26M launch HELP & tips please

[TFlight]

launch help!
My first day getting my 2009 Mac 26M with 60hp Evinrude in the water. I tried launching it for the first time and all by myself. Needles to say it didn't go as smoothly and easily as I had hoped. It was a hand full, this is the largest boat I have launched so far.

Any help and tips would be appreciated. Thanks in advance

I got the mast raising (trailering to sailing) down to 30min and it's getting easier each time.

Getting the boat off and on the trailer was the problem.

I backed the top of the (aluminum) trailer fenders about 2" under the water the guide poles about 2+ ft above water. I thought the back of the boat was floating. It took a lot of power to back her off the trailer. Then I found out the front of the boat forward V berth scraped on the A-frame of the aluminum trailer and cross cable . What happened? Should I back up further and just float the whole boat off the trailer? What is a good reference as to how far to back in the water, and is it the same position to get the boat back on the trailer?

Maneuverability OMG this thing is a ship! With just the engine and the rudders up I had a terrible time maneuvering. It didn't help that the ramp and dock was just long enough for the trailer then a 90 degree angle to the dock to moor the boat (Ft. Armistead Key Bridge)
Do the rudders help? I was afraid to lower the rudders I didn't want them to hit the bottom.
How much water do you need to have them down? (my Hummingbird fishfinder 565 wouldn't turn on)
Thanks
1st launch Frustrated
Tony

[dennisneal]

TFlight,

Here are my suggestions, based upon my understanding of your situation:

Loosen the trailer winch strap to create about six inches of slack before you back the trailer into the water. Be sure to relock the winch so that the boat will not slip off the trailer! This allows the rear of the boat to lift up and the boat will then float much easier. Back the boat down the ramp until the whole boat is almost floating freely.

Unhook the winch strap and pull the boat off the trailer using long dock lines tied to the fore and aft cleats. Securely tie the boat up to the dock. Rudders should be up at this point.

Pull the trailer out of the water and park your tow vehicle.

Lower both rudders as well as the dagger board before you motor away from the dock. But, you'll need a least seven feet of water depth below the middle of the boat in order to fully lower the dagger board. You might measure it by using a boat hook, or a string and a weight. If you don't have that much depth, you might lower the dagger board only part way.

A second person really makes this go a lot easier.

Hope this helps you.

[Doug W]

Maneuverability OMG this thing is a ship! With just the engine and the rudders up I had a terrible time maneuvering

Chuckle... I thought the same thing! Getting at least one rudder wet and at least some of the dagger board down are vitally important to me for handling. DennisNeal hit every point I was going to mention. Getting some fins wet makes a world of difference. I do tend to walk the boat both on and off the trailer with my truck's rear tires right at the water line. With it that far back, it floats pretty close to the correct position.

I preposition dock lines fore and aft on the boat. If I'm alone, I have a long line that I tie with slack to a dock cleat back where I want the boat to be for pulling the trailer out. I have a front line ready on the bow and when I unhook the winch strap, I just shove back a bit to ensure shes floating free and step over to the dock and walk her back. Next, I'll tie the forward line back on a cleat near the aft end and untie the aft dock line, walk forward pulling the boat into the doc and tie it off on a forward cleat to form sort of a spring line. I've practiced a lot in varying conditions as I'm one of those people who doesn't like hogging the dock on a busy ramp for very long. After humiliating myself last fall by slipping off the wet tongue after a particularly well handled trailering feat -- I've added marine non skid step stickers to the tongue where I stand.

I've also found that backing into position near docks or into slips with some fins down is down right easy compare to the first couple times when I had all fins up. First time I tried seeking shelter in a borrowed slip, it was in the middle of the night to avoid a storm, I had all fins up and it was impossible and humiliating that I could not put the boat where I wanted to.

Good luck! Hope you have some great adventures with your new boat! I love mine!

p.s. I've found that adding more guides helped incredibly when loading onto the trailer with a current or cross breeze. Last year, I used coated cables inside of pex piping with foam taped on going from the winch post to each goal post in the rear. I found it scuffed her blue hull. This year, I'm building posts with marine non-marring rollers a third the way back from the winch and standard bunks over the fenders.

Doug Galactica
http://starsloop.blogspot.com

[TFlight]

Thanks for the good info and tips.
I'm now sure I didn't back the trailer in far enough and it sounds like the rudders and at lest some dagger board is a must for steering control. I was worried that when retrieving her she might not settle centered on the trailer if she was floating to high above the trailer but it sounds as though that is not a problem. I take it the goal post are still slightly above the water line at this point.
The non-skid tape is a good idea. I used that on my old boat trailer.
BTW does it matter if the ballast is full or empty when retrieving?
I also like the idea of a second set of goal post especially if I'm doing this single handed.

[c130king]

Tony,

I don't know how long or how steep or how deep your ramp is but I almost always back all the way to the back tires of my truck right at the water line. I wear a set of sailing boots and walk out into the 18" deep water to disconnect the bow strap. I have my fenders pre-positioned before this happens. I have dock lines on the front cleat and rear cleat for securing the boat to the dock or whatever is at the ramp I am using.

I normally tie the end of my bow line around the trailer ladder top step (other end around the bow cleat). Then disconnect the bow strap and as the boat slowly drifts backward I untie the simple granny knot around the ladder step and walk out onto the pier and pull the boat back. Until you get proficient at this I recommend you also have a boat pole handy so that you can hook the life lines (especially near the back of the boat) if you need to pull the boat back towards the dock. The fenders can sometimes get caught up in the goal posts if the wind is blowing you a little sideways.

I normally plan to tie up so that the wind is blowing the boat into the dock. Just simpler IMHO.

Secure the boat to the dock then go park the trailer and truck. If you have time I would recommend giving the trailer a rinse.

Once back at the boat you do have to be careful of water depth before lowering the rudders (probably need between 3-4 feet). You can lower the center board anywhere from 0 to 6 feet. Having dagger board and rudders down will definitley help. Boat is very susceptible to the wind at low speed (lots of freeboard). Putting the water ballast while still tied the dock is probably a good idea unless you plan to go right into unballasted high speed motoring.

Around the marina...until you feel more comfortable with low speed handling. I recommend having your boat hook handy. If going solo I recommend you get a line long enough to tie from bow cleat to stern cleat with some slack. Have this rigged before you head into the dock and when you jump off you can grab this line to bring the boat to the dock. Once again, have that boat hook handy.

And I do all this single-handed 95.82% of the time. You won't even think twice about this once you do it a few more times.

I only have one set of goal posts and this works for me. But in bigger winds I have occassionally had a few issues. But the boat has a few battle scars so there is no panic anymore when I bump the side of the trailer or the pier.

I have sailed with a guy in the UK who had 2" wide strap tied to his trailer winch post and back to the goal posts on each side. Created a "V" barrier that sort of kept the bow from angling out the wrong way...the straps would nudge the boat back towards center. Seemed to work pretty well.

I am marina'd at the Casa Rio Marina in Mayo, MD...probably about 20-25 miles south of you. Maybe we can meet up somewhere on the water around the Bay Bridge one day this Spring or Summer.

Cheers,
Jim
Sailing on König

[Obelix]

I always back the trailer far enough that the center of the V-bunks is about 2" submerged.
This works real easy for unloading and loading the boat.

Good luck with your new boat, we really enjoy ours.

obelix

[tek]

I've never had issues landing with all boards up, but then my ramp location has shallow shoals and the dock is too far away from the ramp to walk it. I have kept boards down to help manueverability in some locations, it seems to only be an issue when there is a significant crosswind or current involved.

I agree with the others that the trailer needs to back down to where the rear tires on the tow vehicle are getting wet. I'm on my second tow vehicle since I've owned the boat, the new one has a camera. I try to take it far enough that the bottom of the foward V supporting the boat on the trailer is in the water by a few inches. This does sometimes require wading, but it floats off easily from there.

[hoaglandr]

Sounds exactly like my first launch. Didn't back the boat in far enough and forgot to put down the boards. Made a world of difference!

On releasing the the winch... the last time I launched (our 3rd time ) I backed the trailer part way into the water, released the winch, then backed on in till my truck's rear wheels were about 4 inches deep. The boat floated right off. By releasing the winch when I did, I kept my feet dry and didn't have to clamber around on the trailer tongue. Anyone else do this or am I asking for trouble doing it this way?

Russell

PS. Disclaimer: I haven't launched single handed, the admiral handles the dock lines and we have a nice long dock alongside the ramp.

[pokerrick1]

What dennisneal said Walk the boat on and off the trailer. As to retreival with ballast in; that depends upon your tow vehicle and the steepness of the ramp. If your tow vehicle can handle it, there is no problem with leaving the ballast in and stopping the assent up the ramp when you can open the ballast valve and release the ballast. Then you can stand there by the flow and answer questions like "what is that"? with answers like - - - "I've been gone for two weeks so that's the head holding tank; here want to taste it"? and then hold your hands under the flow and get a handful and offer it to them For special effect, throw a few tootsie rolls into the ballast at the V berth and try to catch one of them flowing out for the offering - - - or just pick one up off the ramp and include it with your offering.

Rick

PS You've probably already guessed that the tootsie roll thing is one of my favorite all time gags

[TFlight]

Jim, I saw your boat on photo-bucket and those 130 King videos. I love em! those videos get me pumped up and excited to sail. Thanks to all for the info & tips, this forum is a plethora of information and experience, and I have a lot to learn. I haven't sailed in 20 years. I would really like to meet up with you Jim, sometime on the Bay.
May the wind be with u,
Tony

[TFlight]

What dennisneal said Walk the boat on and off the trailer. As to retreival with ballast in; that depends upon your tow vehicle and the steepness of the ramp. If your tow vehicle can handle it, there is no problem with leaving the ballast in and stopping the assent up the ramp when you can open the ballast valve and release the ballast. Then you can stand there by the flow and answer questions like "what is that"? with answers like - - - "I've been gone for two weeks so that's the head holding tank; here want to taste it"? and then hold your hands under the flow and get a handful and offer it to them For special effect, throw a few tootsie rolls into the ballast at the V berth and try to catch one of them flowing out for the offering - - - or just pick one up off the ramp and include it with your offering.

Rick

PS You've probably already guessed that the tootsie roll thing is one of my favorite all time gags

I can't wait to use that joke and give u credit for it LMAO
Tony

[c130king]

Jim, I saw your boat on photo-bucket and those 130 King videos. I love em! those videos get me pumped up and excited to sail. Thanks to all for the info & tips, this forum is a plethora of information and experience, and I have a lot to learn. I haven't sailed in 20 years. I would really like to meet up with you Jim, sometime on the Bay.
May the wind be with u,
Tony

Tony,

I will be out there on Sunday with another member of this board...fxwg80hd (aka Chris). We get to try out my newest boat accessory...

Cheers,
Jim
Sailing on König
Sailing on König YouTube Channel

[Matt19020]

Tony welcome....you will get the hang of it ....sounds like a perfectly normal "first" launch....
Over the years wait untill you have done the following:
forget to put car in park
forget to connect motor steering
leave the key at home
steering wheel shear pin missing
no dock lines
drop car keys in water
Remember.....Attitude is the difference between an Ordeal and a Adventure

I back in till wheels of truck touch the water, I always drop my rudders as soon as I start moving off the trailer and drop centerboard as soon as bow clears the trailer goal post

[c130king]

...leave the key at home...

After the boat is in the water...DOH!!!

And if I can add one...drop your cell phone in the water or in my case jump into 3' of water off the back of the boat with a pair of cargo shorts where the hem is 2' 10" from the ground and the pants wick the water right up to your pocket...where you have your cell phone...DOH!!!



Cheers,
Jim
Sailing on König
Sailing on König YouTube Channel

[Berber Boy]

Tony, I feel for you. It is a boat that seems to have a mind of its own sometimes but it gets easier with time. A lot has been said about putting it in but similar challenges await your return as I am sure that you have discovered. For what its worth after a few bumps and scrapes on my beautiful blue hull the two biggest things that helped me were:

1: Remember that the boat carries a lot of weight as ballast and after you have forward momentum that carries you a long way with the engine in neutral. Two days ago I experimented in very calm conditions. I was 200 yards off the jetty and clocking 2knots I throttled back to minimum idle but with gear engaged My approach speed was at 1.1 knots with 3 adults and two kids on board. I had DB at 30% and both rudders down. At 100 yards (estimate) I disengaged the prop drive. The Boat continued on course right to within 10 yards of the dock. I reengaged with a tiny puff of power and disengaged again. Applied reverse very gently (see note 2) to bring her alongside. That was optimal conditions but the wind was behind me at about. The point is do not rely on a big final reverse thrust. It doesn't work on big ships or the MACM either. Approach as slow as you can maintaining your position and use very small bursts of power to keep the boat underway and pointed directly.
2: Many motors used on MACM's (Etec for example) exhaust through the centre of the propeller itself. This reduces the reverse thrust effectiveness of the motor especially when the motor rpm is "gunned" in order to try and stop quickly

One final point. Be aware of the wind and make you choices wisely. Abort if you have to even if it is a blow to your seamanship. And finally, the gust will always come beam on just at the worst possible moment! Thats what sailing is all about

good luck

Dave