Glenns post about his launch gave me flash backs to a premature launch I had
on a 30 footer years ago..

I built a 30 version of Star Drift (a Clark Craft sloop).. Multi chine, keel
with with centerboard, about 3ft draft with board up.

The building site was at my beach house and only about 2 blocks from a river
bank.. I moved her to the river bank on her cradle, planks and rollers. Used
my 2 ton station wagon for a 'dead man' for my chainfall..

Once we reached the river bank, I set the largest anchor I could borrow
across the river and hauled the cradle the edge of the river bank. Before
starting down the river bank slope I rigged a preventor to the station
wagon.. Proceeded to haul the boat and cradle over the edge of the moderate
slop of the embankment.... Once it started the decent, it gathered speed and
the preventor came up taunt, stopped the progress of the cradle but the boat
kept on going.. Skidded out of the cradle stern first through the soft mud
and into the water.. No lines had been rigged.

But that wasn't my biggest problem.. I wasn't planning on the actual launch
until high tide the next day and the propeller shaft was still in the
machine shop.. I waded out, reached under and stuffed a rag into the stern
tube. Then climbed on board and tossed a line to shore.

ThenI had to figure out what to tell the invited guests when the showed up
the next day expecting to see the launch..

In retrospect, I shouldn't make fun of the stuff that goes on at the launch
ramps.

Steve
s/v Good Intentions

Great story Steve. Having had problems at launch ramps with forgotten plugs
in the past I can feel for our experience at the time. It gives me hope to
know that I am not the only one who has thought everything through only to
have forgotten something.

Brian

So there are others ( probably many?) that have had years of hard loving
work put at risk during launch.
My own story with "Hammer" is one of premature launch. I had all the friends
there with video cameras, (which I came to regret) as things went horribly
wrong. My tale of woe begins when I pulled my hull from it's cradle dolly
onto the boat trailer so I could more the hull outdoors and install tee top
and center console, ect. To facilitate this skidding operation I liberally
sprayed the carpet of my trailer bunks with a silicone spray, that stuff
really works and kept on working after I had forgotten about it. Flash
forward to launch day, cameras rolling champagne ready . I back the boat to
the ramp un-hook it then have a friend continue to slowly back the boat down
as I held the bow line. The plan was to stop the boat after the trailer
began to get wet and say a few words and break the bottle. There was this
little sound, pop, that still rings in my ears as the boat broke the bounds
of friction and slowly began to slip back . Fortunately the motors were down
as the boat slid of the back of the trailer the skegs landed on the concrete
ramp, ouch!, and skidded to a stop. The skegs got about 1/8" shorter but
saved the ass end of my hull from some serious payment rash. Next problem
has to get the boat off the trailer as there was no way to pull it back unto
my formerly pretty new aluminum semi-custom trailer which was bent in ways
you wouldn't believe. After some head scratching, and
scrap lumber ect. we were able to complete the launch. The boat suffered
surprisingly little, the trailer sprung back to shape, but I didn't. Then
there was the video which included me pulling on the bow line trying to stop
a 30' boat as it was headed to the water on its own. I watched it once and
threw it away, never want to see that again.

--
Ron White
My boatbuilding website is:
www.concentric.net/~knotreel

You guys are scarring the hell out of me! I have to disassemble the
shed from around the boat, then hire a crane to lift RUTU over a fair
size cedar tree and lower it onto the mover's trailer. Everyone wants a
picture of the boat flying 40' in the air. Once I get to the marina it
has to be lifted onto the keel and set a 65' mast. One little mistake
could cause a lot of damage.

To complicate things, there are only 3 marinas within 4 hours capable of
launching RUTU. The marina that I had arranged to let me complete the
commissioning myself sold out to Hinkely this summer and nobody is sure
what the yard rules will be. OTOH, PJ is now Thunderbolt Marina and
their rules may have loosened up a little.

Ron White wrote:
So there are others ( probably many?) that have had years of hard loving
work put at risk during launch.
My own story with "Hammer" is one of premature launch. I had all the friends
there with video cameras, (which I came to regret) as things went horribly
wrong. My tale of woe begins when I pulled my hull from it's cradle dolly
onto the boat trailer so I could more the hull outdoors and install tee top
and center console, ect. To facilitate this skidding operation I liberally
sprayed the carpet of my trailer bunks with a silicone spray, that stuff
really works and kept on working after I had forgotten about it. Flash
forward to launch day, cameras rolling champagne ready . I back the boat to
the ramp un-hook it then have a friend continue to slowly back the boat down
as I held the bow line. The plan was to stop the boat after the trailer
began to get wet and say a few words and break the bottle. There was this
little sound, pop, that still rings in my ears as the boat broke the bounds
of friction and slowly began to slip back . Fortunately the motors were down
as the boat slid of the back of the trailer the skegs landed on the concrete
ramp, ouch!, and skidded to a stop. The skegs got about 1/8" shorter but
saved the ass end of my hull from some serious payment rash. Next problem
has to get the boat off the trailer as there was no way to pull it back unto
my formerly pretty new aluminum semi-custom trailer which was bent in ways
you wouldn't believe. After some head scratching, and
scrap lumber ect. we were able to complete the launch. The boat suffered
surprisingly little, the trailer sprung back to shape, but I didn't. Then
there was the video which included me pulling on the bow line trying to stop
a 30' boat as it was headed to the water on its own. I watched it once and
threw it away, never want to see that again.


--
Glenn Ashmore

I'm building a 45' cutter in strip/composite. Watch my progress (or lack
there of) at: http://www.rutuonline.com
Shameless Commercial Division: http://www.spade-anchor-us.com

If you have one of those variable pitch props Glenn, make sure you set a
"stopper" to only allow about 15% pitch forward & backwards until you get
out on the water.
Friend hadn't set it & on a SAAB on first launch used reverse to leave the
cradle & spent the next 15 minutes trying to negotiate amongst other boats
in reverse.
For some reason that variable pitch prop won't leave reverse (can't move
pitch lever) under power unless killing all revs or shutting down motor.
With motor idling with no pitch set it sometimes has been known to gradually
increase pitch to reverse. (repairs to prove it)
He has learnt to live with it now ..............
BruceM


"Glenn Ashmore" wrote in message
news:EB0Db.4223$JD6.1488@lakeread04...
You guys are scarring the hell out of me! I have to disassemble the
shed from around the boat, then hire a crane to lift RUTU over a fair
size cedar tree and lower it onto the mover's trailer. Everyone wants a
picture of the boat flying 40' in the air. Once I get to the marina it
has to be lifted onto the keel and set a 65' mast. One little mistake
could cause a lot of damage.

To complicate things, there are only 3 marinas within 4 hours capable of
launching RUTU. The marina that I had arranged to let me complete the
commissioning myself sold out to Hinkely this summer and nobody is sure
what the yard rules will be. OTOH, PJ is now Thunderbolt Marina and
their rules may have loosened up a little.

Ron White wrote:
So there are others ( probably many?) that have had years of hard loving
work put at risk during launch.
My own story with "Hammer" is one of premature launch. I had all the
friends
there with video cameras, (which I came to regret) as things went
horribly
wrong. My tale of woe begins when I pulled my hull from it's cradle
dolly
onto the boat trailer so I could more the hull outdoors and install tee
top
and center console, ect. To facilitate this skidding operation I
liberally
sprayed the carpet of my trailer bunks with a silicone spray, that stuff
really works and kept on working after I had forgotten about it. Flash
forward to launch day, cameras rolling champagne ready . I back the boat
to
the ramp un-hook it then have a friend continue to slowly back the boat
down
as I held the bow line. The plan was to stop the boat after the trailer
began to get wet and say a few words and break the bottle. There was
this
little sound, pop, that still rings in my ears as the boat broke the
bounds
of friction and slowly began to slip back . Fortunately the motors were
down
as the boat slid of the back of the trailer the skegs landed on the
concrete
ramp, ouch!, and skidded to a stop. The skegs got about 1/8" shorter but
saved the ass end of my hull from some serious payment rash. Next
problem
has to get the boat off the trailer as there was no way to pull it back
unto
my formerly pretty new aluminum semi-custom trailer which was bent in
ways
you wouldn't believe. After some head scratching, and
scrap lumber ect. we were able to complete the launch. The boat suffered
surprisingly little, the trailer sprung back to shape, but I didn't.
Then
there was the video which included me pulling on the bow line trying to
stop
a 30' boat as it was headed to the water on its own. I watched it once
and
threw it away, never want to see that again.


--
Glenn Ashmore

I'm building a 45' cutter in strip/composite. Watch my progress (or lack
there of) at: http://www.rutuonline.com
Shameless Commercial Division: http://www.spade-anchor-us.com

Somehow I picture your launch happening with champagne and a nice party with
no "Scary Movie" video produced. OTHO, you can always have a cyanide tooth
installed to be totally prepared.

--
Ron White
My boatbuilding website is:
www.concentric.net/~knotreel

I'm beginning to think that maybe the best plan is to have two launchings:
Launch in private, get the bugs out and the rigging finalized, haul it for a
quick cleaning, a wash coat of bottom paint and clean clothes, then launch the
next day for the friends, clergy, cameras, bagpipes, party, etc.

Ron White wrote:

Somehow I picture your launch happening with champagne and a nice party with
no "Scary Movie" video produced. OTHO, you can always have a cyanide tooth
installed to be totally prepared.

--
Ron White
My boatbuilding website is:
www.concentric.net/~knotreel

And of course it will be on the carefully prepared "next day" launch, when
the whole world is watching, that something will go horribly wrong! (g)

"Jim Conlin" wrote in message
...
I'm beginning to think that maybe the best plan is to have two launchings:
Launch in private, get the bugs out and the rigging finalized, haul it for
a
quick cleaning, a wash coat of bottom paint and clean clothes, then launch
the
next day for the friends, clergy, cameras, bagpipes, party, etc.

Ron White wrote:

Somehow I picture your launch happening with champagne and a nice party
with
no "Scary Movie" video produced. OTHO, you can always have a cyanide
tooth
installed to be totally prepared.

--
Ron White
My boatbuilding website is:
www.concentric.net/~knotreel

I believe Dr. Ruth can help counsel you through your periods of "premature
launch".

;-)