Levitating a 14' boat
 

Need to replace my trailer's bunk carpet/liner/fabric whatever it's called.
At all the ramps around here, it's too busy to park a boat for the time
it'll take to do the work on the bunks. Anyone know a good way to levitate a
500 lb boat for about 2 hours? I do not have access to a garage whose
rafters are strong enough to do interesting things with pullies.

If you actually have a suggestion, then my question is serious.

If you do NOT have a suggestion, then my question is NOT serious.

Levitating a 14' boat
 

Doug,

I can understand that some folks wouldn't want you to leave
your boat tied to the dock while you did this, but would there
by any chance be an area near the ramp that you could 'beach'
the boat or anchor it out a few feet from shore while doing
the work? That is, providing no one would have a problm with
you leaving the boat there for a while. Also, it would be a
good time to verify the condition of the wood that you want to
recarpet. Another alternative and actually what I did was to
use an automotive hydraulic jack (using wood between jack and
boat) to lift the boat enough to shift it to one side of the
trailer. I then removed the opposite side support to recarpet.
Then repeated procedure for opposite side. Should be a lot
easier to do this with a 500 lb boat than it was with my old
tri-hull. :^)

-Jim



Doug Kanter wrote:
Need to replace my trailer's bunk carpet/liner/fabric whatever it's called.
At all the ramps around here, it's too busy to park a boat for the time
it'll take to do the work on the bunks. Anyone know a good way to levitate a
500 lb boat for about 2 hours? I do not have access to a garage whose
rafters are strong enough to do interesting things with pullies.

If you actually have a suggestion, then my question is serious.

If you do NOT have a suggestion, then my question is NOT serious.

Levitating a 14' boat
 

Find a sailboater, or large powerboater who uses jackstands. Place 4 around
the boat and lift it up, pull the trailer out and do your thing.

I'm in Rochester, and just happen to have Jackstands, so send me a note if
you want to use them. Above Address is good.


"Doug Kanter" wrote in message
...
Need to replace my trailer's bunk carpet/liner/fabric whatever it's
called.
At all the ramps around here, it's too busy to park a boat for the time
it'll take to do the work on the bunks. Anyone know a good way to levitate
a
500 lb boat for about 2 hours? I do not have access to a garage whose
rafters are strong enough to do interesting things with pullies.

If you actually have a suggestion, then my question is serious.

If you do NOT have a suggestion, then my question is NOT serious.

Levitating a 14' boat
 

"Jim" wrote in message
...
Doug,

I can understand that some folks wouldn't want you to leave
your boat tied to the dock while you did this, but would there
by any chance be an area near the ramp that you could 'beach'
the boat or anchor it out a few feet from shore while doing
the work?

There WAS, at one launch, but there's some construction equipment in the way
at the moment. Fortunately, I just began seeing bald spots in the bunk
liner, so I have a little time before it absolutely has to be done.


That is, providing no one would have a problm with
you leaving the boat there for a while. Also, it would be a
good time to verify the condition of the wood that you want to
recarpet.

Yeah...I've got two pieces of wood already cut to size and drilled, just in
case. In theory, this could be a one hour job. In theory. :-)

Levitating a 14' boat
 

"Doug Kanter" wrote in message
...
Need to replace my trailer's bunk carpet/liner/fabric whatever it's
called.
At all the ramps around here, it's too busy to park a boat for the time
it'll take to do the work on the bunks. Anyone know a good way to levitate
a
500 lb boat for about 2 hours? I do not have access to a garage whose
rafters are strong enough to do interesting things with pullies.

If you actually have a suggestion, then my question is serious.

If you do NOT have a suggestion, then my question is NOT serious.



You have to have a strong Cleric or Wizard with Levitation +5, at least
(maybe level 10 or so). They are cheap in England! Hard to find in America.

Levitating a 14' boat
 

"Doug Kanter" wrote in message
...
"Jim" wrote in message
...
Doug,

I can understand that some folks wouldn't want you to leave
your boat tied to the dock while you did this, but would there
by any chance be an area near the ramp that you could 'beach'
the boat or anchor it out a few feet from shore while doing
the work?

There WAS, at one launch, but there's some construction equipment in the
way
at the moment. Fortunately, I just began seeing bald spots in the bunk
liner, so I have a little time before it absolutely has to be done.


That is, providing no one would have a problm with
you leaving the boat there for a while. Also, it would be a
good time to verify the condition of the wood that you want to
recarpet.

Yeah...I've got two pieces of wood already cut to size and drilled, just
in
case. In theory, this could be a one hour job. In theory. :-)



Send the family or friends out for a 60 minute tour. Takes very short time
to change the bunks. If just the carpet, even less. On my boat, I beached
it at a lake, and removed the broken bunk and the good bunk, and with my
battery powered drill and a socket wrench screwed the lag bolts into the
pre-carpeted bunks. Took maybe 45 minutes total. Otherwise, jack up the
boat on one side and put stands under it. Change the buck, and lower boat
onto bunk. Repeat on other side.
Bill

Levitating a 14' boat
 

A 500lb boat is really not that bad. If you have a driveway, all you need is
a standard 1 ton rolling hydraulic car jack, some concrete blocks, and some
2x4 lumber.

1. Start by placing chock blocks on the wheels.
2. Place your jack with a wood block cushion dead center at the stern. Jack
it up until the boat is 1 inch off the trailer.
3. Place blocks on the stern port & starboard corners using a 2x4 as a
cushion from the concrete block. (you may have to jack it up higher
depending on the space required to clear the trailer)
4. Place the jack with wood cushion somewhere dead center, so you can move
the trailer forward a few feet at a time.
5. Keep repeating this process until the boat is more than half way off.
6. Place a concrete block with wood cushion dead center right at the end of
the trailer.
7. The boat is now supported by 3 points.
8. Carefully remove the trailer.
9. Support the boat with 2 more blocks & cushions as far aft as possible.
You can just use the 3 blocks, just make sure no one decides to climb
onboard.

I have done this with 5000lbs boats, it's a bit scary, but if you take your
time you should be fine.

If you are afraid that the boat is way too high off the ground...you can
always use the same technique to lower the boat closer to the ground. I do
suggest however that you do this on a flat grassy surface whenever possible.
(just in case)

Jim Rojas




"Doug Kanter" wrote in message
...
Need to replace my trailer's bunk carpet/liner/fabric whatever it's
called.
At all the ramps around here, it's too busy to park a boat for the time
it'll take to do the work on the bunks. Anyone know a good way to levitate
a
500 lb boat for about 2 hours? I do not have access to a garage whose
rafters are strong enough to do interesting things with pullies.

If you actually have a suggestion, then my question is serious.

If you do NOT have a suggestion, then my question is NOT serious.

Levitating a 14' boat
 

Considering how my 14 yr old son's been behaving lately, I could also put
HIM under it, just in case it falls off the blocks.

"Jim Rojas" wrote in message
...
A 500lb boat is really not that bad. If you have a driveway, all you need
is
a standard 1 ton rolling hydraulic car jack, some concrete blocks, and
some
2x4 lumber.

1. Start by placing chock blocks on the wheels.
2. Place your jack with a wood block cushion dead center at the stern.
Jack
it up until the boat is 1 inch off the trailer.
3. Place blocks on the stern port & starboard corners using a 2x4 as a
cushion from the concrete block. (you may have to jack it up higher
depending on the space required to clear the trailer)
4. Place the jack with wood cushion somewhere dead center, so you can move
the trailer forward a few feet at a time.
5. Keep repeating this process until the boat is more than half way off.
6. Place a concrete block with wood cushion dead center right at the end
of
the trailer.
7. The boat is now supported by 3 points.
8. Carefully remove the trailer.
9. Support the boat with 2 more blocks & cushions as far aft as possible.
You can just use the 3 blocks, just make sure no one decides to climb
onboard.

I have done this with 5000lbs boats, it's a bit scary, but if you take
your
time you should be fine.

If you are afraid that the boat is way too high off the ground...you can
always use the same technique to lower the boat closer to the ground. I do
suggest however that you do this on a flat grassy surface whenever
possible.
(just in case)

Jim Rojas




"Doug Kanter" wrote in message
...
Need to replace my trailer's bunk carpet/liner/fabric whatever it's
called.
At all the ramps around here, it's too busy to park a boat for the time
it'll take to do the work on the bunks. Anyone know a good way to
levitate
a
500 lb boat for about 2 hours? I do not have access to a garage whose
rafters are strong enough to do interesting things with pullies.

If you actually have a suggestion, then my question is serious.

If you do NOT have a suggestion, then my question is NOT serious.

Levitating a 14' boat
 

"Doug Kanter" wrote
At all the ramps around here, it's too busy to park a
boat for the time it'll take to do the work on the bunks.

Easy: Call up a trusted friend and say, "How would you like to go boating
for a few hours this afternoon while I work on my trailer?"

Levitating a 14' boat
 

"Joe Blizzard" wrote in message
...
"Doug Kanter" wrote
At all the ramps around here, it's too busy to park a
boat for the time it'll take to do the work on the bunks.

Easy: Call up a trusted friend and say, "How would you like to go boating
for a few hours this afternoon while I work on my trailer?"



That's actually a really good idea. This is what I get for doing 198 things
at once while at work. It keeps me from dealing with important stuff, like
boat issues.