Help! Travelift lauch/retrieve...how to?

[ronacarme]

Since our 2000 Windstar died, we are without a tow vehicle, so this fall we plan to have the Travelift near our slip move our X from water to trailer, whereafter the marina service folk will move trailer + boat to nearby winter storage.
With boat in the Travelift well, and ballast air vent and transom port open, we will have the X lifted a couple inches at a time, with pauses to drain some, until the ballast chamber is empty, before lifting completely, hopefully to avoid hull strain.
Please advise where best to locate the 2 lifting straps along the length of the hull...
1. to avoid trapping the straps between the trailer side rails or bunks and the hull, and
2. to avoid hull strain.
Any advice appreciated.
Ron

[Tomfoolery]

Mine's in the driveway now, so I measured a few things.

The rear bunk is about 3 ft from the transom, so have them put one strap no closer than 2-1/2 ft or so. The CG of the boat is approximately at the lifeline stantion above the head/galley, so have them put the other strap 6 ft forward of that, or thereabouts. The boat CG will be approximately centered between them, though it's not that important with a Travelift as the two slings are on independent winches.

I wouldn't worry about picking it slowly to drain the ballast. That hull is not that delicate. But you will have to tilt it steeply to drain the last bit of ballast, though they can do that with the boat on the trailer and the winch connected to the bow eye.

[Russ]

I have emptied the ballast (on the water at full throttle) before attempting to put the boat back on the trailer. Makes the bloat float higher and don't have to lower the trailer as far down in the water. Yea, empty it at sea before going to the lift.

As mentioned above, you can drain it on the trailer also. I doubt the extra weight will mean much to the lift.
Of course if you haven't treated the ballast water, it's gonna stink pretty bad once you open it. That's why I drop a chlorine tab in there when I fill it. Smells like a swimming pool when I drain it.

--Russ

[ronacarme]

Thanks for your comments. Here is what happened.
Travelift straps located just ahead of the pushpit (cockpit lifeline rear attachment point) and slightly ahead of the mast ....straps cleared the trailer bunks nicely.
Ballast drained as boat was lifted from well to trailer . Operator seated boat on trailer and then lifted bow portion a few inches to drain the ballast tank completely, to avoid freeze damage to tank, before lowering bow portion finally onto trailer.
Nicely done.
Ron
PS Our X looked dinky on a 50 ton Travelift.

[Captain Steve]

At my storage place, Channel Islands Landing, it is hoisted out with full ballast and the valve closed. They feel they are avoiding issues if any remaining ballast would shift and slosh around. When it is placed on the trailer, they open the valve and the ballast drains out as they tow it back to the storage spot. Seems to work fine and the lift is a 4 ton capacity so no issues there.

[BOAT]

Hi Captain Steve,

Do you have a lot of experience piloting the Channel Islands?

[mastreb]

I would power at high speed for ten minutes to empty the tank, then lift it directly with the gate closed, and then open the gate and let it drain on the trailer. Lifting the bow seems a bit scary to me.

[Captain Steve]

[quote="BOAT"]Hi Captain Steve,

Do you have a lot of experience piloting the Channel Islands?[/quote]
Well I have been around the 3 closest islands and spent many days out in the channel....

[mastreb]

I'd love to do the Channel islands sometime. Go out of Channel Islands Marina and spend maybe a week checking them out.

We should plan this for the next govt. shutdown when the islands are closed and there's nobody to chase you off...

[BOAT]

I have never been there alone - I have only gone with others who know the islands - - the weather there picks up in an instant. I have sailed there in much bigger sailboats with my brother, and I have sailed there in an A23 with 6 other A23 captains. I have done Catalina alone many times, but have not done the channel islands alone yet. I think I would want a lot of advice from another MAC captain before i take the MAC to the channel islands. The MAC is still a new boat to me.

Too many have gone down during the night anchoring Smugglers Cove. Not sure I'm ready to do that alone in a new boat yet.

What is the schedule over there? I suspect March, April, and May are probably 'no way' months - what is the best months to go?

[mastreb]

I have never been there alone - I have only gone with others who know the islands - - the weather there picks up in an instant. I have sailed there in much bigger sailboats with my brother, and I have sailed there in an A23 with 6 other A23 captains. I have done Catalina alone many times, but have not done the channel islands alone yet. I think I would want a lot of advice from another MAC captain before i take the MAC to the channel islands. The MAC is still a new boat to me.

Too many have gone down during the night anchoring Smugglers Cove. Not sure I'm ready to do that alone in a new boat yet.

What is the schedule over there? I suspect March, April, and May are probably 'no way' months - what is the best months to go?

Spring is rough weather in the San Pedro, that's for sure. If I scheduled anything then I'd also schedule an alternative coastal destination in case the crossing is too rough.

[Captain Steve]

Best months for the channel Aug - October. Our boats are perfect for the channel islands. The weather picks up or the fog rolls in, the motor will get you out of trouble. Can power back to the coast within an hour

[Captain Steve]

I used to belong to the Channel Islands Yacht Club and we put on a training class for new sailors to the area. I will look for the 20 page handout on anchoring, weather and location to visit.

A note to moderators. If I can scan it and supply a pdf can it get put into the resources ????

[BOAT]

Best months for the channel Aug - October. Our boats are perfect for the channel islands. The weather picks up or the fog rolls in, the motor will get you out of trouble. Can power back to the coast within an hour

This is one of those things I keep forgetting, the MAC is still a new boat to me. I am so accustomed to traveling the Channel Islands on conventional sailboats like the CAT26 and the A23 that I forget that it does NOT take several hours to get back to the harbor in the MAC like it does in all the other sailboats on the water.

It just has not sunk into my thick head yet.

[mastreb]

You have to actually do it before it will sink in. You can get to Avalon from Oceanside in two hours heading into the wind, then take a long day to sail home with the wind. A nice big spinnaker would be perfect for the typical Avalon to Oceanside winds.