HI Robin
Any ships chandler will sell you self sinking rope, and whilst it is strong I personally find it slips all too easily whilst lifting or carrying a hull. I found that (like Gregg suggested) using luggage straps (1" webbing) gives much better hold on the hull. I attach small pieces of lead to sink the straps and staple to broom handles to give a good safe lift.
BikerJohn
You have had several suggestions for launching/recovery slings. if your particular water does not have a firm launching edge then you may need to consider a wheeled cradle that you can push into the water to launch and recover.

Just a quick word of warning, from Norsemans suggestion. if you are considering installing anything at the pool site, please make sure you get the pool owners permission first before you do anything, plus any holes must have a removeable cover, over the top, to prevent anyone tripping or slipping, especially if the water is in a public place.

I would like to be able to put some eyebolts in the side of the paved pool edge to secure some floating "harbour/jetty" pieces, but our local Councill will not give permission to our club, so have had to shelve the idea and stick to only using floating buoys as markers, which we have to remove after every sailing.

HI John

This would work if you sail at a club water/times. The initial set up is club work but the idea is simple and would be available to others.

Knock a short lenght of scaffolding tube into the ground near but away from the water's edge (the only permanent fixture) knock the clay inside it further through and out the bottom. insert a pole of suitable height into the hole (removeable after sailing). select a longer cross pole and fit it with something to form a rotating fulcrum for you sliding lever. This is club equipment - hopefully stored nearby.

Members would only need bring their own sling suitable to their vessel.

No bending - lever assisted lift, rotation means not approaching the waters edge. Nothing on site to vandalise Build/install once - ongoing use for all.

Dave

Good day all,

As can be seen from the accompanying pic and vidclip, launching boats from the one and only grassy corner of our municipal dam is something of a mission. it became a matter of either purchasing waders and risking tripping over sunken tree branches and other anti-tank traps or finding some way of getting our boats in the water and staying dry. Eventually I tried loops of nylon cord but the darn stuff simply floated making recovery Impossible. Then, one day when going through my fish sampling gear, I rediscovered a hank of weighted cord - the stuff with little lead pellets every few centimetres and used for monofilament gillnet footropes - 'bingo'. Two loops of this enable us to launch and retrieve any size boat single handed and without getting our feet wet! We too had played with the idea of attaching the loops to the end of a stout pole but since our boats weigh in at more than 6kg (my big tug is 60 kg!) this proved Impossible to handle.

Now I'm sure not many folk will have access to leaded gillnet footrope cord but a few weeks ago I saw the same sort of leaded cord in a haberdashery shop - perhaps it's used to stop curtains flapping about - I really don't know but it's worth looking out for. This method is both cheap and effective and above all portable, so there's nothing left to be stolen!

Regards,
Robin

A simple but effective device, I made from a piece of broom handle [one NOT currently in use], a couple of luggage web straps and a couple of rubber strips, cut from an old rubber car mat. The luggage straps allow you to alter the length of the slings to suit your height and that of the water level you are lowering in to, the rubber strips, loosely strapped to the webbing prevent the hull slipping when wet.

Another cheapo item would be an old frame off a shpping trolley, no not the £1 cion operated supermarket ones, the ones that have the big/deep shopping bags on them, simply slide the bag off the holding hooks, make up a "V" base and secure, then you can both transport your boat to the water, and by rolling carefully to the waters edge, roll the wheels over the edge and in to the water, allowing the boat to gntly float off the carriage. Dont forget to connect the battery and switch the radio on though before putting in the water!

HI bikerjohn57
Several options spring to mind but I am not familiar with your sailing water. is there a solid edge with a straight drop into the pool or more of a gentle slope from the edge? I have back copies of several mags where solutions (with plans) were offered and will happily share if you supply the above info.
Dave