[Rhodes22-list] Trailering a Rhodes

[Dana]

Hi Wally,

Where are you in MN?  I'm in the western Suburbs of Minneapolis.  I trailer my Rhodes up to Leech Lake in early summer and launch it once.  It stays in the harbor until fall, and then I retrieve it once and trailer it home.

I have a 20 yr old single axle trailer, and it trailers extremely well behind a Suburban.  I'm sure you could pull it with something smaller, but I don't know how much smaller.  The Rhodes 22 is definitely larger and heavier than most trailerable boats.

I could see launching more often than once a season, but I think weekly would get tiresome for me.  Others on this list launch much more frequently than I; I'm sure you'll get their opinions.  

Rigging the boat takes me between one and two hours.  I could probably do it faster if I did it more often.

As far as sailing onto the trailer: the boat and trailer are certainly capable.  It depends more on the boat launch, the weather, and the lake.  For example, I launch at the Forest Service campground on Stony Point, and there is deep ditch at the end of the concrete ramp.  If the trailer wheels are on the concrete, the trailer is not quite deep enough.  If the trailer wheels are off the concrete, the trailer is a bit too deep. I usually send the trailer a bit deep, attach the bow eye with no slack in the winch strap, and then have someone center the boat as I pull forward.

Many of the DNR boat ramps have similar characteristics: shallow entry concrete, deep ditch (borrow pit) just past the edge of the concrete, and a large mound just beyond that.  All those fishing boats gunning their engines while on the trailer cause the borrow pits.

I've found the winch to be a bit too small, but it is very old, and the newer winches may be larger.  If the boat is not all the way forward before pulling it out of the water, the winch will not budge the boat on the bunks once completely out of the water.

I just love the Rhodes 22.  It moves quite well in very light air, but handles the big MN weather like a much larger boat.  Built to be single-handed.  Very suitable for the larger lakes in MN.

-Dana

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My wife and I trailer a smaller sailboat.  Am looking for some verification regarding ease of launching, recovery, towing and so forth, especially from any folks who put in once a week or so in season.  (We're primarily freshwater sailers in Minnesota).

Can you sail it right on to the trailer?

How often can you not sail it right on?  Whenever that happens, is the standard winch sufficient?

Please reply with stuff, info, etc related to trailering, rigging and launching a  Rhodes beyond the two questions posed.

Thanks,
            Wally