Launching Power Boat in surf.

[William_H]

Recently a lady was describing how they regularly launch their 25 foot power boat off a beach in New Zealand. It was described as a floating trailer. The boat is firmly attached to the trailer and is backed into the water by a tractor from the beach. As soon as the boat is afloat the tow is disconnected and the boat powers away in reverse with the trailer still attached under the hull. In deep water away from the breaking waves the trailer is moored to a buoy and the boat is released. On return the boat is manouvred over the trailer and attached. The boat is driven at some power onto the beach with a sout jockey wheel on the front where the tractor pulls it up to the car park. I would love to see it happen. Has anyone first hand experience of this method and is my description correct? No I am not considering trying it not with a sinking trailer and a 6HP Johnson.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Stemar]

Sorry I can't help with anything useful, but this does remind me of a little story I found on the net:

During late spring one year, a blond was trying out her new boat. She was unable to have her boat perform, travel through water, or do any maneuvers whatsoever no matter how hard she tried.

After trying for over three days to make it work properly, she decided to seek help. She putted the boat over to the local marina in hopes that someone there could identify her problem.

Workers determined that everything from the engine to the outdrive was working perfectly on the topside of the boat. So, a puzzled marina employee jumped into the water to check underneath the boat for problems. Because he was laughing so hard, he came up choking on water and gasping for air. Under the boat, still strapped in place securely, was the trailer.


<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[jkim1]

You dont have to go as far as NZ they do the same thing off the Zululand coast in South Africa. Launching seems easier. Recovery in that you have to stay on the top of the wave without falling down the front is difficult and sometimes spectacular. They just run them right up the beach, the outboards kicking up and crackling as they come out of the water. They run them on inflatable rollers and then onto the trailer. far better to try out with someone elses boat. Its all a bit hairy.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[chippie]

I live not too far from Ahipara at the bottom of Ninety Mile Beach where they do that.

Some commercial fishermen operate from there too and have trailers with very long drawbars that minimise the immersion of the tractor.

I havent seen any floating trailers, and most boaters seem to launch and retrieve when the surf is not very big. It is the Tasman Sea after all .

I have seen some interesting efforts when the surf has come up during the day and they have to retrieve in conditions in which they would avoid launching.

Like most boating activities, the experienced operators make it look relatively easy.

It seems to be about timing the burst of power to get on the trailer and getting the tilt up on the outboard at just the right time.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[BrendanS]

When you say surf, how high are these waves. Most motor boats of that size, when backed up, could take on a lot of water over transom in even quite moderate conditions. In breaking waves you'd take on a heck of a lot of water. Enough to sink a boat even in moderate conditions if the waves breaking higher than the transom. Boats are designed to go bow into waves, but even then, in breaking surf it takes skill and a good boat.

Having said that, what I've seen of motorboats of that size in NZ are almost entirely utility type trailed fishing boats, not the normal stinkies you'd see off the UK on a day to day basis. However, even those type of boats don't cope too well with breaking waves over stern while going in reverse, and especially not with a trailer strapped on underneath!

How did she describe the process of detaching and then reattaching the trailer. That alone would take some special kit..eiher floats to straps, but how you'd get them off with trailer hanging underneath would take some thought if any strain on them. Then you'd need to get them back on again when you return.

Running a jocky wheel up the shore I just cannot see, unless hugely oversized and v.v beefy compared to what we are used to on trailers not designed for that job. Probably need to be almost car wheel sized to run onto a beach with a trailer underneath with the weight of a 25 ft boat on it, actually easier to run a boat onto a beach than a trailer when you think about it?

None of it downright impossible, just a lot of issues with type of kit we normally use, and would love to know how they do it in other than mild conditions

<hr width=100% size=1>Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabris, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam.

 

[MainlySteam]

Have seen and done plenty of boat launchings off trailers on surf beaches here in NZ (including on our local beach) using tractors, 4WD's etc but have never seen or heard of the floating trailer thing you mention.

If it does happen then it must be unusual or maybe the woman relating the story was a bit confused - perhaps so as having a buoy to moor the trailer to off a beach with breaking waves seems a little strange and would need lots of buoys if many did it.

There is at least one place out here where the commercial inshore fishermen launch their boats out over the surf on wire ropes but I do not recall where (Chippie may know - think 'tis on West Coast?), and many commercial and pleasure surf beach launchings using vehicles around the country as mentioned by Chippie. In some places the coast is very rugged (eg Ngawi/Palliser at bottom of North Island), the surf rough, the beach steep and the inshore fishing vessels quite large and so bulldozers are used for launching and retrieval.

As Brendan says, the boat is vulnerable from the breakers over the transom and that limits the conditions. The local Coastguard here in our town use a RIB and that not being vulnerable to flooding is launched in all local surf conditions that I have seen - very wet and probably not something one would want to do for fun though.

John

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Purch]

Recently a lady was describing how they regularly launch their 25 foot power boat off a beach in New Zealand. It was described as a floating trailer. The boat is firmly attached to the trailer and is backed into the water by a tractor from the beach. As soon as the boat is afloat the tow is disconnected and the boat powers away in reverse with the trailer still attached under the hull. In deep water away from the breaking waves the trailer is moored to a buoy and the boat is released. On return the boat is manouvred over the trailer and attached. The boat is driven at some power onto the beach with a sout jockey wheel on the front where the tractor pulls it up to the car park. I would love to see it happen. Has anyone first hand experience of this method and is my description correct? No I am not considering trying it not with a sinking trailer and a 6HP Johnson.

<hr width=100% size=1>

Floating trailers are used regularly at Clifton Marine Club in Hawke's Bay, New Zealand. But they don't reverse into the water - they are launched bow-first. This is achieved by using a full-sized jockey wheel near the tow bar on the trailer. The floating trailer, with boat still attached, is detached from any vehicle and lined up towards the sea at the top of a boat ramp. It's given a push and allowed to freewheel bow first into the surf. The momentum is enough to carry the boat into the water and the outboard is used to push the whole assembly out past the waves. The trailer is then anchored and the boat reverses off and goes fishing. For the return, the boat rides back up onto its floating trailer, attaches and then weighs anchor and heads for shore. The marine club has a large drum winch at the top of the ramp. The boat drives itself and its trailer as far up the ramp as possible until the outboard runs out of water, then the hook from the winch cable is used to snig the trailer and pull the boat back up the ramp. There's some footage on YouTube if you search 'Clifton Marine Club NZ' such as https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9u4whYT7cA


Launching link
Recovery link

 

[TheOrs]

Floating trailers are used regularly at Clifton Marine Club in Hawke's Bay, New Zealand......................There's some footage on YouTube if you search 'Clifton Marine Club NZ'

Brilliant - Thanks for that. Very ingenious.

I was trying to visualise them launching across a sandy beach but with the concrete ramp it makes much more sense.

What are the tides like there?

 

[Purch]

Tides are normally around 5 - 6 feet (1.6m).

 

[KINGFISHER 8]

Floating trailers are used regularly at Clifton Marine Club in Hawke's
Recovery link

They've got floating anchors as well !!

 

[mlines]

In both those clips it looks more like a very shallow sloping beach launching technique rather than a rough seas issue.

One of the issues with a rough sea recovery onto a trailer is the boat hull bouncing on the trailer. With a trailer attached like in the video the trailer wheels are going to be bouncing on the ground which would still place an impact onto the hull.