Is this thought process correct?

[deadsquirrel]

Just an update on this amazingly helpful thread which i keep returning to as my knowledge increases and it all makes more sense now.

So, an opportunity became available to buy a brand new Zodiac 4.8m Open with a mariner 75hp and a 95sv Garmin and vhf radio which i jumped on (not the radio, the opportunity!) . Its on an extreme un-braked roller trailer with wide "balloon" tyres i believe.

The boat was delivered and we did try to launch from Mylor Harbour as it was quite a bad day and there was 0 chance we would be able to launch from anywhere else.

I did get the chance to drive the boat there (40 minute drive) and managed to get the hang of reversing it to the slip without too many issues.

Conditions were terrible (Gale force at one point) so we stayed very close to the harbour. (VERY close)

Anyway, the boat is now safely in our garage in Lizard and we are planning a visit next Saturday. My son and I have the RYA PB2 course on the 3rd and 4th of April and and i'm meeting a more experienced friend on the 5th weather allowing and we will try and launch it for the first time properly and maybe even from Mullion.

We were suppose to start the permanent move to Lizard this summer but business related issues have put that plan on hold for another year so for now we are just going to be travelling between London and lizard quite a lot

@fastasfox someone else mentioned the possibility of leaving he car on the hard standing and then just using a rope to launch and retrieve. I could not find any Youtube tutorials on that. Can you expand a little on how you would do it? Was even playing with the idea of buying an electric winch to fit to the Jeep to assist with this.

[fastasfox]

Originally Posted by deadsquirrel

Just an update on this amazingly helpful thread which i keep returning to as my knowledge increases and it all makes more sense now.

So, an opportunity became available to buy a brand new Zodiac 4.8m Open with a mariner 75hp and a 95sv Garmin and vhf radio which i jumped on (not the radio, the opportunity!) . Its on an extreme un-braked roller trailer with wide "balloon" tyres i believe.

The boat was delivered and we did try to launch from Mylor Harbour as it was quite a bad day and there was 0 chance we would be able to launch from anywhere else.

I did get the chance to drive the boat there (40 minute drive) and managed to get the hang of reversing it to the slip without too many issues.

Conditions were terrible (Gale force at one point) so we stayed very close to the harbour. (VERY close)

Anyway, the boat is now safely in our garage in Lizard and we are planning a visit next Saturday. My son and I have the RYA PB2 course on the 3rd and 4th of April and and i'm meeting a more experienced friend on the 5th weather allowing and we will try and launch it for the first time properly and maybe even from Mullion.

We were suppose to start the permanent move to Lizard this summer but business related issues have put that plan on hold for another year so for now we are just going to be travelling between London and lizard quite a lot

@fastasfox someone else mentioned the possibility of leaving he car on the hard standing and then just using a rope to launch and retrieve. I could not find any Youtube tutorials on that. Can you expand a little on how you would do it? Was even playing with the idea of buying an electric winch to fit to the Jeep to assist with this.

The harbour at Mullion is hard standing when launching at high tide but when it's low you will need to push your boat across the shale and into the water ( not a place for your car) Last time I launched from mullion I stopped my car on the hard standing and pushed it across the shale (gentle slope so no danger of your boat running away. I put a rope around my tow bar and around my trailer hitch and pulled the trailer back up onto the hard standing.
Gorran Haven is a great harbour to launch from and that coast is often very calm too. Check the web cam out on mullion harbour and you will get a better idea. All the best.

[deadsquirrel]

Originally Posted by fastasfox

The harbour at Mullion is hard standing when launching at high tide but when it's low you will need to push your boat across the shale and into the water ( not a place for your car) Last time I launched from mullion I stopped my car on the hard standing and pushed it across the shale (gentle slope so no danger of your boat running away. I put a rope around my tow bar and around my trailer hitch and pulled the trailer back up onto the hard standing.
Gorran Haven is a great harbour to launch from and that coast is often very calm too. Check the web cam out on mullion harbour and you will get a better idea. All the best.

Thanks. What about when it came to retrieve the boat?

[fastasfox]

Originally Posted by deadsquirrel

Thanks. What about when it came to retrieve the boat?

Same process.....you can use the rope to pull the boat and trailer up to where you can hook up....nice and slow..

[fastasfox]

Originally Posted by deadsquirrel

Thanks. What about when it came to retrieve the boat?

Same process.....you can use the rope to pull the boat and trailer up to where you can hook up....nice and slow..

[paintman]

www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8dC4JRVekY

Uses the rope round the towball neck to control the trailer so it doesn't run away (putting the boat in on the trailer would be done the same way). A few turns round the neck works.
I've seen the same method used for slip launching bigger boats sliding down on their keel irons & using turns of a rope round a suitable fixed point on the harbour to control them.

I don't know if there might be any issues with the jockey wheel trying to plough at Mullion when you're pulling it back up to the slip but fastasfox will likely know the answer.

As your trailer is unbraked a couple of wedges to put behind the wheels when you're on the sloping hard will stop it trying to escape when connecting the trailer hitch to the towball.

[Jon Tallis]

Originally Posted by paintman

Uses the rope round the towball neck to control the trailer so it doesn't run away (putting the boat in on the trailer would be done the same way). A few turns round the neck works.
I've seen the same method used for slip launching bigger boats sliding down on their keel irons & using turns of a rope round a suitable fixed point on the harbour to control them.

I don't know if there might be any issues with the jockey wheel trying to plough at Mullion when you're pulling it back up to the slip but fastasfox will likely know the answer.

As your trailer is unbraked a couple of wedges to put behind the wheels when you're on the sloping hard will stop it trying to escape when connecting the trailer hitch to the towball.

That's a really good video for anyone who's not done this before ....just a few things I would add....
* Be aware of the breaking strain of the rope you're using Vs the weight of your rig / gradient of slipway etc. If you catch a rock/pothole on the slip on the way back up you don't want to snap your tow-rope.
* Don't rely on just your winch-strop when pulling back out. Always back it up with the painter or some form of backup. Winch catches DO fail.
* Don't let anyone (including passers-by) walk behind the trailer until you're on flat ground or secure.
* If you have an un-braked trailer, or if you have a braked trailer and have to transfer from rope to tow-hitch on a slope, make sure you securely chock the trailer. Trailer brakes are auto-reverse and are not reliable in reverse, even with the handbrake on.
* If you can, keep the rope attached at both ends until your trailer is on the hitch. But don't reverse over the tow-rope

[paintman]

^^^^Very valid points.

The slip I use is steep & in addition to the winch strap I use a length of chain from the trailer post to the 'U' eye on the front of the boat as a safety on both launch & recovery.
In the video he does have a length of chain, but doesn't use it.

[deadsquirrel]

This should be man enough for the job right?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Dyneema-r...p2047675.l2557

Dyneema 10mm

[paintman]

Be fine.

If you 'Search' using the tab at the top you'll see a few use Dyneema as winch rope.

[Jon Tallis]

Originally Posted by deadsquirrel

This should be man enough for the job right?



https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Dyneema-r...p2047675.l2557



Dyneema 10mm

Ermmm -yes, unless you're towing the QE2. Breaking strain of 10mm dyneema is around 7 tonnes if I recall correctly

[deadsquirrel]

They are launching a rib right now in Mullion:
https://www.mullion-cove.co.uk/the-hotel/webcams

3.5m
windy

[deadsquirrel]

Ok, managed to capture it on vid. If anyone interested have a look here:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ikjmdf9hb...lfVS-ZYGa?dl=0

(uploading atm so if empty check again in a few minutes)

[Nos4r2]

Originally Posted by deadsquirrel

Ok, managed to capture it on vid. If anyone interested have a look here:

Glad that's not my car.

That looks like you need to launch/recover on a rope.
This might help.

https://www.e-trailers.co.uk/double-...and-2567-p.asp

[beamishken]

I think if I was launching there I'd want a rigid tow hitch extension to keep the car out of the water that poor car was getting a lovely salt spray bath for what seemed like ages. I'm not generaly too fussy about my cars but prefer not to get the brakes & chassis wet if I can help it. If suitable the boat could be lowered back on a long rope similar to the recovery method but that beach looks stoney & he's probably had to push the boat back with pickup to get deep enough . Another few metres gained from an extention pole would hopefully have the brakes and chassis out of the splash zone

Sent from my SM-G950F using RIB Net mobile app

[spartacus]

Good point Jon regards rope to retrieve trailer. Always secure the boat to the trailer with something other than the winch strap. Straps break or ratchets fail.

[deadsquirrel]

retrieving right now. Car getting well and truly soaked

and... its stuck

So that was really helpful. The truck got bogged down, the reversed and tried again and it bogged down again so they reversed then headed towards the left inn an angle and seemed to have much better grip and successfully reached the top.

I'm there at the end of April so will definitely try a rope launch retrieve.

[Steve509926]

Looks like a D-Max it's built to take a few splashes of salt & water! Cow shit & piss is far more corrosive. Providing its washed off at the end of the day I don't see a problem.
The only thing I can see that I would have done differently is, as soon as the RIB was in the water I would have moved the truck and trailer above the water line.
Agree a rope would be advisable when retrieving just to get the trailer above the water line.

[paintman]

If your rig is light enough to manhandle then you can unhitch & push by hand into the water & use the rope to recover.

If there are issues with the wheels sinking then consider sand mats/waffle boards or an extension.
An example of the latter are advertised on ebay at up to 4 metres for £119.99. www.ebay.co.uk/itm/353593578505

[Jon Tallis]

Interesting vid.....always fun to crit someone else's technique....[emoji1787].
For the record, this is what I would have done differently....(bear in mind I've never visited Mullion)
* Kit up in the carpark, or at least not in the middle of the launch area
* Probably would have used a rope between truck and trailer.
* Looking at the slope of the beach, probably would have been a "push-out" launch with the truck as brakes....jockey wheel digging into the beach might well have been an issue, if so move some weight to the stern, slide the boat back on the trailer a few feet or use a few of those burley blokes....
* If just too soft, would have kept it hitched up as they did but pushed in just far enough to push the boat off.
* Pulled the truck out as soon as the boat was off, both to get it out of the water and to clear the beach for others.
* Sounds like a rope would have helped with recovery too....

Always easy to be critical of others techniques.....he (or she) was the one who was there on the day...I wasnt