Single handed recovery

[Limey Linda]

Any ideas on how to and/or equipment/ modifications to enable this to be done on a 7 m Rib. The major problem seems to be how to get off the boat without being chest deep in water. It is approx. 6 feet from the top of the tubes to the ground when on the trailer. I guess I could lasso the winch post for a temp. bow line so as to stop the boat floating away.
Anybody currently do single handed?

[Apherel]

Hi LL

I got some very helpful advice a while back in this thread, most of which I've followed! About half of my recoveries are solo.

http://rib.net/forum/showthread.php?t=15689

If there is no one around I will pull the boat onto the trailer with the bow line, and accept that I might get my feet wet (usually can balance on the trailer OK). If there is cross wind, or an onshore wind I'll wait until there is a passer by that will help with a control line.

There are some gadgets around that will "clip" the D ring to the winch post, but you need to drive the boat up all the way and I've never wanted to so this.

The problem with reaching down to the winch hitch is that you have to lean over the bow, and if the boat is not fully on the tailer, it tilts the bow up so it is higher still. I've done it but it felt like I could fall off.

I've been thinking of rigging up a long piece of PCV conduit with clips. (Could use an old fishing rod, or anything with a bit of flex, or maybe an angled join)The conduit would run from the tow bar, supported by the winch post or winch and droop down over the mid trailer. Before recovering, you would attach a rope to the clips - that will make the condiut droop to a reachable height. You then drive the boat onto the trailer, run up the front, grab the rope, pulling it off the clips, secure the boat, turn off the engine and winch up at your lesiure.

Sounds like it would work, but I've not tried it yet!

The other thing you could do is attach some steps / rungs to the hitch post to make it easier to clamber down.

[Hightower]

I guess the most important thing for single handed launch and recovery is to have a sheltered slip. Nothing worse than having to contend with waves and cross currents.

Have you got a bow eye? if so attatch your rope to this and when launching keep hold of the rope or tie it off somewhere. Make sure this rope isn't too short otherwise it will tighten and snap/cause damage before the RIB's in the water. Plus you want the RIB clear of the end of the trailer a little so that you can pull it to one side without gouging large pieces of gel coat from the hull when it hit the end of the trailer.

Recovery might be as simple as driving the RIB onto the trailer, leaning over the bow and attaching the winch hook. I used to do this with kohaku and used the bow line to lassoo the winch post. I would nudge the bow into the rollers, straighten up the RIB with the trailer and using a quick blast on the throttle to drive her on. I would keep forward thrust with the engine whilst I made good the bow rope. Then thrust off, engine off, tilt up and jump off the bow to the trailer beneath, walking to over this to the shore.

Hope this has helped.

[Hightower]

Originally Posted by Apherel

The other thing you could do is attach some steps / rungs to the hitch post to make it easier to clamber down.

Yes saw a Galvanized ladder welded to a drawbar for this purpose the other day, looked really funny with no boat on the trailer.

[jwalker]

Originally Posted by Limey Linda

Any ideas on how to and/or equipment/ modifications to enable this to be done on a 7 m Rib. The major problem seems to be how to get off the boat without being chest deep in water.

Yep. You need to ensure the boat grounds onto the trailer and doesn't float off while you do what you need to do. For this I have a board of marine ply down the centre of the trailer onto which the boat lands when it comes about half way onto the trailer. I wear waders and walk to the front of the boat and drop myself overboard. It is about 6ft down but he water is only a couple of feet deep at the side of the bow. I guess you could stay almost dry by climbing over the bow but the waves will get ya and they are bound to soak your shoes.

Don't put the trailer in too deep and this helps with alignment when winching the boat on. You can let the vehicle further into the water if necessary as the boat moves forward.

I use bunks not rollers so alignment is important for me to get the chines to land accurately onto the bunks. I guddled about with a few things to keep the stern lined up when there is a crosswind. The solution is the rollers which were a topic of the stainless/galvanised steel welding thread. As the trailer is drawn out of the water the stern lowers onto the bunks and the rollers contact the hull first to guide it down accurately.

I've found being positive and driving the boat onto the trailer a little faster than you might expect is definitely a good thing. You keep steerage, the wind has less effect as does the ground drag from your bow wave. In my case, this always tends to skew the boat at the last moment if I pussyfoot around trying to be gentle.

For launching, I have an eye in a rope inboard at the bow and I clip the winch rope to it to prevent the boat floating off while I'm climbing aboard and starting the motor. When ready, I just go forward and drop the end of the winch rope over the winch.

It's much easier than writing this.

[Limey Linda]

My bow is so high above the trailer that there is no way to reach anything. I had thought about attaching a section of Ally. ladder to the truck tow bar/bumper, with a simple hinge and retained somehow with a bungy cord at 45 degrees.
Thanks

[Apherel]

Originally Posted by Limey Linda

My bow is so high above the trailer that there is no way to reach anything. I had thought about attaching a section of Ally. ladder to the truck tow bar/bumper, with a simple hinge and retained somehow with a bungy cord at 45 degrees.
Thanks

The ladder doesn't help you getting your hands on the winch strap or a rope to hold the boat on the trailer while you get organised to get off. So I think you'll need some way to reliably catch a rope attched to the trailer. I guess you could use a boat hook or similar to hook at loop if you are close enough. I'd avoid solutions that involve leaning over your tubes - especially at that height.

[Limey Linda]

Originally Posted by Apherel

The ladder doesn't help you getting your hands on the winch strap or a rope to hold the boat on the trailer while you get organised to get off. So I think you'll need some way to reliably catch a rope attched to the trailer. I guess you could use a boat hook or similar to hook at loop if you are close enough. I'd avoid solutions that involve leaning over your tubes - especially at that height.

Think I will bolt a samson post to the top of the suburban and lasso it.
The pic. will show the problem

[Nos4r2]

That's a long way up! I assume it can't be lowered?

[floater]

i came accross a system being advertized at SIBs last year that looked really good it hand some rollers and lines that grabed the boat as it went on to the trailer, but i can not think what it was called

the other is powerlaunch www.powerlaunch.co.uk a sort of remote controlled trailer !!

there is a video on there web site


Andy