Beach Launching a 18ft ski boat?

[Ridgepatrol]

Hello, I live along the Great Lakes, and I am getting tired of having to take the boat down to the local marina, which is 10 miles away, in order to launch my boat, each time I wish to use it.

It takes about an hour from when I decide to launch, until the boat is in the water in front of my cottage.


So, I am considering storing the boat on the beach, in front of my cottage, and launching it from that location.

I feel that this would be a good solution, given the time and fuel wasted in traveling to the marina and back.

On long weekends, the marina can be a complete zoo, which I would prefer to avoid.

Also, I have found that the water can get very rough in a short time period: most mornings, the lake is like glass, but by noon hour it can be quite choppy, so being able to pull the boat out quickly would be a definite plus.

So my questions are:

-has anyone attempted beach launching on a sandy beach?

-did you modify your boat trailer with ATV type tires, so that it would pull easier in the sand?

-I have seen people use winches, tractors, and motorized trailers, in order to move the boat, which do you use?

-I am currently leaning towards purchasing a used 4WD compact tractor and then making use my current boat trailer, but I am not sure on the size of the tractor I would need.


I would appreciate any comments or suggestions you may have.

Thanks very much.

 

[alldodge]

Hello, I live along the Great Lakes, and I am getting tired of having to take the boat down to the local marina, which is 10 miles away, in order to launch my boat, each time I wish to use it.

It takes about an hour from when I decide to launch, until the boat is in the water in front of my cottage.


So, I am considering storing the boat on the beach, in front of my cottage, and launching it from that location.

I feel that this would be a good solution, given the time and fuel wasted in traveling to the marina and back.

On long weekends, the marina can be a complete zoo, which I would prefer to avoid.

Also, I have found that the water can get very rough in a short time period: most mornings, the lake is like glass, but by noon hour it can be quite choppy, so being able to pull the boat out quickly would be a definite plus.

So my questions are:

-has anyone attempted beach launching on a sandy beach?

-did you modify your boat trailer with ATV type tires, so that it would pull easier in the sand?

-I have seen people use winches, tractors, and motorized trailers, in order to move the boat, which do you use?

-I am currently leaning towards purchasing a used 4WD compact tractor and then making use my current boat trailer, but I am not sure on the size of the tractor I would need.


I would appreciate any comments or suggestions you may have.

Thanks very much.

Depends mainly on the type of soil your dealing with, and how far the trailer would need to go in before it starts to float. Soft sane would be the most difficult to deal with. You could probably need a dolly to attach to the trailer to extend the boat further behind the tow. A high riding tractor could also be helpful. Adding a spindle axle and spare tire to the front of the trailer can also help by keeping the tongue up and ease it in and out

 

[H20Rat]

On my lake, lots of guys beach launch fairly large boats. Generally no mods to the trailer, and they use an old farm tractor. Most go off a drawbar hitch, some put a ball mount in the loader bucket. (makes it easier to get the trailer deeper.)

 

[UncleWillie]

There may be another ramp much closer that you are not aware of.
You didn't mention where you are located or what Great Lake you are on. Where be Ye! ???
Many GL beaches are very shallow and getting to the 3 foot level to launch the boat could require backing 30 feet or more into the lake.

 

[ssobol]

You'll have to pick your launch and retrievals carefully. Launching or retrieving to a trailer in breaking surf will complicate matters a lot. Before you get to where you can drive the boat off the trailer, the waves will be trying to push it over the top of the trailer. Waves breaking on the transom will dump water in the boat. Even fairly small waves will make things difficult.

Why not put a mooring in? You can launch your boat when the marina is not busy and keep it on the mooring for awhile. You can recover the boat when it is convenient. Depending on the size of the boat, you could get an old engine block put a chain through it and drop it off your beach. After the block digs in, you can use it as a mooring.

My folks have a place on Lake MI. The nearest launch is about 1 hour cruising away. When I take my boat there I just set an anchor with a line on it for the duration of my time there. When I go out the anchor is left set and the line dropped. I pick up the line when I come back. I take the anchor with me when I leave for the last time. I leave the boat out overnight without any problems.

To anchor (or moor) far enough out to be able to swing 360 deg and be out of the surf zone, you'll might need a dinghy to get out to the boat.

 

[UncleWillie]

...It takes about an hour from when I decide to launch, until the boat is in the water in front of my cottage...

If it only take an hour from the time you leave the driveway, to drive to the ramp, Launch the boat, park the car, get underway, and cruise back to the cottage; I think you are making very good time.
The ramp must be within 5 miles to acomplish all that.

 

[64osby]

I have seen some beach launchers. They have very wide white tires. Pricey but would work well on the sandy beaches.

Depending on the slope to the water you maybe able to rig up a winch to a trailer that has some type of large tire(s) near the coupling.

What are the conditions at the beach?

 

[Scott Danforth]

get one of these http://www.thebeachlauncher.com/contact-us/

they are made in milwaukee, and soon, in Largo Florida

 

[Maclin]

Get some waders and boots and mount the spare tire as a roller on the side of the tongue and make it an adventure...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTYCLGVPzUc

I have seen some using a tilt trailer, still have to have a vehicle that has some ground clearance and wide tires.

If this is a permanent to you property, you might look into a fixed rail type system or simple long range winch type system.

 

[Ridgepatrol]

Thanks for all the replies.

I live in Ontario, along Lake Huron, near Grand Bend.

The beach is mostly soft sand.

I have looked at the Beachlauncher motorized launch, and for the smallest model they produce, they want $28,000 for it.

My boat is an 18ft old school style ski boat, with a 110hp outboard and ski pole. It looks like a Charger type ski boat. So if I am lucky it might be worth half the cost of the Beachlauncher, something that I cannot justify.

I have three neighbours that launch from the beach. One uses a Beachlauncher type vehicle, one uses a four wheel drive tractor and unmodified boat trailer, and the other uses a winch and boat trailer with a wheel attached to the trailer tongue.

Each method has its advantages and disadvantages.

I am leaning towards the four wheel drive tractor solution, as that is cheaper than the Beachlauncher, but offers powered in and out movements of the launch, whereas the winch only pulls out of the water: a significant amount of muscle is required to push the boat into the water with winch.

I was just curious as to whether anyone else has tried beach launching, and what their experiences were.

 

[64osby]

If you could anchor a pulley at the waters edge you could use a winch to pull it to the water.

 

[Chris1956]

Gee, how about using some plywood or 2X12 lumber to make a track to allow the trailer to roll more easily? If you are really lucky, the tow vehicle could use the same tracks. Alternatively, if the beach has some pitch, you could use the trailer winch (after the boat is secured) to pull the trailer up and out of the water, to a fixed winch point.

 

[alldodge]

Had a boat ride down KY lake to Picwick lake in TN and into MS. When there we noticed some homes with garages facing the lake and they had steel pipes from the garage to the lake. They replaced trailer wheels to modified skinny rims and used cables to lower and raise the boats to/from the water.

 

[Simple_Man]

If you use your boat primarily at your cottage you might want to look into a boat lift, and a dock. Then when you want to use it all you have to do is lower the boat into the water. My family has kept a boat like that on Onieda Lake in NY for years. Lifting the boat Keeps it from getting battered by waves, and ready for use at a whim

 

[Grandad]

For those unfamiliar, perhaps it should be noted that the Canadian shore of Lake Huron is extremely flat, with sand bars and an onshore prevailing westerly wind. Gorgeous and excellent for swimming, but not so good for boat launching. Picture launching at Daytona Beach. Still, I'd like to have a beach front cottage at either location. - Grandad