George, First off, I won't ask you how you know about the line. Secondly, the problem with our ramps at really low water is that they can end before the water is deep enough to float a sailboat. Often wave action erodes the sediments where the concrete ends, making a nasty cliff that can snag the trailer. As an example, Goggle Earth the ramp at Temple Bar on Lake Mead. The ramp is hundreds of yards long, but last time I was there the trailer wheels on powerboats still hit the gravel bottom. I do have a trailer extension, and fortunately I have not found a ramp with a low enough angle that I need to unhitch the beast, but you never know. Tom Jenkins On Nov 1, 2013, at 9:30 AM, George R. Iemmolo wrote:
Tom
Do you have an extendable tongue (approx 6')? If not you can drop the trailer tongue and push the trailer in until the boat floats of. Don't forget to attach a line to the trailer before doing that, don't ask how I know about that:-).
George M15 #602
-----Original Message----- From: montgomery_boats-bounces@mailman.xmission.com [mailto:montgomery_boats-bounces@mailman.xmission.com] On Behalf Of Tom Jenkins Sent: Friday, November 01, 2013 10:14 AM To: For and about Montgomery Sailboats Subject: M_Boats: depth for launching
Out here in the west we are having some water level issues at launching ramps. Just wondering if anyone has measured the depth over the axle necessary to float a 21st century Montgomery 17 with a stock Pacific trailer. I hate to drive several hundred miles to find she won't float. Someone told me that 4' is a rough figure, but I have always been too busy at the ramp to confirm this number. Thanks much.
Tom Jenkins M17 Scintilla, Hull 626