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Author Topic:   Single handed launching a 25

dan firth posted 09-10-2003 09:37 AM ET (US)
I'm hoping that some of you folks with the larger Whalers can give me some good advice on single handed launching when there's a significant surge at the launch ramp. I've read the reference articles and I've had both a 15 Super Sport and an 18 Outrage for years so I know the drill pretty well when it comes to single-handed launching a smaller boat. However, I recently purchased a 25 Outrage w/WD. It's MUCH heavier!
To complicate matters, it has a float-on trailer, so I don't want to partially wet the boat and then power it off and on the trailer. The previous owner did that and now the green fiberglass is showing on about 4 feet of the forward keel from scraping it on and off the forward keel support (I'll need to re-gelcoat).
How does this sound: Keep the bow strap tightly connected to the boat. Submerge the trailer deep enough to float the boat at the top of the surge. This will cause a strong pull on the vehicle (a big Ford Bronco) and the bow strap each time the surge goes out. Blocking the front (or rear?) wheels would be a must so the thing doesn't get pulled into the bay. Start the motors. Disengaging the bow strap while hanging over the bow of the boat then becomes a matter of timing, waiting for the top of the surge to give me some slack in the strap. Retrieval would be the reverse.
I don't feel real comfortable with this approach as I can imagine a fair degree of fiddling around with the bow strap. I'm also wondering if the amount of pull that could be exerted on the Bronco is a concern, especially if I'm in the green stuff.
The method I always have used on the smaller boats (both with drive-on bunk trailers) was to disengage the bow strap prior to launching and then wetting them just enough to allow me to drive them off.
Soooo, I'd appreciate the benefit of your collective experience!
Thanks,
Dan

andygere posted 09-10-2003 11:31 AM ET (US)
Dan,
Your technique is almost identical to what I do to solo launch my 22 (at the same surge-prone ramp) with one exception. When I've got the boat just floating, I tie one end of a stout dock line around the sampson post, and wrap a loop around the winch stand and tie the bitter end off to the sampson post. Then I unhook the winch strap and chain, climb up the winch stand to get into the boat, and start the motor. Once the motor is warmed up, I go up to the bow, untie my line and pull it aboard, then scamper back to the helm and quickly back off the trailer. I've found that replacing the only 2 rollers on my bunk style trailer with new Stoltz units has helped (one at the transom, and one on the forward most cross member). I also use liberal amounts of liquid rollers on the bunks to allow the boat to slip off a bit easier.
You are correct to be concerned about pulling your tow rig into the drink on that ramp, especially when the algae hasn't been steam cleaned off in a while. A friend of mine saw a full size pickup take a swim there about 2 weeks ago. Also, the bow eye is very hard to reach from inside of these bigger boats. It's really way down there. I've been thinking about attaching a sturdy cleat to the winch stand. With a cleat, I could tie a line from the trailer to the sampson post on the boat, then just cast the line off and back the boat away, leaving the line on the trailer.
If you want to practice your techniqe with a "spotter" ready to move your truck or hold a line, let me know and I'll meet you down at the ramp any time.
lhg posted 09-10-2003 01:59 PM ET (US)
It sounds to me like you guys really need keel roller trailers, if I may beat a dead horse a little more!
I can single hand launch and retrieve my 25 with relative ease, as long as there is a dock or wall along side. I do it all the time in FL. I think you have probably seen what the trailer looks like. On launching I simply back it down to where I want it, depending on how steep the ramp is, get in and start up the engines (to avoid forcing water in the cylinders when it rolls backward and have them ready if needed), and unwind the winch, or sometimes unhook it, and let it roll (sometimes quite fast) into the water using the 25' long bow line as a "leash". On retrieval, I tie it up at the dock, back the trailer in as needed depending on circumstances, guide the bow into the notch in the rollers, hook up the strap and wind her up. I use one of those yellow 10,000# rated straps to eliminate worries of strap failure. Usually I don't have to take off my shoes and get my feet wet, although sometimes it makes it a lot easier. Actually, if I am alone, I use this process for either the 18 or 25, and the 25 is no harder to retrieve than the 18, just a little more winching involved. With a properly set up keel roller trailer you can't drive the boat on the trailer, since it will only roll back when you cut the engines. When you're alone, the winch has to do the work, depending on how much of the distance can be floated on.
The guys that I have seen single hand a big boat on a float-on/drive-on trailer basically back the trailer in all the way, so the boat can be driven right up to the winch stand. Then get out, lettin the bunk friction hold the boat in place, and wind up the last couple of inches and pull it out. For launching they usually back it in as far as possible, unhook the strap, then use the engines to back it off the trailer.
Incidentally, a properly set up float-on trailer has either keel rollers at the bottom V of the crossmembers, or Stoltz frame pads, so the deeper V of the bow won't hit the frames as the boat floats on, as Dan describes. Once settled on the trailer bunks, these elements then do not touch the boat. Sturdy vertical guide-ons, the kind with PVC tubes that slide over the galvanized posts, are highly recommended, adjusted so they are TIGHT up against the rubrail when the boat is on the trailer.
russellbailey posted 09-10-2003 02:24 PM ET (US)
Larry, I was hoping to hear how you do this, as I know from reading here that you have a lot of experience with trailerboating with a 25.
I'm curious if you can singlehand either of your boats at a ramp with no dock, and if so, how. Most places I boat do not have a dock at the ramp. With a bunk trailer not fully backed in, you can do it alone by:

Tom2697 posted 09-10-2003 02:25 PM ET (US)
While my father's boat is not a 25'er. The boat weight is about double what my Outrage is and so makes for quite a different launch from my 18'. Plus, where we used to launch it involved launching the boat into a bay that has 1 1/2' chop immediately at the dock. How I've launched that boat is similar to how andygere does his. The only difference is that I tie the bitter end into a quick-release, single 1/2-hitch with enough length on the free end that it can be released from the helm. Then, I just give a quick tug to the line, the boat is released and I can back away from the trailer.
russellbailey posted 09-10-2003 02:28 PM ET (US)
Oops.
1. Back in where boat is largely floating but not enough to float off the bunks
2. Start engine on boat
3. Unhook strap - relatively easy since boat is still held by bunks and is not pulling down the strap
4. Back off trailer using the motor (or with our little 15 you can just shove off the trailer as you climb in).
With a keel roller trailer, where the boat wants to roll down the trailer due to gravity, how do you manage to unhook the strap and get into the boat if you don't have a dock alongside?
Drisney posted 09-10-2003 04:34 PM ET (US)
Dan.....you should never fish that big beautiful boat alone....I am just around the block..... Dave
lhg posted 09-10-2003 04:40 PM ET (US)
Russell - Although I have never launched at a ramp without a dock, with a keel roller trailer, and no helper, this would be a problem, for the reasons you state. WITH a companion or helper, it's an easy process.
Even at a ramp WITH a side dock/wall, I can't get into the boat until it rolls off the trailer once it's unhooked from the winch. Nor is there a need to.
The 25 is REALLY high at the bow when it's on a trailer, regardless of style of trailer. So I don't think anyone could single-hand it even with a bunk trailer on a no-dock ramp, without going into the water. I can't imagine how someone could climb up into the boat from the bow with the boat backed into the water. On mine, the bow pulpit is about 7' above the ground when on the trailer.
alkar posted 09-10-2003 06:27 PM ET (US)
I have a 22' Outrage with whaler-drive and I carry my boat on a bunk trailer. I do exactly what Larry has observed and it works well for me. I back the trailer in until the top of the forward fender well on the trailer is about 2" above the water. At this depth I get about a third of the boat over the trailer before I start to experience significant friction/drag. If the ramp is steep & deep I'll power her on until she's all the way up and then snap the strap. If it's a shallow ramp I'll winch it the last two or three feet so I don't have to worry about dinging a prop. I do the same thing in reverse when I'm unloading, making sure that both engines are running before I unhook from the trailer. This process is a breeze whether there is a dock or not. The dock makes life easier, though, as you have a place to keep the boat while the tow rig is returned to the packing lot or, on the way in, while you're putting the trailer back in for retrieval.
Fishcop posted 09-10-2003 09:09 PM ET (US)
Dan,
I agree with Dave and Andy, you should call me to help you run that big beautiful boat! It will save me trailering my 25' Outrage from the delta.

I launched in SC last week and the surge was bad. Had some help, but the bottom line is that with a harbor like that and the size of the boat, two persons is almost a must.
I have seen many tow rigs "sucked" into the water over the years and to me it is not worth the risk.
I have found that launching at more protected ramps can be done solo. If you must launch solo, secure the bronco with wheel chalks and use a line to secure the boat to the dock.
Once the boat is free of the trailer, the dock line will keep the boat secure until you can tie it off and park the tow rig.
Good luck and be safe.
Andy
alkar posted 09-10-2003 09:22 PM ET (US)
What is the "surge" that you guys are describing? What creates the risk of the tow rig being pulled down that ramp?
mhoyt01 posted 09-10-2003 10:15 PM ET (US)
I take my girlfriend out from time to time just the two of us. And, I mean she's great and all, but let's be honest here, it's a solo launch. The Outrage 22 w/d is a big boat, but with planning, I can still look like a pro by myself compared to whole families of people scurrying about.
First thing, get the other stuff out of the way.
1. Day before I check my batteries, fire up my engines, check to see all plugs are in, and put my WHOLE set of tools in the center console.
2. At the top of the ramp, I undo my lights, hang my lines so I can grab them easy, and get ready to be wet, in case the need should arise.
3. Then I launch with the "get my boat almost completely floating method"(having a huge ford never hurts this), unchain and winch her, hop in and back her off.
4. I do two stage on retrieval, first putting my trailer only halfway in, so my guiders are above water. I secure her there, then back in a little more and winch or drive her on, depending.
Just my .02, but I think eveyone agrees, an extra set of knowledgable hands is priceless.
Matt
andygere posted 09-11-2003 02:23 AM ET (US)
Alkar,
The surge we are talking about is caused by open ocean swells moving up the harbor and causing the water level at the launch ramp to surge up and down, often by a foot or more. The ramp is just a few hundred yards from the beach, and in the winter when the sandbars form off the end of the jettys, it becomes one of the more radical surf spots in a town know for great surfing. Here's a link to the Santa Cruz Harbor webpage that shows the layout: http://www.santacruzharbor.org/visitor/ . The ramp is on the left side of the harbor in the photo, to the seaward side of the last row of slips.
Here's a photo taken at Santa Cruz Harbor of what will happen if you don't chock your wheels and set your brake: http://coastside.juicyweb.com/albums/unusual/Bad_Launch.jpg . Sad scene that happens a few times each year here. Note the nice looking Whaler in the background.
andygere posted 09-11-2003 02:40 AM ET (US)
A little more history on the harbor and background on the surge problem can found here: http://www.surfacemotion.com/sc70s80s/harbor/harbhist.html
Despite the surgy ramp, it's a terrific harbor and it provides access to some of the most beautiful water anywhere.
dan firth posted 09-11-2003 09:06 AM ET (US)
All this advice is great! Thanks for sharing your experience. I'm sure after I've launched this thing a few times (with help from Dave and Andy, of course!) I'll work out the kinks and move on to worrying about more important things like whether my bigger boat will catch bigger fish, where to put the deck chairs and the coffee table, etc...
Dave, Andy and Andy, I think I'm still a couple of weeks away from being ready to launch it. There are a bunch of holes in the deck including the rail mounts, shelter snaps, and all the hatch cover hinges that had rotted out so I've been patching the topside. I also drilled several small holes in the bottom to let accumulated water drain from the hull (it's been a fairly slow drip from two spots for the past two weeks) so I'll need to patch those too. Once that's done the boat is ready for water! Dave knows that I'm a neatfreak so I have to have the boat looking pretty nice, right?
Regarding the truck-in-the-harbor event Andy mentioned, my wife was there and called me from the harbor to describe the scene. Apparently the truck owner got his two-wheel drive truck too far down in the slick algae and couldn't pull his boat out. Another guy offered to tow his truck up the ramp by tying a rope from the his bumper to the stuck truck's front bumper. Nice gesture. Unfortunately, the rope broke during the pull-out and the boat, trailer and truck all rolled back into the harbor. I don't know who could feel worse, the truck owner or the good Samaritan.
Andy (Fishcop), Dave and I go up to the Delta in the fall to flyfish for stripers around Franks Tract and Mildred Island. I plan to launch this boat at Sugarbarge starting in October. If you're in the neighborhood maybe we can hook up sometime.
Thanks again, everybody.
alkar posted 09-11-2003 10:26 AM ET (US)
Thanks for filling me in Andy. I have lots of experience launching and retrieving at a ramp with a strong cross current, but I've never experienced surge like that. I can imagine that it's a big challenge, especially if the water level recedes just as the boat is about to hit the trailer.
The picture of the submerged Ford ought to be posted at the ramp as a reminder of the importance of setting the brake. That picture is worth at least 1000 words.
Crabby Mike posted 09-11-2003 05:36 PM ET (US)
Dan,
Would you post some pictures of your boat? Like to see it.
Mike
andygere posted 09-11-2003 09:21 PM ET (US)
The other thing that makes the Santa Cruz ramp a bit tricky at times is that it's fairly steep and a very slick mat of aglae grows below the high tide line. The harbor staff steam clean it off periodically, but if you are using the ramp at low tide when the algae is thick, it's so slick it's as if the ramp was lubed with axle grease. I always engage 4-wheel drive on this ramp, and always use a wheel chock. The harbor leaves a supply of them at the top of the ramp, but they always seem to get stolen pretty quickly so I bring my own.
Drisney posted 09-11-2003 11:21 PM ET (US)
JUst as an aside.....the Santa Cruz ramp has some idiosycrasies as mentioned... however the ramp in Monterey is much much,worse! (in my humble opinion) Dave
Royce posted 09-12-2003 02:37 AM ET (US)
Dan- we met at the dock at Donner Lake about six weeks ago. I am also just a few days away from my first launching of the 1985 Outrage Cuddy 25 I have been working on since Feburary. I am starting to get excited at the prospect and will definetly have a second hand to help launch and retrieve. We should all share photos of our Whalers on their first launch. Hi to "fishcop" also--how is your new job location?
Royce --Healdsburg, Ca.
lhg posted 09-12-2003 03:27 PM ET (US)
For those interested and haven't seen it, in the Rendezvous Section, NC 2000 event, Page 1, there is a photo of a 25 Outrage about to be single-hand launched. Note the stern of boat is barely touching the water in it's launching position.
Sounds like we have a nice contingent of 25 Owners developing on this site.
jimh posted 09-12-2003 04:20 PM ET (US)
http://continuouswave.com/whaler/rendezvous/NC2000/images/launch25Outrage450x300.jpeg is the image to which LHG refers.
triblet posted 09-13-2003 09:50 AM ET (US)
Drisney: There are two ramps in Monterey. Which one, and
what's the problem you see with them?
The one at the CG pier (where I launch), is more exposed to
the ocean (but not bad), longer and straighter, and more diver
amenities.
The one at the harbormaster's is VERY sheltered, but quite
short and turns for both the boat and trailer, no diver
amenities, better pub.
Dunno about fisherfolk amenities.
There have only been a couple of days (out of about 250),
that the CG pier ramp has been surgy enough to be interesting,
but it still worked. If things ever turn really bad, I'll
swim in at the CG pier, drive the trailer to the HMs, and
have Linda take the boat over. Obviously, that's not
an option for the fisherfolk.

Chuck
Fishcop posted 09-13-2003 06:32 PM ET (US)
Dave,
October is good for the big stripers along the San Joaquin and Delta islands. White bucktails or similar work well.

I am usually working the Fall deer and bear seasons or the offshore commercial fisheries, so I have little time. I would love to hook up if time permits.
Just a note, the duck season opens at that time and there are some hunters around Franks Track and Sherman Island. Watch for camo and decoys...there should not be a problem.
Royce,
The job is great. I love the North Coast and its changing weather. Flat calm one day and 12' waves at the bar the next! I was out last month in some pretty heavy seas off of Cape Mendocino. Even in a 65' boat, the ocean is unforgiving!
I will give you a call when I make it over to the 101 in your area. As it is now, I take the 20 from I-5 over to Willits and then North.
I agree that we should all take some photos of our 25' Whalers at first launch. I have some from last year that I will forward. I might be headed out to SF or SC Sunday or Monday and will take some photos of my boat for you guys.
Take Care,
Andy
dan firth posted 09-14-2003 11:13 PM ET (US)
I posted a couple of mediocre photos of the boat at http://www.accentcom.net/whaler/index.htm . I'll get some better ones as I get the boat fixed up.....
Dan
andygere posted 09-14-2003 11:34 PM ET (US)
Dan, that 25 looks sweet! I'm sure you'll have her is bristol condition in no time. If you need to get on the water before she's ready, let me know. I'm always looking for someone to take fishing.
Andy (Fishcop) and Dave, I'll be taking my Outrage 22 Cuddy to the Bethel Island area in search of stripers on the fly at the end of October. Any tips on good fishing locations or hot patterns? I've been flyfishing for stripers for several years on Cape Cod, but the Delta is a completely different environment.
-Andy

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Author	Topic: Single handed launching a 25
dan firth	posted 09-10-2003 09:37 AM ET (US) I'm hoping that some of you folks with the larger Whalers can give me some good advice on single handed launching when there's a significant surge at the launch ramp. I've read the reference articles and I've had both a 15 Super Sport and an 18 Outrage for years so I know the drill pretty well when it comes to single-handed launching a smaller boat. However, I recently purchased a 25 Outrage w/WD. It's MUCH heavier! To complicate matters, it has a float-on trailer, so I don't want to partially wet the boat and then power it off and on the trailer. The previous owner did that and now the green fiberglass is showing on about 4 feet of the forward keel from scraping it on and off the forward keel support (I'll need to re-gelcoat). How does this sound: Keep the bow strap tightly connected to the boat. Submerge the trailer deep enough to float the boat at the top of the surge. This will cause a strong pull on the vehicle (a big Ford Bronco) and the bow strap each time the surge goes out. Blocking the front (or rear?) wheels would be a must so the thing doesn't get pulled into the bay. Start the motors. Disengaging the bow strap while hanging over the bow of the boat then becomes a matter of timing, waiting for the top of the surge to give me some slack in the strap. Retrieval would be the reverse. I don't feel real comfortable with this approach as I can imagine a fair degree of fiddling around with the bow strap. I'm also wondering if the amount of pull that could be exerted on the Bronco is a concern, especially if I'm in the green stuff. The method I always have used on the smaller boats (both with drive-on bunk trailers) was to disengage the bow strap prior to launching and then wetting them just enough to allow me to drive them off. Soooo, I'd appreciate the benefit of your collective experience! Thanks, Dan
andygere	posted 09-10-2003 11:31 AM ET (US) Dan, Your technique is almost identical to what I do to solo launch my 22 (at the same surge-prone ramp) with one exception. When I've got the boat just floating, I tie one end of a stout dock line around the sampson post, and wrap a loop around the winch stand and tie the bitter end off to the sampson post. Then I unhook the winch strap and chain, climb up the winch stand to get into the boat, and start the motor. Once the motor is warmed up, I go up to the bow, untie my line and pull it aboard, then scamper back to the helm and quickly back off the trailer. I've found that replacing the only 2 rollers on my bunk style trailer with new Stoltz units has helped (one at the transom, and one on the forward most cross member). I also use liberal amounts of liquid rollers on the bunks to allow the boat to slip off a bit easier. You are correct to be concerned about pulling your tow rig into the drink on that ramp, especially when the algae hasn't been steam cleaned off in a while. A friend of mine saw a full size pickup take a swim there about 2 weeks ago. Also, the bow eye is very hard to reach from inside of these bigger boats. It's really way down there. I've been thinking about attaching a sturdy cleat to the winch stand. With a cleat, I could tie a line from the trailer to the sampson post on the boat, then just cast the line off and back the boat away, leaving the line on the trailer. If you want to practice your techniqe with a "spotter" ready to move your truck or hold a line, let me know and I'll meet you down at the ramp any time.
lhg	posted 09-10-2003 01:59 PM ET (US) It sounds to me like you guys really need keel roller trailers, if I may beat a dead horse a little more! I can single hand launch and retrieve my 25 with relative ease, as long as there is a dock or wall along side. I do it all the time in FL. I think you have probably seen what the trailer looks like. On launching I simply back it down to where I want it, depending on how steep the ramp is, get in and start up the engines (to avoid forcing water in the cylinders when it rolls backward and have them ready if needed), and unwind the winch, or sometimes unhook it, and let it roll (sometimes quite fast) into the water using the 25' long bow line as a "leash". On retrieval, I tie it up at the dock, back the trailer in as needed depending on circumstances, guide the bow into the notch in the rollers, hook up the strap and wind her up. I use one of those yellow 10,000# rated straps to eliminate worries of strap failure. Usually I don't have to take off my shoes and get my feet wet, although sometimes it makes it a lot easier. Actually, if I am alone, I use this process for either the 18 or 25, and the 25 is no harder to retrieve than the 18, just a little more winching involved. With a properly set up keel roller trailer you can't drive the boat on the trailer, since it will only roll back when you cut the engines. When you're alone, the winch has to do the work, depending on how much of the distance can be floated on. The guys that I have seen single hand a big boat on a float-on/drive-on trailer basically back the trailer in all the way, so the boat can be driven right up to the winch stand. Then get out, lettin the bunk friction hold the boat in place, and wind up the last couple of inches and pull it out. For launching they usually back it in as far as possible, unhook the strap, then use the engines to back it off the trailer. Incidentally, a properly set up float-on trailer has either keel rollers at the bottom V of the crossmembers, or Stoltz frame pads, so the deeper V of the bow won't hit the frames as the boat floats on, as Dan describes. Once settled on the trailer bunks, these elements then do not touch the boat. Sturdy vertical guide-ons, the kind with PVC tubes that slide over the galvanized posts, are highly recommended, adjusted so they are TIGHT up against the rubrail when the boat is on the trailer.
russellbailey	posted 09-10-2003 02:24 PM ET (US) Larry, I was hoping to hear how you do this, as I know from reading here that you have a lot of experience with trailerboating with a 25. I'm curious if you can singlehand either of your boats at a ramp with no dock, and if so, how. Most places I boat do not have a dock at the ramp. With a bunk trailer not fully backed in, you can do it alone by:
Tom2697	posted 09-10-2003 02:25 PM ET (US) While my father's boat is not a 25'er. The boat weight is about double what my Outrage is and so makes for quite a different launch from my 18'. Plus, where we used to launch it involved launching the boat into a bay that has 1 1/2' chop immediately at the dock. How I've launched that boat is similar to how andygere does his. The only difference is that I tie the bitter end into a quick-release, single 1/2-hitch with enough length on the free end that it can be released from the helm. Then, I just give a quick tug to the line, the boat is released and I can back away from the trailer.
russellbailey	posted 09-10-2003 02:28 PM ET (US) Oops. 1. Back in where boat is largely floating but not enough to float off the bunks 2. Start engine on boat 3. Unhook strap - relatively easy since boat is still held by bunks and is not pulling down the strap 4. Back off trailer using the motor (or with our little 15 you can just shove off the trailer as you climb in). With a keel roller trailer, where the boat wants to roll down the trailer due to gravity, how do you manage to unhook the strap and get into the boat if you don't have a dock alongside?
Drisney	posted 09-10-2003 04:34 PM ET (US) Dan.....you should never fish that big beautiful boat alone....I am just around the block..... Dave
lhg	posted 09-10-2003 04:40 PM ET (US) Russell - Although I have never launched at a ramp without a dock, with a keel roller trailer, and no helper, this would be a problem, for the reasons you state. WITH a companion or helper, it's an easy process. Even at a ramp WITH a side dock/wall, I can't get into the boat until it rolls off the trailer once it's unhooked from the winch. Nor is there a need to. The 25 is REALLY high at the bow when it's on a trailer, regardless of style of trailer. So I don't think anyone could single-hand it even with a bunk trailer on a no-dock ramp, without going into the water. I can't imagine how someone could climb up into the boat from the bow with the boat backed into the water. On mine, the bow pulpit is about 7' above the ground when on the trailer.
alkar	posted 09-10-2003 06:27 PM ET (US) I have a 22' Outrage with whaler-drive and I carry my boat on a bunk trailer. I do exactly what Larry has observed and it works well for me. I back the trailer in until the top of the forward fender well on the trailer is about 2" above the water. At this depth I get about a third of the boat over the trailer before I start to experience significant friction/drag. If the ramp is steep & deep I'll power her on until she's all the way up and then snap the strap. If it's a shallow ramp I'll winch it the last two or three feet so I don't have to worry about dinging a prop. I do the same thing in reverse when I'm unloading, making sure that both engines are running before I unhook from the trailer. This process is a breeze whether there is a dock or not. The dock makes life easier, though, as you have a place to keep the boat while the tow rig is returned to the packing lot or, on the way in, while you're putting the trailer back in for retrieval.
Fishcop	posted 09-10-2003 09:09 PM ET (US) Dan, I agree with Dave and Andy, you should call me to help you run that big beautiful boat! It will save me trailering my 25' Outrage from the delta. I launched in SC last week and the surge was bad. Had some help, but the bottom line is that with a harbor like that and the size of the boat, two persons is almost a must. I have seen many tow rigs "sucked" into the water over the years and to me it is not worth the risk. I have found that launching at more protected ramps can be done solo. If you must launch solo, secure the bronco with wheel chalks and use a line to secure the boat to the dock. Once the boat is free of the trailer, the dock line will keep the boat secure until you can tie it off and park the tow rig. Good luck and be safe. Andy
alkar	posted 09-10-2003 09:22 PM ET (US) What is the "surge" that you guys are describing? What creates the risk of the tow rig being pulled down that ramp?
mhoyt01	posted 09-10-2003 10:15 PM ET (US) I take my girlfriend out from time to time just the two of us. And, I mean she's great and all, but let's be honest here, it's a solo launch. The Outrage 22 w/d is a big boat, but with planning, I can still look like a pro by myself compared to whole families of people scurrying about. First thing, get the other stuff out of the way. 1. Day before I check my batteries, fire up my engines, check to see all plugs are in, and put my WHOLE set of tools in the center console. 2. At the top of the ramp, I undo my lights, hang my lines so I can grab them easy, and get ready to be wet, in case the need should arise. 3. Then I launch with the "get my boat almost completely floating method"(having a huge ford never hurts this), unchain and winch her, hop in and back her off. 4. I do two stage on retrieval, first putting my trailer only halfway in, so my guiders are above water. I secure her there, then back in a little more and winch or drive her on, depending. Just my .02, but I think eveyone agrees, an extra set of knowledgable hands is priceless. Matt
andygere	posted 09-11-2003 02:23 AM ET (US) Alkar, The surge we are talking about is caused by open ocean swells moving up the harbor and causing the water level at the launch ramp to surge up and down, often by a foot or more. The ramp is just a few hundred yards from the beach, and in the winter when the sandbars form off the end of the jettys, it becomes one of the more radical surf spots in a town know for great surfing. Here's a link to the Santa Cruz Harbor webpage that shows the layout: http://www.santacruzharbor.org/visitor/ . The ramp is on the left side of the harbor in the photo, to the seaward side of the last row of slips. Here's a photo taken at Santa Cruz Harbor of what will happen if you don't chock your wheels and set your brake: http://coastside.juicyweb.com/albums/unusual/Bad_Launch.jpg . Sad scene that happens a few times each year here. Note the nice looking Whaler in the background.
andygere	posted 09-11-2003 02:40 AM ET (US) A little more history on the harbor and background on the surge problem can found here: http://www.surfacemotion.com/sc70s80s/harbor/harbhist.html Despite the surgy ramp, it's a terrific harbor and it provides access to some of the most beautiful water anywhere.
dan firth	posted 09-11-2003 09:06 AM ET (US) All this advice is great! Thanks for sharing your experience. I'm sure after I've launched this thing a few times (with help from Dave and Andy, of course!) I'll work out the kinks and move on to worrying about more important things like whether my bigger boat will catch bigger fish, where to put the deck chairs and the coffee table, etc... Dave, Andy and Andy, I think I'm still a couple of weeks away from being ready to launch it. There are a bunch of holes in the deck including the rail mounts, shelter snaps, and all the hatch cover hinges that had rotted out so I've been patching the topside. I also drilled several small holes in the bottom to let accumulated water drain from the hull (it's been a fairly slow drip from two spots for the past two weeks) so I'll need to patch those too. Once that's done the boat is ready for water! Dave knows that I'm a neatfreak so I have to have the boat looking pretty nice, right? Regarding the truck-in-the-harbor event Andy mentioned, my wife was there and called me from the harbor to describe the scene. Apparently the truck owner got his two-wheel drive truck too far down in the slick algae and couldn't pull his boat out. Another guy offered to tow his truck up the ramp by tying a rope from the his bumper to the stuck truck's front bumper. Nice gesture. Unfortunately, the rope broke during the pull-out and the boat, trailer and truck all rolled back into the harbor. I don't know who could feel worse, the truck owner or the good Samaritan. Andy (Fishcop), Dave and I go up to the Delta in the fall to flyfish for stripers around Franks Tract and Mildred Island. I plan to launch this boat at Sugarbarge starting in October. If you're in the neighborhood maybe we can hook up sometime. Thanks again, everybody.
alkar	posted 09-11-2003 10:26 AM ET (US) Thanks for filling me in Andy. I have lots of experience launching and retrieving at a ramp with a strong cross current, but I've never experienced surge like that. I can imagine that it's a big challenge, especially if the water level recedes just as the boat is about to hit the trailer. The picture of the submerged Ford ought to be posted at the ramp as a reminder of the importance of setting the brake. That picture is worth at least 1000 words.
Crabby Mike	posted 09-11-2003 05:36 PM ET (US) Dan, Would you post some pictures of your boat? Like to see it. Mike
andygere	posted 09-11-2003 09:21 PM ET (US) The other thing that makes the Santa Cruz ramp a bit tricky at times is that it's fairly steep and a very slick mat of aglae grows below the high tide line. The harbor staff steam clean it off periodically, but if you are using the ramp at low tide when the algae is thick, it's so slick it's as if the ramp was lubed with axle grease. I always engage 4-wheel drive on this ramp, and always use a wheel chock. The harbor leaves a supply of them at the top of the ramp, but they always seem to get stolen pretty quickly so I bring my own.
Drisney	posted 09-11-2003 11:21 PM ET (US) JUst as an aside.....the Santa Cruz ramp has some idiosycrasies as mentioned... however the ramp in Monterey is much much,worse! (in my humble opinion) Dave
Royce	posted 09-12-2003 02:37 AM ET (US) Dan- we met at the dock at Donner Lake about six weeks ago. I am also just a few days away from my first launching of the 1985 Outrage Cuddy 25 I have been working on since Feburary. I am starting to get excited at the prospect and will definetly have a second hand to help launch and retrieve. We should all share photos of our Whalers on their first launch. Hi to "fishcop" also--how is your new job location? Royce --Healdsburg, Ca.
lhg	posted 09-12-2003 03:27 PM ET (US) For those interested and haven't seen it, in the Rendezvous Section, NC 2000 event, Page 1, there is a photo of a 25 Outrage about to be single-hand launched. Note the stern of boat is barely touching the water in it's launching position. Sounds like we have a nice contingent of 25 Owners developing on this site.
jimh	posted 09-12-2003 04:20 PM ET (US) http://continuouswave.com/whaler/rendezvous/NC2000/images/launch25Outrage450x300.jpeg is the image to which LHG refers.
triblet	posted 09-13-2003 09:50 AM ET (US) Drisney: There are two ramps in Monterey. Which one, and what's the problem you see with them? The one at the CG pier (where I launch), is more exposed to the ocean (but not bad), longer and straighter, and more diver amenities. The one at the harbormaster's is VERY sheltered, but quite short and turns for both the boat and trailer, no diver amenities, better pub. Dunno about fisherfolk amenities. There have only been a couple of days (out of about 250), that the CG pier ramp has been surgy enough to be interesting, but it still worked. If things ever turn really bad, I'll swim in at the CG pier, drive the trailer to the HMs, and have Linda take the boat over. Obviously, that's not an option for the fisherfolk. Chuck
Fishcop	posted 09-13-2003 06:32 PM ET (US) Dave, October is good for the big stripers along the San Joaquin and Delta islands. White bucktails or similar work well. I am usually working the Fall deer and bear seasons or the offshore commercial fisheries, so I have little time. I would love to hook up if time permits. Just a note, the duck season opens at that time and there are some hunters around Franks Track and Sherman Island. Watch for camo and decoys...there should not be a problem. Royce, The job is great. I love the North Coast and its changing weather. Flat calm one day and 12' waves at the bar the next! I was out last month in some pretty heavy seas off of Cape Mendocino. Even in a 65' boat, the ocean is unforgiving! I will give you a call when I make it over to the 101 in your area. As it is now, I take the 20 from I-5 over to Willits and then North. I agree that we should all take some photos of our 25' Whalers at first launch. I have some from last year that I will forward. I might be headed out to SF or SC Sunday or Monday and will take some photos of my boat for you guys. Take Care, Andy
dan firth	posted 09-14-2003 11:13 PM ET (US) I posted a couple of mediocre photos of the boat at http://www.accentcom.net/whaler/index.htm . I'll get some better ones as I get the boat fixed up..... Dan
andygere	posted 09-14-2003 11:34 PM ET (US) Dan, that 25 looks sweet! I'm sure you'll have her is bristol condition in no time. If you need to get on the water before she's ready, let me know. I'm always looking for someone to take fishing. Andy (Fishcop) and Dave, I'll be taking my Outrage 22 Cuddy to the Bethel Island area in search of stripers on the fly at the end of October. Any tips on good fishing locations or hot patterns? I've been flyfishing for stripers for several years on Cape Cod, but the Delta is a completely different environment. -Andy