Recovering the boat
We began the day on the Teifi river near Cardigan, where Swallow Yachts are built. We had a cracking short sail in the protected waters inside the bar, before the tide began to ebb. Not to worry, though; there was a spot in Milford Haven under an hour away that would give us sheltered sailing with plenty of water. If you keep a trailerable yacht on the water, the first step in any trailer adventure is recovering the boat, so that’s where we started.
1 lift and empty
The Baycruiser has water ballast tanks and a lift keel. Emptying the ballast and lifting the keel is the first step, but you’ll need a bit of keel to give you some steering. The ballast tank also needs to be emptied. A jetty by the slipway made it easy to lift the rudders and engine, stow the sails and check the keel was up. No jetty? Hop over the bow as you nose in to the slipway.
2 Straight and Steady
Don’t drive the boat straight up to the trailer. Guide the bows between the rollers by hand, making sure the rocking cradles are the right way round. Attach the bow line and begin winching. The boat will straighten up, though a stern line might help.
3 Winching on
Your trailer winch may have two settings. If it gets too heavy, select the easier gear. If you get stuck, back the trailer slightly further into the water. A boat without a lift keel will need the trailer fully in the water to be floated on.
4 Check and drive
Before you drive up the slipway, make sure the ballast water is empty and the boat is secured to the trailer. Stop with the trailer just out of the water to check everything over before you drive any further. Driving up the slipway is easier than reversing down, but the car will be working harder. If you have four-wheel drive, engage it. Otherwise, just take it steady so you don’t wheelspin, but you’ll need more revs than usual. Drive up until you find a flat spot that is convenient for derigging the boat.