Ramp Launching New Owner

[tc53]

Hi. I am a new CD Typhoon Weekender (1974) owner in Santa Cruz, CA. While I am on the list for a slip or dry dock space, for a year or two we'll be ramp launching and hauling out when we sail. Our boat sits on an EZ Loader trailer with an extendable tongue. The SC Harbor ramp is steep and well maintained, with a depth of at least 6' of water at the end of the ramp at average low tide. While launching without extending the tongue may be possible, we'll likely be extending that tongue at least the first few times. Having never used extendable tongue trailers, my question is WHEN do you extend? Do you have to have the trailer and tow vehicle both on the ramp before you do this (sounds scary)? Or can it be done on level ground before approaching the ramp? Thanks for any advice you can offer.

[BernieA]

Extend it while on level ground. Same thing goes for raising and lowering the mast. The idea behind the extension is it allows you to put the trailer further into the water without getting your vehicle's rear axle wet. Use the extension every time you launch or retrieve. If possible, the driver needs to stay in the vehicle to keep it from being launched along with the trailer and boat.

[sloopjohnl]

if you have a jackstand with wheel on the trailer tongue you may want to leave that in the down/vertical position if there is much flexing of the extension and the ground is smooth enough just to add a bit of support.

[gonesail]

if the ramp is steep enough .. i have seen extension tongues scrape the concrete as the trailer is backed from level to sloped ramp. hopefully it won't happen with you but this is something to keep an eye on .. among everything else

[tc53]

Just to report back on our first ramp launch, everything went fine. We had some trouble getting the extension lock pin holes to line up once fully extended until we figured out that trying to do that with the tow vehicle (which was still hooked up) wasn't going to work. Unhitching and making the adjustments by hand was much easier. We did not keep the tongue jack wheel down, and the extended tongue did flex somewhat, but everything held up find. Hauling out, we had a bit of trouble getting the boat seated on the trailer properly, but we figured out what was causing the trouble (one of us lying down on the bow to crank the bow eye in with the trailer winch was keeping the bow too low and causing the boat to sit on the trailer a bit tipped forward. When we backed it back into the water and cranked the winch from outside (standing by the winch in 3' of water), the boat seated properly.

Oh, and in between launching and hauling out, we had a beautiful sail out on a very sunny Monterey Bay in a nice 10-15 knot breeze. Much more fun that messing around with the trailer.