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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

General Sailing Forum

Strap Launching

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Prospector
Master Marine Consultant

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Canada
3159 Posts

Initially Posted - 05/31/2012 : 19:10:43

So we don't keep hijacking Novi's movie thread...

The drop wheel on the trailer tongue is the thing that gets discussed in these threads whenever the topic comes up.

My obvservation is that...

<ul><li>a swing or wing keel can get away with the little wheel on a jack since it doesn't have as far to go </li><li>the spare tire hub is awesome if you can get it </li><li>a device which allows some adjustment of height is desireable, but difficult to engineer </li> <li> most folks are using at least a 30' strap, some longer depending on your draft, ramp, and height on trailer</li></ul>

Let the discussion begin...Strap launching is very appealing to me, but I would have to rig the trailer now while the boat is off it, and I'm not sure I have teh time/energy for it right now.

"Iris"
1984 FK/SR #4040
http://frosthaus.blogspot.com/

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Edited by - on

OJ
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4382 Posts

Response Posted - 05/31/2012 : 19:17:56

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Prospector
 a swing or wing keel can get away with the little wheel on a jack since it doesn't have as far to go . . .
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">Nay to the little jack wheel - all it would take to scuttle the jack would be an expansion joint or severe pitting in the concrete. The ramps at the state park in Sandusky have rumble strips for traction - small jack wheel would get stuck in the first groove

Edited by - OJ on 05/31/2012 19:22:15

delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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USA
4479 Posts

Response Posted - 05/31/2012 : 19:54:18

Here's a couple of pictures of the device that came with our boat:

And this is what we're using now:

We "strap" launch, but actually use about 60' of 1" Samson braid doubled that I picked up on CL for next to nothing.

Notice that the fifth wheel isn't down, I think this might have been the launch where we destroyed our jack stand, but not sure.

Here you can see exactly how much of the trailer goes underwater (pretty much all).

I agree about using a jack stand wheel. I mistakenly forgot to lower my fifth wheel once, and went down the ramp with just the stand. It really didn't survive the event. The ramp has very large corrugation cut into the concrete, and the wheel didn't do so well trying to negotiate them. Of course, I never saw it because it was below my vision line from inside the truck.

Here you can see the corrugations on the ramp at Alki.

Note that the jackstand arrangement you see in the photos had to change, the wheel wouldn't actually lower to the ground (it missed by about 2"), so I had to move the jackstand to the upright so I could shorten it's throw so the tongue could drop closer to the ground and get the tire onto the pavement.

Rigging for launch takes us about 2-1/2 hours or so, about 2 hours to recover. It's the main reason we got a slip in our marina. Going sailing meant you spent an extra nearly 5 hours not having fun every time you wanted to do it.

Edited by - delliottg on 05/31/2012 20:15:40

Nautiduck
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3704 Posts

Response Posted - 05/31/2012 : 20:12:36

We use a similar approach as David. When the jack is lowered the wheel touches the ground for launching. They key is the long-travel jack and the [url="http://www.iboats.com/Tie-Down-Spare-Tire-Carrier-W-Removable-Spindle-Hub/dm/cart_id.590111289--keywords.brand_473_Tie_Down_Engineering--session_id.748749255--view_id.237373"]spare tire holder with hub[/url] . We use 50' of 3" strap for launching.

We also use this special hitch for the strap.

Since the boat/trailer can get tippy on the ramp we also have this jack to prevent any accident.

Edited by - Nautiduck on 05/31/2012 20:20:18

dmpilc
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4593 Posts

Response Posted - 06/01/2012 : 10:02:30

When we strap launched, I would remove the ball mount, push the 30 ft. strap's loop into the receiver and secure it withe the ball mount pin. Looks like your strap may be too wide to go into the receiver, requiring the pin mount.
Good idea lowering the rear jack to stop a tip up, as long as it doesn't catch on a rock at the end of the ramp.

Edited by - dmpilc on 06/01/2012 10:04:46

Nautiduck
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3704 Posts

Response Posted - 06/01/2012 : 11:56:01

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by dmpilc
 When we strap launched, I would remove the ball mount, push the 30 ft. strap's loop into the receiver and secure it withe the ball mount pin. Looks like your strap may be too wide to go into the receiver, requiring the pin mount.
Good idea lowering the rear jack to stop a tip up, as long as it doesn't catch on a rock at the end of the ramp.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

We don't lower the rear jack all the way to prevent it from catching on anything. It is just a fail safe. Also, our club ramp is smooth and very long. Even with 50' of strap we only use half the ramp length.

Edited by - Nautiduck on 06/01/2012 11:56:55

zeil
Master Marine Consultant

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Canada
1314 Posts

Response Posted - 06/01/2012 : 15:06:30

Edited by - on

rrick
Captain

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USA
261 Posts

Response Posted - 06/04/2012 : 13:54:36

This is the right way to do it. My 10' steel slide out extension still had my F250's bed filling with water, even on a very steep lake ramp.

Next, in launching, there's usually not much room to maneuver to the ramp with the extension out. Yesterday I forgot to chock the tires when I pulled the extension pins, so I experienced a strap launch without the strap. Boat floated off nicely and not much damaged when I recovered the trailer, with a strap. My trailer jack is the flat bottom so it was steel to concrete slide and thankfully kept the launch very straight.

I more upset about having to check my rear differential oil after being submerged than the extra hour I spent collecting my trailer from the deep end.

Edited by - on

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