Cruisers Forum
 


Reply
  This discussion is proudly sponsored by:
Please support our sponsors and let them know you heard about their products on Cruisers Forums. Advertise Here
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Rate Thread Display Modes
Old 25-10-2016, 08:37   #1
Registered User

Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: Miami, FL
Posts: 4
Launching Swing Keel from Miami Marinas (any experience?)

Hello,
I am relatively new to sailing and got my first Catalina 25 swing keel.
im wondering if I have to purchase any extension to the trailer (and how long) in order to launch the boat from any marina in Miami, FL

does anyone have experience with this ?
what would you recommend?
thanks for your help
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	IMG-20161023-WA0002.jpg
Views:	183
Size:	231.5 KB
ID:	133821   Click image for larger version

Name:	IMG-20161023-WA0004.jpg
Views:	188
Size:	285.9 KB
ID:	133822  

isaza20 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 25-10-2016, 09:22   #2
Registered User

Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Parry Sound Ontario
Boat: Irwin citation 40 "Southern Toy"
Posts: 169
Re: Launching Swing Keel from Miami Marinas (any experience?)

Hi You have a good boat there,your question depends on the towing vehicle, my 4wheel drive diesel truck,seldom needs an exstensioon.But it is easy to make one ,and it would make it easier to haul out. enjoy
olepedersen is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 25-10-2016, 09:45   #3
Registered User

Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: Miami, FL
Posts: 4
Re: Launching Swing Keel from Miami Marinas (any experience?)

Thanks, i got a 2014 jeep grand cherokee, 2wd
Says 7000 lbs towing capacity
isaza20 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 25-10-2016, 10:29   #4
Registered User

Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Parry Sound Ontario
Boat: Irwin citation 40 "Southern Toy"
Posts: 169
Re: Launching Swing Keel from Miami Marinas (any experience?)

yah make an exstension or the back end of the cheerokee will go in the water when launching
olepedersen is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 25-10-2016, 11:02   #5
Registered User

Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: Miami, FL
Posts: 4
Re: Launching Swing Keel from Miami Marinas (any experience?)

Thank you.
how many feet do you recommend on the extender?
any specific brand?
isaza20 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 25-10-2016, 11:04   #6
Registered User
 
UNCIVILIZED's Avatar

Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Up the mast, looking for clean wind.
Boat: Currently Shopping, & Heavily in LUST!
Posts: 5,629
Re: Launching Swing Keel from Miami Marinas (any experience?)

It wouldn't hurt to have one, as some ramps have fairly mild angles of incline to them. Which necessitates putting more of the trailer & tow vehicle into the water in order to launch or retrieve the boat.

One caution on this is that many ramps are also slippery, so that while your truck may have the HP to pull the boat, the tires will lose traction on some ramps. So look before you leap, carry a towing strap, & know how to use it properly.


Edit: You can check & measure the angle of a launching ramp, & then calculate how far down it you'll need to drive in order to put the boat in, or pull it out. Which, said info can be used to decide if a new ramp is usable or not (by you).
__________________

The Uncommon Thing, The Hard Thing, The Important Thing (in Life): Making Promises to Yourself, And Keeping Them.
UNCIVILIZED is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 25-10-2016, 13:26   #7
Registered User

Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 372
Re: Launching Swing Keel from Miami Marinas (any experience?)

Find a tongue for 2" ball at auto parts shop, then go to a metal yard and buy a length of 2" box tubing. 10 to 15 feet. Will all cost you $100 when done. Tube comes in different wall thickness, 3/16" worked for me, 1/4" makes for a very heavy bar. 1/8" is bendy.

Check your trailer carefully, if you can slide the 2" extension into your trailer frame and drill a couple of holes for through bolts that will work best. After that you need to get creative with u-bolts etc. If you plan on using a 2" ball into your existing trailer tongue you have to support the trailer on the way down the ramp and those little plastic jack wheels won't take much abuse. Plus you can't steer the trailer since it all pivots on the ball and at your truck.
Dymaxion is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 25-10-2016, 13:34   #8
Registered User

Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Tucson, AZ
Posts: 357
Re: Launching Swing Keel from Miami Marinas (any experience?)

You might not need it, but it will definitely make it easier.

7k lbs is pretty close to the max towing capability of the Grand Cherokee, what engine do you have? The 5.7 Hemi?

What does the boat weigh?

An extension will also allow you to get the boat moving with more of the weight supported by the water, which will be a big advantage because your jeep is 2wd.
PhiSig1071 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 25-10-2016, 13:53   #9
Registered User

Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: Miami, FL
Posts: 4
Re: Launching Swing Keel from Miami Marinas (any experience?)

Quote:
Originally Posted by PhiSig1071 View Post
You might not need it, but it will definitely make it easier.

7k lbs is pretty close to the max towing capability of the Grand Cherokee, what engine do you have? The 5.7 Hemi?

What does the boat weigh?

An extension will also allow you to get the boat moving with more of the weight supported by the water, which will be a big advantage because your jeep is 2wd.

1984 Catalina 25 - 4500 lbs
cherokee 3.6 V6
isaza20 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 25-10-2016, 14:06   #10
Registered User
 
UNCIVILIZED's Avatar

Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Up the mast, looking for clean wind.
Boat: Currently Shopping, & Heavily in LUST!
Posts: 5,629
Re: Launching Swing Keel from Miami Marinas (any experience?)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dymaxion View Post
Find a tongue for 2" ball at auto parts shop, then go to a metal yard and buy a length of 2" box tubing. 10 to 15 feet. Will all cost you $100 when done. Tube comes in different wall thickness, 3/16" worked for me, 1/4" makes for a very heavy bar. 1/8" is bendy.

Check your trailer carefully, if you can slide the 2" extension into your trailer frame and drill a couple of holes for through bolts that will work best. After that you need to get creative with u-bolts etc. If you plan on using a 2" ball into your existing trailer tongue you have to support the trailer on the way down the ramp and those little plastic jack wheels won't take much abuse. Plus you can't steer the trailer since it all pivots on the ball and at your truck.
Why 2", & through bolting? Most of the extensions I've seen or worked with are made from the same extrustion type & size as the tongue of the trailer. Say 3-4" galvanized box beam sections. And you use U-bolts with load spreader plates attached to them to clamp the extension to the trailer's tongue. Non?

That way the load on both the trailer tongue, & the extension is spead out over the whole "circumference" of the tube/box section. Whereas if you through bolt it, you're point loading both the box section, & the bolts. Thus weakening things. And you really want everything to be as stiff as possible, especially where the 2 are connected. Since there will definitely be lots of torsion on the tongue & the extension. Both vertically, & horizontally (transversely).


Edit: For the OP, I can't say that I've done it. But if the tires are really having problems gripping the ramp, you might let some air out of them. As guys do this for off road work in terrain where they need some extra stickyness. Just don't drop the pressure so low that you're in danger of breaking the seal between the tire bead & the rim, thus losing all of your air.
__________________

The Uncommon Thing, The Hard Thing, The Important Thing (in Life): Making Promises to Yourself, And Keeping Them.
UNCIVILIZED is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 25-10-2016, 14:06   #11
Registered User

Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Tucson, AZ
Posts: 357
Re: Launching Swing Keel from Miami Marinas (any experience?)

Quote:
Originally Posted by isaza20 View Post
1984 Catalina 25 - 4500 lbs
cherokee 3.6 V6
With a V6 I would definitely recommend an extension. You can have the boat further back in the water, and your cherokee can be higher up on the ramp where it's (hopefully) dry (or at least dryer, and less likely to have algae or other growth). Also take everything you can out of the boat before you haul it out of the water.

Launching and recovering boats with 2wd is definitely trickier than with 4wd.
PhiSig1071 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 26-10-2016, 08:30   #12
Registered User

Cruisers Forum Supporter

Join Date: May 2011
Location: Miami Florida
Boat: Ellis Flybridge 28
Posts: 4,057
Re: Launching Swing Keel from Miami Marinas (any experience?)

Go talk to the folks at Continental Trailers in Miami. Very nice folks. They will make your extension.
__________________
Retired from Hopkins-Carter Marine Supplies
HopCar is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 26-10-2016, 12:42   #13
Registered User

Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: Florida
Boat: O'Day 23
Posts: 1
Re: Launching Swing Keel from Miami Marinas (any experience?)

I have an O'Day 23 that I launch regularly. I built a 12 foot extension for my trailer, and it works well. I pull the trailer with a Chevy Suburban and at most Florida boat ramps I have to get the rear wheels right to the water line. The boat floats easily off the trailer. When retrieving the boat, I have to be careful because if the trailer is not deep enough the keel catches on the most forward keel roller. My extension is 4 inch 10 gauge sqaure tube painted with cold galvanizing. Hope this helps.
thill is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 30-10-2016, 17:47   #14
Registered User
 
Snowdog2's Avatar

Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: MA
Boat: O'Day 19 (not Rhodes model), and Chrysler 26
Posts: 80
Re: Launching Swing Keel from Miami Marinas (any experience?)

Hi,

I have a Chrysler 26 (about 7000 lbs with trailer, a little heavier than the Catalina). After doing a fair amount of research and discussions with folks, I decided against the extension route, and instead went with a 20' strap of adequate strength. I also got a fitting for the hitch to run the strap through ( I read that the ball is not a good idea, as it can break and be like a large bullet, though I have no personal knowledge of this). You will need a swing down wheel or set of wheels on the front of the trailer, and some good chocks to block the trailer wheels when you are disconnecting the trailer and putting on the hitch. I was told very strongly not to use the usual swing down wheels but to get something much stronger for this purpose. A second person can steer the trailer if needed from the tongue. I have only used this system once so far (in and out) and it worked well.

Be careful that you know your ramp. You don't want to back it past the end of the concrete to a drop off and not be able to pull forward.

Good luck.
Snowdog2 is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
enc, keel, marinas, miami

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Shoal Keel or Full Swing Keel ? gordo1287 Monohull Sailboats 15 02-02-2016 15:42
Any special Christening or Ritual for launching a "new" sailboat? Sambama General Sailing Forum 15 22-09-2015 22:28
Ramp Launching Full Keel Boats - Tell me your problems theller Monohull Sailboats 14 10-04-2014 05:48
Any Problems Keeping a Swing Keel Boat in the Water Long Term? kcmarcet Monohull Sailboats 20 07-04-2011 16:44
Swing Keel Repair Ron_Fran Construction, Maintenance & Refit 6 16-05-2006 19:02

Advertise Here


All times are GMT -7. The time now is 23:16.


Google+
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Social Knowledge Networks
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.

ShowCase vBulletin Plugins by Drive Thru Online, Inc.