This is a side issue from another post, but one I've wondered about for some time. Has anyone here launched from a concrete boat ramp? Does anyone even do so regularly? If so, what are some tricks for doing it quickly & successfully? I've been too intimidated by the hectic motorboat scene to even consider it, but there are certainly more concrete boat ramps around our area than easy beach access. Is this just asking for trouble?

The problems, as I see it, include:
- too much time needed to rig the boat once in the water and to de-rig it upon return (resulting in angry motorboaters)
- too dependent upon wind direction to get away from or return to the launch w/out crossing someone else's path (resulting in angry motorboaters)
- if the wind is at my back upon returning, the inability to swing around into the wind in the narrow space between floating docks to depower like I do at the beach (resulting in laughter among motorboaters as I sail up onto the concrete ramp)

So, can it be done successfully?

******** quite gracously without daggers and rudders down.
You can of course use the same technique solo, but how to get the boat on the beach wheels without parking it on the concrete?

For fast launching and landing, once you have the boat on the beachwheels you can rig/de-rig it out of the way. Launching and landing can be done fast as long as you rig/de-rig on the beachwheels. You need someone to bring/store the beachwheels, so it is easiest if you are two..

I launch from a ramp, but I set the boat up on a piece of grass about 400 yards from the ramp then put it back on the trailor and launch, then raise the sails and go. On the way back in I pull up about 100 yards off the ramp if the wind is blowing in on it, or as close as I can get if the wind is blowing off. Then drop the sails (roll them as you take them down because it gives you more room on the tramp) then just paddle the boat in and load it up.

Can you sail backwards?

Actually yes! not upwind but I am getting pretty good at sailing backwards, it is the best way to pick someone out of the water, which seems to happens fairly often when my friend and I go sailing, I have had to pick him up and chase his boat down once when he missed the trap hook and decided to throw himself off the boat.

We launch our Hobie 16 all the time from the concrete ramp.
When we pull up we get the stink-eye from the Fish-heads but when we pull away from the dock before any of them because they are still jackin around with whatever! It makes me feel just a little good!
The key is just having everthing organized and ready to go with a partner before you get anywhere near a ramp! So when you get there all you have to do is toss the stick and sails up and get outa there!!!!
It's no different for us with our stink-boat! Preperation and maintenance! There is nothing more that pisses me off than having to wait for some hillrod while they try to jump a battery then load coolers and poles Ohhh and then we forgot our Ciggs so they just lumber back to there car to get them! I guess it's just because their Momma's never taught them a litte common sense and respect.

Be organized and Rig and sail Fast!!

Scott

Depending on the kind of cat you have you can be off the ramp in about 10 minutes (including parking your car). I always launched off of a trailer. I get everything done except raising the sails (on a boat without a roller furling jib I furl the sail around the forestay). Then, back down the ramp and get the boat in the water. I will usually jump on the boat when the bows begin to tip up and ride it the rest of the way in. I then get the boat to the dock or the sandy/grassy shore, get off the boat and park the car. Come back and sail away. I do all of the prep work off to the side of the line for the ramp. Rarely will the jokers with powerboats be done as fast as I am.

Biggest thing I have learned is wear beach shoes as the ramp is REAL slippery sometimes. Also have a line that you can use to jump on onto dock with if you are solo. You will need this if the wind shift and if is straight on from ramp. I have to tack 10-15 times sometimes for the Wednesday nights as wind is behind me going out and I can sit on bows and back up, BUT is a beat coming back. I also put a loop in line and step through it to pull the boat up the ramp on beach wheels. Found it a little easier.

Good luck, still like a beach better.

Doug

I've launched from a busy boat ramp (steep, too) several times in Marco Island. As previous posters said, get everything ready to go (except sails hoisted. Have them ready on the trampoline hooked up to the halyard) before you maneuver to drop it down the ramp.

I use beach wheels and roll the boat down on those. Then, all I have to do is run the wheels back to the trailer (parked), hoist the sails and I'm gone. The crew holds the boat on the dock while I'm running the wheels back.

On the way in, I usually had to sit and wait my turn in line. I'd hold on to another dock until I have a shot at sailing in. Then, drop sails, grab the wheels and pull the boat up and out of the way.

If the boat ramp is in a small area, bring a paddle to get your boat to the ramp in an orderly fashion.

Very simple method of coming on to a slipway that around dead down wind (DDW).

does not work in big breakers

1, come in roughly dead upwind and lift plates and rudders. Dump the dounhaul and move way forward (by shuffling along the hull) so the sterns of the boat are well out of the water -probably as far as the bridal wires.

2, Sit still; the boat will now drift backwards (quite fast if windy) roughly DDW. If 2 up, you can steey by each one of you putting your feet in the water in trun; if single handed you can only steer from DDW (Approx) and then away in one direction by dragging your feet, but it is possible to travel approx 15 degress of DDW in this way - the thinner the hulls up front, the more you can get away from heading DDW


2 up if boat is very steerable and I have managed to "steer" my old Hurricanne 5.9 back onto the wheels that someone put on the slip way for us.


You can also launch from a slip when the wind is from about 30 degrees either side of off shore as well (again, surf in not a good idea)

people around you do need to have some idea of what you are doing and it is a very good diea to try it out of ther way so you know what angles you can get to;

If it all goes TU you can abort very easily but just moving back aft and wait for the boat to slow down BEFORE putting the rudders back down - you could be doing 5 kts backwards if it is windy and putting the rudders down will (probably) force them over to one side and bend the stocks.