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PostPosted: Fri Sep 22, 2017 9:39 pm 
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Hi Getaway sailors:

I am considering a purchase of a Getaway for next spring and have one concern. I know this is a bit like asking "how long is a piece of string", but I am guessing several people in this forum have specific experience in this area.

I would beach launch using a beach dolly of some sort. The "beach" is actually only a few feet of pretty firmly packed sand and about 40' of gravel and firmer dirt before reaching . The concern is that there is a decent slope of a few degrees before reaching blacktop. I am 59, 185 lbs and in decent shape, but certainly no "strong man"!

Am I going to be able to pull this thing up the slope? I once had a Daysailer which was 575lbs and I could move that pretty easily on it's road trailer.

I am hoping some of the "more mature" Getaway owners can give me some insight. Short of buying one and trying it, I don't really know how to test it out. The boat tics all the other boxes for me, esp the prices for older boats. I've also looked at the Wave at 150lbs lighter, but it doesn't have the carrying capacity of the Getaway, and I will want to take 2 - 3 guests along on occasion.

Thanks in advance! I'd love to join the Getaway family!


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PostPosted: Sat Sep 23, 2017 12:41 pm 
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Joined: Mon Dec 22, 2008 7:02 pm
Posts: 737
Location: Rockford, IL
Where are you at? If someone lives nearby who has a Getaway and beach wheels, maybe they would be willing to bring their boat to your launch area so you could try it.
I'm curious myself. I have beach wheels for my Getaway, but haven't used them yet. 27 years ago, I had a H-17 and I could move that pretty easily on it's beach wheels. But that was 27 years ago...

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Yet another Bob!
"Firefly" - 2012 Hobie Getaway with wings and spinnaker
"Sparky" - 1978 Sunfish (OK, it's not a Hobie, but it's a fun little craft)
Too many canoes and kayaks


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PostPosted: Sun Sep 24, 2017 3:53 pm 
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I use beach wheels to launch my getaway. They are great and make it super easy to move the boat around on level ground. My access to the water is a boat ramp with about a 20 degree slope, and about 20 feet long. It takes two or three people to get the boat up the ramp when we are done sailing, depending on the size of the people. If your boat takes on any water, that will make it more difficult.

How long is your slope, and would you be able to get any momentum before going up it?


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PostPosted: Mon Sep 25, 2017 10:48 am 
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Joined: Mon Oct 26, 2009 10:27 am
Posts: 244
Location: Cheshire, CT USA
Beach wheels are definitely great for moving the boat around on level ground. However, any bit of slope makes it much more difficult, especially if you are alone. I was able to get the boat up a relatively short slope with the help of my teenage sons. If the distance is short enough, you could use some type of electric or manual winch system or even use pulleys if you can find a good anchor point. If on your own property, you could even create your own anchor point (post in the ground). If not, and you are using the dolly to get to a trailer, you can use the vehicle and trailer as the anchor. Just need a long enough line or strap. Of course, downhill to the water is easy, just use gravity.

Keith

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PostPosted: Mon Sep 25, 2017 1:59 pm 
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I agree with the others. I have a beach wheels for my T2 which is a little lighter than a Getaway and I definitely can't move it up anything but a gentle slope of packed sand by myself (150lbs, 36y/o in good shape). I have a post in the ground with an ATV winch on it to pull mine up the beach and then up a set of fairly steep ramps to get it up above my seawall. I think a manual winch would work for a not too steep of a slope, but the ATV winch makes doing the job an easy 1 person job.

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PostPosted: Tue Sep 26, 2017 7:12 am 
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Joined: Fri Apr 13, 2007 10:54 pm
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Location: BC, Canada
I agree with the responses even though I have no direct Getaway experience.

I hand launch my Wave at standard boat launches using a modified set of Euro Trax beach wheels (with an attached Seitech handle). I can pull it up the slope by myself with some effort, but of course easier with two. I'm of similar age and stature as you, and would not want to try to do that with any heavier boat.

Perhaps consider a Wave if solo ramp launching is a deal breaker!


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PostPosted: Wed Oct 04, 2017 4:54 pm 
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Joined: Fri Sep 22, 2017 4:05 pm
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Thanks for all the responses! Here are some answer to questions.

I live in Denver and have not seen a Getaway for sale or on the water. The local Hobie fleet is active, but mostly 16's and 18's.

Momentum - there is a small fairly hard packed sandy beach with a small slope. Then there is about 50' of harder packed dirt at a slightly greater slope, about 5' rise in 50'. At the top is an asphalt parking lot where all the dry sailed boats are. It sounds like it might be to difficult to do solo. My hope is that I can go out during the week, when there may not be people around.

More pondering... Or maybe the Wave.

Thanks again!


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PostPosted: Thu Oct 05, 2017 9:15 am 
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I trailered my Getaway down to a friend’s beach house on Chesapeake Bay a few years back. I was about 58 at the time, 220 lb and reasonably good shape (bicycle commuter and I pedal 3,000 to 5,000 miles a year). I was able to get the Getaway down from the road to the beach - about 15 feet vertical - on the Trailex trailer with road wheels. The secret? I had 4 1X4 wood boards. I staggered them under the wheels and moved the boat up a 3 foot ridge and down to the water just fine, thought it took a while. Using the same method, I launched and retrieved the boat daily every evening - I didn’t trust the tides - but during the day between sails on the firm sand I could easily drag it up to the high tide line, and then dragged it up onto a 2 foot ridge (1 hull at a time) to keep errant waves from sliding her off the beach. On the last day, I had help from my friend, so I took the trailer up to a nearby boat ramp and had the friend drive me back to his house, and then sailed back to the ramp (thank goodness I had my Garmin handheld chart plotter, since the ramp looked way different from the water than I anticipated). Had the sailing not been so good, I believe I could have rolled the Getaway back up the hill to the road by myself using the boards, with perhaps some help from my friend if he had more time. If I were to do it over again I’d buy 1X6 or 1X8 boards - it was a little tricky getting the tires back on the boards when they squeezed out in the sand.

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Strongsville (near Cleveland) OH
Lake Erie sailor, mostly
2011 Getaway "Happy Couple"


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PostPosted: Thu Dec 28, 2017 9:06 pm 
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Joined: Wed Jun 21, 2017 8:33 pm
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Is there something to restrict you from using your vehicle or an ATV to just water launch it? If you can get the trailer down to where the tires meet the water, it should be sufficient to both launch and recover the boat given you have a long enough line on your trailer hand winch. Of course the type of vehicle used and the soil composition plays a part in it. All my vehicles are 4wd so I don't have that to worry about.


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