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 Launching depth		  New Topic  Reply to Topic
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ctrout
Deckhand

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USA
10 Posts
Initially Posted - 12/14/2021 :  12:19:41  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
This is my first post here. I am currently sailing a C22 and considering upgrading to the C25. I have a problem though. The ramp that I use is very short and shallow. My C22 won't float off the trailer until the wheels just begin to break over the edge of the concrete. We actually got the trailer stuck on our maiden launch this past season when the wheels got stuck behind the concrete when they dropped into the silt at the end of the ramp.

My question is, what are the chances that I will be able to launch the C25 from this ramp. If I can't launch from this ramp, it's a deal breaker for me getting the C25.

Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5851 Posts
Response Posted - 12/14/2021 :  12:42:34  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Unlikely. Also, a C25 weighs nearly twice the C22, which requires a beefier tow vehicle. Most people only trailer to the lake in the spring and fall, and leave it in all summer, because of the difficulty in launching and mast raising. The C25 is a really good boat, and it can be trailered, but not nearly as easily as a C22. To launch, you need a good ramp or a hoist.
Steve Milby J/24 "Captiva Wind"
previously C&C 35, Cal 25, C25 TR/FK, C22
Past Commodore
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ctrout
Deckhand

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USA
10 Posts
Response Posted - 12/14/2021 :  13:28:13  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
The tow vehicle is not the weak link. I drive a 5.9 Cummins 3500 4x4. As you mention, I only tow to and from the lake in spring and fall, but the lake has no slips so I have to launch and recover each time. The Marina lets me leave the boat rigged on the trailer while in storage. If I had to rig and derig the boat every outing, I would probably only take it out 2 or 3 times a year rather than 2-3 times a week as I do now. In that case, I might have to reconsider whether it would be worth the expense and hassle of keeping the boat. There is one other ramp on this tiny lake, but there is no storage at that location.
Edited by - ctrout on 12/14/2021 17:10:47
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Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9013 Posts
Response Posted - 12/14/2021 :  21:51:35  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Hate to warn you off, but I think Steve hit the nail--the C-25 is a considerably heftier load to yank up over the end of that concrete ramp. Maybe larger trailer wheels and tires can help, but maybe not. Also, I presume you'll need some more depth than the minimum for the C-22, depending on the C-25 keel. There are ways--tongue extensions, straps, etc., but they require depth out there somewhere. What's yours?
Dave Bristle
Association "Port Captain" for Mystic/Stonington CT
PO of 1985 C-25 SR/FK #5032 Passage, USCG "sixpack" (expired),
Now on Eastern 27 $+!nkp*+ Sarge
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Leon Sisson
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1889 Posts
Response Posted - 12/15/2021 :  15:35:31  Show Profile  Visit Leon Sisson's Homepage  Reply with Quote
ctrout,

I currently have swing keel versions of both the Catalina 22 & 25.  (And a 12-valve Cummins diesel dually tow vehicle.)  Fortunately, I'm able to keep boats in the water unless they need work.

I've only had my C22 lifted once, the first time it went onto its trailer because I wasn't sure how well it would fit.  All other times I've launched and retrieved it at a ramp.
 
In the 25 or so years I've had my C25, I've never even considered taking it to a ramp.  I always use a travel lift.
 
In addition to a C25 weighing at least twice as much as a C22, the larger boat would need nearly twice the depth (at the trailer axle) to float on or off.  I doubt a roller bunk trailer would help enough to make up the difference.

Having been on a local government advisory board dealing with boat ramp maintenance and repair issues, I understand what you mean by "[trailer] wheels got stuck [beyond] the concrete when they dropped into the silt at the end of the ramp."  Boaters who power-load with big outboards cause maintenance headaches at nearly all ramps.  The damage I'm familiar with isn't just silt, it's a deep pit at the bottom of the concrete ramp.

Sadly, based on your description of your boat ramp situation, I don't think there's any hope of ramp launching and retrieving a Catalina 25 there.  A tongue extension would only complicate getting the trailer back up onto the ramp.
— Leon Sisson
Edited by - Leon Sisson on 12/15/2021 16:13:53
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Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9013 Posts
Response Posted - 12/17/2021 :  09:39:30  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
I've witnessed the problem at the end of the ramp--likely caused or exacerbated by powerboaters gunning their engines to push their boats up on their trailers. I've wondered whether a yard or so of coarse gravel should be dumped there--maybe annually... Of course that might require state and federal permitting. But Leon's experience and advice probably seal it. Wish we could be more encouraging!
Dave Bristle
Association "Port Captain" for Mystic/Stonington CT
PO of 1985 C-25 SR/FK #5032 Passage, USCG "sixpack" (expired),
Now on Eastern 27 $+!nkp*+ Sarge
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Lee Panza
Captain

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USA
465 Posts
Response Posted - 12/17/2021 :  20:00:37  Show Profile  Visit Lee Panza's Homepage  Reply with Quote
ctrout:

If you have a roller trailer, rather than solid bunks, it might be possible to winch the Cat25 out of the water. This, however, will require a very sturdy winch and a lot of muscle (it'll be slow, too). I'm speaking from experience here. On your lake you don't have the option to wait a few hours for the tide to rise, as we do here. I had learned to watch the tide tables closely. This, unfortunately, I learned the hard way, resulting in my trailer being seriously broken (in the process I learned that the Cat25 hull is sturdier than I'd have expected).

If, on the other hand, your trailer has fixed bunks, forget it! Sorry.
The trouble with a destination - any destination, really - is that it interrupts The Journey.

Lee Panza
SR/SK #2134
San Francisco Bay
(Brisbane, CA)
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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.