Yacht Forum UK

Hoping for a little advice if possible.

Wondering what the normal routine is for launching?

Do you rig sails etc before launch, or after?

Do you close seacocks then open them one at a time post launch?

Do you stay in the crane for a while until you're happy that all is well?

What do you do?

PS. Yacht is a 23ft Newbridge Virgo Voyager, though I expect the routine fundamentals are similar for all?

Hi Vic,all i can offer is a run down of what happens here in plymouth when i am relaunched after a while on the hard. First the travelling hoist picks up the boat, the shore crew do it all ensuring i am well out the way (health and safety i guess ) then the hoist driver turns a blind eye for five minutes whilst i dab some antifoul on the bits obscured by the shore legs, then i get out the way again and the shore crew lift her up and take her to the slip way. All sea cocks are turned off at this stage. the shore staff fix head and stern ropes and control her with these as she floats, they then pull her forwards out of the hoist and secure her to a pontoon where at last i get to play . I then potter about opening engine sea cocks , start engine, check bilges etc and when i am happy all is well i motor off to my berth.
Hope this is of help
Richard

Sounds like a well oiled machine, but I have a feeling my own first launch won't be so stress free! Thanks for the info.

Hi Vic,

You have probably launched by now, but my only real tip is to tell the crane or tractor to wait until you have checked for leaks from serviced stop cocks.

My boat has an ocean seal on the prop which needs 'burping' before you run the engine, so that needs doing.

If you have serviced the engine, make sure there is diesel in the pump, by using the manual pump.

Forget sails, uless you have long way to go to your mooring.

Usual stuff re fenders and mooring ropes, ensure they are ready for deployment.

Hope it all works for you.

Regards

Mark J

I'm usually not there when the boat rebonds with the water, but a useful (no, invaluable I would say) tip I picked up when I was there a few years ago was to nip down below after the boat's gone in but before the crane/travel hoist lets go and LISTEN carefully. That time, it revealed that the newly replaced fancy type of stern gland wasn't complete; there was a moderate inflow of water. Not enough to sink her quickly, but enough to do it eventually. It was easily fixed but the attentive earhole picked it up long before it had become urgent.

Derek

Thanks very much for the tips.

If you cannot be there and you have done any work on seacocks, internal hoses etc then tell the boatyard and get them to check. I fitted a new loo and hoses a few years back and as I couldn't be there asked the boatyard to check - they found a pin hole in the inlet pipe with a steady jet of water into the boat(and I hadn't turned off the seacock properly!) - easily fixed by cutting off 1" of hose and refitting to the seacock, apparently the hose clip had damaged the hose.