I'll be going on vacation next week and don't have a beach to launch from, so the boat will be going on a hoist.

Any tips? Paddle out into the middle of the lake, head up, and raise the sails?

Have the person operating the hoist point you into the wind. Raise your main and jib. Then have him head you off a few degrees as he gently sets you in the water. Don't forget to tip!

Correction. I will be launching from a hoist when I arrive....

The rest of the week I'll be on one of these, sans canopy, at the end of an 80 foot dock....Any tips on sailing from one of these? I guess paddle out and then rais the sails?

get a paddle. Once off the hoist you can paddle to a dock to tie up on the lift your sails. The key will be raising the jib over the water. Thats where crew comes in handy. Put small lanyards on shackles and dings to keem them out of the water.

Clayton

what type of boat?

Where are you going?

There HAS to be a boat ramp somewhere on the lake~!

I would paddle over to shallow water where you can stand up and set the boat up. It will probably require two people - or some sort of mooring to the forestay bridle to hold the boat still.

My family has a time share that they aren't using on Lake Maxinkukee, in Culver, Indiana. I'll be taking my H16 up for 10 glorious days out of the office.

There is a 3 foot sea wall in front of the house that puts a kaibash on the beach thing. The lake's two boat ramps are small and somewhat inconvienent. Another family on the lake is willing to let me borrow their lift, if I cover the marina fee for pickup and delivery. For $150 it's worth having the boat in front of the house when I feel like sailing.

I suppose I can float it off the lift and then raise the sails while it's tied to the end of the dock. Like I do when I trailer sail. On light days I've been known to raise the jib while it's on the trailer and leave it uncleated while I park the car. When I come back I'll cleat it off raise the main and go.

For just a week, you could also just tie to the boat to a make-shift mooring. You would need a rope yoke/bridle that would clip to the hull attachment points for both ends of the forestay bridles where they attach to the hull. One small float or boat fender to keep your mooring line on the top of the water when not in use, a couple of cinder blocks, and you're done.

Raise the jib on the lift, launch and tie the boat off to the dock and let the boat swing into the wind and raise the main. I use my righting line as the dock mooring line/painter.

Do it in reverse coming back in - come into the dock on a beam reach (or little lower), head up so your momentum carries you up to the dock (by the end of the week you can master this skill by determining how much "run out" you have for variable wind/boat speed)). Make sure your sails "tack" to the other side of the boat on the head up, that way you can sail back out in case you cannot make it to the dock.

Have fun.

I agree with Jake. I have done what he has said for almost a week with no boat issues. (except you will have to clean the hulls). Run a rope bridle to the bridle attachment points. Run a line from the bridle to a earth anchor, post, bricks, ect. Save the $150 and take the wife & kids to dinner.

I'm with Jake. If it were me, for that short period of time, I would not use the lift, I would just moor it right out a little way from the seawall in front of the house where you are staying.

Or, you could probably just tie it up alongside the seawall itself, if you fender it properly. If there is nothing on the seawall to tie to, get a couple of those spiral dog run anchors to put in the ground behind the seawall. Fenders and anchors are cheaper than $150, and sounds like it would be much more convenient for you, too. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I considered mooring, but maxinkukee can get pretty nasty. I've been going up since I was a kid and used to white caps on a regular basis. I had a sunfish on a lift knocked over, a couple years ago. Lift and all. On the weekends the speed boats amplify the waves sending them over the seawall. And there are lots of big rocks near the seawall.

I don't think there are any boats on moorings, aside from couple big lead mines that the naval accademy uses for training. There are a few at the Marina, but they are in a very protected bay.

It's a relativly shallow for an 1800 square foot lake. Avg depth is 24 feet. Being that it's surrounded by wide open farm land there can be a good bit of natural chop.

A calm day
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b161/Tri_X_Troll/Culver/DSC00408.jpg

Figured that I would rather be safe than sorry. I will probably keep it on the lift and use a mooring for rigging.

Thanks for the tips.

Hey, watch what you're calling a big lead mine! This was one of the boats I sailed at Culver Military Academy:



And in places the lake is over 90 feet deep. I've measured it!

The boats that are moored, at the academy and many homes, use bow painters and two stern-fasts to keep them under control.

I think your plan of using the lift for overnight storage is the safest, in case it decides to blow up and storm. Mooring or tying up to the pier for rigging should be fine.

Oh, it's got its deep spots. Most of the lake is shallow.

Is that the Fowler or the Ledbetter? When were you at Culver? My grandmother's brother Charles Barnaby II would have been class of 54 (I think), had he not opted to leave Culver.

Bit of history on the lake if anyone is interested. Had a hobie fleet for a long time.
http://genwiz.genealogenie.net/lake_maxinkuckee/yacht_club/yacht.htm

That's an old "file photo" of the Fowler, which was replaced by the Ledbetter in 1984. I graduated in '77. My Dad, uncle and older brother also served on the Fowler crew in their days. The Fore-Coarse was my sail (lowest sail, front mast); I didn't like heights. But now the kids all wear safety harnesses...the wimps!