Idea for getting my boat to the water from my cabin?

Bobetpine

New Member
Hi all,

I just bought a riverside cabin :D . Since I have St-Lawrence river just steps from my cabin you can bet that I tought of sailing my Laser from there...The problem is this: even though my lot is right by the river it is separated from it by a rock wall about 3 feet high. Those rocks were put there to prevent very high spring tides to roll over the grounds, I suppose. Now I'm looking for a way of getting my Laser over and down the rock wall to the river banks. Any idea of something I could build? There is no way I can LIFT the Laser OVER the rocks. I'm on my own and a skinny woman...
If getting the boat over the rock wall is not feasible there is a small narrow path that leads into a stream that goes to the river. I figured that maybe I could buy a beach dolly and roll the dolly into the stream all the way to the river. The problem would be (I think) that the stream is full of small rocks (about the size of a fist) and I don't know if it's possible to roll a dolly on that kind of choppy and very uneven surface. Your 2 cents about that too, please.
If you'd like to see a picture of the rock wall and surroundings please PM me at [email protected]

Thanks for your help.
Pascale
 
Any chance you can post a pic here ? Any of your neighbors have a similar situation that they have already come up with solutions for ?

Without seeing what exactly you are up against here are some ideas for dealing with the wall:

1. Pivoting davit - you can get an idea here : http://www.lunmar.com/davit.htm
2. Put in a dock - leave the Laser on the dock
3. Mooring
4. Ramps - On the land side of the wall and then from the rocks to the river or to a dock
5. Change the wall - put an opening in it (you can close it up with sand bags for the high spring water)


As far as the stream rocks vs the dolly - I pull mine (Seitech with standard wheels) over fist size rocks and larger at low tide - the dolly will traverse them, but obviously requires more pulling power from me to pull the wheel over them - maybe you can rake the larger ones out of the way....
 
Hi! I have the same problem on the lake at my parents in the spring it is 2-3 ft drop to now 5ft . I also have 3 ft waves to contend with when the wind is blowing hard from the north, I have 17 ft boat there, My dock is 16 ft x 5 ft plus a ramp from shore, I found the easiest method is the 4 poles and brakets you can get at the harware stores near marinas and water. I just butt the 2x6 and deck screw them together add a brace or two put on decking boards. I mounted the brackets to the side of the 2x6 and all you do is slide the pole in and tighten at desired hight when in the water. 10 or 12' x 3 or 4' would be good for a laser I can't get a picture to this thread.
 
Hi guys,

Thanks for the ideas. I'm in Québec City.
I'll try to figure out how to post a picture here.

I think the beach dolly would be the easiest way to deal with my problem.

I can't moor there and ramps was my second idea but taking them away for the winter is a pain in the neck (at least it was, at my lake, to take off the dock from the water every autumn...I had a very heavy 2 x6 wooden dock)

thanks for the tips!

Pascale
 
By the way,

Since French is my first language I don't get what you mean here...

"I found the easiest method is the 4 poles and brakets you can get at the harware stores near marinas and water (I get that part). I just butt the 2x6 (what does that mean, to butt the 2x6?)
and deck screw them together add a brace or two put on decking boards (I'm lost).
I mounted the brackets to the side of the 2x6 and all you do is slide the pole in and tighten at desired hight when in the water. 10 or 12' x 3 or 4' would be good for a laser "

Anyone has a clue?
 
Ok I found a way to post a picture of the rock wall as an avatar (sorry couldn't do better. If you click on the picture you'll see a bigger one in my profile.)
The cabin is at the right of the wall so I'd have to lift it to the other side and then put it back on the dolly to roll it to the waterside.
 
I'll try this too..

Maybe it will work
 
get a photobucket account. http://photobucket.com
then upload the pic there
then use the img tags here

i was thinking... maybe using the car topping thingy that harken makes... sorry i couldnt be more descriptive with that....
or maybe the fat dolly wheels?
 
It seems to me that if wheeling the boat through the stream doesn't work the simplest solution would be some long boards to make a simple ramp. I'd try 4 2" X 6" boards (metric ~5CM X 15CM) or wider. I'd get them 10 or 12 feet (3 - 3.5 M) long. Lay them with one end against the wall and one on the ground far apart enough for the wheels of your dolly (you still need a dolly and it looks like a long way to the water from the wall anyway). The benefits are that it's relatively cheap and the boards should be readily available at your nearby Home Depot or lumberyard. If it works you can get fancy and attach spacers to keep the planks from sliding apart on you and some way to attach them to the top of the wall to make it really secure.

As an alternative, do any of the trees near the wall have a big, solid branch that hangs over the wall? If so, you might be able to rig a block and tackle to the branch and with a 6:1 purchase you'd only need about 22 lbs of pull to lift the Laser and swing it gently over the wall and lower it to the other side. So even if you're "a skinny woman" you should be able to lift it the 4 feet or so. Of course you'd need to make a bridle for the boat, get a couple triple blocks and a bunch of line. Something like this:
main1a.gif

Or as someone else suggested, the Harken Hoister: http://www.hoister.com/

Otherwise, maybe you should look into getting my personal dream: a Boat Valet! If I ever win the lottery, I'm getting myself a boat valet to rig my boat for me and then push me off the dock when I'm ready to sail and then meet me when I come back to put everything away and fix anything I broke while I have a nice hot shower and drink beer at the club. That's my dream and I'm sticking too it! ;-)

Good luck,
-Steve

Bobetpine said:
Hi all,

I just bought a riverside cabin :D . Since I have St-Lawrence river just steps from my cabin you can bet that I tought of sailing my Laser from there...The problem is this: even though my lot is right by the river it is separated from it by a rock wall about 3 feet high. Those rocks were put there to prevent very high spring tides to roll over the grounds, I suppose. Now I'm looking for a way of getting my Laser over and down the rock wall to the river banks. Any idea of something I could build? There is no way I can LIFT the Laser OVER the rocks. I'm on my own and a skinny woman...
If getting the boat over the rock wall is not feasible there is a small narrow path that leads into a stream that goes to the river. I figured that maybe I could buy a beach dolly and roll the dolly into the stream all the way to the river. The problem would be (I think) that the stream is full of small rocks (about the size of a fist) and I don't know if it's possible to roll a dolly on that kind of choppy and very uneven surface. Your 2 cents about that too, please.
If you'd like to see a picture of the rock wall and surroundings please PM me at [email protected]

Thanks for your help.
Pascale
 
How deep is the stream??

Some light dolleys with pneumatic (inflated wheel barrow type wheels on Nylon hubs) will float quite comfortably under the Laser if you tie the stem post to the bow eye. (have even seen some fool sailing with a dolly attached for a couple of hundred metres from a crowded club launch ramp to a nearby beach after rigging up)

If the Stream is deep enough to float the boat and dolly you may only need a pole to walk it up or along if you don't want to wade thru the stream pushing it. (i.e. like walking a windsurfer up the shallows of the beach by steering it with the mast from a near dry footing at the water's edge)

If the sea wall is particularly nasty, might try laying some rails and just sliding the dolly frame on these (need an 'A' frame/triangular dolly rather than the 'T' shaped ones from Seitech)
 

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