Trailer launching on a ramp that isn't steep enough

[wikakaru]

I have been scouring the web for ways to launch my boat on boat ramps that aren't steep enough to float directly off the trailer. I thought others might benefit from what I have found.

First, here's the situation: I have a Cape Dory Typhoon Weekender that draws 2'7", and a Triad "Float-Off" model trailer with an 8-foot tongue extension. The trailer with the tongue extended works well on "steep ramps" [see note below], but won't work on "shallow" ramps. I learned this to my chagrin the first time I ever tried to launch, when I spent an hour setting up the mast, outboard, fenders, dock lines, etc., extended the tongue, backed the boat down the ramp, and found that, even with the exhaust of the SUV burbling in the water, I still had a foot of bottom paint showing. The boat wouldn't budge, and I didn't want to submerge the car to get it to float. Ever since then I learned to measure first, launch last.

For those with a lot of money to throw at the problem, or if you are in the market for a trailer, Triad also makes a "Special Float-Off" model with a much longer (I think it is 20 feet) tongue. Since the tongue is so long it isn't strong enough to support the trailer's tongue weight, and the trailer has a set of wheels like the front wheels of a jet airplane that drop down to support the tongue.

Triad "Special Float Off" with wheels up

Airplane wheel up position (Large).jpg (170.72 KiB) Viewed 623 times

Triad "Special Float Off" with wheels down

Airplane wheels down.jpg (1.3 MiB) Viewed 623 times

I looked around for a good set of wheels that could replace the tongue jack on my trailer. My thought is to use a 25-foot long towing strap to ease the trailer into the water and pull it back out, with a good set of wheels to hold the tongue weight. Unfortunately, the only wheels I could find were either too small, too flimsy, or had unsealed bearings that wouldn't stand up to salt water immersion. The other solutions I found were by do-it-yourselfers who know how to weld and could fabricate something themselves. That's not me, however.

I finally emailed Mike at Triad Trailers and asked about purchasing a set of the wheels he uses for my trailer. Unfortunately, because of the different locations of the tongue extensions on the Float-Off and Special Float-Off trailers, I couldn't use the exact setup they use, but he did provide me with a workaround solution:

Work-around wheel

Triad Trailer airplane wheel-2.jpg (2.07 MiB) Viewed 623 times

It looks super sturdy. It takes a bit more work to attach and detach because it involves bolting and unbolting the U-bolts, but it looks like it will get the job done. It's kind of pricey, but I think in this case it's a matter of "you get what you pay for."

I haven't bought them yet--my wife and I decided for now to keep the boat in a marina instead of doing a lot of road traveling. However, I thought I would pass along the photos in the hopes that someone else looking to launch their boat on a shallow-slope ramp can get their wheels from Triad and save a few days of fruitless web surfing.

Smooth sailing,

Jim
1980 CD Typhoon Weekender #1697 "Dory"

[Note] For my setup, "steep" ramps have a slope of 11.5 degrees or greater. Before I try to launch at a new ramp, I now measure the slope with an app on my iPhone and a 6-foot long 1x2 to average out the uneven slope of the ramp. Wouldn't it be nice if there were a database of ramp steepness that we all could use to see if a ramp is steep enough before we go to launch?

[RLW]

I have the same boat and same trailer and same problem. I used the tow strap solution with good results. However, at time of haulout I had the yard lift her to the trailer.

[Moonshadow]

Thanks for sharing. By "Pricey" how much do you mean?