Dauphin Island Race hosted by Fairhope Yacht Club

[Randy Rutledge]

Is anyone going to do the Dauphin Island race in April? I had planned to take my Mirage 236 this year but since we plan to do a couple of weeks coastal sailing in the gulf after the race we decided to take the E29 again. The two weeks extra will make it worth the towing Rumkin back for the fifth time.

 

[davisr]

Randy,

Good luck with the race, and with the long haul down there and back. I bet you really turn some heads when you show up at the boat ramp with that E29 on your trailer.

Enjoy your Gulf Coast cruise.

Roscoe

 

[Randy Rutledge]

Roscoe,
Thanks for the well wishes. We have a great time when we go to Mobile for DIR. It is interesting when we pull into a service station with the E29 behind a ½ ton GMC. People always take notice of the trailer with or without the boat.

 

[davisr]

trailer-launching big boats

Randy,

I love that picture. When you go back down there this year, you ought to get someone to take some side-view shots of you trailer-launching your boat. Maybe that will put to rest the argument that you can't trailer launch big boats. There was a debate about this on the forum a month or two ago. If I remember correctly, I cited Randy Rutledge and his trailerable E29 as evidence to the contrary.

Regards,
Roscoe

 

[Afrakes]

Mast Handling

Randy: Do you step your own mast or do you have crane set it? How heavy is your mast? Al Frakes, Port Kent, NY

 

[Randy Rutledge]

Easy to launch an E29

The ramps at Mobile Bay are not deep enough to launch the boat, I have to have a travel lift set me in and it keeps the trailer out of the salt water. The trailer is simpler than a bass boat trailer to get on and I do load and launch at the ramp at the club. I have a tongue 24’ extension to get the trailer out to 7’ of water. I have a setup like the one in the 27 manual on the documents section. The trailer is set up with a socket for a 15’ winch pole to help get the mast up to 45 degree angle and I use the boom as a gin pole to raise and lower the mast. Soon I will build an album on this site and post pictures and drawings.

We had an Irwin 33 trailer launched at the Rome Sailing Club last week.

 

[Rick R.]

Good luck Randy!I wish we could make it but our bottom is being painted right now. Next time you're down this way, let us know and we will host you!Rick

 

[Randy Rutledge]

Another good year for Ericsons at Dauphin Island. Two first and a second in class with three boats. Had to have a second with two E boats in the same class.

 

[davisr]

Thanks great Randy. Hope you found some time to do some cruising too. Wasn't that part of the plan?

Roscoe

 

[Randy Rutledge]

Thanks Rosco, we are at La Feitte Marina Pensacola Beach tonight and will be playing in the area for a few days. We head home on May 15 and back to lake sailing for a while.

 

[Rick R.]

Randy, new transmission being installed and should have boat back early next week. Hope we an connect while you're here.

 

[Randy Rutledge]

Rick, Hope you have the boat back together.
Our plans are to anchor in the hole just NW or FtMcree by the spoil island tonight and tomorrow night. We will be heading west on Wednesday and getting the boats on the trailers Monday 5-14 and heading home Tuesday. Pensacola is a beautiful area and we have enjoyed hanging out at La Feitte marina for four nights, The trip has been very different than I had expected and as always that adds to the pleasure. Amazing how quick three weeks go by.