Association Forum - C25 fin keel launch and retrieve.

Assn Members Area · Join

Home.

Association Forum

Ships Store

Cruising

Racing

Technical Tips

Photo Gallery - New

Boat Search - Updated

Manuals & Brochures

Swap Meet

Links

Officer Flag Line & Staff

Bylaws & Constitution

Members Area

Join the Association

Notice:
The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.

Association Forum

Username:	Password:
Save Password
Forgot your Password?

All Forums

Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 25 Specific Forum

C25 fin keel launch and retrieve.

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Author

Topic

Akenumber
Navigator

Member Avatar

USA
247 Posts

Initially Posted - 09/28/2014 : 19:38:10

Hi there. I bought a sail trailer today. I was hoping to modify it to launch my c25 fin keel. It is a 10,000 gvw trail rite with stands and pads. I was planning on making a sliding tongue and trying to lower the boat on the trailer as much as possible. I am not sure how low I realy need to go, and if wobble rollers or bunks are necessary. If any one has experience with this I would love some feedback. I only plan on doing this maybe once or twice a year. Paying for a crane haul is a little too expensive for me thanks.

Edited by - on

hewebb
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
761 Posts

Response Posted - 09/29/2014 : 04:04:08

I have a wing keel and an 18 foot extension and it is barely enough to get the boat off the trailer. My trailer has an 8" third wheel that attaches to the front of the trailer. (Not the trailer jack) When I bought the boat we used a rope/chain to lower the trailer in to the lake. I changed the front pads to rollers and that made it a lot easier and I plan to change the remaining pads to bunks. (trailer had three pads each side) My trailer is somewhat higher than a normal boat trailer as it is a converted cargo hauler and does not have dropped axels. I think a sliding tongue long enough to launch a fin keel may be a little weak to support the tongue weight.

Edited by - on

Steve Milby
Past Commodore

Members Avatar

USA
5851 Posts

Response Posted - 09/29/2014 : 05:26:45

If the water at the ramp is deep enough to float the boat off the trailer, then you can trailer-launch it. If you can't get the boat into deep enough water, even with a tongue extension, then it's no-go. Many ramps, in the midwest, for example, are only designed to float a power boat off a trailer. Sometimes the designers of the ramps never envisioned boats being launched with 4' draft. I'd suggest that, before you trailer somewhere, you try to locate a ramp in that area with a deep water ramp. The state agents who regulate that lake should be able to tell you how deep the water is at their ramps.

Edited by - on

Akenumber
Navigator

Members Avatar

USA
247 Posts

Response Posted - 09/29/2014 : 18:44:30

Those are both great replies. I had a 22 wing and it was never an issue. I am thinking about extending the trailer a little and adding as long as slider as possible. The ramps in my area are ocean boat ramps and some quite steep. I am looking for as many ideas as possible before I stard modifying my trailer. I am thinking drop axles and and roller pads might be a must, even though it's only an extra few inches deeper.

Edited by - on

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Djibouti
9013 Posts

Response Posted - 09/29/2014 : 21:15:21

The longer the extension, the more likely the wheels will go past the end of the ramp, where powerboats often blow a hole in the bottom trying to power onto their trailers. When retrieving, you could get caught. It's happened.

So you're launching in salt water, totally immersing the trailer? Most folks I know have their boats hoisted off and onto their trailers to avoid that. I guess if you don't spend it one way, you'll have to spend it another...

Edited by - Stinkpotter on 09/29/2014 21:16:20

shnool
Former Capri-25 Tech Editor

Members Avatar

USA
1032 Posts

Response Posted - 09/30/2014 : 03:50:52

These guys are spot on... the ramp makes ALL the difference. Most of our ramps are 100 feet or longer. Actually the ramp I use at our own club was a former road, and relatively straight out from the ramp.

Another observation is that galvanized support on my trailer, its a bow roller, it's required to get the bow to go UP while reloading the boat on the trailer, if you don't have it, the bow eye comes up under the winch (no good). Those were the modifications I did. It also helps to have good keel guides.

At the size trailer you have and the draft you have, you'd likely need 25 feet of extension or more, that's a lot of stress on the extension. I used a strap, and heavy duty dolly wheels.

Edited by - shnool on 09/30/2014 03:52:29

Arlington
Navigator

Members Avatar

USA
196 Posts

Response Posted - 09/30/2014 : 22:10:47

Ken, Howard helped me with a 12-ft tongue extension, that greatly improved launching. You may have a better trailer to-start-with, that makes it easier. To help you decide if this could be an exercise in futility; you could always go wade the ramps in advance, at the places you are intending to launch. I use fishing waders and a 10 foot pole marked with max depth I need.

I have backed the rear wheels of my trailer off the end of a ramp before. If you do it launching, its not as much a problem as I thought. Finish launching the boat. Then because of the "buoyancy of water" the EMPTY trailer is light enough for one or two of you to lift up - while a driver you trust slowly pulls FORWARD. The air in your four trailer tires helps the load be a lot lighter. I have a couple of bicycle flags on the trailer so it is easier to see while it is mostly submerged.

If you back off the ramp while retrieving the boat, stop go dock the boat elsewhere and see above paragraph. You probably already know if you launch in salt water, rinse the trailer and brakes with fresh water ASAP!

It could work, having the Standard Rig is in your favor, it is worth a try. The more times you do it, the easier it will be. Do you already have a good mast stepping procedure?
Doug

Edited by - on

dmpilc
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
4593 Posts

Response Posted - 10/01/2014 : 20:34:02

I had a fin keel trailer for my swing keel boat for haul-outs and bottom work. We have a relatively shallow ramp even though it is a sailboat marina, especially shallow at low water in the fall and early spring. I had a 30 ft strap and it was barely long enough.
I used 2 tongue jacks to handle the load at the front of the trailer.

Edited by - on

Akenumber
Navigator

Members Avatar

USA
247 Posts

Response Posted - 10/02/2014 : 05:43:13

Thanks guys it sounds like with the rite ramp and keeping the trailer low and a massive tongue extension it might be possible. If anyone else has more ideas keep them coming.

Edited by - on

dmpilc
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
4593 Posts

Response Posted - 10/02/2014 : 10:28:59

After you get the boat in position for haul-out, loop a 50 ft 3/8" line around the winch stand and back to each genoa winch, and snug it up tight. Helps to straighten the boat on the trailer, but more important, it keeps the boat from sliding back on (i.e. off) the trailer as you come out of the water.

Edited by - on

dasreboot
Admiral

Members Avatar

803 Posts

Response Posted - 10/02/2014 : 10:51:58

quote:
Originally posted by dmpilc

After you get the boat in position for haul-out, loop a 50 ft 3/8" line around the winch stand and back to each genoa winch, and snug it up tight.

i used to launch on a lopsided ramp and the boat would always come out tilted when the trailer leveled out. i toyed with the idea of lifting the trailer to the boat with the winches and then driving out all leveled up.

Edited by - on

Topic

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Jump To:

Association Forum

Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.