Hello everyone!
My wife is encouraging me to share our experiences from this last
Sunday. We'll it was quite a day. This is our first year and we seem
to be making every mistake possible. If we, the boat, and the
surrounding marina survive it will be a miracle. The actual sailing
part is easy. If we are screwing up while sailing we at least don't
know it. Launching and recovering the boat, well that is another
story. We know we are screwing up.
Saturday, we drove the 100 miles to Rathbun lake where we have been
dry storing our 1990 R22 (no offical name yet, we have a new alias
each week to disguise ourselves). Anyway, the lake was up by 8 feet,
but we didn't know that it at the time. I did the normal prep (fenders,
dock lines ready, gear on board, etc), then left the parking lot and
proceeded to ramp turn around. Last week I had been too close the
inner curb and bounced the trailer over it as I turned. So this
time I swung wide as I turned around. As I turned, I heard screams and
several people shout "Oh No!". I stopped. got out and looked
around. I saw nothing at first, then I noticed a tree limb sitting in
the cockpit. I could see no damage to the any of the rigging so the
limb was tossed out and we started again.
I backed straight down the boat ramp without incident. I backed the
boat down the ramp until my rear tires were in the water, and still
the boat hadn't floated off. (side note - we did have the trailer
tongue extended) so we tried the splash down method. Vicki went up the
ramp a little bit the quickly back down, slamming on the brakes as I
held the docklines. Vicki wasn't not on board with this idea but she
was willing to try. After several unsuccessful attempts at this she
suggested an alternative. She backed down as far as she dared which
almost put the front wheels in the water and then the both of us
waded in to our crotch and pushed. Finally, the boat and trailer
parted company - thank god!
As I mentioned, the sailing was easy after that. We had a great day,
sailing up the lake. We tacked our way westward on the lake for about
6-7 miles. and stopped in a small cove to swim. We sail with our
Austrailian Shepherd mix, Sabrina.
She does very well. Most of the
time she lays around in a shady spot (under the cockpit seats, in the
cabin, in the shade of the bimimi, etc). I'll write more about the dog
adventures later.
After a refreshing swim, we up anchored and set sail again. Had a
great time as we now had abeam wind that allowed us to proceed up and
down the lake in it's longest direction (the lake is about 2 miles
wide and 9 miles long).
At sunset, we anchored in a cove, grilled, played cards, drank beer,
listened to CD's and basically had a relaxing evening.
Next morning was overcast, cool, and windless. So we motored all the
way back to the marina. Now the real fun begins. Our procedure is to
dock the boat at an open dock near the boat ramp. Since Vicki isn't
very good at backing the trailer straight for long distances, I back
the trailer into the water until the bunks are just barely below the
water surface. Then Vicki gets in the truck and I get in boat. I
then motor the boat onto the trailer. That's how we have done it
successfully in weeks past.
Well this time I had the back bumper of the truck underwater and
still the bunks weren't all the way into the water. Well we didn't
know what to do so basically we just started screwing up. We decide
I would motor toward the trailer at a little faster pace. then we
would winch if up the rest of the way. I headed straight up the
trailer and came to a rather smooth stop on the trailer. I was rather
happy about how straight I was on the trailer. I then hopped off the
boat. in my bare feet. I had taken my sandals off because they were
muddy and I didn't want to dirty up the cockpit. I missed the trailer
as I jumped off, so now I'm in crotch deep cold water. I attached the
winch strap and cranked for all I was worth (which isn't much) The
boat still wasn't up to the bow stop but I couldn't move it any
further.
So we decided we didn't have to go far (about 100 yards, 1 left turn,
and then about 50 yards to our parking spot. What can happen in 150
yards Well I'm living proof that any fool can move a boat 150 yards,
if neatness doesn't count. We started up the ramp. When the ramp
meets the road the is a very small bump as we go over it, the boat
bobs up and down on the trailer.
Vicki screams - It's loose!.
I screech to a stop, jump out and run bare footed to the boat which is
rolling slowly backward down the ramp. You hear about people in a
crisis doing unbelievable things. I seriously don't know how I did it
but I got the boat stopped and held it while Vicki blocked the wheels
with rocks. Of course by now we are really over the edge stresswise.
Vicki's about ready to die of embarressment and she's yelling "what
wrong" "what are we we doing wrong", etc, etc. I'm in a daze now. We
get the trailer hooked back up to the truck. Just then a marina work
shows up (he had been mowing, remember him, there is more about him
later). Anyway, the worker says "I thought you guys might need a hand
but it looks like you have it under control now" - Nothing could have
been farther from the truth. The worker goes back to mowing leaving us
to create more chaos.
We are now on level ground. We proceed to the 1 and only turn we have
to make. As we complete the turn the trailer bounces and the hitch
comes off again. Only this time because we are are on level ground
it just rolls to a stop. Vicki is just about catatonic with stress
now. Once again we rehook up the trailer and proceed without incident
to our parking space.
We sigh with relief, we made it. Now all we want to do is sulk away as
quickly as possible. I climb into the boat, and quick throw all the
gear into the cockpit so I can hand it down to Vicki on the ground. I
move into the cockpit to hand down the first back and WHOA! the boat
tips back. Vicki screams. We both run toward to bow. Vicki sits on the
trailer tongue while I move all the gear to bow and hand it down from
there. On one of my trips to the bow I notice Vicki has rumaged
through the cooler and is now drinking a beer, even though it's 10:30
on a sunday morning I can't blame her. Finally the gear is unloaded,
the boat is locked up, and we are ready to head for home.
Before I go much farther I should mention the country wave. In Iowa,
and probably in most rural areas, when you pass someone you wave and
they wave back. It doesn't matter that you don't know them and will
never see them again - you wave. You don't do it in the city, but
YOU ALWAYS do it in the country - always.
Ok, now back to story.
I am frazelled, exhausted, hot, and sweaty, so is Vicki. The sun has
come out so it is getting really hot. Vic wants to change from her
long sleeve shirt to a short sleeve shirt. Well, we are now driving in
the truck and out of the parking lot. I think all women have done this
at one time or another, which is to attempt to discreetly change in
the truck. So she had her arms out of the sleeves but the shirt was
still on with her arms underneath it.
Just then we pass the mowing marina worker, He does a country wave.
and automatically Vic waves back. A couple of seconds later she turns
to me and says, "Can this get any worst, I just flashed him!". I start
laughing so hard tears are coming to my eyes.
This week we have been seriously considering naming the boat
"Tomfoolery"!
So what was the root of all our trouble - our failure to recognize the
difference in grade of the boat ramp when the lake was 8 feet higher.
We just kept proceeding even though we were doomed to failure right
from the start. We assumed that because we hadn't had problems at
this boat ramp before that everything was ok. We didn't get the boat
forward enough on the trailer, so there wasn't enough tongue weight,
etc. etc. We since have inquired with the marina and there is another
steeper grade ramp on the other side of the marina that we can use.