Conference unifix::sailing

    I had a Mcgregor 23  years back and I used the ramp at Rye. That was
    about the best in N.H. All the others you either had a bridge to
    contend with or some rather swift moving current if you didn't launch
    at slack tide. One drawback of Rye was the only place I could
    sail to for an over night cruise was the Isle of Shoals. I just
    couldn't get any great distance in a reasonable amount of time in that
    boat. The only other place I am familiar with is Winter Island in Salem
    Mass. With the range of the 23 I found there were a lot more places to
    visit.                 
    p.s. Keep that adjustable tongue well lubed.

        There are 2 good ramps in Salem, MA.
        
        The better (read protected and closer to highway) is located at
        Kernwood Marina on the Danvers River at the Salem end of the
        Kernwood Bridge connecting Salem and Beverly. This 'marina' is
        operated by the Salem City Parks Department and consists of a
        paved ramp, floating dock, dinghy storage for 26 lucky permit
        holders and a parking area. The ramp is protected because it is
        just upriver from the Route 1A and RR bridges. A VHF is desired
        for communcating with bridge tenders.  We will be mooring in the
        area this season for the first time. I understand that the
        bridges will open upon request other than for about 1 1/2 hours
        around mid-day. From route 128 we use route 62 in Beverly rather
        than route 114 in Salem due to the much heavier traffic in Salem.
        
        The other ramp is located at Winter Island Park on Winter Island
        out past Salem Willows. There is a paved ramp and as of last
        October, a concrete pier was under construction. This ramp faces
        open water and holding a boat of any size while waiting for its
        trailer can be a real chalange with the wind out of the East or
        NE.
        
        Contact me for detailed directions or more info.
        
        Fred   "WIND SONG"   223-3935
        
       
       
        

Hi,
     I can tell you a little about the ramps I've used, but I've been sailing
a 470 for 3 years and the ramps it can deal with are much different than what
you or I will be looking for this year. I say I because I'm into a larger 
boat now and if I don't get a mooring I'll be using ramps for the S2. 
     More lakes. I sailed on Lake Webster one day and that 
had a very wide and reasonably steep ramp. It cost me $15 to get in the park
with a trailer regardless of the size. It was an excellent ramp and a pretty
nice sized lake, but I worry about what the bottom looks topographically
and I don't think I'll sail the S2 there. Plenty of parking.
     Rangely lake in Maine. There is a reasonably good ramp there and the lake
is large and deep. If I don't get a mooring I will spend a long weekend 
up on Rangely. Good parking here and if you're camping there there's no 
extra cost for the boat ramp. I don't know about parking and sailing all 
weekend.
     Near by there is a lake called Richardson. I sailed there one weekend,
the lake was good size and deep enough to be safe if you stayed out of the 
coves. The ramp I used, at the south eastern tip, was probably good enough
to float the S2 off, but I wouldn't want to pull my boat down that road it
took to get there. Plenty of parking if you wanted to suffer the road.
     Sebago lake in Maine, I sailed out of the state park. I enjoyed that 
lake and would like to sail it in the S2, but the ramp I used had it's 
drawbacks; I couldn't step my mast before I was in the water. I really found
this awkward. I expect there must be other ramps on that lake and I'd look
for them if I tried to sail there again.
     I want to sail lake Champlain, long drive but I'll bet there is a ramp
or a crane somewhere up there that would get me in the water. 
     Salt water, I know of two ramps. I sailed out of Wellfleat one weekend.
Wellfleat has an excellent pair of ramps and plenty of parking. I think it
cost $7.00 to launch there. The water becomes very shallow at low tide and 
you'll have to stay in the channel in and out of there. The ramps are very 
steep and and there is plenty of parking. 
     I know there is a ramp in Mattapoisett Harbor on Buzzard's Bay. I've 
never used the ramp, but it looks like a nice place to sail out of. The 
ramp is not as steep as Wellfleat, but I'm sure I could float my S2 off 
there. I don't know what I'd do for parking after that, it seemed very 
limited. This is where I am trying to acquire a mooring for this summer and 
if I do I'll probably get a lift to put my boat in for reasons other than
the quality of the ramp. 
     There's something to take in to consideration if you plan to launch in
salt water. I sailed my 470 up to 4 times a week for three years submerging
the trailer without concern; in fresh water. I got to the ocean once and 
launched per usual sometime in late May or early June. In mid July I was 
dismasted by enormous wind (day after the tornadoes) and after repairing the
boat I discovered that my trailer bearings were shot! Three year I trailed 
this thing to northern Maine and all over at speeds up to 70 mph and had no
problem what so ever. A few weeks after dipping it in salt water my bearings
needed replacement. Someone suggested that it was the salt water that had
such an immediate impact on this, the timing sure fit. My 470 trailer is 
aluminum and not subject to heavy corrosion. My S2 trailer is steel and it
looks like it's been dipped in salt water and never touched up, it's a mess!
The bearings seem to be okay, but the trailer is terrible. I fully plan on
getting a mooring for this season. When I do I will launch the boat by a 
lift and take the trailer home to fix it up. It needs to be sanded down 
to bare metal, maybe sand blasted, and then thoroughly sealed. Even when 
I'm done with this I'll be very leery of ramp launching in salt water.
Take very good care of your trailer if you launch in salt water, it's 
carrying your boat!

     See Ya' on the water
     Geoff

    Re .3
    
       for those trailer bearings that get dunked in salt water, use
    Johnson (the outboard engine company) marine wheel bearing grease.
    Those bearing get real  hot on the trip down and the salt water will
    wash off normal bearing grease. The marine grease is about 50 cents
    more, but it's staying power is much better.
    
       I try not to dunk my trailer (I can use a set of cat wheels), but
    when I do, I make sure the boat and trailer get washed as soon as I
    get home. Makes everything last a lot longer.  The biggest problem I
    get is corrosion on the lighting assembly. I have found unpluging
    the wiring harness during loading/unloading helps keep the bulbs from
    grenading, but the corrosion still gets into the light assemblies. My
    remedy is to replace the wiring harness and lights every spring. A kit
    goes $15 at spags and all the old parts make fine replacement units.
    
    john
        

    Thanks for the info on the bearings. I hadn't really considered
    that. My trailer is a home grown rig (aluminum) but the issue with
    the bearings will need to be checked.
    
    Sounds like any original foray will be out of Rye Harbor to start.
    I already have course and distance to the Isle of Shoals as a first
    test of navigation skills newly acquired.

    Another comment about trailer bearings-
    
    If your trailer doesn't have "Bearing Buddies", buy them! These are
    spring loaded pistons that you load up with grease using a normal lube
    gun. They mount right on your hubs. Having the grease under pressure keeps 
    salt water infiltration and damage to a minimum.

    If you want to drive up the Maine coast a bit there are some good
    places.  I'm sure there are lots of places from Portsmouth, N.H. to
    Ogunquit, Me., but I'm not familiar with them.  There's a good ramp in
    Wells for, I think, $.50/foot.  Lots of parking, and they just did some
    dredging around there somewhere, but it still might be a little tricky
    at low tide.
    
    Kennebunk/Kennebunkport on the river has maybe one ramp -- expensive
    and no parking available and no place to tie up your boat after you get
    it in.
    
    Biddeford on the Saco river has a real nice free ramp that was just
    replaced this year.  I haven't even seen it since then, but it wasn't
    bad before.  Fair amount of free parking.
    
    Scarborough has a ramp and parking area.  I think it's free -- don't
    know much about it, but it's big.
    
    The best place I've found, both for ramps and for sailing, is South Portland
    at the public ramp there at Spring Point.  There is a small charge, but
    they watch your trailer and car, even over night.  If you want a little
    rougher (no dock at the end of the ramp), but free, you can use the
    ramp at Souther Maine Vocation Technical Institute around the corner. 
    
    Either ramp puts you into Portland Harbor in Casco Bay.  It's a great
    place to sail -- lots of islands and other interesting sights, and if
    weather comes up you can always find a place to hide out.  There are
    lots of places to anchor and spend the night, some complete with
    beaches you can use.
    
    The islands in Casco Bay are known as the Calendar Islands because
    there are supposed to be 365 of them according to early British
    government surveys of the area.  Later, more accurate surveys have
    revealed that there are actually no more than half that number.  One
    story has it that the reason for the discrepancy is that when the early 
    British government ships came over to explore and map the area, they had 
    with them certain bureaucrats who were more used to quill pens and ledger 
    books than the ways of the sea, and who, after consuming copious 
    quantities of the dark, potent rum commonly found aboard ship in those 
    days, set about counting all the islands in Casco Bay -- once on this side,
    and again on the other side on the return trip.  :-)
    
    I sailed a MacGregor 25 up there for a while this summer, and really
    enjoyed it.  It's probably a good idea not to lock down the board until
    you find out where all the rocks are, though.  The 25 is a nice boat,
    although it was a bear to get the mast up and down until I discovered
    how to bolt the boom to the wrong side of the mast and rig lines to
    make a crane out of the whole assembly.  Takes a while, but it's easy
    to handle by yourself, even in a good wind.
    
    I second the recommendation about Bearing Buddies, and about unplugging
    the lights.  The only thing I think I'm going to do different is raise
    the lights up on stanchions so they will never go under water.  That
    should also help guide the boat onto the trailer, too, hopefully. 
    Then if I can just figure out how to back it far enough into the water
    without getting the VW bus engine wet, I'll be in good shape.  :-)

    I have, and continue to use, the ramp facilities in the Biddeford and
    Saco area.  The State of Maine has completely refurbished their launch
    facility in Biddeford.  Has two ramps; one for boats going into the
    water and another for taking them out.  Tides, which can be significant
    in this area, do not have an adverse impact on using the ramp.  There
    is a vast parking lot and it's free.  The facilities are great;
    however, you have a two mile trip to open ocean, and at low tide there
    are several shallow areas where bigger boats may have a slight problem.
    
    Another good facility is in Portland; off of the Eastern Prominade. 
    This is a free launch facility with loads of parking.  From there, you
    can sail around several islands or go out the channel past the Portland
    Head Light House.  Nice area to sail; but lot's of boat traffic, both
    pleasure and commercial.
    
    In Ferry Beach, there is a launch facility with fairly adequate
    parking.  They charge $3.00 to launch any trailered boat.  The tides
    can be a problem.  At low tide, a 30' wide sand bar is between the
    channel and the launch ramp.  If you use this facility, be sure to
    watch the low tide issue.
    
    Hope this hopes.
    
    Jay

    RE: .8
    
  >  In Ferry Beach, there is a launch facility with fairly adequate parking.  
    
    Do you mean Camp Ellis, at the mouth of the Saco, rather than Ferry
    Beach, which is around the breakwater to the North?