Launching a beach cat over granite rip-rap from a private waterfront — how have you solved this?
Posted by SkiDaderino@reddit | sailing | View on Reddit | 15 comments
I live on the water in Florida and own a Prindle 16 that I'd love to be able to launch and retrieve directly from my property. The problem: my entire shoreline is granite rip-rap — large, jagged stones, roughly 12–18 inches, sloping down to the water.
Has anyone built or bought a solution to reliably and safely launch their beach cat over rip-rap? I can imagine the broad strokes of designing a ramp frame with roller bearings and a winch, but I get stuck when I try to imagine the details.
Thanks!
diekthx-@reddit
I had a dredging company install a sandy beach over the rip rap.
Holden_Coalfield@reddit
I think they make a fabric for this
alex1033@reddit
You won't deploy the cat when there is 0 wind and the water is flat. And when deploy in windy conditions, you might break your legs.
So, I would put a floating dock out there and/or a ramp so you either carry your cat over the rocks when the weather allows and keep the catamaran at dock, or you deploy from the ramp.
MrSnowden@reddit
How wide is the riprap? Could you just have two poles with ropes halfway down such that as you raise the poles it lifts the Prindle up and over the rocks?
IShouldReallyGo@reddit
This title was a lot better before I realized you were talking about a boat 🙂.
SkiDaderino@reddit (OP)
Not a feline trebuchet post, sorry.
IShouldReallyGo@reddit
Not yet anyway. Maybe I’ll work up a drawing and be back with it in the morning.
FredIsAThing@reddit
I'm imagining (for each hull) a pair of 2x6 fastened together into a V channel and lined with PTFE strips.
foilrider@reddit
I would probably do something sort of like this but for a dolly to roll up and down.
FredIsAThing@reddit
Definitely need some sort of winch to bring it back up. Of course, that's much easier these days with the big portable power supplies.
Mobely@reddit
Can you buy and dump smaller rocks?
sailingfirst@reddit
I'm wondering if you could arrange the stones a little to help flatten them out.
Step two: Take a 2/8 with a 2/2 on each edge and bolt it with lag bolts to the stones.
Grease or better yet tack in some PPE plastic sheet, and you will have two ramps.
If you get a trailer winch and mount it at the top, you will be able to winch it up.
I did something similar at a house in CT.
Waterlifer@reddit
All you need is a ramp frame with suitable crosspieces. We used to use discarded power poles for the long pieces and wood fenceposts for cross pieces. Rollers aren't necessary but you can add them if you really want, wet wood is slippery enough for boats to slide. We had a winch from a boat trailer set up to pull boats up the ramp.
throwleboomerang@reddit
Could you use a small floating dock and just attach it to shore/moor it near shore?
hottenniscoach@reddit
I’m guessing it only looks like that on a calm day and any mooring or dock would need to be substantial.
What about an old carpet laid upside down. The hulls should glide over that weave