Storm 17 launch Trolley?

[Ged]

Hi All
As my boat is light enough to shove about I thought I might convert my road trailer into a combi trailer.  Does anybody else have their Storm 17 on a launch trolley?

Cheers

Ged

[garethrow]

Not me Ged

I suspect this will depend on what sort of beach / slip you normally want to launch and retrieve. Although I probably could pull my S17 up the slip if 2 or 3 'willing' volunteers were around to push - it is a lot easier to hitch onto the car and tow her up the slip behind the car. If you are a beach launcher though without access to tractor - then manpower may be your only option and a light weight launch trolley is most desirable.

The combi trailer obviously extends your road trailer bearing life - but mine have lasted 10 years before requiring replacement - so I consider that a small price to pay for not having a combi. Mind you, when launching I try not to get the wheel hubs into the water and I keep the hubs regularly pumped up with grease.

Regards

Gareth Rowlands
Gwennol Teifi S17

[Ged]

I'm not going to have a normal slip for this boat as I plan to take her to as many different places as possible, I was thinking that a combi trailer with a tow hitch on the launch trolley would give me the most options.

[Michael Rogers]

My rather smaller scale experience may not be relevant (?).

With my 14 ft Storm Petrel, I launched from the road trailer - the Swallowboats way (they were called that way back then), which no-one seemed to question, so why should I? It was usually a pain: as the weight of the boat didn't merit faffing about with the car, I was effectively using the trailer as a (rather heavy) trolley. It was nearly always obvious that going further into the water would make launch/recovery VERY much easier, but I didn't because of those dratted bearings.

For my 12 ft Trouper I was determined to go combi and have not regretted it under any circumstances I have met with. I'm usually launching/recovering solo. I can usually float the boat onto the trolley. I have two jockey wheel arrangements for the trolley, one with a useful longish handle, and the other without. Slipping the trolley onto the road base has never been a problem.

For a boat the size of mine, it really is a no-brainer. I appreciate that 17ft is quite a bit bigger. I think your idea of a simple tow hitch on the trolley would mean you could tow most (if not quite all) the way out with the car, and I really do think using a trolley makes life SOOO much easier. I would go for it.

Michael R   (Trouper 12 'Cavatina')