Without a ramp you must be driving your vehicle into the water. That kind of stuff scares me personally, even with the 4WD. I see a lot of hard packed
sand at low tide but am too chicken to drive out on it.
It's not a problem for us now that we have launching wheels.
BTW, Martyman, those launch wheels raise the back end a foot off the sand and small waves roll right under the hull during takeout.
I agree with you: getting water slapped over the transom is a major headache. The more water gets in the more difficult it is to move that thing. And
the tougher it is to move the more water comes in. Been there and done that. It's a situation I make every effort to avoid.
I have the flip down spare. I back the boat to the water (never get my truck wet), unhitch the trailer, and push the rig out to sea until it floats.
After getting the boat off and anchoring it, I tie some pull ropes to the trailer and yank it back out. A little wet but none the worse for wear. I
used to use my hitch extension but I find it easier just to shove the whole rig out to sea. And sometimes the extension is not long enough so it's an
exercise in frustration. I can do the same routine to retrieve it if necessary but I try to work the tides instead.
BTW last night I looked at the specs of your 19 footer and it said 725lb. Let's assume the trailer is 200lbs. That means you're rolling out 1000lbs
into the surf on your own. It seems like an awful lot and would require a firm bottom to pull it off. I'm interested because having a large boat and
preserving the versatility of a small boat would be great.
Does anybody have any Baja experience with the larger, welded aluminum boats like the North River or similar. The specs show a very beefy bottom that
would appear to hold up against the beach sand better than fiberglass. Also, many are using an I/O Jet, views or comments? JH
Originally posted by bajamedic
Does anybody have any Baja experience with the larger, welded aluminum boats like the North River or similar. The specs show a very beefy bottom that
would appear to hold up against the beach sand better than fiberglass. Also, many are using an I/O Jet, views or comments? JH
If you look on North River's site, they rate their boats best for bays and rivers. Though widely used in
Baja, most aluminum boats are fairly flat bottoms and they do pound in rough water. North River does have a 12º bottom on a coupla models that
wouldn't be too bad.
Jets are great for shallow water running on rivers, etc, and although they've improved over the years, they're gas hogs, not near as fuel efficient as
a prop. Though it's been a while since I've been down, I don't ever recall seeing a jet on anything but a PWC.
Originally posted by Doug/Vamonos
What the heck is your avatar? I stare at it and can't figure it out, but I have the eery feeling it is looking back at me.
Skipjack Joe - If you're referring to my boat, actually the 21' is a lot more weight. With the trailer it's over 3,000lbs. It rolls out into the water
very nicely. We have a hard pack beach at Geckos so the only problem is rocks blocking the wheels as it rolls. Lots of people do the three wheel deal.
As long as you have pull ropes it is no problem.
"If it were lush and rich, one could understand the pull, but it is fierce and hostile and sullen.
The stone mountains pile up to the sky and there is little fresh water. But we know we must go back
if we live, and we don't know why." - Steinbeck, Log from the Sea of Cortez
"People don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care." - Theodore Roosevelt
"You can easily judge the character of others by how they treat those who they think can do nothing for them or to them." - Malcolm Forbes
"Let others lead small lives, but not you. Let others argue over small things, but not you. Let others
cry over small hurts, but not you. Let others leave their future in someone else's hands, but not you." - Jim Rohn
"The best way to get the right answer on the internet is not to ask a question; it's to post the wrong answer." - Cunningham's Law
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