... note to self don’t put the sail up in a boat ramp
Not a good way to gain popularity if the ramp is crowded and there's a line of boaters waiting to launch or bring their craft ashore. Options are:
1) Rig the boat prior to launch, keeping an eye on gusty crosswinds or anything else which might interfere with that program.
2) If there's a dock right by the ramp, use it to tie off the boat as you rig it (leeward side of dock, goes without saying).
3) No dock, or dock too crowded, paddle a short distance away from marine traffic and rig your boat while adrift, posting a friend or passenger at the helm if possible to keep the bow in the eye of the wind, or close to it. Paddle in a direction (normally to leeward) where your boat won't drift back into the thick of things at the ramp as you rig her.
4) Small beach near the ramp? Paddle the boat over to that beach and rig her, keeping a weather eye out for rocks as you approach land.
Having said that, some boat ramps are superior to others in design and construction... best ramp I ever saw in my life was on Elephant Butte Lake, Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, with multiple well-marked lanes and broad expanses of new concrete, plenty o' room for folks to launch or retrieve their craft. It was the ramp at the southern end of the reservoir, nearest to Elephant Butte itself... had a blast taking a big ol' boat ride on that lake with some folks I met, but THAT is another story. However, I haven't forgotten that ramp with its excellent design & layout, it made the ramps in Kalifornia look like dog$h!t, LOL.
P.S. Those bunks on your trailer, they conform to the hull? Be better if they did... just my $.02, FWIW. Hey, at least you're on the water, which is a BIG PLUS in this day & age.
