Beach Launch

[Cameo]

Hi

I'm thinking of buying a 4m rib with hopefully a 50/60 hp four stroke engine.

We have a caravan on a site that has direct beach access that is used by boat owners and jetski users. The beach is firm sand and has a very gentle slope. Not really wanting to drive my 4x4 in to the sea to launch was hoping to take the trailer off the car an push the boat and trailer to launch it. There will be two adults and a teenager to provide the muscle.

Do forum members think this would be possible or am I off my rocker!

I realise that I will need to recover using a rope and stop jockey wheel from digging in.

Thanks in advance?

[Steve509926]

Hi Cameo welcome to the forum, in answer to your question, maybe - maybe not!

Where is the beach? a forum member may know it.
How far would you need to push the trailer out before its deep enough for the rib to float? Would you be able to push it that far in water/wet sand?
Do you see other boat/jetski users doing what you are suggesting? If not, why not? I'm sure others are also not to keen to get their axles wet.

[Peter_C]

Welcome to the board

Having owned a 4.2m Zodiac with a 40hp 2 stroke, I would never have considered rolling my trailer across a beach to launch. With a heavier motor than the one I owned the only way to launch will be some serious wheels like what I used. https://wheeleez.com/product/wz1-49uc/ They legs will need to be custom made. A front dolly is very nice to have. It will stay take two strong folks to move it around on an incline.

After building launch wheels I never dipped my trailer in salt water ever again. I could solo launch, but it always took two people to recover.

[tinker]

Problem is the weight of the trailer. A sib and launch wheels maybe a better choice.

[whiskylee]

Originally Posted by Cameo

Hi



I'm thinking of buying a 4m rib with hopefully a 50/60 hp four stroke engine.



We have a caravan on a site that has direct beach access that is used by boat owners and jetski users. The beach is firm sand and has a very gentle slope. Not really wanting to drive my 4x4 in to the sea to launch was hoping to take the trailer off the car an push the boat and trailer to launch it. There will be two adults and a teenager to provide the muscle.



Do forum members think this would be possible or am I off my rocker!



I realise that I will need to recover using a rope and stop jockey wheel from digging in.



Thanks in advance?

We push a 5m Rib on hard sand into enough water to launch the boat, use the tides to your benefit.

We have a hosepipe reel fitted with 50m of 2 inch webbing strap to retrieve the boat on the trailer at low tides

Drive the boat out on a low tide, wait for a returning high tide to float your boat off.

At high tide put the trailer under the boat and wait until the tide has gone past the boat on the trailer, this will save putting your towing vehicle into the brine stuff if you can't manage to push the boat on the trailer.

Once you start pushing don't stop until the boat is off the trailer [emoji6]

Caveat: I bought a David Brown tractor [emoji609] that has high clearance as my teenage nephews are never around when I need them



Sent from my motorola edge 20 lite using RIB Net mobile app

[beamishken]

We had a 3.8m rib with a 40 2 stroke so fairly light compared to a 50/604 stroke but regularly launched from a beach fairly easily, trailer was on 8"wheels too, bigger diameter are better. We have launched bigger hard boats but the bigger they get the harder it becomes. The key is keeping the rig moving, once you stop its difficult to get going again, if its a long shallow beach & the tides out we found it better to run with the boat going forwards until you hit the water as its easier to pull & steer than it is to push. Sounds odd launching bow first but we would be in wetsuits so would just go deep enough for the boat to float then turn the trailer to return it up the beach. Soft sand above the tide line is the enemy as it takes some getting through if its a shallow slope. Towing out with a rope whilst the car remains on solid ground is the way to go, I dont even like going onto sand with a 4x4, its too unpredictable & easy to get stuck, have done it but dont care for it.

[cdbxyz]

We regularly beach launch and recover a 5.85, generally using tide to our advantage and knowing where the steep and firm bits of the beach are.

A 4m 50hp setup should be easily manageable with three people (pushing in to launch, use long rope to recover) but it really depends on the beach and slope.

Can you observe/ask the other folk using the beach to launch for advice?