CLOCKWISE FROM MAINA two handed
approach is best when beach launching;
Don’t forget the weight of your car and
trailer on soft sand, safely launching
starts with getting to the water safely;
Getting to hard-to-reach spot-x is one of
the reasons beach launching is popular.generally protected extremities
of beaches that are sheltered by
protruding headlands that take the
main brunt of the prevailing sea and
wind conditions. Ask the locals if you’re
unsure.
Once you’re ready, use the following
steps as a guide.
1: CHECK THE TIDE AND
SWELL
The bottom and particularly the top of
the tide can be
problematic. At high tide you have little
beach to work with, and you’re often
working in soft sand. This is less of an
issue with launching, but retrieval can
be difficult. If there’s a swell, waves can
break on the transom on dead-high
tide. Low tide can also be tricky, since
the boat could get stuck on a sandbar.
How do you overcome these
problems? By making sure there’s
sufficient water and beach for you to
safely launch and retrieve. In other
words, plan your start and finish times.
Also, check the conditions. Launching
from a beach with excessive swell is
pure stupidity, so if you’re in doubt,
don’t go out.2: CHECK THE BEACH
CONDITIONS
A bit of inside knowledge can help
immensely — so talk to a local! Hidden
rocks and reef often lurk just under
the surface, so it’s worth having a walk
in the surf to check things out. It’s all
about making yourself familiar with the
immediate terrain — both above and
below the waterline.3: DON’T PARK IN THE
WASH ZONE
The next step is to drive the trailer just
above where the surge will wash to at
the top of the tide. Even one or two
washes around the wheels of the trailer
will cause it to sink into the sand, with
the result that you won’t be able to
move. Many boaters get badly bogged
for this very reason, even on hard and
well-packed beach sand.tradeboats.com.au 37