Welcome Killick Greenie

[Ru88ell]

Welcome to Killick Greenie, real name is Dave.

Dave has just acquired Winter Dreams, which used to live in St Mawes. He plans to sail on the East Coast.

[Killick Greenie]

Thanks Russell and hello everyone.

We are based near the Orwell so let me know if you plan to sail the East Coast. We have just bought Winter Dreams from HM and can't wait to get her on the water. Our other boat is a Maurice Griffiths Kylix 29 which we are selling.

Looking forward to meeting you at some point.

Dave

[erbster]

Nice to see another new forumite. My outlaws live near Ipswich, so am certainly planning some sailing in your neck of the woods. Are you going to keep your boat on a mooring, or launch each time? I was looking at Suffolk Yacht Harbour as a place to launch and keep the boat ashore between a sequence of weekends

[Killick Greenie]

Nice to see another new forumite. My outlaws live near Ipswich, so am certainly planning some sailing in your neck of the woods. Are you going to keep your boat on a mooring, or launch each time? I was looking at Suffolk Yacht Harbour as a place to launch and keep the boat ashore between a sequence of weekends

Hi, I'm planning to put her on a mooring at Woolverstone for the time being until I get used to sailing her.
I'll be using the slipway at the Royal Harwich Yacht club. It's a good slipway. The one at Woolverstone marina is a bit steeper but usable a couple of hours either side of HW. The slipway at Suffolk Yacht Harbour is like the north face of the Eiger but ok at HW.

Send me a PM if your up this way.

[erbster]

I'll do that

[ianrmaciver]

Dave,
I'm based in Cambridge and will be launching once I've finished fitting a VHF plus aerial, a chart plotter and a few other bits and bobs.
Last week I checked out potential launch sites where I could pontoon for a week to get everything settled down, before a longer trip.
My findings and thoughts were as follows :-
1. Brightlingsea....the launch is over a hard sand/mud/shingle foreshore.
People very friendly , plenty of advice , cheap at £7 a day.
I would have been happier if I had a 4wd....may try it later.
2. Woolverstone marina....steep launch 2hrs either side of HW.
Main problem for me is the tide flow across the ramp, and no adjacent jetty. There is an old jetty,but it is not useable/dangerous.
I asked at the marina if RHYC had a slipway and was told "they use ours".
3. Levington/SYH....the launch is steep but has a neat cable pulley system, which involves unhitching the trailer and attaching it to one end of the cable....the car is attached to the other end of the cable. This allows the car to remain on the level concrete road whilst the trailer is lowered down the ramp. The cable is c. 50metres long. Currently SYH is my preferred site.
Pontoon mooring is c. £60 for a week.
I have never launched a trailer sailer and for my first try I will be two handed
at least. Good luck and post your experience launching. Ian

[Killick Greenie]

Hi Ian
It might be worth calling the RHYC. I've launched dinghy's, tenders and day boats from there and they were very accommodating. We have since joined the club, its very friendly, family orientated and the beer and food are great!
Let me know when you plan to launch and where.
Dave

[Ru88ell]

I used SYH back in October last year. The slope is steep, but I had the local boat storage yard people pull me out for £5. Easy peasy. They have a great chandlery, and not far from the big sea. I didn't stay overnight, but would certainly be happy to.

[ianrmaciver]

Thanks Russell,
Just the sort of information to give me confidence for a launch. Did they use the cable/pulley system or was it straight in with a 4wd.
Is there a decent "launch site " site on the net?
Ian

[Ru88ell]

I launched myself using the pulley, but there was no way I was going to do the haul out with it. The guy used an old Mitsubishi 4x4. I lined the trailer up at the top, watched him reverse it to the water, I put the boat on it, and he drove up the hill. Simple.

I will say, and Charles will probably back me up here, it's well worth having a long rope with you too. Charles's first time would have been very time consuming without me being there with my 'launch kit' of long rope, chocks and climbing figure 8.

All ramps are different. Charles and I like Northney. Saundersfoot was interesting. SYH didn't need a rope, but the others do.

There is a book called Boatlaunch, and an accompanying website at http://www.boatlaunch.co.uk