1st time out in SIB...

[pritch]

I understand exactly where you're coming from. I took my 3.9m ally floor sib out last week with my new 20hp Tohatsu
The hassle involved just for a few hours on the water didn't seem worth it. There's no way i could've managed on my own,especially down the steep ramp and getting in and out through the surf.
A trailer isn't an option because i live 2hrs + away from the coast so hardly worth the towing for a quick trip out.
The boatyard is a possibility, though you can't get out on a low tide
It will be perfect for my week in Scotland this summer but for next season i will either scale right down or sell up and wait until i win the lotto and buy a beach house.

[JohnD]

My recent experience has taught me to use concrete slips and arrange for swinging mooring, or better, floating pontoon. A bit of a fiddle as I too was expecting to just trundle the boat over a beach, but, 20hp of anything is heavy.

Not sure if this has been mentioned, but, when my HonWave T38 is out of the water, I tilt the engine back to as upright position as I can, still maintaining ground clearance. This brings the weight of the motor close to the wheel axis, thus reducing the weight to lift at the bow when manoeuvring. It worked for me, but its still a two person job IMHO.

My experience this summer on the West Highland Coast has been very positive, especially with sustenance provided by fellow forum member PaulB from the Tralee Bay fish and chippy. The fishing was awful, so lots of touring the lochs with wifey

[The Hobbit]

Done a few beach launches this year and although we achieved it over steep pebbled beaches me and the missus were hanging afterwards. And I only have a 15hp 2 stroke. We tend to stick to slipways when we can to keep the day fully enjoyable. Launching into an open sea has its moments also !!

Where are you located?

If you fill in your details in the user control panel / profile I'm sure you will get a few responses as to where to launch near you or your preferred spot.

[IanH 72]

A little tip for moving boats like the honwave: use a pair of padded straps like this, attached to the bow lifting handle with carabinas.

Padded Handle

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Then you can wrap them around the back of your hand like this:

Handle wrapped around wrist

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This makes it much easier to take the weight without hurting your hands. I use two, then turn around so the boat is behind me, take one in each hand and walk off. It makes it soooo much easier.

When on the water I attach them to the D rings inside the bow and then whoever is sitting on the seat can use them to hold on so they don’t get thrown out when I jump over the wake left by container ships!