Wavelength - Fleetwood - Last Weekend - Page 2

wavelength · 11 April 2002, 21:28

We launch over the side at Knott End simply 'cos you have to on many ocasions. Last weekend was a very small neap. On a spring when we may have 10.5 to 11m high water the tide over the ramp produces a mass of waves from around 2 hours before hw which can make launching conventionally nigh on impossible. At the very least it can cause a lot of hull damage! At this state of tide it is easier to launch the bigger boat over the side than th C-rider off its conventional trailer in the conventional way.
My background has been launching fast fishing boats off exposed beaches for years. We are never able to float boats on from these beaches-more damage is caused by boats lifting on a wave and then dropping on a sharp bit of trailer than by taking it virtually dry off the beach. My club has 5 tractors all with electric winches on the back but the manual trailer winch is ok. You winch as, Johno says, the trailer underneath the boat to a certain extent. We handle boats up to 7m with no probs.

dbillyboy · 11 April 2002, 21:35

I think someone needs a lesson on reversing a trailer!!

GraemeCooper · 11 April 2002, 21:37

How do you work that one out? - This is a pretty precision piece of reversing to get it between the bollards on the side and close enough to th edge.

dbillyboy · 11 April 2002, 21:45

The angle of manouvre is too sharp a good driver would have p*~"^* it??

GraemeCooper · 11 April 2002, 22:15

I didnt make the connection at first (has been a long day!) -Bill from Worcester - now it all makes sense - no need to worry about any criticism

wavelength · 11 April 2002, 22:16

the angle needs to be sharp to put the whole trailer end over the edge-still its always easy when youre not doing it every weekend and not to an audience. I'll pass on the lessons thanx

Sian · 12 April 2002, 18:54

Graeme and I are still speaking - I haven't been on the forums this week because I've been serving my penance at Butlins !!!!!

The PB 2 course was great. I learnt loads (can now do a figure of 8 round 2 buoys in reverse )

and I can really recommend the course to seasoned crew members that never seem to get a go at driving. There's no excuse for he-who-likes-to think-he's-the-Captain not to give me a go now I'm qualified

Sian

wavelength · 12 April 2002, 20:50

hi-de-hi, morning campers. Come on now you enjoyed it really. The kids used to let me take 'em on the helter skelter so I had an excuse to go on at my age. Now they just send me postcards from up some mountain or other where they're snowboarding while the ole mans at home paying for it!

Sian · 12 April 2002, 22:55

Butlins have a ride in their Swimming Pool (capital letters 'cause it has a wave machine and various slides/rides) that uses small inflatables!!! Maybe they ought to be corporate members of BIBOA?

Sian

Jono Garton · 13 April 2002, 00:25

Do you have to choke on diesel fumes in the smimming pool at butlins also????

matiboy · 13 April 2002, 20:50

with this new launching technique pictured above, how flooded does the boat get ? and how do you recover all the gear which has floated off out to sea ?

If we can get over these points i might give it a bash !!!

GraemeCooper · 13 April 2002, 22:00

If you use the technique properly the water does not come over the transom. Any loose gear will of course rush aft - but if it is stowed properly you should be OK.

I have spoken with a few people about this technique, and on a recent trip to the factory where my trailer was built I also discussed it with them. They seemed to think that's what Roller Trailers are for - otherwise why have the free moving roller bed on the back?

I guess as Alan said you need to keep your winch and strap in good condition - but other than that I dont think the strain on boat or trailer are anything to worry about - but you do save your wheel bearings!

Like all things a matter of choice !!!

Graeme

wavelength · 13 April 2002, 23:21

Remember this is a technique to solve a particular problem that we have locally. Today we went in over the side(shipped no water at all)and came out conventionally (lots of helpful divers onboard with neoprene drysuits). U need to know what the underwater conditions are cos it can't half do some damage - and will your bow clear the metalwork between the last rollers as it come off.
We don't get much water in cos we go well down the ramp so it doesnt drop any distance at all- however occasionally our coastguard ribcraft has to go in when its a bit rough. (It went in the other week over the side with the engine already warmed up on the muffs and running). We had to put it in over the end of the jetty last year when the tide was at the bottom of a spring and so had left a bit(!!) of a drop off at the end - now that day the water was over wellie height in the boat but we knew it was going to happen and had taken all the personal gear on the deck out beforehand.

Mike C · 17 April 2002, 20:30

One interesting thought on this way of launching is that in places like Italy, it seems to be the norm. When I towed my RIB there a couple of years ago, they ALL did it that way. In fact you almost had to. The slipway just ended with a drop, just under water at high tide and just above the water at low tide. Not getting ones bearings wet when one has a 1000 mile tow to do after, is a good feeling. Bloody hard work winching it back on the trailer though! Of course the Italian slipway style only works when your tidal range is a meter or so at worst! Wouldn't work in The Channel Islands would it?!

Dry Bearings are Happy Bearings

wavelength · 24 April 2002, 17:59

Just had to retrieve two ribs over the end of the jetty here today. (Low water spring tide & too tired to wait for tide to come in again) . Easier to winch if you leave the driver on board and have him drive it up the trailer at the same time, assuming there is deep water there for the prop of course!

narked · 24 April 2002, 21:07

You know, I first looked at this thread on saturday, the day before I did my boat handling course because I wanted to read up on RIBs before I did it. Sunday I looked at the slipway when we got there and thought "This place looks familiar!" but couldn't think where from! Now having seen it again, I realise it's Knott End on Sea, the exact place I did my BSAC boat handling course!

Was great fun, so now I just need a RIB of my own!

That launching method looks interesting. Also you gotta be careful on that slip, me and one of the other blokes found the end and edge of the slip by walking right off it, much to the amusement of our instructors and other trainees, but the laughter soon wore off when the engine on the second RIB was stuck in forward gear!

wavelength · 24 April 2002, 22:29

Hi - who did your bsac course? Peter Hall does a lot of them here. I know him from way back when I had hair on m'head aswell as on my face, we taught boat handling courses and we were both diving here, there and everywhere. Happy days !!!!!!!!!

narked · 24 April 2002, 23:13

It was done within our dive club, Northwest Divers (BSAC 1004) based in Irlam. Most of the time the RIBs are out off Anglesey, but they use Knott End to do the boat training due to it being relatively close. Hopefully gonna get my 5 hours logged during summer, so that once I've got my Sports Diver qualification I can take the Diver Cox exam (RYA Powerboat Level 2 plus some diver stuff). Really getting into the boats side of it, half the fun of diving at sea is the ride on the RIB, and it's so much more fun when you're the one behind the wheel.

wavelength · 25 April 2002, 14:09

Yep get out there and enjoy it - but get the dives in, its too easy to end up as the club boat driver and miss out on the diving if youre not careful.!! The bsac number 1004 was interesting, I was the training officer for Blackpool bsac many moons ago, branch number 0004 - the numbers just mount up don't they!!!