[Rhodes22-list] Trailer Sailing

[Mike Cheung]

Wally,

I'm a comparative newbie to the R22, but maybe that's good for your present
questions.

We got our R22, a 1993/2008 recycled boat from Stan, just this last July and
had her out most every weekend on Lake Erie.  We trailer sail exclusively. 
It takes me, alone, about an hour and a little to rig the boat for sail or
to unrig the boat for trailering.  With my wife's help, we have it down to
about 45 minutes.  I did invest in "fast pins" for the shrouds and the
forestay, as well as for the two pins on the mast crane and the bolt on the
cabin poptop / mast traveller fitting.  

Launching is a cinch and goes pretty much as Stan describes in his web page. 
I just back down the ramp and tap the brakes once she's afloat.  That's if I
have help.  If I'm solo, I get her down the ramp to just floating and go
walk her back the rest of the way clear of the trailer.  I do usually get
wet if I'm launching alone, though I think with a little planning and about
50' of line I could work it out to launch dray by myself if I needed to .

As CJ said, this is an easy boat to single hand.  I end up doing so about
1/3 of the time and have zero issues with it.  I don't hesitate to take her
out alone in up to 4 or 5 foot Lake Erie seas.  Though, I do wear a harness
/ self-inflating life preserver when alone and I'd suggest anyone single
handing do the same.  

Getting back on the trailer is also easy.  If I've got help, we usually just
walk her up until I can get the winch hook on the bow eye.  I've got a
"magic" mark on the winch belt that leaves the boat in just the right
position for trailering.  That was gotten purely by trial and error.  Winch
up until that make is just at the drum and she's ready to haul out.  If
we're feeling lazy, or it's windy, or I'm alone, I just set the trailer so
the the bunks are just wet and then drive her on under power with the
centerboard down.  Yep, that's right, with the centerboard down.  The
extended centerboard works with the custom trailer to center her perfectly. 
With the bunks just wet, at a relatively slow speed (under walking speed
just a bit), driving her on puts the hull on the trailer just shy of the
"sweet spot" for trailering.  I can hook up the trailer winch hook to the
bow eye with some gymnastics off the pulpit, but doable by this 51 y/o
newbie.  Then it's just a matter of pushing the winch handle around a couple
of times with my foot from the pulpit or by hand if I lay down on the
foredeck, hanging off the pulpit a bit.  I get the magic mark in place, jump
from the boat to the dock, hop in my tow vehicle (a 2005 Honda Pilot), and
pull her out. 

Only helpful hint I can offer just now is to color code all the lines you
use to secure the sail rig to the hull for trailering.  There's a fair
number of lines and it saves quite a bit of time to know that the green
lines secure the mainsail boom (along with the upper part of the genoa) to
the mast, the blue lines secure the lower part of the genoa to the mast, the
purple lines ....  You get the picture.  

What part of the north are you in?  If you're within striking distance NE
Ohio, there are a couple R22s within reach that you could at least look at
firsthand.  There's at least on other list member who docks on Erie in
Cleveland Harbor, myself who trailers, and CJ who answered you earlier.

Hope this is helpful, please feel free to ask any other questions you have.  

Mike Cheung
s/v Muireann, 1993/2008 Rhodes 22




- "Wallace E. Bohach" <webx2 at netzero.com> wrote:
> Before buying, am looking for some confirmation and info on exclusively
> trailer sailing a Rhodes.  We're northerners, fresh water sailers, out at
> least once a week in season.  How about:
>     Ease of  launch and recovery.  Sail it on?
>     Rigging solo?
>     Helpful hints?
>     Any thing you've learned that I haven't thought of?
> 
> Thanks,
>             Wally
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