Launch alternatives, trailering to remote areas

[Jammer]

Plan for this week was to trailer the boat to Lake Vermilion and spend some time cruising the shoreline and islands, with nights at anchor. Plans changed because I ripped my mainsail last weekend (it's 40 years old and far overdue for replacement) and was unable to get it repaired in time.


I've been exploring the lake and the surrounding area, in a canoe and a rented powerboat.


The change of plans may have been a stroke of luck since I'm finding that the boat launch facilities don't have ramps that are deep and long enough to load my sailboat back onto the trailer. I'm planning to make some phone calls to private marinas and see if anyone has a deeper ramp, but this may turn out to be a trip that will never be feasible as planned. Despite the size of the lake, there aren't any deep-draft boats, and none of the many marinas are sail-oriented.


This has led me to wonder about crane launches. There are commercial heavy-lift crane services within an hour's drive or so of the lake. It would take some coordination, but it seems it would be possible to arrange to have a crane and slings on site for a day for launch, and another day for haulout, at (in the greater scheme of things) only modestly greater expense than the customary charge a marina would impose for a travellift or other more sailboat-specific means of launch and haulout.


Anyone done this? Ideas? Find a bigger lake?

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by Jammer

Plan for this week was to trailer the boat to Lake Vermilion and spend some time cruising the shoreline and islands, with nights at anchor. Plans changed because I ripped my mainsail last weekend (it's 40 years old and far overdue for replacement) and was unable to get it repaired in time.


I've been exploring the lake and the surrounding area, in a canoe and a rented powerboat.


The change of plans may have been a stroke of luck since I'm finding that the boat launch facilities don't have ramps that are deep and long enough to load my sailboat back onto the trailer. I'm planning to make some phone calls to private marinas and see if anyone has a deeper ramp, but this may turn out to be a trip that will never be feasible as planned. Despite the size of the lake, there aren't any deep-draft boats, and none of the many marinas are sail-oriented.


This has led me to wonder about crane launches. There are commercial heavy-lift crane services within an hour's drive or so of the lake. It would take some coordination, but it seems it would be possible to arrange to have a crane and slings on site for a day for launch, and another day for haulout, at (in the greater scheme of things) only modestly greater expense than the customary charge a marina would impose for a travellift or other more sailboat-specific means of launch and haulout.


Anyone done this? Ideas? Find a bigger lake?

That's going to make for quite an expensive sail. The money spent could go a long way toward a new mainsail

Most folks that launch routinely from trailers are sailboat racers. Here say at Hampton Yacht Club they have their own launch system since so many boats (maybe 6-8 local) are racing boats on trailers. The rest are at their marina. Plus other racers that travel in launch there as well I would think

http://hamptonyc.com/tradition/facilities/

HYC has three areas for storage launching and recovering boats including a dinghy floating ramp launch, a 1 ton crane and storage area and a 5 Ton and 2 Ton crane and storage are. Dry sail boat storage is available for boats up to 35’ in length and a weight less than 10,000 lbs in a sailing condition.

Racers line to pull their boats to shine the bottom etc.

You might try and find out if there's a yacht club that races nearby

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by thomm225

That's going to make for quite an expensive sail. The money spent could go a long way toward a new mainsail

Separate projects, separate boats.


I've been nursing along the sail the boat came with until I decide how long I'm going to keep it (no more than 2-3 years, I think) before getting something larger. I'm finding that I can't trailer it to places I would like, and it's too cramped for my family to truly enjoy it. If I'm going to have to crane-launch a boat, it will be much larger.


It would also be in the chosen body of water for an extended period, e.g. a summer.

Most folks that launch routinely from trailers are sailboat racers. Here say at Hampton Yacht Club I'm thinking they have their own launch system since so many boats (maybe 6-8) are racing boats on trailers. The rest are at their marina

Racers line to pull their boats to shine the bottom etc.

You might try and find out if there's a yacht club that races nearby

There's not. The most sail-oriented shore support is a resort that offers sailboat rentals to their guests. They have a couple of scows, much easier to get in and out of the water than a cruiser.