5.5 versus 4.8

ribnut · 12 September 2005, 22:48

would a 4.8 ribcraft with a 60 hp 4 stroke be much easier to launch, tow and manage than a 5.5 gemini 115 hp 4 stroke.The gemini is a great piece of kit but hard work with three kids and wife. Any comments please.

Jono Garton · 12 September 2005, 23:04

HI

What trailer are you using with either?

You can easily launch a 6m boat providing you have the correct trailer and tow car.

I can easily launch our 6.5m on my own with a full swing beamer multi roller trailer.

Hightower · 13 September 2005, 02:36

I launch a 5.5m by my self all the time, roller trailer though. Just takes some logical thinking!

ribnut · 13 September 2005, 04:38

My trailer is not a roller trailer and not sure what a swing beam type trailer is.The boat is kept in Cape Town SA where i work 50% of the year and i am looking for a rib to keep in the uk.ps John may be interested to know that in SA you cannot take take to sea in any form of watercraft without your day skipper certificate or foriegn equivalant.I believe that Spain is the same.

Jono Garton · 13 September 2005, 08:31

I will post some pictures of us launching when i return home.

Mollers · 13 September 2005, 08:36

A decent trailer is key. I've always recovered on my own, the missus spectates. With my current 6.5m Rib, I back the truck in as far as poss without dipping the wheel rims. Then drive the boat up the trailer until it meets the rubber bow stop, slide over bow tube to attach the winch, walk up the tailer. Drive up slip, no wet feet

Rogue Wave · 13 September 2005, 08:54

A mate of mine has got a 5.5 Gemini with a 115 Optimax and I regularly recover it for him and have no problems at all

To get back to the original question I genuinely don't feel there is much difference between a 4.8 and a 5.5 Is the weight difference any more than 300 kilos?

Aslo is there some advantage to having an SA built boat over there!

regarding the differece between roller coaster, bunked and swing beam trailers
Rollers are obviously easier but the others are fine you just have to get more of them in the water! and maybe some of yourself.

You can fit teflon strips on to your bunks which make them lovely and slidey so that helps get the boat on and at the end of the day a bit of effort on the winch can only help maintain your strength or if you want to winp out buy a small electric winch! whatever you use for winchin make sure your straps and wires are in tip top condition

Remember when you are coming into the Slipway to slow the boat down, get the engine into neutral and tilt the engine. Oh yeah and try to aim for the trailer.

If you are down in Southampton within the next two weeks I'll happily spend a couple of hours with you teaching how to launch and recover on your own succesfully.

Rogue Wave · 13 September 2005, 09:35

you could always fit some of these into the bunks to ease your task

http://www.axminster.co.uk/product.a...=21223&recno=8

keytouch · 13 September 2005, 09:46

Alternatively try

Here for an alternative axminster

Works on my dinghy trailer!

Hugh Jardon · 13 September 2005, 10:19

for launching and recovering boats you can not beat a multi roller trailer, i use a super roller coaster 7 for mine, i have a fairly large heavy boat we use on the river and sometimes there is a queue to come out, and i have to wait while the little boats muck about with useless trailers and end up giving a hand. then they feel obliged to help me as my boat may be 3x the size, but, you just drive it on or swing it round the back and wind it on, it centralises, rolls on easy, driving on and off is best if conditions and slope allow.

get a roller trailer and save yourself a lot of trouble and sweat.

Hugh Jardon · 13 September 2005, 10:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mollulnan

A decent trailer is key. I've always recovered on my own, the missus spectates. With my current 6.5m Rib, I back the truck in as far as poss without dipping the wheel rims. Then drive the boat up the trailer until it meets the rubber bow stop, slide over bow tube to attach the winch, walk up the tailer. Drive up slip, no wet feet

now the mrs is trained up why dont you get her to recover the boat while you pop down the pub for a beer or sit down and have a tinny!!

Rogue Wave · 13 September 2005, 10:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by keytouch

Alternatively try

Here for an alternative axminster

Works on my dinghy trailer!

I was hoping some smart arse would do that, it would have been a shame to let that chance Wilton the vine

keytouch · 13 September 2005, 10:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rogue Wave

Wilton the vine

Horrendous, hang your head in shame!

Although, I was being serious about my dinghy trailer having carpet on it. No scratches on my boats bottom (well from the trailer anyway).

Rogue Wave · 13 September 2005, 11:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by keytouch

Horrendous, hang your head in shame!

Although, I was being serious about my dinghy trailer having carpet on it. No scratches on my boats bottom (well from the trailer anyway).

I'll consider myself carpeted!

fred bolton · 13 September 2005, 12:17

I doubt that there is much difference from the launching aspect but I bet the 5.5 is better on the water. Although you will be paying a lot more for fuel going from 60 to 115hp

hard1 · 13 September 2005, 12:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris Hartley

get a roller trailer and save yourself a lot of trouble and sweat.

I am sorry but i don't agree. A carpeted (drive-on) bunk trailer with Teflon strips and sturdy tube/hull guides is the very best ever, following much experience both in the United States and UK. I have always been blessed with non-participant partners and thus have gained all my experiences solo. I agree that with a roller trailer you can launch at shallower depths, but for recovering in a cross wind, there's only one sure fire way of getting on the trailer, right up to the bow snubber without drama and with dry feet, and that is with a bunk trailer with hull/tubes guides.

Having said that, I now have a 8.5 metre boat with roller trailer, and so far, I have been lucky recovering solo, but in a X wind, when the trailer is not immersed quite as far and you just pop the bow on, you're in for a long wind, plus I have never yet used a roller trailer who's rollers stay in one piece for more than a couple of seasons. They're £6 or so a lump and there's about 18 on my rig. 1/2 of them are already screwed.

Hugh Jardon · 13 September 2005, 18:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by hard1

I am sorry but i don't agree. A carpeted (drive-on) bunk trailer with Teflon strips and sturdy tube/hull guides is the very best ever, following much experience both in the United States and UK. I have always been blessed with non-participant partners and thus have gained all my experiences solo. I agree that with a roller trailer you can launch at shallower depths, but for recovering in a cross wind, there's only one sure fire way of getting on the trailer, right up to the bow snubber without drama and with dry feet, and that is with a bunk trailer with hull/tubes guides.

Having said that, I now have a 8.5 metre boat with roller trailer, and so far, I have been lucky recovering solo, but in a X wind, when the trailer is not immersed quite as far and you just pop the bow on, you're in for a long wind, plus I have never yet used a roller trailer who's rollers stay in one piece for more than a couple of seasons. They're £6 or so a lump and there's about 18 on my rig. 1/2 of them are already screwed.

i agree that in a cross wind things can be a bit trickier but i always find that one the nose is lodged against the first set of rollers and the winch cable is attached that it is a case of just winding and everything goes on fine. have seen a lot of people struggle with bed trailers etc and it has looked quite a lot of hassle whereas i have never had probs and with a sizeably bigger boat.

the probelm i had with some of my rollers was the circlip things would rot and the roller would loosen but i drilled and splitpinned them all and everything has been fine for the past 7 years now.

I must admit i have only ever had roller trailers but i have helped lots of people with other types as more often than not it seems to be harder work (plus i am helping them cos they are having problems) but bare that in mind in my keen appreciation of roller trailers is based on i always use them and not had and wont have anything different.

hard1 · 13 September 2005, 19:54

I like the split pin idea - that could save substantial damage to the gel coat. The absolute key to bunk trailers is strong hull/tube guides which automatically correct alignment, Teflon strips, which aid sliding on/off, and a good burst of power from the 1/2 tilted motor which pokes the bow upwards and onwards! Spent 6 years perfecting this on the Tenessee River, and had nary a scratch from a trailer that had no rollers to deteriorate or damage the gel coat from misalignment.

Each to their own I guess....

Ezgoing · 13 September 2005, 20:58

No problems for this ameteur to Launch or recover 6.5m on roller trailer.

Big problem I notice is rollers set up properly and drivers being too timid when driving the boat back onto trailer.

Sometmes slpoe of slipway is problem. To get the trailer into deep enough water some using a launching extension for the trailer shaft or have an expandable shaft.

Other big issue can be type of vehicle. conventional 2wd can have problems on slipways that are slimy or moss coated.

Have you done a test launch with your own car?

rgds

Mollers · 13 September 2005, 23:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris Hartley

now the mrs is trained up why dont you get her to recover the boat while you pop down the pub for a beer or sit down and have a tinny!!

Huh, She's poo scared if she has to pull the thing up the slip in a straight line! Hope she doesn't read this.