A Beach in Arizona

I've repaired my 1972[?] Hobie 16 to the point where I'm ready to give it a try in the water. Can anyone recommend a good lake with a good beach area within 200 miles of Phoenix? :-) I've looked at Canyon Lake, but the man-made lakes have steep and unforgiving shores, generally.

Alternatively, does anyone launch their H-16 from the trailer, like a "real" boat? I don't have a winch on my trailer, so this seems like it might be hard. Setting up the boat when it's on the trailer seems hard, too... particularly stepping the mast.

Rick

we sometimes launch at a ramp next to the marina where i live, it's no big deal but a little harder than on a beach. it all depends on the ramp layout and wind. it helps if you have nice docks along the ramp with wood piling that won't damage the boat..

Make sure that you have the boat ready to go once you launch... trailer boaters are not very patient :-) You dont' need a winch to launch, it helps to retrieve unless you have some help to pull the boat on the trailer.

stepping the mast on the trailer isn't hard, we raise the Jib on the trailer but usually raise the main once afloat.

if the ramp is busy, coming back can be a pain since you may have to circle around till it's your turn and hope someone doens't cut you off...

PS... i'm not too familiar with phoenix but what about that big lake off the apache trail ? is that canyon lake ?

Thanks for the tips!

Yes, Canyon Lake is the first lake on the Apache Trail, east of Phoenix. Ten miles further is Apache Lake, then ten miles after that is Roosevelt Lake.

When the water is high on Roosevelt, I think there are grassy areas in several spots. I'd like to hear that somebody else had tried the lake with a catamaran -- it's certainly large enough, if Arizona gets a wet year.

Rick

Rick,

Contact this bunch of Hobie freinds you haven't met yet. fleet 66 Phoenix

If you have beach wheels, launching from a boat ramp is not too bad, especially if you have a sand or grass area on which to set up beforehand. Launching/returning straight from a trailer is a more difficult logistic challenge.

I appreciate the lead. This forum is exactly what a newcomer to beachcats needs!

I launched from the trailer without a winch until I got trax this past summer. I always tried to have another person around to help push the boat up on the trailer so I didn't have to back the trailer with the box all the way into the water. I also usually tried to tie down the boat on the trailer during setup, especially stepping the mast.

Trax are more of a convenience than a necessity and you can always find someone around to lend you a pair if you get in a bind. Good luck finding a beach.

I can't speak to any lakes near you but I rig my 16 on the trailer every time. To make raising the mast almost effortless, I un-hitch making sure my wheel chocks are still in place and retract the front trailer wheel so the tongue is as close to the ground as possible. This creates a "negative pitch" on the trailer/cat. It's like walking the mast "downhill". Much easier than trying to walk it forward when the tramp has a "positive pitch". I also use a line through a pulley/cleat to pull the forestay while I fasten the bridle. Hope this helps.

Cheers,
Eric

That's a great tip, Eric! Thanks.

I did visit Lake Pleasant, yesterday, and it seems wide-open and easy to navigate. Plenty of beaches available, too, but many are quite rocky. I will be picky.

I don't remember which lake this was. It was north of Phoenix some where. North an hour or so. A local Hobie Fleet had an adopt a highway sign on the road there but I don't remember which fleet. It was a resevoir(as I'm sure most lakes in Arizona are), with a large earth dam.

I have now sailed twice on Lake Pleasant (the one north of Phoenix), and enjoyed my boat a great deal. I launched from the 10-lane boat ramp, after stepping the mast in the prep area. I had no problems, following all the tips you folks have offered. Thanks again.

I discovered that my trailer (with its sail box closed) will float! Backing it into the water, I saw that the whole thing was drifting back and forth. It didn't make much difference except on recovery; the trailer wouldn't stay still, so I had to splash in and stand on it. Oh well...

Once I had the boat in just-about the right position, I tied a rope from the bridle to the mast stand at the front of the trailer. This kept the boat from just rolling off the back as I drove up the ramp. Because of the floating trailer, I paused at the edge of the water and pushed the hulls onto the centers of the rollers.

There were five other catamarans on the water, two weeks ago Sunday. I enjoyed the gentle winds. Great for learning.