After the passerelle problem now the crane - help anyone

Whitelighter

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So the pas works (yay) but isn't really designed to lift the tender.
I'm pretty certain it's a retro fit so I'm not sure the transom is man enough to take it, as I think Ferretti wouldn't have strengthened it as they give you a crane for heavy lifting.

Thing is, the crane is not very well. It rotates but on lift or lower it makes a horrid grinding noise and feels like it's a gearbox mech destroying itself.

I have no idea who made the crane, the manual doesn't day and isn't at all detailed on what sort of maintenance or access can be granted.

Anyone know who made this crane and how I might get into it.
The manual does say all the Pistons and mechanism are hidden

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I suspect that crane was designed to lift a jet ski out of the 'spoiler' (Ferretti speak for the lazarette under the bathing platform) which is why it has a 200kg capacity and which is probably a higher capacity than the pasarelle. Having said that, the pasarelle must be rated for at least one fat bloke ie 100kg minimum (probably more) so IMHO you'd be fine lifting a RIB with a moderately sized o/b motor which is probably going to weigh about 60-80kg. Is there a rated capacity marked on the pasarelle or in the instruction manual?

As for the crane, its probably powered by an electric motor and gearbox and it probably hasn't been greased in a very long time. Try taking the circular plate off and spread some grease around inside. As this is a Ferretti you can probably bet that the crane was made by an Italian company like Besenzoni or Opacmare but whether they'd carry spares for a unit of this age is another matter

You might try calling Ventura, the Ferretti agent in London, to see if they can help
 
The crane is definitely designed to move the tender, it shows in the manual how to launch the tender etc etc.

The pass has a lift limit of 200kg at full extension (so the plate says) but - it was not installed by Ferretti so I don't know what if any additional strengthening is in place in the transom.

The mechanics for the crane are under the swim platform in the spoiler locker.
 
Here is the limited information Ferretti provide for the crane:

image.jpg

And a drawling showing how it is supposed to be used to launch the tender:

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There is no way my spoiler locker will take even a stand on jet ski if 1990s vintage so I doubt that was really a consideration.

Google translate makes a reasonable go of translating that page. It looks like all of the drive system is under the crane
 
Well the good news is that the crane is hydraulic not electric which means that any local hydraulic repair shop should be able to repair the components. It looks like the lifting function is done by a hydraulic cylinder in which case it is possible that the grinding noise you are hearing is a sticking piston or shaft seal or possibly, as per your pasarelle, a malfunctioning solenoid valve. Maybe SC has a hydraulic technician that could check out the cylinder or recommend a nearby hydraulic shop?

I still think you could lift the dinghy with the pasarelle. If Hurricane can stand on the end of it without the thing collapsing then you can lift a RIB with it (sorry Mike;))

As regards the jetski, I'm pretty sure that the F150 was configured to carry a small jetski in the spoiler. When I was looking at a F150 I remember seeing a drawing showing a jetski down there but yes I agree the space doesn't look big enough to carry a jetski
 
Ferretti's 150 Fly used to be standard delivered with a passarelle electric, or hydraulic optional.
Most early 150s I know of had an electric passarelle by Besenzoni no lifting capability and not telescopic,
The passarelle used just to make an up and down movement with a remote.
The crane was used to lift both a tender and jet bike under the platform, if the model you have had space for this (jetbike). 150 had not, the 165, 175 and 185 had jet bike capability under the bathing platform.

The hydraulics of the time and vintage Ferretti had to be made I suppose by Besenzoni. Bes was working exclusively (or most of) for Ferretti throughout the 80s and 90s.

If a hydraulic passarelle is made to lift 200 kg it can lift the tender up that weight. If retrofitted you have to check behind if reinforcements have been done correctly.
If you do not have GRP experience yourself, I suggest you check with some local GRP guy about this.

A friend of myn in Malta did the job or replacing the electric passarelle, with a hydraulic passarelle (350kg), and in the process remove the crane and covered the hole with GRP.
 
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As regards the jetski, I'm pretty sure that the F150 was configured to carry a small jetski in the spoiler. When I was looking at a F150 I remember seeing a drawing showing a jetski down there but yes I agree the space doesn't look big enough to carry a jetski
I've only been onboard a F150 many years ago, so I'm far from claiming to remember for sure.
But looking at this Seralia pic posted in the other thread, it popped to my mind that the swim platform is overhanging for about half of its width, i.e. much more than in most following Ferrettis.
Glad to stand corrected by Jez if I'm wrong, though (both on this point and on the following train of thoughts, of course).
Otoh, if I'm right, the opening hatch with a reasonably deep space underneath is probably just the one closer to the stern, between the tender chocks and the passerelle cylinder.
And that is what, half a meter wide, maybe? Not enough for a jetski anyway, I reckon.
Bottom line, are you sure it was of a F150 the drawing you mentioned?
Even assuming that in Jez boat something is different being hull #1 of that model, I can't think of how they could make that space wider later, if my thoughts are correct...

Regardless, what is actually more important is another thing also shown in this pic, i.e. that whoever installed the passerelle did a good job, for what I can see.
In fact, attaching the cylinder to the swim platform rather than to the stern means that most of the load is taken by that point, because while lifting the rib, the point where the passerelle is attached to the stern is actually loaded upward (!), and there shouldn't be any twisting load on the stern.
So, no matter how weak the stern can be (and I don't think Ferretti ever built boats with a weak stern - let alone back in those years!), as long as the cylinder base is strong enough, I agree completely with Deleted User that the passerelle can work just as well to lift the rib, up to its max rated load.

Coming to think of it, I would even consider the easiest way to solve any crane trouble: just remove it completely, and be done with it...!
Before going that route, I would just check for any potential structural problems with the passerelle, but that's not difficult:
just open the platform hatch and stay there looking/hearing for any movements (also underneath).
Then ask someone to stay on the tip of the passerelle fully extended, possibly creating higher load by stepping up and down, and see what happens.
My money is on nothing - nothing critical, at least. :encouragement:

PS: I wrote my post before reading the previous one from PYB - it seems that my thoughts weren't so silly after all, phew! :)

DSC06808_Small_zpsabk4yo33.jpg
 
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That's great info, pyb.

One thing I would say is that, subject to getting the local grp and hydraulics people to check the functionality of the crane and its reinforcement I would be inclined to keep the crane as an authentic feature and not worry about trying to fix things so as to be able to use the passarelle for moving the tender around.
 
from the vast experience of fixing 70ies stuff on MiToS, I'd be impressed if it's anything a dismantle, check, change of seals and greasing wont fix :p

I'd also keep it (but use the passerelle if it's more convenient for the rib.


BTW, Jez, can we have (probably on the other thread) some pics of the rolltop (not really) that shades the aft part of the aft deck (you know the thing protruding from the f/b deck) as I'm very much interested in finding a similar solution to shading the last half meter of my aft deck...

cheers

V.
 
jez the discription of the sound your crane is making remembers me exactly to the problem we had last year,
on ours, it was the horizontal movement that gave a grinding and cracking noise,
turned out to be totally corroded bearings of the vertical shaft
This winter the local mechanics gave our crane a total rebuild,
It was a tough job disassembling all the corroded and sticky metal parts, you need a good mechanice with a good toolshop for that. The hydraulics is just a minor part.
Our crane has no brand, I believe it is a local (Fiumicino) made custom thing.

the model of your crane made me think that it could be a Sanguinetti Chiavari:
http://sanguineti.com/en/yacht-boarding-equipments/tender-lift/boat-davit-crane/

but on most older cranes and passerelles they used fairly standard parts, so you don't need the orriginal manufacturer,
find a good mechanic in SC
 
That's great info, pyb.

One thing I would say is that, subject to getting the local grp and hydraulics people to check the functionality of the crane and its reinforcement I would be inclined to keep the crane as an authentic feature and not worry about trying to fix things so as to be able to use the passarelle for moving the tender around.

To be honest I like those cranes, they gave Ferretti of the time a certain authenticity, and unless I would want to put a bigger tender I agree with you completely.
 
So by way of an update:

We finally got the top plate off to reveal the internal mechanics.
It is in fact avert simple device - big ram up the middle which pushes up on the top mount, the whole assembly pivots around a bottom mount which consists of a rod through a mount with I assume a bearing or just packed grease surrounding it.

I think it's this pivot which is causing the friction. It's not obvious how to get at that area as it sat the bottom of the casing and access from the top is restricted
 
I've only been onboard a F150 many years ago, so I'm far from claiming to remember for sure.
But looking at this Seralia pic posted in the other thread, it popped to my mind that the swim platform is overhanging for about half of its width, i.e. much more than in most following Ferrettis.
Yes you're right, Mapism. Actually I still have an original Ferretti specification sheet for the 150 and it shows a windsurfer stored in the spoiler, not a jetski. It seems that it was not until the 480 was introduced that the hull was lengthened under the bathing platform and sufficient space created for a jetski

So, no matter how weak the stern can be (and I don't think Ferretti ever built boats with a weak stern - let alone back in those years!),
Oh yes they do! When I bought my F53, I was quite shocked how much the transom flexed when the pasarelle was used, so much so that I mentioned it to the dealer who supplied the boat. He told me that all F53s were like that and he showed me another F53 to prove his point. Actually in the case of the F53, apparently those F53s fitted with a moulding for the optional 2nd crew cabin at the stern were much better in this respect. I looked into getting the area around the pasarelle mounting beefed up but the yard I asked to look at it said that there was no actual grp damage in the area so why bother. Anyway there was no damage for the 4yrs that I owned the boat so I suppose the transom design was strong enough

Coming to think of it, I would even consider the easiest way to solve any crane trouble: just remove it completely, and be done with it...!
That would be my first thought but I think PYB has a good point. It does add to the authenticity of the boat and also if the pasarelle ever should fail (and they do) it gives another method for recovering the RIB
 
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