Ok, so I almost feel stupid asking this... But here goes!

So I bought a new boat last week (G-Cat 5.0). And I have it on my trailer. We wanted to go sailing today, so I started running through all the stuff i need in my head, and the way we are going to step the mast etc. (cause im new to the beach cat thing.)

Well I got to the launching the boat part and Im a little confused as to how on earth to launch the boat and get the crew on the boat without getting soaked.

We are going to a lake I have never sailed on before, and Im not exaclty sure what the launch is like. So what happens if we get there, and there is just a boat ramp and nothing else. Do i back the boat up to the water dump it off with him on the boat, pull the ramp out and swim out to meet him?! Do I try to find a place to beach in advance to he can hop on there? Do I bring a third person? Do I just hope there is a Dock nearby that I can sail up to? I konw i should get a cat trax at some point, but I just dont have one yet.

Thanks for your help

I'd seggest you back the boat / tailee up, carefully unlaod the boat into the water by getting wet

Get you crew to stand in the water holding your boat getting wet while you move the trailer / car out of the way.

Come back to the water, put the sails up while standing in the water thus getting wet

Go sailing which (unless) there is very little wind should ersult in you getting wet

Did I mention you might get wet...

It is part of the fun

Thanks Scoob!
Youd think that someone who brought a swimsuit with them would think of just getting in the water and holding the boat.

Go figure!

There's a reason they're called "beach cats": the best way is to launch them from a beach.

>We are going to a lake I have never sailed on before, and Im not exaclty sure what the launch is like.<
Always checkout a launching area and ramp before using it. See if there is room to step the mast in the launching area without it hitting overhead wires, trees, etc.

>Do I try to find a place to beach in advance to he can hop on there?<
If you're afraid of getting wet, you bought the wrong kind of boat. On a multihull you WILL get wet.

I get the feeling here that your friend may be wearing black, lace-up street shoes, too. Your toesies are going to get wet. Your legs and arms and most everything in between will eventually get wet during the day's sailing. Staying dry is a bit of a challenge but if you want to stay dry you should have a boat that was built with only one hull. Try removing one of the hulls and see if that helps you to stay dry.

>So what happens if we get there, and there is just a boat ramp and nothing else.<
First, you should raise the mast before putting the boat in the water. Check that the boat is strapped down firmly onto the trailer before stepping the mast. Step the mast on the hard where you won't be in anyone's way but don't raise the sails. Sails will be raised after you launch the boat. Why? Because sails make the boat move and you don't want a moving/sailing boat while backing it into the water. It's a distraction. Make sure that the route from the setup place to the launch does not have anything on the way that the mast may hit. Look up and check the route that the top of the mast will be taking to the ramp.

Watch for small children and gawkers before using the ramp. Dogs will move out of the way. It is permissible to back over stray cats...twice. Keep the boat strapped firmly onto the trailer while backing down the launch. Make sure that the launch ramp isn't so short that your trailer wheels drop off the back end of the ramp. Also, don't let your trailer wheels drop off the sides of the ramp. Make sure that you have room on both sides of the hulls to back the wide cat down the ramp. Don't let your vehicle's tires make contact with slippery algae or other growth on the ramp. You don't want vehicle, boat, and trailer sliding down the ramp into the water unless you drive an SUV which look like big marshmallows and, like a marshmallow, may actually float.

Back down the ramp to the point where you think you can shove the boat off the trailer into the water with a gentle drop off the trailer. Get out of your vehicle and unstrap the boat and shove it off the trailer. Don't scrape your bows on the trailer as the boat slides off. At this point, you may be surprised to discover that your are wet up to your waist. Be patient. During the day the top of your body will eventually be wet enough match the soggy parts below your waist.

Have someone hold the boat and ask them to move the boat to a safe place while you go back to park your car/truck. Notice that they, too, are getting wet up to their waist. Check your calendar to see if they may be in some discomfort as a result of holding the boat in waist deep water.

As you slide behind the steering wheel to move your trailer and vehicle to a parking space you may notice a funny smell in the car. It's you. It mimics the smell of the water around the ramp. The water now soaking your seat will eventually dry, maybe. The smell will go away when you buy a new boat.

After the boat is off the trailer and floating, push it to a place where it will not drift away. Point the bows into the wind and secure the boat so that the bows stay pointed into the wind. Raise the sails.

>Do I bring a third person?<
Sure, if he's buying the beer. Rule No.2: It also helps to take someone wearing a bikini.

>Do I just hope there is a Dock nearby that I can sail up to?<
No. You hope that there is a beach to push onto where some old codger will wander over and pepper you with inumerable inane questions about your boat. Upon spotting the old codger ambling your way, it is time to raise the sails. You can raise sails on a boat while at the dock if the dock is pointed into the wind. If it isn't, then you're going to have to build a new dock pointing into the wind.

>Do i back the boat up to the water dump it off with him on the boat, pull the ramp out and swim out to meet him?!<
When the boat has all the pieces in the places where the manufacturer intended, it is time to sail the boat. Look up at your windvane to see which way the wind is blowing. You will discover that you forgot to put the windvane on the mast before you stepped it. Place passenger on boat. Keep a close eye on passengers in full makeup. Shove the boat in some direction into the wind and try to jump onto the boat before it sails out from under you. If you miss the boat and it sails away from you, your only hope of saving the day is hoping that your passenger left the beer at the dock/beach.

You will know when the sailing season has ended by monitoring your passenger's condition. At the end of the season the passenger may seem to be vibrating. This is known as "shivering" as in "shiver me timbers". That's pirate talk and it means it's time to build a fire on the boat. The fire will provide some momentary comfort. Pry wood from the dock to use for the fire or, better yet, set the dock on fire and invite your friends to the party.

Hey,
Its a G-Cat with a front tramp! No need to get the skipper wet! Have your crew hold the boat, you put the sails up and then instruct your CREW to push you off and climb on.
Whats a crew there for anyway?
David

Dean,

I have to admit, your post was hilarious bro.

I'll have to remember Rule #1. Rule #2 is covered pretty much all the time by default. When your boat is as seksy as mine, you have to fend them off with a tiller extension.

Don't let cold water end your sailing season!, Buy a wetsuit, if it stilll gets cold, get a thicker wetsuit;-)

Please note, in this situition bikkini clad passenger will not be very pleased with you and you mayb e weeks of groveling to make up for.

I ended up buying my bikini clad passenger a wetsuit, its very sad, now the bikini only makes a rare apperance. :-(

You wrote:
"We are going to a lake I have never sailed on before, and Im not exaclty sure what the launch is like."


Before you do anything, after pulling into the boat launch site look up for possible power lines.

Getting Wet a Good Thing
Getting shocked Bad Thing

Haha,
thanks again fellas.
I have a crew to help me step the mast and stuff, i cant to it alone.
But there is NO. wind today. so no sailing.
oh well, maybe ill just go with the burning dock/party idea.
E

Ready-made margarita mix in the bucket.

Perfect solution to any summer doldrum :P

Catamarans make great party rafts when there is no wind, those g-cats a really stable, you could even set up a floating bar.

I have to add a few thoughts:
1. There are no dumb questions. You may get a few smart-alecky answers from sailors who once pondered the same question.
2. All good sailors have a great sense of humor/humour. Well, the one's I like do.
3. Nothing teaches like "time on the boat". Just get out there and do it. That, and some armchair sailing during the winter, will be a good way to learn.

If you really want to know: The second time I ever stepped a mast I drove across a power line (Lake Ponchartrain, 1977). I still forget to put the windvane up there if my wife isn't helping me (June, 2004). I have permission to use my wife's car to haul the boat as long as I clean the seats before the following Wednesday. I am not allowed to answer questions on the beach from women wearing makeup. They've stop asking. I'm over fifty.

Forget the ramp and trailer.

Back the boat trailer down to a beach. Get 3 or 4 people to lift the boat off the trailer and carry it to the beach. 4 people..... 1 each corner. 3 people...... one at rear beam and one each hull near the front beam.

If you have beach wheels it is made alot easier. One person can get the boat off. Place the beach wheels behind the trailer (G-cat is 5 mtrs long) place wheels about 3 mtrs behind. Slide boat off back of trailer by pulling and holding up at center of rear beam. Keep sliding and step over beach wheels and lower the transom onto the beach wheel cradels. Walk aroung an lift one bow and wheel the boat to the beach or grass rigging area.

Rig the boat with sails up... Get dressed then slide or wheel the boat down to the water and go sailing.

I have had a g-cat 5.7 for 20 years.

Step the mast and set the boat up completely while it is on the trailer. This includes placing the sails on the boat, and preparing them to be raised.

Release all tie downs on the trailer except the bow tie down. Carefully back down the ramp (avoid other vehicles and boats until you get good at this). By the time the wheels of your trailer are wet you are ready to launch the boat. G-cats draw very little water and have no centerboards to worry about.

I suggest you wear water shoes or teva sandles, the ramp may have rocks or borken asphalt.

Be sure you have a long bow line and a longer stern line. Have your crew hold both. Release the bow tie down. Push the boat off the trailer. It will float. With 2 lines you and your crew can stabilize the boat bow into the wind (or if there is a dock, walk it to the dock).

By this point you should be wet to the knees or maybe more, but if you actually go sailing you will be getting considerably wetter! Place a towel on the front seat of your vehicle. Park the vehicle.

Return to the boat and with your crew raise the sails. Jib first (leave the sheets loose), you can use a bungee cord to wrap it up around the forestay while you raise the main, this will keep the boat from sailing away before you are ready. Raise the main, again leave sheets loose and keep the bow into te wind as best as you can.

Take your positions. If at a dock push off. If afloat, back the jib until the bow comes around. Sheet in and go for it!!!

Dock tips. It helpd to point the boat out towards the water(eg, turn it around from the way it came off the trailer) before you raise your sails. I keep a couple of small fenders for when I tie up, but your throwable pfd will work as well, otherwist you can get some fiberglass dammage from 'interacting' with the dock.

Don't be afraid to ask for help, and, remember you are going to screw this up!! For the first year I had my cat, a successful sail was defined as no hull dammage or permanent injuries!

I like to raise the mainsail first. If I raise the jib first, the boat tries to turn itself downwind.

I raise the mainsail, set its downhaul, hook up the mainsheet and crank it in TIGHT. Then I raise the Jib, crank its downhaul as tight as I can without compromising it's shape. Then release the mainsheet.

Now, whenever I crank the mainsheet tight it will automatically pull the luff of the jib just as tight as I want it. When I ease off the mainsheet, the luff of the jib is loosened a bit.

Also, if the wind is blowing offshore and I've launched from a ramp with only seawalls along the shoreline, I've been known to hop on the boat and let it drift while I raise the sails.