Harry:
Backing the boat and trailer into the garage is not a easy task. I begin with
parking at the curb to remove the mast and hang it on the garage wall (bicycle
hooks). If I had sailed in salt water, then I would have to remount the outboard
on the transom above a 30-gallon trash-can filled with fresh water to give it a
good flush. After the outboard is removed and remounted on the garage wall, and
the boat and trailer get a good hosing down, I would back the boat and trailer
slowly up the driveway until the wheels are past the incline and are inside the
garage (It would be too heavy to push it up the driveway) After putting blocks on
the wheels, Steven and I would unhook the trailer. We can't just push the boat and
trailer in at that point....we have to pivot the boat by raising the tongue wheel
in order to get the highest point (the lip of the sliding hatch) under the the lips
of our sliding garage door. Once that is in, we then lower the tongue wheel so the
bow pulpit would fit under. Afterall, we only have about 1/8" clearance from the
garage door. Now, if my wife and grown daughter are both home, then we would have
to move their cars out of the garage and driveway before we start the process.
Steven seems to enjoy that part, since that would be his only chance of driving his
sister's hot-rod around the block.
After all that is done, we return the cars to the garage and drive-way, and remove
all the gear, dirty dishes, and left-over food from the boat.
Even though the process seems painful, there are apparent benefits in having the
boat inside the garage. I'm not sure what I would do when Steven grows up and
moves out....Rosita will have to take up pumping-iron, or I may have to get myself
one of those trailer dollies they sell at Harbor Freight.
I have often questioned my decision in moving up from a P-15 to a HMS-18, and the
conclusion I have always come up with is:
I should have kept both!
I like your idea about winching the boat into the garage. I will have to find a
way of installing the winch.
Greg
HMS-18 #63 'Sampan'
hlg@pacbell.net wrote:
> Greg,
>
> You've done a good job of describing the most painful part of the
> process--leaving the house. What takes place at the launch ramp is the easy
> part.
>
> I finally got rid of an old car that has been in my garage for 4 or 5
> years, so I'm keeping Manatee in the garage again. That eliminates the need
> for removing and installing a tarp and cleaning off the accumulated dirt
> and the stains from the neighbor's redwood tree. I rigged my old trailer
> winch to mount on the inside garage door in the back of the garage, so I
> can winch my trailer and boat from the street into the garage - a process
> only slightly more difficult than rolling the Apollo-Saturn V from the
> Vehicle Assembly Building to Pad 39. Well, maybe not so difficult, but I
> have to keep in mind that if the rig gets away it will roll down the
> driveway into the street, endangering either my new minivan parked at the
> curb or an innocent motorist driving by. I move the trailer a foot or two
> at a time then move the chocks. A safety line attached to the garage would
> be a good idea.
>
> The combined length of the rope on the garage-mounted winch plus the strap
> on the boat trailer winch is almost long enough to reach, with the trailer
> at the foot of the driveway. On my two retrievals so far I have connected
> the two lines via an old bicycle tire, which has worked okay, but I need to
> improve on that setup.
>
> I can't just back the boat into the garage; the trailer has to go tongue
> first to avoid blocking the door into the house. Besides I already have a
> hole in my garage door where the rudder stock penetrated when I misjudged
> while backing into the driveway.
>
> Harry
> P14 #234, Manatee
> Mountain View, CA
>
> >. . .It usually
> >takes us over an hour to get the boat out of the garage; remove the mast from
> >the garage wall and secure it to the mast carrier; hook up the trailer to the
> >truck; check the lights; grease the bearing buddies; load the cooler, food,
> >and gear; load the extra jackets my wife insists we take along; fill the water
> >bag; wipe up spill from water bag; close and lock cabin hatch; eat breakfast;
> >load outboard and gas tanks into truck; wait while Steven eats more breakfast;
> >go to the bathroom; check trailer-hitch and mast-carrier; listen to wife
> >lecture about being careful, not to get Steven hurt; apply suntan lotion,etc.;
> >ask wife if she is sure about not coming along; check hitch connections again
> >at wife's insistence; kiss wife good-bye and finally get on the road. It is a
> >lot of work.....but once you get the boat launched and the sails up...it's all
> >worth it!
> >Greg Yu
> >HMS-18 #63 Sampan
> >Fremont, Ca
>
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