Lots of the discussion on a recent thread pertains to launching/retrieving techniques from a trailer with a crew. I'd like to hear how singlehanded sailors rig, launch, and retrieve from the beach (no trailer) when there aren't any helping hands around to hold the boat into the wind, assisst with beach wheels, etc - particularly when the hulls are thinner and more susceptible to pebble/rock/sand damage (ie, Nacra 17, F16, A Cats, etc). I'm currently sailing a H17 but planning to upgrade in the future.

Once the boat is floated, I haven't found beach wheels that easy to put on or take off the boat by myself (made worse by only a few feet of clearance and lots of waves where I launch); and even if that were easy there's no one to hold the boat while going to stow or retrieve the beach wheels.

The only way I've been able to launch/rig a cat singlehanded on the beach once it's floated is to drag it so it's half in and half out of the water pointing into the wind (so it stays put while the sails are raised). This works ok on thicker hulled boats like the H17, but I'm a little worried about doing this with thinner hulled boats since the hulls get pounded on the shore by waves while rigging and all that dragging over the sand/pebbles will take it's toll.

When beaching without a crew, I currently have to run the boat onto the beach since there's not enough room to stop the boat short of the beach in waist deep water. Again, this works ok on a thicker hulled boat but I'm worried about doing this with a thinner hulled boat.

So how do all you F16, N17, ACat etc sailors launch, rig, and retrieve your boats from a beach by yourselves without damaging your hulls (and how do you get your boats back onto shore when there's not enough room to stop the boat near shore in waist deep water without running it onto the beach)?

Thanks for the input,

Jerry