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.
So this is our second year with the C250. Last year we trailered her up to Anacortes, WA so we could enjoy having her during our annual trip to the San Juans. This year, we trailered to the same marina (Cap Sante), but the person in charge of the sling hoist refused to try to launch my boat. They did not like the slope of the hull and were afraid it might slip. They said the same thing last year (different person), but lifted the front a little more than the back and everything was fine. We argued, showed them pictures of the boat on the hoist last year, nothing doing. Tried several different marinas and boat yards. Most were willing to launch the boat but either the cost was way more than we were ready for or the logistics didn't work with everything else. We towed her back home (270 miles each way). Needless to say we are bummed.
Anyone have any experience with this? So you launch with a sling? They made suggestions for modifying the trailer so there are slots for the sling further forward (they were most concerned with the aft end due to how far the bunks on the trailer extend). I am not keen on modifying the trailer and possibly losing structural integrity while towing. But we would like to come up with a plan for next year. Any help?
Well I’m not familiar with the C250 trailer or details of the hull shape, but can you find an actual boat ramp to launch it yourself? In my home state of Connecticut we must have 15 ramps along rights of ways and State Parks dotting the coast. Here’s my favorite instructional video at the ramp.
Bruce Ross Passage ~ SR-FK ~ C25 #5032 Port Captain — Milford, CT
On occasion I have seen my Marina use 2 horizontal straps that connect the 2 lifting straps that keeps them from slipping. What it boils down to is a liability thing.
Scott-"IMPULSE"87'C25/SR/WK/Din.#5688 Sailing out of Glen Cove,L.I Sound
At our club I saw a guy launch an esign with two straps that went to a central lifting bar. I am going to do the same thing for my 250. I may have to tie a line to the rear sling to hold it in position to keep it from slinding forward.
Bruce, we launch from a ramp at our home port on the Columbia River so that is no problem for us. Anacortes has one boat ramp but we have been told it is too small for a boat our size. We probably should have checked it out but we didn’t.
Scott, the horizontal strap was suggested by one of the bigger (expensive) boat yards but when we suggested that during our final plea at the original marina they said “we don’t do that.” They were just not going to do it for us.
Sorry to hear that you were unable to get anybody to cooperate with you on your trip. For next time you could look into a few options and make some calls ahead, but hindsight is always 20-20. Washington state parks offer some launch facilities, however, unless you read the reviews you’d probably not be able to determine whether they’re deep enough to accommodate your boat. You probably need 4 ft to launch and I know of only a handful of launches here with that depth at high tide. It looks like the NWBoatInfo site has more info. See http://www.nwboatinfo.com/Boat-Launches.html Maybe Yelp or google maps would have reviews by average folks. However many power boaters only need a few feet of depth. Are there any fishing clubs that might have a Yahoo group or Facebook group (if you’re a member) who’d have firsthand knowledge with launches on Puget Sound? I searched for “puget sound fishing group” and got a lot of hits... Good luck finding more info
Bruce Ross Passage ~ SR-FK ~ C25 #5032 Port Captain — Milford, CT
Wow... you have me very concerned as I am planning to head to Port Townsend in a week anticipating a launch there for my Northwest sailing adventure and I did not even think I could be denied a lift.
But - more to the point... I don't have experience with being denied a lift but I do have significant lifting experience at Cabrillo Dry Boat Storage in San Pedro, CA.
The lifting crew had to experiment several times to get the slings right where they wanted them in order to lift the boat level - and believe me - they failed numerous times before they got it right. When they had the slings where the boat lifted level - they placed markers on the boat for repeatability.
Sorry to hear of your bad experience.
Best,
Carl
quote:Originally posted by wm36
So this is our second year with the C250. Last year we trailered her up to Anacortes, WA so we could enjoy having her during our annual trip to the San Juans. This year, we trailered to the same marina (Cap Sante), but the person in charge of the sling hoist refused to try to launch my boat. They did not like the slope of the hull and were afraid it might slip. They said the same thing last year (different person), but lifted the front a little more than the back and everything was fine. We argued, showed them pictures of the boat on the hoist last year, nothing doing. Tried several different marinas and boat yards. Most were willing to launch the boat but either the cost was way more than we were ready for or the logistics didn't work with everything else. We towed her back home (270 miles each way). Needless to say we are bummed.
Anyone have any experience with this? So you launch with a sling? They made suggestions for modifying the trailer so there are slots for the sling further forward (they were most concerned with the aft end due to how far the bunks on the trailer extend). I am not keen on modifying the trailer and possibly losing structural integrity while towing. But we would like to come up with a plan for next year. Any help?
Good luck to you, hope you don’t run in to the same thing I did. They also put stickers on my boat last year where they placed the straps but that didn’t help my case. We have been up here for a week now and I chat with every sailboat skipper I find but still no ideas how to make it happen next year.
Did you end up launching at Skyline Marine Center? That is a targeted launch location on my list...
Thoughts?
Best,
Carl
quote:Originally posted by wm36
Hi Carl,
Good luck to you, hope you don’t run in to the same thing I did. They also put stickers on my boat last year where they placed the straps but that didn’t help my case. We have been up here for a week now and I chat with every sailboat skipper I find but still no ideas how to make it happen next year.
We ended up taking our boat back home :(. Our usual marina is Cap Sante, the ones that wouldn’t launch us this year. We drove over to Skyline and the guy there said he would launch our boat but they didn’t have any transient slips available. It would have been a rough transit from there back to Cap Sante with the weather moving in so we gave up. Skyline is at the top of my list for next year. It seems like a good place.
Also, some of the bigger boat yards near Cap Sante were willing to launch the boat at $250 round trip vs $50 at Cap Sante. I guess we weren’t desperate enough to spend that kind of money.
Wayne would you consider launching your boat from a ramp? Although it is hard on the equipment, brakes and calipers, using your 10ft hitch extension should allow you to launch anywhere. Washing the trailer after the launch will clean most salt. Using a trailer hitch on the front of your truck will make it even easier Btw Point Roberts in WA will launch and retrieve but don’t remember the charge
Henk & Johanna "Floating", a few off your "barnacles". "Someday Lady" '95 C250WB #151 ('03 - 2016) "Sea ya" 30ft Bayliner (04-2018 - 09-2018) "Mariah" '96 C250WB #191 (05-2019 - 15-05-2023) "Lady J" '00 C250WK #499 (05-2021 - 09-2022)
Henk, yes we are used to launching from a ramp at our home marina. We looked into ramps in Anacortes and only found two. One is at a county park and is very tight maneuvering and very shallow. I saw a Macgregor being retrieved there but he didn’t even need a tongue extension. The other had signs for commercial use only, and it had no dock at all. Not sure how we could deal with this. Someone mentioned that one of the larger boat yards has a ramp but we didn’t find that one. We are trying to stay around Anacortes so we can use the ferries when we shuttle the boat to Orcas island.
It remains a mystery why you were refused to be lifted in or out for that matter. We know that the trailer bunks cover a good portion of the hull but... by lifting the bow first a space is created through which the sling strap can be installed in pretty well any location on the hull preferably at the hull/cockpit or slightly aft. Pretty frustrating though
Henk & Johanna "Floating", a few off your "barnacles". "Someday Lady" '95 C250WB #151 ('03 - 2016) "Sea ya" 30ft Bayliner (04-2018 - 09-2018) "Mariah" '96 C250WB #191 (05-2019 - 15-05-2023) "Lady J" '00 C250WK #499 (05-2021 - 09-2022)
Henk - that is a great tip... I'll remember the lifting the front first to make a gap for the rear strap.
quote:Originally posted by zeil
It remains a mystery why you were refused to be lifted in or out for that matter. We know that the trailer bunks cover a good portion of the hull but... by lifting the bow first a space is created through which the sling strap can be installed in pretty well any location on the hull preferably at the hull/cockpit or slightly aft. Pretty frustrating though
Well... I'm here at Skyline now... I'm booked for a travel lift launch tomorrow at four PM and booked for one day transient (side tie) the following day.
quote:Originally posted by wm36
We ended up taking our boat back home :(. Our usual marina is Cap Sante, the ones that wouldn’t launch us this year. We drove over to Skyline and the guy there said he would launch our boat but they didn’t have any transient slips available. It would have been a rough transit from there back to Cap Sante with the weather moving in so we gave up. Skyline is at the top of my list for next year. It seems like a good place.
Good idea! Wish I had thought of it at the time. Don’t know if it would have made a difference. They just didn’t seem to want our business.
Carl,
Good to know. Congratulations!! Let us know how it goes. Out of curiosity how much does your WK weigh? Our WB is only around 3700# (with no ballast) and my F150 pulls it easily. I was surprised to read what a load it puts on your diesel.
I have had my ambulance and C250wk on a truck scale. Ambulance on one scale, trailer with boat (empty) on the other scale. Ambulance weighed in at 11,300 pounds. Boat and trailer at 5,700. I have never weighed the trailer minus the boat.
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.