Small boat launching questions..

[J13MEX]

Evening everyone,

I'm not massively far of completing my little 9ft spitfire speedboat project so now looking into launch ideas. I won't have a trailer as I live so close to the beach it's pointless and cars are not allowed down the slip way to the beach! The boat. Is not massively heavy Without the outboard 2 people can completely lift the boat and carry it (wouldn't want to go far mind you) so I was thinking about getting a launching trolly? If I get some decent wheels I could easily pull it to the sea I'm guessing? It's more the getting it back on the trolley I'm concerned about. It will be my first time on a boat so unsure how to go about it. I was thinking about beaching it and lifting onto the trolly? Or would it be easier to actually get the trolly in the water then get the boat on and pull them both out together?

Sorry if this sounds totally stupid but it's a steal learning curve for me so appreciate any comments/advice/ideas..

Many thanks. Jamie

 

[landlockedpirate]

With the engine on its going to be fairly difficult for 2 people to lift.

A trolley will work fine.Push the trolley into the water so that the pads the boat sits on are a couple of inches under the water, then just pull the boat onto the trolley. Make sure you tie the boat to the front of the trolley and pull it out of the water.

 

[Lakesailor]

I made this for £0. I added a V-shaped block to support and locate the bow on my 12ft Solo dinghy.
You'll need either sand wheels or wheelbarrow type wheels so it doesn't sink in.

Fitted sand wheels later (about £10 each) simple steel bar as axle and plastic wheel hubs spin on it. No corrosion worries.

 

[J13MEX]

Thanks guys, how did you make that dolly? I was looking at eBay specials at around £150. I'm just unsure how I would mount the wheels?

 

[sarabande]

those are simple tube, or plain, bearings. The wheels you can buy at any agriculrtural merchants, but, but, when you say launch across a beach, those wheels will not work on pebbles.

You need a low pressure tyre with a footprint of at least 6 x 3 inches to conform to the shape of pebbles.

You can also use long sausage rollers, which stuff under seats when not in use. No need for a trailer then.

 

[J13MEX]

Ok thanks. So, the wheels just literally sit over the tube then I take it you put a split pin or something through to keep them on? It's my birthday today so have the day off work so might make something as I'm having a "me" day! Lol

 

[rafiki_]

J13MEX, if I were you, I would try it out on the river first. Launching and recovering in waves is not easy, they push and pull the boat every which way. Your boat is very light, so this will be even more pronounced.

 

[J13MEX]

This has crossed my mind a lot problem is the only river near me is the Norfolk broads and they sure know how to charge! Also the 4mph speed limit is putting me off a lot. Good practice to launch on the ramps though!

Will call now and get full costs. May even call the marina and see how much a years mooring is. Would you recommend mooring a craft this size? Is it too prone to theft, damage etc?

 

[Searush]

With a fat engine on the stern, balance could be the issue. You need to support the hull so that there are no major pressure points on it. With 50% (possibly more) of the weight at the transom I would expect you will need the main support very close to the stern with a secondary V style support near the bow.

A well balanced trolley or trailer put most of the weight on the wheels so that pulling is far easier. A seperate trolley for the engine might be the way to go, so the engine only gets fitted just before the launch.

You usually need 2 people for a trolley launch. One to hold the boat & one to take the trolley somewhere out of the way of other slipway users & lock it up if at a busy location. You may get away single handed with an anchor to hold the boat or a jetty to tie it to while you then sort out the trolley.

If your launch site is subject to natural waves, go elsewhere or try another day with better weather. If it's just busy & wash affected, wait for a quiet spell.

 

[mlines]

You can have my launching trolley for free (currently on Marinaskip)

It has the larger wheels.

Available in Reading, Berkshire.

As the price suggests (free) its not shiny and gleaming. It would probably need the handle extending (weld on a bit of bar) for your boat.

 

[J13MEX]

So with the weight over the wheels, 2 people should be able to pull it down a short beach? That's what I like to hear. Just called a local marina about mooring. £35 a month.. Perfect.. Then they told me the annual fee to go under the bridge (to get out on the sea) is around £150! And the other option is norfolk broads with the low speed limit.

That launch trailer sounds perfect but a bit far for me. Thanks a lot for the offer though.

 

[rafiki_]

So with the weight over the wheels, 2 people should be able to pull it down a short beach? That's what I like to hear. Just called a local marina about mooring. £35 a month.. Perfect.. Then they told me the annual fee to go under the bridge (to get out on the sea) is around £150! And the other option is norfolk broads with the low speed limit.

That launch trailer sounds perfect but a bit far for me. Thanks a lot for the offer though.

I don't think Breydon water has a speed limit, and there are a couple of stretches up to Brundall that used to be de-restricted.

 

[J13MEX]

Just looked into breyon waters. You are correct, no limits, although I feel as though i would not be experienced enough to get that close to the bigger more expensive boats. I think I'm just going to stick with beac launches and stay close to the shoreline until I build my knowledge/confidence.

Jamie

 

[rafiki_]

Just looked into breyon waters. You are correct, no limits, although I feel as though i would not be experienced enough to get that close to the bigger more expensive boats. I think I'm just going to stick with beac launches and stay close to the shoreline until I build my knowledge/confidence.

Jamie

Jamie, your call, but if it goes wrong on the beach, the consequences could be a larger scale then on Breydon.

 

[J13MEX]

I appreciate that, it's just looking on the broads authority website there is a lot of rules and regulations I do not even understand. I'm happy to pay mooring fees and anything else needed its just I do not want to become a burden to other boat users in my small craft. I did not intend to have a radio etc as it was only meant to be a bit of weekend fun but looking online i guess it's something that's going to be needed in order to navigate around the broads and surrounding area's. As I'm sure you can imagine from my point of view it's very daunting. I'm only 22, no boating experience and to top it off, I do not know a single person who owns a boat so have no one locally to ask/go out with to gain experience.

I think I may make a call to the broads authority and see what they say I will need. I know insurance is one but a years insurance costs more than I paid for the boat which is a bit annoying. It's like car insurance all over again!

 

[Kilter]

Aldi are selling wheelbarrow wheels at the moment for not a lot

 

[Searush]

Aldi are selling wheelbarrow wheels at the moment for not a lot

A tenner each, I just bought 2 for my GP14 trolley as one of the tyres had popped out of the rim & 20 quid was cheaper than getting 2 new tyres!

J13mEX,
For sea use, you benefit from an anchor & some form of secondary propulsion (a pair of paddles). A radio would be good, but a mobile phone in a waterproof case will do. A chart of the area & a compass would also be useful, you cannot see what is under the water & the water does not necessarily get deeper as you go further out. Tide tables are important & some idea of local currents & channels (shown on the chart). Bouancy aids are another valuable safety aid.

Much of this stuff can be acquired quite cheaply, secondhand off e-bay, Freecycle, local ads & even the YBW for sale forum.

 

[Lakesailor]

Steel bar of the right size. About £6. Weld a couple of bits of angle iron on as brackets. Tack weld a washer to the inboard end and use a washer split pin at the outboard end. Bolt to wooden beam that carries the dinghy. The backbone is an old Laser mast.
Wheelbarrow wheels with pneumatic tyres will fit on just the same. Agricultural merchants call these wheels Bale Trailer Wheels.

This is upsidedown for clarity

 

[J13MEX]

I see, cheers for the info! I have been given an anchor and plenty of rope so will keep this on board. I was looking at waterproof phone cases for my phone last night. I was also scanning the app market for some kind of useable gps that may help me in case of problems. I do not intend to go out further than eye view, and the beach I will be using also has a life guard station on the beach so im hoping if I can always see them, they can always see me and if the engine cuts or come into any probs, I can anchor out and call for help. I know this is going to sound a crazy question as I'm sure it will vary so much but.. How much rope would you say I need to anchor? As said I won't be going out too far but have no idea how deep too expect the water to be? What length do you guys normally carry? I may try and find a cheap depth finder but this is all extra weight onma small lightweight boat so have to only want the very basics..

Jamie

 

[rbcoomer]

Fishfinders / depth sounder

Hi Jamie,

I started with one of these when I got our 14' Fletcher:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Portable-...528?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f1c15aa38

If you keep watching eBay, one will come up in the UK - I paid about £29 inc P&P.

They're ideal for starting out due to low cost, but without rigging some form of clamp or holding bracket, quite tricky on your own! You can set a shallow alarm however. Batteries didn't last that long, but much cheaper startup option than the Lowrance unit I'm now using (about £700 with UK charts! ) I found the depth pretty accurate and you do get to know where the shallow bits are - assuming you have half-decent memory and good spacial awareness. I took a chart too however and studied it before I went out.

I'd add at least a couple of meters of chain between the anchor and rope - no need to go overboard ( ), but it will help the anchor hold and save you a lot of stress if you need to stop the boat drifting in the event of engine failure etc. Old boat+novice+sea means something will break, so save yourself the stress and be as well prepared as you can. There's a lot of things you can fix to get out of trouble if you are prepared - small hand tools, tape, cable ties etc

The RNLI give free boat/sea safety assessments, so don't be afraid to ask or seek advice. Life Jacket or Buoyancy aid a must IMHO - even if you are an Olympic swimmer! A good idea to tell someone where you're going and when you'll be back - worst possible scenario is you launch from remote beach and break down but nobody knows you're out there! (Don't forget to let them know you're back too...)

Have fun!

Regards,

Robin