Launching from a boat ramp with a Kittyhawk trailer

OldDog

New Member
I will be transporting and launching my Laser from a concrete boat ramp with a Kittyhawk trailer.

For those of you who launch from a ramp with a Kittyhawk (or similar) trailer, do you back the trailer down the ramp with the car or disconnect the trailer and use it like a hand dolly? Any pros or cons to either method?
 
I am lazy :)eek:) and keep the trailer attached to the car.

The advantage of my method is that I don't need to worry about slipping on the ramp. And it's just easier on my old body before and after the sailing.
I should mention that I have an aluminum Trailex trailer, not a Kitty Hawk which comes in two flavors as I recall (stainless and galvanized).

 
I walk it down (don't or can't get the trailer to back up with the car properly-lol). I also launch it bow first - for one it is easier to get off the trailer that way and for the other I don't need to get the hubs in the water. It seems to work well that way. Good Luck!

Mike
 
Hi guys,
OK got two different points of view. Thanks that's what i was looking for. Have lots of practice with previous boat and a utility trailer so I might try backing it in. Not sure if it will behave differently because it is so much lighter. My only question is finding that sweet spot where the trailer is in far enough to float the boat off (or on) without be so far out that the boat start lifting off the trailer as you are still backing in or you can't get the boat settled on the trailer when you go to pull it off the ramp. Launch and recovery hand dolly style will solve that but then the next question will be pulling it up the ramp without slipping.

Hmmm. maybe I'll take best of both worlds and back down the ramp but disconnect the trailer at the waters edge so I won't have to pull the trailer up the whole ramp.

Mike, how do you launch bow first without getting the hubs wet?
 
Well...................................I walk down the ramp until the wheels go in to just about hub high, set down the tongue of the trailer, the bow floats up and I turn the rotating bow holder thingy out of the way and then am able to pick up the stern and slide it off. It's actually pretty intuitive.

I used to do it stern first but bow first is way easier both to launch and to take out too.
 
Addendum to my earlier post:

I rig my Laser on the lot, but (I learned my lesson) do not attach the clew to the boom. Then I drive my car + trailered boat almost to the end of the ramp with the sail flapping. I stop the car, get out, attach the clew and get back into the car for the final push to get the boat to float off. All of this depends on the local situation, wind direction etc., so your strategy may have to be different.
 
Hi Wavdancer,
Once you attach the clew (i'm assuming the mainsheet is free running) and you back the boat in does it ever get out of control before you get out of the car to grab it? Looks like folks have differnent methods so it comes down to trying them all and figuring what works best for you for various wind conditions.

Thanks everyone!
 
Hi Wavdancer,
Once you attach the clew (i'm assuming the mainsheet is free running) and you back the boat in does it ever get out of control before you get out of the car to grab it?

1. You are right to be concerned about this issue. When it is very windy, I do wait until the boat is off the trailer and floating 'free' before attaching the clew hook.

2. I have a painter attached to the bow. Initially it's used to prevent the boat from floating off the trailer on its own. I back the trailer into the proper position down on the ramp, untie the painter from the trailer, push the boat off the trailer and use the painter to drag the boat to the nearby dock.

As you surmise, a lot is dependent on the local geography, the prevailing wind etc. If possible, take a look at what others are doing.
 
Hi Wavedancer,
You just touched on a previous thread of mine. I will also need to use a painter to tie my boat to one of the adjacent docs. Do you enter from the doc or wade out and enter from the bottom of the ramp?

Sad for me I have never seen a Laser on the reservoir where I will most likely do most of my sailing.
 

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