BR20 launching

[RogerLennard]

My local club in Derbyshire has a slipway and pontoon and I have a good system for launching when using them.

However, I am going to take my BR20 to a caravan site on Anglesey. On one side of the bay there is a slipway but no pontoon. There is a sandy beach with an access road. People at the caravan site regularly launch small dinghies from the beach.

Can members please suggest the best way to launch my BR20, given this situation?

I have attached a photo of the area with the slipway and access road pointed out.

[Graham W]

Roger,

I used to have a similar situation launching solo on to the broad and shallow sandy beach at Abersoch, similar to the beach on the right hand side of your photo.  I’d launch on to dry sand close to the tide mark on a rising tide, hurriedly park the car (must be 4WD!) and trailer and then rush back and wait for the tide to come in.  However, I’d then be tied up to an SCYC buoy for a week, whereas it sounds like you’re going to be doing this every day, which might be a bit time-consuming.  Use beach rollers?  But they take up a lot of space in the boat unless you can inflate and deflate them quickly.

If you have crew or an ultra-reliable volunteer (not just any old person who happens to be there), they can hold the boat afloat at the side of slipway on the left of your photo while you tidy away the car and trailer.

[garethrow]

Roger

I launch on a similar slipway most weeks at the Teifi Boating club. As Graham says, the best solution is a crewmate / volunteer to hold your boat afloat whilst you park up. On a rising tide - then yes, beaching her with a shore line tied to something whilst you park up works, if a little stressful. The real problem comes on a falling tide when beaching her can easily turn into full scale stranding so that you can't refloat her. I have not cracked this challenge. You can of course muck around with a shallow water anchor whilst you get your car & trailer - but it's a lot of faff when retrieving and you are tired etc. If the sand is firm enough to take your car, perfectly possible to recover the boat onto the tralier from the 'dry' - but at the cost of scratches to your gel coat, particulalry if you are on some stones - and watch put for the rudder. With my previous boat, the Storm 17, this was less of a problem as she was light enough to push back onto the water if partially stranded.

Regards
Gareth Rowlands
GRP BR20 Halen Y Mor

[RogerLennard]

Thank you Gareth and Graham for your replies. You have given me the courage to have a go. I will have a sailing mate with me to work on the launch and recovery. Also the tide seems favourable.

Gareth, I have PM'd you about your sailing club.

[Sea Simon]

St Ives, outside the Tate this week...
 

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