Kevin Pierce
New Member
I'm curious if anyone has a good single-handed method for launching from seawall.
I live a few houses away from a river. Our street dead-ends there at a small common area with a seawall. Drop to the river is about 3 feet; water next to the seawall is shallow, too: 2-3 feet.
For a doublehanded launch, we've rigged mast, sail (not raised) and rudder, lowered by bow handle and traveler, then raised the sail on the water while wading alongside.
For single-handing (which means I could sail whenever I want, regardless of available assistance <g>), I'm thinking about mounting a trailer roller on the neighbor's seawall. I'd rig the mast, sail and rudder, push the boat across the roller to the balance point, lower the stern to the water and let the bow follow. Getting the boat out would be the inverse: lift the bow handle to the roller, pull it up to the balance point, lift the stern and continue rolling it up into the grass...
Key engineering detail would be (hopefully) that the river and the roller become the available assistants, always carrying a share of the boat's weight...
Any better ideas? Flaws with this one?
Thanks,
Kevin
I live a few houses away from a river. Our street dead-ends there at a small common area with a seawall. Drop to the river is about 3 feet; water next to the seawall is shallow, too: 2-3 feet.
For a doublehanded launch, we've rigged mast, sail (not raised) and rudder, lowered by bow handle and traveler, then raised the sail on the water while wading alongside.
For single-handing (which means I could sail whenever I want, regardless of available assistance <g>), I'm thinking about mounting a trailer roller on the neighbor's seawall. I'd rig the mast, sail and rudder, push the boat across the roller to the balance point, lower the stern to the water and let the bow follow. Getting the boat out would be the inverse: lift the bow handle to the roller, pull it up to the balance point, lift the stern and continue rolling it up into the grass...
Key engineering detail would be (hopefully) that the river and the roller become the available assistants, always carrying a share of the boat's weight...
Any better ideas? Flaws with this one?
Thanks,
Kevin