launch questions

[Megunticook]

I have a Ty Senior on a trailer and just have a couple launching questions. First time for me.

When launching, how should the support pads be adjusted? Lowered some? Or just touching the hull?

Any launch tips? We have a pretty good ramp to work with, has a chain of floats along one side so a person can walk down as the boat is being backed in with a stern line and another with a bow line. We're aiming for high tide.

Trailer has an extendable tongue, which should also help.

Thanks for the tips.

[casampson]

Lower your two aft poppets four or five inches and you should be good to go. The forward ones will hold the boat in place. If your tongue extension is not long enough to pop the boat off the trailer, you could always lower the trailer deeper into the water with a stout rope.

I hope to launch on Friday and will, ironically, be trying my tongue extension for the first time. Hope it works, as there is always a little bit of drama with the rope method...

Best of luck.

cas

[Megunticook]

Thanks, good advice. We launched yesterday at high tide, trailer tongue seized and wouldn't extend but we got her in regardless.

Looks like I have some trailer work to do before haul out in October!

It was my very first boat launch, I must say it's not an easy time to relax. Partly because I had a punch list of boat stuff I was scrambling to finish in the morning. . .and the uncertainty of getting the boat safely in the water with no mishaps was a little stressful. But overall it went well and she's on the mooring.

I'd say here in Camden only a very small handful of boats are in the water at this point, including a typhoon daysailor. Anybody know who owns her?

[NateHanson]

Lower your two aft poppets four or five inches and you should be good to go. The forward ones will hold the boat in place.

I don't have screw-pads on my trailer (it's a cradle sort of arrangement), but I thought the idea was to lower the FRONT supports when launching, so that as the back of the boat begins to rise off the trailer, the boat is able to level herself without putting a great deal of stress on the hull where the front supports make contact.

Probably not a huge deal with smaller boats like ours, but that's how the professionals seem to do it with the big heavy boats where this kind of damage is more likely.

[Dave H]

How did it go putting up your mast? Ty Sr has a surprisingly tall mast. I use a metal A frame, and sway preventer ropes just above the spreaders.

Dave

[Megunticook]

I lowered all 4 actually, and the boat really just kind of slides toward the rear when the stern floats up.

Stepping the mast was surprisingly easy. We pinned it in the step first and then raised it forward with one guy pulling the forestay and two guys pushing up from the cockpit. Getting it started was a little work but pretty soon the guy in front is able to get some purchase and it goes up easy.

[Skeep]

I followed this conversation because of its relevance for all our keel hull vessels with bunks and extended tongues, etc. However, One of the issues I was cautioned about was the changing nature of the upper bunks. That is to say, the bunks support the hull and help to distribute the weight of the vessel while sitting on her keel.

I do not change my bunks at all. I float her off without further adjustment ( Typhoon Weekender ). This way, the support of my hull remains constant and thus no pressure changes.

Am I fretting about nothing? However, this makes for easy launch and retrieval for me.

v/r

[casampson]

It may not be necessary to lower the poppets over the stern when launching, but it sure makes life a lot easier to lower them when you are hauling out your boat.

[Gary H]

Dave,
I am interested in the support lines you use when raising your mast. To what are they attached at the deck level? and What do you do with them after you raise the mast - leave them hanging down the mast until it is lowered?
Thanks,
Gary

[tartansailor]

The only "Show Stopper" that I can think of is backing the trailer wheels past the end of a concrete ramp,
because invariably there is a drop off which results in the frame sitting on concrete. If that happens,
the trailer is going nowhere. Now Triad does make a bolt on triangular fixture for ahead of the front tires
so you can drag the trailer up and over the edge, but that takes a hefty tow vehicle.
dick

[Dave H]

Hi Gary,

I apologize for the slow reply. My sway preventer lines are 1/4" hardware store rope with a longish loop tied in one end of each. I pass the rope end through the loop so they are around the mast just above the spreaders. At the stantion post base eye, I pass a small loop of rope. To that loop I attach a carabiner and a climbing type snatch block. I lead the sway preventer lines from above the spreaders, through the blocks, then aft to a person on a ladder behind the boat. The person on the ladder (usually me) braces their chest against the ladder, and has one line in each hand. One person in the cockpit cranks on a line led foreward through a block at the stemhead, to the metal A frame. The jib halyard is attached to the A frame opposite this line. The mast is supported by a crutch. As the mast raises, the person on the ladder prevents sway by watching the mast go up, and trimming accordingly with the anti sway lines. (It reminds me of trimming a spinnacker.) We crank the raising line with cabintop winches. But it might be better to crank the mast up with the trailer winch. That way, the cranker is in position to attach the forestay. It's best to be head to wind for this if possible. It's good to have a "watcher" or two so if a shroud snags a cleat the watcher can identify the hang-up.

But your question was about retrieving the anti-sway ropes. I use another rope with loop tied in one end, and pass it around the anti-sway ropes on the foreward side of the mast. With this line, I can pull down the anti-sway lines. It is helpful if the loops tied in the anti-sway lines are long, they pull down easier.

My metal A frame was made by Sailtrailers.com in Macon, Ga. I put pieces of 2x6 under the ends of the A frame, per their instructions, to protect the deck. There are eyes welded to the ends of the A frame legs. Lines are run from these eyes to the bow pulpit. When the A frame is near the horizontal position, there is a strong aft thrust to be prevented by these lines. When I set up to raise the mast, I position the A frame just aft of verticle, so when the mast is up the A frame is clear of the foredeck.

My Ty Senior has a pinned pivot type of mast base. My launch partner's Senior has the original mast base. With his, he ties a line from his cabintop grab handles, and around his mast, near the base. Then he positions a stout helper to hold the mast base to the mast step.

Dave Hedlund

[casampson]

We use A-frames to step the masts on a Typhoon Senior and a Herreshoff 15. The frame we use for the Herreshoff is smaller and built of long 2x4's and is collapsible. It has a block attached to the peak. We raise the A-frame above the mast step, secure it fore and aft, attach a line from the block to the mast, and hoist away. It works like a dream. We follow the same process with the Typhoon Senior, except the A-frame is made out of aluminum tubing and is much taller. We use tennis balls on the feet to protect the deck. This one is not quite so easy, because the whole rig is taller and heavier, and it is somewhat difficult to get the A-frame up into place. Not to mention that the roller jib assembly does get in the way. Nevertheless, the principle works the same and the mast goes up and in with little difficulty.

[Gary H]

Dave,
Thank you for the detailed explanation. How do you reattach your anti-sway lines in order to lower the mast?
Gary

[Dave H]

Hi Gary,

I have a long telescoping boat hook (floating, West Marine) that I use to get the loop end over the spreaders. A few "flips" and the loop end is down where I can pass the end through, and snug it up.

Do you have the pivot pin type of mast base? Very helpful.

Dave