I have a 24 ft ballasted sail boat sitting on a trailer that needs some
work on it.(the trailer, not the boat) I want to put the boat on a
cradle and drive the trailer to a shop that works on such things. The
boat is about 8 ft wide and has a two ft shallow shoal keel and weighs
mabey 3000 lbs total I'm guessing. My question is, short of hiring a
crane, what is the most efficient procedure for putting this boat on a
cradle where it sits? What is the best cradle design? I Prefer wood
since I don't have a welder. If it was summer, I'd launch the boat and
bring the trailer to the shop but the lake will be solid till March and
I plan on doing some major restoration to the boat this summer anyway
and probably don't want to launch it this season. Besides, the trailer
is so poor as it is that hauling to the water is too iffy.

Why use a cradle at all?
Over here all the pro cray boats (australia) just use props on the hard
stand over winter.
Is there any keel sticking out the back of the trailer? Get a hydraulic
truck jack & lift it maybe 2 inches & sit it on a stand. (or big block of
hardwood with maybe 1inch of softwood on top of it)
Next use two posts of the type they use in hard stand areas that can be
adjusted to take the weight & place these EXACTLY opposite (adjacent?) the
stand.
Now try to find a place towards the front of the trailer where you can place
the hydraulic jack to lift the front of the boat just clear of the trailer.
Insert two posts eather side of the front & make sure they clear the
trailer. Once off the jack you can work the trailer forward until it is out
or maybe you need to reposition the posts a second time.
When the trailer is nearly clear put another stand under the front (keel) &
when it has the weight on it insert your posts.
Try to have a person watching the posts at all times you are doing this job
as they might have to adjust up or down to maintain stability.
Most here with 45 to 60ft boats have 3 or 4 stands & use at least 6 posts &
this is stable enough while they remove engines, redo anti-fouling etc, etc
BruceM


"steveJ" wrote in message
...
I have a 24 ft ballasted sail boat sitting on a trailer that needs some
work on it.(the trailer, not the boat) I want to put the boat on a
cradle and drive the trailer to a shop that works on such things. The
boat is about 8 ft wide and has a two ft shallow shoal keel and weighs
mabey 3000 lbs total I'm guessing. My question is, short of hiring a
crane, what is the most efficient procedure for putting this boat on a
cradle where it sits? What is the best cradle design? I Prefer wood
since I don't have a welder. If it was summer, I'd launch the boat and
bring the trailer to the shop but the lake will be solid till March and
I plan on doing some major restoration to the boat this summer anyway
and probably don't want to launch it this season. Besides, the trailer
is so poor as it is that hauling to the water is too iffy.



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Consider the following:
Rent/buy/borrow some regular boat jack stands. I have no idea what the right
number is, but a visit to any boat yard will give you more information than
I can. Just look at all of the boats on stands for work or storage.

LOWER the front of your trailer with the trailer jack. Your stern will now
be higher than normal. Place two or more jack stands at the stern. RAISE the
front of your trailer with the trailer jack...place additional jack stands
where needed. When you have the boat standing on all jack stands, the
trailer will be free. Then go back and by using additional jack stands,
raise and lower the front of the boat, inserting the "extra" jack stands
where needed; while gradually removing the trailer from under the boat.

You might also get away with very large blocks of foam, instead of jack
stands. I've seen a number of boats put up for winter with just blocks of
foam.

Warning. I have NOT personally done this, but have read it as a solution to
your problem a number of times. Do a Google search and see what you get,
and I'll bet a number of solutions will be the above process. RichG

On Fri, 30 Jan 2004 15:33:40 GMT, steveJ wrote:

I have a 24 ft ballasted sail boat sitting on a trailer that needs some
work on it.(the trailer, not the boat) I want to put the boat on a
cradle and drive the trailer to a shop that works on such things. The
boat is about 8 ft wide and has a two ft shallow shoal keel and weighs
mabey 3000 lbs total I'm guessing. My question is, short of hiring a
crane, what is the most efficient procedure for putting this boat on a
cradle where it sits? What is the best cradle design? I Prefer wood
since I don't have a welder. If it was summer, I'd launch the boat and
bring the trailer to the shop but the lake will be solid till March and
I plan on doing some major restoration to the boat this summer anyway
and probably don't want to launch it this season. Besides, the trailer
is so poor as it is that hauling to the water is too iffy.

You haven't described your trailer. My first thought is:

Get two cross beams stout enough to take the wieight that will fit
across the trailer under the hull and support them with blocks. Have
four more blocks ready.

If you can get at the keel bottom aft without keeping the trailer from
going forward put that in place as well, with one more block in
reserve just like the four above.

Jack up the trailer enough to insert the reserved blocks. wedge the
hull on each side so it can't roll on the cross beams-- the wedges
serve for poppets. Lower the jack[s].

The trailer now is free to come forward.

If the trailer axle blocks the keel, You may have to support the
weight through the hull with the beams and wedges. THe hull stresses
are the same as with slings on a travellift.

You then should block up the keel after the trailer is out.

******************************

Another possibility is a pair of ramps on which you can raise the
trailer by towing it with the car. Then block up the boat and get the
trailer out.

HTH


Rodney Myrvaagnes J36 Gjo/a

The meme for blind faith secures its own perpetuation by the
simple unconscious expedient of discouraging rational inquiry.
- Richard Dawkins, "Viruses of the Mind"

I was thinking that if the boat was on a cradle I might still be able to
slide (or roll) it around if I needed to. Most people at the boatyard
around here use a wood or steel cradle and only jack posts during the
summer for temporarily working on the boat after hauling.
Almost every one builds a cradle so they can slide the boat around.
Large "sled runners" on the bottom of the cradle allow this and also
allow running a pipe under things to act as a roller. The ground here is
soft and will freeze and thaw numerous times between now and Spring and
I don't to deal with things getting soft. Right now the ground is raock
hard. in thre weeks it will get soft.
But I understand your idea that I need to support the rear of the boat
at two points and then lift the front. I was thinking there must be a
sequence to follow to make it all go smoothly like build the rear
uprights for the cradle, jack the rear up, put them under the boat, jack
the front up,temporarily prop it up to get the trailer out, build and
put up the front of the cradle, then attach the two ends with X's..Mabey
you've helped me think this through. Thanks.

BruceM wrote:
Why use a cradle at all?
Over here all the pro cray boats (australia) just use props on the hard
stand over winter.
Is there any keel sticking out the back of the trailer? Get a hydraulic
truck jack & lift it maybe 2 inches & sit it on a stand. (or big block of
hardwood with maybe 1inch of softwood on top of it)
Next use two posts of the type they use in hard stand areas that can be
adjusted to take the weight & place these EXACTLY opposite (adjacent?) the
stand.
Now try to find a place towards the front of the trailer where you can place
the hydraulic jack to lift the front of the boat just clear of the trailer.
Insert two posts eather side of the front & make sure they clear the
trailer. Once off the jack you can work the trailer forward until it is out
or maybe you need to reposition the posts a second time.
When the trailer is nearly clear put another stand under the front (keel) &
when it has the weight on it insert your posts.
Try to have a person watching the posts at all times you are doing this job
as they might have to adjust up or down to maintain stability.
Most here with 45 to 60ft boats have 3 or 4 stands & use at least 6 posts &
this is stable enough while they remove engines, redo anti-fouling etc, etc
BruceM


"steveJ" wrote in message
...

I have a 24 ft ballasted sail boat sitting on a trailer that needs some
work on it.(the trailer, not the boat) I want to put the boat on a
cradle and drive the trailer to a shop that works on such things. The
boat is about 8 ft wide and has a two ft shallow shoal keel and weighs
mabey 3000 lbs total I'm guessing. My question is, short of hiring a
crane, what is the most efficient procedure for putting this boat on a
cradle where it sits? What is the best cradle design? I Prefer wood
since I don't have a welder. If it was summer, I'd launch the boat and
bring the trailer to the shop but the lake will be solid till March and
I plan on doing some major restoration to the boat this summer anyway
and probably don't want to launch it this season. Besides, the trailer
is so poor as it is that hauling to the water is too iffy.




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Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.572 / Virus Database: 362 - Release Date: 27/01/2004

Boat jack stands are definitely in short supply around here.
I have lots of trees and a chainsaw though. I wanted to put the
boat on a cradle/sled with heavy runners made of two logs (because I
have about 1000 of them)so I could slide it around. But my second
choice would be Pressure treated timbers so they don't rot.

You might also get away with very large blocks of foam, instead of
jack stands. I've seen a number of boats put up for winter with just
blocks of foam.

Not sure where I would get such a material. I was thinking I should use
the materials I have here. Wood, trees, bolts,pressure treated lumber etc.

Pivoting the trailer down in the front is a useful suggestion. Thanks

RichG wrote:
Consider the following:
Rent/buy/borrow some regular boat jack stands. I have no idea what the right
number is, but a visit to any boat yard will give you more information than
I can. Just look at all of the boats on stands for work or storage.

LOWER the front of your trailer with the trailer jack. Your stern will now
be higher than normal. Place two or more jack stands at the stern. RAISE the
front of your trailer with the trailer jack...place additional jack stands
where needed. When you have the boat standing on all jack stands, the
trailer will be free. Then go back and by using additional jack stands,
raise and lower the front of the boat, inserting the "extra" jack stands
where needed; while gradually removing the trailer from under the boat.



Warning. I have NOT personally done this, but have read it as a solution to
your problem a number of times. Do a Google search and see what you get,
and I'll bet a number of solutions will be the above process. RichG

Another method that I have certainly not tried...is to:
Build your cradle in one foot or 18 inch segments....then.....
tie the boat to a very stout tree..
Drive the trailer forward a foot....
slip your cradle portin A under.....
drive another foot, and on and on.
I don't know if I would try it..but you could then bolt the sectioned cradle
together. As you say, you got trees, trees, trees, and bolts...Seems like
that would work. RichG