Single Handed Launching Help!!!!

dself

New Member
Does anybody have any advice on how I could launch my boat off a ramp from its trolley by myself??
 
Long painter, at least the length of the boat. You can then wheel the boat into the water until you can push it off the back of the trolley while still holding the painter.
 
Wheel dolly into water. Float boat off dolly. Steady boat in the water, then grab dolly and run like hell until you can drop the dolly at some safe location above the high water mark, then run like hell back to the boat which, as likely as not, will now have drifted several yards into water that is deeper than your height, swim to boat, and climb into boat. Go sailing.

I don't understand what the problem is.
 
You should have the boat completely rigged up before you launch, other than having the rudder up and the board out. Then it's just a matter of putting away the dolly using the ideas previously mentioned. Then you drop your blades, point the boat in the direction you want to go, and sheet in.
 
Wheel dolly into water. Float boat off dolly. Steady boat in the water, then grab dolly and run like hell until you can drop the dolly at some safe location above the high water mark, then run like hell back to the boat which, as likely as not, will now have drifted several yards into water that is deeper than your height, swim to boat, and climb into boat. Go sailing.

I don't understand what the problem is.
completely agree, i dont get what the problem is
 
Wheel dolly into water. Float boat off dolly. Steady boat in the water, then grab dolly and run like hell until you can drop the dolly at some safe location above the high water mark, then run like hell back to the boat which, as likely as not, will now have drifted several yards into water that is deeper than your height, swim to boat, and climb into boat. Go sailing.

This is usually followed (in my case) by shouting somthing like "HEY MATE...can you put my trolley somewhere safe..........TA"

Seriously..its not too difficult...just do everything above..slightly faster than you think you need to.
 
This is usually followed (in my case) by shouting somthing like "HEY MATE...can you put my trolley somewhere safe..........TA"

Seriously..its not too difficult...just do everything above..slightly faster than you think you need to.

When you get really good you can take the tide into account, factoring in how long you will be sailing, whether the tide is going in or out, the phase of the moon, the slope of the ramp or beach, the wind swell and rain runoff, and place the dolly at the exact postition the tide will have reached when you return. If you don't get it right you either have to reverse the launch procedure or watch your dolly floating out to sea in which case you just relaunch your Laser, chase it down and tow it back. Simple really.
 
When you get really good you can take the tide into account, factoring in how long you will be sailing, whether the tide is going in or out, the phase of the moon, the slope of the ramp or beach, the wind swell and rain runoff, and place the dolly at the exact postition the tide will have reached when you return. If you don't get it right you either have to reverse the launch procedure or watch your dolly floating out to sea in which case you just relaunch your Laser, chase it down and tow it back. Simple really.
hahahahaha
 
Just like the guys said. Have your boat completely rigged. Rudder up, centerboard not yet in place and in the cockpit. Trolley the boat into the water. Boat will float and the trolley will do so as well. Push the dolly down with your foot while pushing the boat out. A long painter/ bow line is helpful. Pull the trolley up and shove it out of the way. Wade into the water to thigh or waist deep. Put in the centerboard and put the rudder blade down. Jump into the boat and sail away. This is all tough to do if there is an onshore breeze and/or waves. Work fast.
 
Hi, folks- I know this is an old thread, but it popped up while doing a search that I'm interested in. I just bought a Laser locally (Tampa, Florida) and *tried* launching today from the beach in 15-20 mph on shore breeze. I was really thinking it would be a cinch, but being new to boat and it's particular class-legal rigging, I had to bail, pack everything and just head home... :( I've sailed quite a bit for much of the past 6 or 7 years- single-handing my Olson is WAY easier... I was alone, so I understand the challenges of dealing with the dolly, the surf, etc.. Anyway- my question is (I think I have just about all of this figured out for my next attempt at solo launching), may I drill a hole in the rudder head and blade to insert a push pin to keep the rudder up? It will not stay up on it's own- especially in the choppy conditions I was in today. I still need to figure out a good method to fix the dagger board- it will not stay wedged in the up position. I hesitate doing what I read another guy suggests- drop an anchor in chest deep water tied with a short line to a buoy/fender, tie the boat to that, push dolly back to beach, then come back to the boat, finish rigging, then go sail. That would work, but I'm hoping for something simple. I can probably fix the center board probably by just not dropping it in until the last second.

Any help is appreciated-

Ray
 
I agree LaLi.

Not only is tightening the pivot bolt simple, effective (you need to use two hands on mine to push up or down the rudder) and legal, but drilling additional holes in the rudder can assist in premature failure of the rudder blade.
 
I'll give that a whirl- and agreed about the premature failure- was already figuring out ways to mitigate that!
 
It gets to be real fun with a narrow ramp and 20 knots of wind coming from behind. Neither gybe angle works. You need to get the boat in the water. Climb up the dock. Walk the boat backwards down the dock while only holding onto the mast. You get to the end of the dock. Say a pray. Kiss your ass goodbye and jump onto the deck of the boat. Slam down the board. Sheet on and hope that you can get away from the shore without putting down the rudder otherwise you are cooked.
 

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