trailer launching full keel boat?

[longjonsilver]

Is there something of a standard angle of the ramp?

[denverd0n]

Originally Posted by longjonsilver

Is there something of a standard angle of the ramp?

Ramp angle, length, and depth varies widely.

[JBP]

As Boatfreak said, retrieval is much more difficult than launching, especially in murky water where you can't see the trailer position. Launching is easy, attach a cable and back it in until it floats.

Are there any marinas on the lake that have a travel lift or crane? You could launch there and still keep your boat at your preferred club.

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by longjonsilver

Is there something of a standard angle of the ramp?

12%-15% though there are exceptions. Steeper and traction is a problem. Less steep and the tow vehicle is too far in the water by the time the boat floats off.



In Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan there are state standard designs which are more or less the same between the states. They are used for public ramps and guide what the DNR will approve for private ramps. This accounts for probably half the boat ramps in the USA FWIW; ramps elsewhere are similar. If you search around you can find the guidance they issue.

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by Boatfreak

The point i wanted to make is that recovery is much more difficult than launching. The boat floats in level to the water and then moves perpendicularly till the keel touches. It then rotates about the point of contact through the angle of the slip. In my case this was 7 degrees at a radius of 16ft. The bow of the boat moves a lot!

Much depends on the design of the trailer.

If you're going to launch and land by yourself, ideally you use a roller bunk trailer and put a bow eye on your boat that you can use to winch it up. Well designed trailers have guides for the keel, and pipe guides that come up past the gunwales that keep the stern from floating around while you're loading. If all this is done right, with a good roller trailer, you can load in water that's a foot or even two shallower than what will float the boat. You have to be able to get the front of the keel onto the roller at the back of the trailer.

A good deal of the Minnesota boating culture is built around trailered boats that are launched in the morning and put back on the trailer at night. Mostly this is motorboats, not sailboats. With the combination of the right tow vehicle, the right trailer, enough people, and the necessary skills, you can go far with this. I met a guy the other day who has a 30' cabin cruiser wtih a beam of about 10' that he keeps on a trailer and launches when he wants to spend a few days on the water.

[Lee Jerry]

Originally Posted by Buddy_Y

Thanks for the advice, all! It's pretty clear that: a) It isn't hopeless; b) But, I really need to get a firm idea of the local yacht club's ramp in regards steepness, depth, and length.

Yes, agree with this and much of advice above. Especially that retrieval is the bigger issue than the launch.

But what I don't recall seeing you say is the frequency with which you intend to do this (launch / recover) - whether it's a "one-time" thing (launch and leave in the water until you sell); seasonal launch in spring / recover in fall; whenever you want to use the boat; other. These are basically in order of decreasing feasibility, meaning if it's more often than seasonal (the most likely option), and the harder it is to do, the less you will / may use the boat.

My word of caution is to consider the seasonal change in water depth when evaluating the ramp - what might be great in terms of length / depth in the high waters of spring might be an issue come the lower waters of fall and the corresponding shorter usable ramp / lower depth at end.

Finally, note that there are more drastic steps you could take if it's marginal and you really want this boat at that yacht club. But of course, these would come at the cost of both $$$ and hassle.

[massnspace]

We have a somewhat hard time getting our trailerable sailboat lined up on center on the trailer when retrieving…..especially if there is any wind or current. And this is with a water ballast boat with a retractable keel.

I have no idea how hard it would be to line up the boat with the trailer when you cannot even see the trailer (all underwater). How would you get lined up?

[Buddy_Y]

Originally Posted by Fore and Aft

Buddy I am not sure the boat is slow. She's tiller steered, low to the water and narrow. So even if the speedo says your going slow it still feels fast. We had some great sails around Lake Ontario and the St Lawrence seaway. Cheers

Thanks for the first hand testimonial! I believe you over the slurring, present owner without hesitation.

[Buddy_Y]

Originally Posted by JBP

Are there any marinas on the lake that have a travel lift or crane? You could launch there and still keep your boat at your preferred club.

Alas, no -- it's a humble lake, with just the one launch point. The 'yacht club' isn't even a marina really. It's going to be my 'affordable puttering-around pond' while I'm up here in the summers. (I'm also angling to get a small liveaboard in the Southern US this winter. My work is all done online anyway, and I'm tired of Canadian winters.) Thanks for the thought though!

[Buddy_Y]

Originally Posted by Lee Jerry

But what I don't recall seeing you say is the frequency with which you intend to do this (launch / recover) - whether it's a "one-time" thing (launch and leave in the water until you sell); seasonal launch in spring / recover in fall ...My word of caution is to consider the seasonal change in water depth when evaluating the ramp ... Finally, note that there are more drastic steps you could take if it's marginal and you really want this boat at that yacht club. But of course, these
would come at the cost of both $$$ and hassle.

I'd just be launching it once in spring and taking it out in the fall. Indeed, the changing water depth thing is one of the things I asked about straight-off when I approached the yacht club; they say it's not a big thing. And you're right: some of the workarounds are so expensive that I can't justify them for a puttering-around sort of experience. All good points!

[Pete7]

One of the solutions to the trailer is to fit docking arms that extend up to the top sides at the back of the trailer. Add a post for the bow to connect to and be fastened before the boat is pulled out of the water would resolve many of the problems.

Does the boat need to travel on the highway after being pulled out? or can the mast stay up whilst on the trailer for the summer? that would reduce the workload.

Pete

[Buddy_Y]

Originally Posted by Boatfreak

Have you considered hiring a mobile crane ?

Good thought -- I had it too. But when I googled the mobile crane services in my area, their websites' pics of monstrous rigs made me hesitate to call and ask for a quote. I'm going to add that to my list of 'last chance, low odds' approaches.

Thing is, I'm trying to keep this folkboat budget low to save money for getting a boat in the US for winters as well. I could just bring the folkboat to a marina on Lake Erie forty minutes away (Port Stanley), but the annual price difference in terms of mooring fees and launching via marina crane and storing at the money is thousands for a boating season that only lasts a handful of months up here.

[Buddy_Y]

Originally Posted by Pete7

One of the solutions to the trailer is to fit docking arms that extend up to the top sides at the back of the trailer. Add a post for the bow to connect to and be fastened before the boat is pulled out of the water would resolve many of the problems. Does the boat need to travel on the highway after being pulled out? or can the mast stay up whilst on the trailer for the summer? that would reduce the workload.

Pete

Interesting idea about the trailer. I'll mark that one down and pick the brains of a trailer company if I end up getting one made or modified.

Once the boat arrives here after purchase, it'll just be staying at the yacht club on the hard in winter. I think the mast stays up all year. Need to check though.

[Fore and Aft]

Buddy you might need a monster crane to launch the Folk Boat. Cranes are all about reach and position of crane when it comes to launching boats. I was at a cat launching where the crane didn't have enough reach without tipping, so he quickly swung the cat over the water and released the wire as he was tipping over. It was all exciting for a few minutes.
Cheers

[Jim Cate]

Buddy, at this point I'd have to say that you should consider some other boat than the Folkboat. With all the extant trailerable boats available, fighting the issues you face seems a very high price to pay for selecting that design.

A boat that is designed to be trailed will be so much less struggle for you, and will be so much easier to sell on when the time comes... well, it seems a no brainer to me. Honestly, I see no advantage to the FB for the application that you envision, namely casual summer sailing on a smallish lake with no facilities.
This also gives you the option of moving to other sailing venues with little struggle, something you might come to enjoy in the future.

If you really want to experience the (alleged) joys of traditional designs, a better time for that would be when you select your proposed liveaboard, marina based boat down the track.

Whatever you decide, I hope that you achieve your goals and experience the sailing life that awaits. I would not trade the past 50 years of sailing for anything, especially the 37 years of full time cruising through the Pacific.

Jim