Trailer Guide Bars/Posts

[Ribald]

Hi folks,

I was wondering if any of you have any thoughts on (or indeed use) guide bars/posts on the trailer for launch and recovery of your boats in cross-tide or cross-wind situations.

The launch ramp that I hope to use regularly soon is at 90 degrees to a harbour entrance and can be affected by quite strong currents at times and I was thinking about getting a set made up to make handling easier.

Any comments, either for or against, would be much appreciated.

[Garygee]

Hi Peter

Used to use these on the River Lune, a good 5kts of tide at full flood.

They do work well but they must be strong. Dont underestimat the force you can put on them with the tide and when you get the approck a bit wrong

We used to use scaffold tubes with drain pipe over them to act a rollers used to work fine.

Also dont make them too short, to work they need to be at the back of the trailer, which may now bt 2-3 feet underwater. The last thing you want is the tops catching the tubes.

Regards Gary

[Windchill]

I bought a set from West Marine which seem quite good. Not as strong as scaffold poles of course, but adequate for my little Humber. They make excellent targets if long enough, and are invaluable for recovering with a difficult sea running across the slip we use at Friars Bay on the Menai Strait.

[geoff]

On the subject of recovering in a cross current, you may find these illustrations amusing. We used to have them on the web site and I realised that they are still lurking on the server.

http://www.boatlaunch.co.uk/tips/boatyes.gif

http://www.boatlaunch.co.uk/tips/boatno.gif

Give it a few seconds to get going once you click on the link. Enjoy

[Ribald]

for the input so far, folks.

Windchill - I have looked in the West Marine catalogue - which posts did you go for?

Geoff - thanks for the links - I will have to try that manouvre out

Garygee - I had thought of something slightly lighter than scaffold poles but I take your point about the forces involved. The idea of waste pipe as rollers has also occured to me - I've seen yachties use foam lagging but it don't last long.

Any further thoughts/comments would be appreciated before I start bending pipework

[Windchill]

Heavy wall white plastic tubing, 40" long with square right angled metal brackets and "U" bolts to fix. The only problem I had was with the actual section of the trailer - I had to pack it out by 12mm to make the hangars work properly and give a secure fixings. Yank trailers are obviously heavier than ours.

My guides come to just over the top of the tubes with the boat fully on the trailer.