near-fiasco at Camden boat ramp

[Megunticook]

So we had three pretty good storm surges this winter--king tides with gale-force southeast winds--that did some real damage in Camden Harbor (Maine), including our town boat ramp which was due for rebuilding anyway. I scouted it out last week and thought it looked pretty rough and that I'll launch instead at nearby Rockport. That's more of a half-day affair, though, with motoring up from Rockport Harbor to Camden, as opposed to a couple hours launching in Camden. Then I saw a pro boat hauler launch a boat on the ramp and he took it nice and slow and it seemed fine.

So on Friday I decide to give Camden a try at the evening high tide. The boat is in safely and all went fine, but the extended tongue on the trailer got torqued something fierce a couple times when one of the trailer wheels crossed a damaged part of the ramp, jerking the trailer sideways as I inched her back gingerly. Once the boat was free, I pulled the trailer forward, chocked a wheel, unhitched the tongue and realized that the 3/4" hardened grade 8 bolt holding the extended tongue bracket to the trailer had snapped at the nut.If that had happened on the ramp. That tongue was hanging on by half a loose bolt. A failure on the ramp could have spelled a very bad day.

If you're thinking about launching your boat in Camden this year...dont!

[John Stone]

I am glad it all turned out well. Sounds like you were careful and took it easy when you sensed something was amiss. Plenty of people press on regardless the warning bells ringing in the head.

Have a great summer of sailing.