  If it's easier, you can reach me offline at jgsharpe@mgbtv.com

Thanks so much in advance,

Jeff

[HideAway]

Jeff,

Every trailer seems to be different.  My initial measurements were off quite a bit - about 5 inches too low on the starboard side.  I don't know how that happened but it caused a very dangerous situation when we pulled out. My guess would be that during recovery the boat rocked and perhaps the bunks were not tightened down well enough.  I know the water is cold but it would be worth stopping and getting wet to see if the boat is on the trailer as it clears about midships. 

The length of the side bunk bars varies with the slop of the trailer cross member and how far inboard you place them.  My initial mistake was realizing my trailer did not have sloping cross members like the trailer I took my measurements from. They measure right at 25 inches.  they should have been longer as I have no adjustment left in them.

The keel board is  2 x 12 inch pressure treated SYP wrapped in outdoor carpet.  It runs the length of the trailer from the first cross member to the last.  I had the yard put it on. It doesn't have to be 12 inches wide - I just wanted a larger target.  My keel guide ons are 2x6 pressure treated SYP wrapped in outdoor carpet.  I used 2 x 1/4 inch galv angle. I have seen the 1/8 ones bend and the 2 x 4s normally used break.  I had to have them special ordered and cut to 15 inches long.  I still had to dog ear them and drill the 1/2 inch bolt holes -not an easy task - get the expensive bits!   Of all the things I did this has been the most successful.  The boat is grabbed and centered quickly by the boards and once its there it ain't gonna move.  No need for plastic trailer guide ons unless you want to raise your lights.

A note about brakes.  After only  a year of use one of my wheels is frozen - and not by the cold - since we don't have much of that  in central west  FL.  I suspect a broken brake spring. The only good thing about the experience so far is ho much braking power one wheel has.  After reading some of the posts on brakes I was concerned that maybe I should have both axles brake.  Assuming nothing fails  - ha- one axle will do......   So Thursday I'll be doing that project- Matt

[rwdsr]

I got real tired of getting my feet wet in the cold weather, so last winter I bought a pair of hip boots.  $23.00 and I haven't had wet cold feet once since.