I figured the Skerry is light, I’d walk it down the hill to the lake, and build a little ramp to store it. Now that I have an actual Skerry, I see that I was way too optimistic. I’ve been unable to actually sail my boat, even though I finished it weeks ago.
Here’s what I’m dealing with:
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The house and lake are separated by about 50 feet, and a fairly steep hill. The path is dirt, vegetation and rocks.
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The shoreline is rocky, and even steeper, maybe a 40 degree angle.
The options I’ve considered:
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Walking the boat down the hill and launching it from the shoreline. This doesn’t seem feasible. The Skerry is only 100 lbs., but two people carrying it down that path is quite difficult and dangerous. Walking it back up would be even worse. The odds of getting the boat into the water without damaging it on the rocks (or even worse, slipping and injuring someone) seem low.
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Same, but using a kayak cart to move the boat. I bought the widest one I could find, and it doesn’t seem up to the job. The boat is much bigger than a kayak, and the boat on the cart doesn’t do well on the rocky path. Even with the straps, it doesn’t stay aligned on the cart.
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Getting the boat in the water somehow (from the public launch, a couple of miles away), and then hauling it onto a ramp on the shoreline. The problem here is that the shoreline seems too steep and rocky for a ramp.
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Public launch, and then keep the boat in the water, on a buoy. But to do this, my understanding is that I would need special bottom paint to prevent the growth of algae. How successful is that paint at keeping the boat clean? It’s a pretty clean lake, but there are algae. I scrape crud off my motorboat evey year. Also, I’d need a cover to protect the interior from rain and sun when not in use. Covering and uncovering the boat while buoyed seems pretty onerous.
Right now, I’m giving up on the idea of seeing the boat in the water before labor day, and leaning to #3 for next summer. I’d be grateful for other ideas.
That’s frustrating problem. Here’s couple of ideas:
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Would it help If you had a cart with larger wheels such as: Tipke Manufacturing Company, Inc.
These are really good carts. I have two and have used them both very very hard. Get the no-flat tires. It is narrower than your boat but perhaps you can build a frame to hold the boat sideways? Or build a wide cart with larger tires. That might make handling the boat easier, if your path is wide enough.
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If you can put a dock in: make a fixed or floating dock with a small ramp at one end with rollers. Make it wide enough to allow flipping the boat over or use a cover.
it will be worth it to find a solution that makes using the boat easy as you will use it it a lot more then.
Jack,
Yes, you have a difficult situation, but by all means get that boat into the water, even if it’s a launch from the public ramp, messing about for a while and then taking it out again at the same ramp. Millions of boaters do that every season. It may not be what you planned, but it lets you try out and use the boat you worked so hard to build.
The thing is, if you don’t get it into the water soon, the only result you’ll have for your efforts is a big pointy wooden box that you have to store somewhere. You won’t associate it with fun, only work, plans that didn’t work out and disappointment. That’s most of the way towards saying “Hell with it” and trying to sell the boat next year.
Get it into the water, feel it come alive and proudly tell all the people at the ramp that you built it with your own hands. Feel the justified pride as total strangers compliment your baby and as it moves through the water with a gentle gurgle and occasional splash, riding the wind like an aquatic flying carpet.
The nuisance value of the transport/launching situation will still be there, but so will the fun and affection for the boat. And, you will have met your goal of being on the water in your new boat by Labor Day thereby putting yourself into the elite group of people who actually complete their projects. So take it to the ramp and get it wet.
Have fun and congratulations on the new boat,
Laszlo
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Frankly, I would do #4 and not worry about bottom growth this late in the season. Over the winter you paint below the waterline with bottom paint.
Thanks for all your thoughts.
It looks like I won’t be able to sail the boat at all this year — just due to logistics (even if I wanted to get the boat to the launch).
As for next year: Can anyone tell me how well the bottom paint works in keeping algae off the hull? What I do with my other boats (motorboat, jetski) is to put them in the water around July 1, and pull them out around Labor day, so two monhts in the water. I scrub the hulls with hull cleaner every year, and that seems to work well.
It’s a clean lake (Water Quality - Great East Lake - Acton, York, Maine - Lakes of Maine), but there is some algae growth. If bottom paint will work well for the two months in the lake, I have my plan for next year.
Bottom paint works incredibly well which is why moored boats generally only need to be repainted once a year. There are a variety of types (ablative and non-ablative) and lots of information on the web. Totalboat.com has a great selection.
Do keep in mind that certain regulated bodies of water forbid certain types of bottom paint, so know your lake’s regulations before you buy.
Laszlo
The situation with my Northeaster Dory is very similar. I do have a dock to tie up to, but the steep shoreline—full of trees and rocks—makes removing the boat from the water a real challenge. I’ve been experimenting with a few solutions that might help.
1. Launch Cart Setup I built a cart using large straight caster wheels—basically an industrial-strength version of a kayak cart. The larger wheels and extra height help it roll over rocks and roots more easily. The long “banks” on the cart also help secure the straps better. Given the steepness of your hill, you might want to consider adding a block and tackle system for safety and control. I only use the cart for seasonal launch and retrieval. (I’ll try to attach an image if I can.)
2. Keeping Water Out While Moored The biggest issue with leaving the boat in the water is keeping rainwater out. Attaching a cover that doesn’t pool water is tricky, especially from the dock—doing it from the water would be even harder. This season, I skipped the cover entirely and started experimenting with a small solar-powered pump. It’s actually a bird fountain pump, modified with a glued-on hose instead of the fountain head. After 30–60 minutes of sun, it pumps out all the rainwater and the boat is usually dry by the time I get there in the morning. I’m planning to add a float switch to extend the pump’s life. It’s still a work in progress, but so far it’s easier than wrestling with a cover. I just hope all those layers of varnish are doing their job against UV. (Image coming if I can get it uploaded.)
3. Paint and Hull Condition My boat has spent about half of last season and this season in the water. I used standard one-part Brightsides paint on the hull. I missed the note from CLC about not using primer for boats that stay in the water. Interestingly, the bottom panel (no primer) is holding up great, while the side panels (with primer) have developed small blisters. Nothing too serious—I’ll probably wait another year before addressing it.
There’s been very little buildup on the hull. It’s a clean, cold freshwater lake, and I think a two-part paint plus a wipe-down at the end of the season might be all that’s needed—no antifouling required.
4. Next Paint Experiment I’m planning to try Pettit’s Old Salem 1959 hard one-part bottom paint. It doesn’t have antifouling additives and is not ablative, but it’s still a durable one-part option. It only comes in copper, so that makes the color choice easy. If anyone has experience with it, I’d love to hear your thoughts.
I see from your blog that you have actually launched it at a public ramp, so congratulations on getting it into the water – it’s a lovely boat!
Here’s an oddball idea: Do you own the land all the way to the shore? Could you install some sort of boat zipline, a taut steel cable running from a tree at the top to another tree (or a stout post) at the bottom? Put some good sturdy rings at the bow and stern, then use the rings to clip onto the cable. Use a good long line to slowly lower the boat down the zipline until it reaches the bottom, which you could pad with a chunk of tire or something. Although the boat is unwieldy to carry, it’s so light I feel like this ought to work… but of course I have not done such a thing myself!
Thanks for all these thoughts. I also missed the part about no primer. While the CLC site has a lot of information, it is poorly organized and this isn’t the first time I’ve discovered an important fact too late.
That launch belongs to a neighbor on our road. He kindly let me use it, and I don’t want to take advantage. The public launch is farther away, and presents a number of complications. Also, while the boat did make it into the water, the rudder kept popping out. The CLC kit omitted, and the manual did not mention, that a doodad is needed to prevent that from happening. Searching the forums, I see that other Skerry builders have had the same problem.
That is a novel, interesting, not definitely crazy idea. A variation is a vertical lift attached to a tree. We have so many trees. And this allows for a canvas covered frame between the line and the boat, which would protect the boat from sun and most rain. Thanks for pointing out this new idea!
