newbie seeks advice
 

Anyone care to enlighten me on their launch/retreval and mast raising/lowering methods. Not ready to get on the water yet but getting close.

MM

Make sure you have equal weight on both sides of the boat. I just figured out that my engine, fuel tank, & battery made my spirit lean over just a bit when viewing on the water but what I didn't realize was that the shoal keel was not lined up with the center of the trailer when the bow was...you can guess what happens, the boat came up on the trailer totally leaned over on 1 bunk! Now I put the tank (12 Gal) in the middle (under the cockpit floor). Both batteries are on the opposites side of the boat now. So it should be good.

I also built an extended tongue that gives my trailer about an extra 8ft. I chock the wheels, disconnect the main tongue drive back a bit, & pull out the launching tongue & hook it up, works great!

I also built an extendable square pipe up front with a pulley on top & an electric winch on it. To raise the mast I extend the front support then extend the rear mast support, pin it then roll the mast back on the aft support, pin the large pin on the mast foot, hook up the forestay to the front winch & pulley then just electric winch it up at my leisure, pin the small mast pin, disconnect the pulley, then attach the forestay & tighten all the standing rigging. I have raised the mast with 2 people without the pulley system I have now but I thought it was unsafe, so I built something that does the job alot better and I can do it alone.

Launching: Mast & Trailer
 

MAST: The mast is heavy and I think requires 2 people to raise & Lower - One under the mast at the base tilted BACK to the stern - and another on the FORESTAY or other rope to help lift and or lower the tall mast. The boat should have come with a mast bracket for the cabin top and another for the cockpit rear - although if you have the stern rail option the rear crutch is not necessary. I have a taller wooden crutch I use which helps get the mast UP high enough for the front line man to get some leverage.

LAUNCH: The boat needs at least 2 feet of water to float off trailer. Also the TYPE of trailer makes a big difference. The majority of s23's I've seen have trailer that use bunks and support on the side - while my trailer has rollers - and makes it easier to get on or off the trailer. Also UNPLUG your lights. Be sure to have the trailer bearings checked and greased - and tires inflated to the correct pressure (it's a heavy boat!).

TRAILERING: The Trailer weight of boat, engine and trailer combined is easily 4000 lbs - not something a light truck or SUV can handle. That said I pulled mine out from a shallow lake ramp and drove it home over 300 miles w/ a Landrover LR2 SUV w/ a towing capacity of 3500 lbs. BUT IT IS BIG on the road - and is a maxi-trailerable boat in my opinion. Now I use a friends Ford 250 every season to launch and retrieve w/ a pretty steep local ramp.

MOTOR: The outboard also can NOT hang on the bracket during trailering w/ vehicle - the bouncing weight combined w/ speed can stress the transom, (even though it's beefy and can take a 9.9 100lb extra long shaft motor no problem at 5mph in the water.)

I keep my boat at a friends private dock (sailboats look great at a dock), and I think most folks only really trailer their S23s at the start & end of the season?

My 9.9 4 stroke is permanently hung & locked on the transom. I travel with it all the time. The manual for the boat, on page 8 has a note about the bracket only being able to carry a 9.9. Nothing is mentioned about the transom being stressed. That said, I fabricated a large attach bracket from 6061 T6 aluminum that would hold a 40 horse I'm sure. Inside the transom the bolts are attached to a couple of pieces of galvanized flat bar to spread the load. The is absolutely no signs of stress yet. Keep your fingers crossed for me will ya!

I have seen a few boat sterns get stress cracks from hitting a pothole with all that weight bouncing off the back for hours.

Also - A heavy outboard motor on a bracket is NOT designed to take the weight at 55mph on a trailer. No matter how much you have enforced the transom - I would get some way to at least get the weight OFF the motor mount during trailering. We remove mine and place in pickup truck bed.

while inspecting hull fixtures /fittings I noticed the transom had been heavily reinforced on the port side only for the placement of an outboard.Could not remove the motor prior to my road trip, careful inspection in this area shows no hint of stress to date. I probably will demount motor for future road trips though.

I think even supporting the weight of the outboard w/ rope while mounted on the bracket would take the stress off the transom during bumps while trailering.

I give up! Where do you tie the rope to, the transom? LOL :(

Re: newbie seeks advice
 

I have managed to get the mast up on my own without too much hassle.
I have a wooden crutch ( 6' 6" long with a v cut at the top). With the mast laying on the fore deck i raise the crutch with the "v" just below the spars and lash it central to the stern rail.This will pull the mast back so its aound the area of the mast step.
I now have about 30 degree angle. I can pull the mast back until i can get the pin through the step. Next bit is easy.... I put a line on the forestay hook and winch it up with the main sail winch keeping my should on the mast to stop it swingng sideways. Once it gets past 45 degrees it goes up suprisingly easy. Connect the forstay and bob your uncle...

As far as launching , i have a fairly shallow ramp locally.
What i did was cut a 12inch peice of 2 1/2 inch square tube, and weld it on the underside of the trailer tongue. just far enough back to not obstruct the main tow thingy.
I then cut a 5 foot long 2" tube with a two inch tow hitch thingy on one end. Insert one into the other and pin in place, ive now extended the trailer tongue by about 4' . Result is i dont have to back my truck right into the water to get the boat off.

Hope that helps , im a newbie myself , but im used to solving problems on my own.

OOPS just re read post and notice the tongue extension isnt anything new .... damn there was me thinking it was my idea lol

Re: newbie seeks advice
 

windway

how tall is the extension in the front with the winch on it, also the rear mast support is above the taft rail ??