JumbleDuck
Well-Known Member
It's not safe. They just get away with it.
Boat falls off cradle killing owner at Weymouth
- Thread starter Sybarite
- Start date
It's not safe. They just get away with it.
lw395
Well-Known Member
That's a pretty stupid generalisation.
You know better than that.
It's perfectly safe, if the boat can't move.
It needs to be done intelligently by people who understand whether the boat can move or not.
Lots of yachts beach with two legs.
Cradles have four legs for redundancy, so you can drop one.
dom
Well-Known Member
Those who believe they possess the engineering knowledge and accurate cradle specs to safely drop a prop may nevertheless contravene the regulations of the marina. As a consequence the boat owners own insurance may be invalidated.
Here are some extracts from Premier's T&Cs:
Here are some extracts from Premier's T&Cs:
"You must observe and perform these Regulations..
"You will be responsible for all actions, proceedings, claims,damages, costs, expenses, losses and liabilities caused byor arising from any damage or injury suffered by any personor to any property where it was caused by an act, failure toact or omission by You...
"Once your Boat is ashore You must not alter or interfere with any of the props, boat cradles or boat supports."
"You will be responsible for all actions, proceedings, claims,damages, costs, expenses, losses and liabilities caused byor arising from any damage or injury suffered by any personor to any property where it was caused by an act, failure toact or omission by You...
"Once your Boat is ashore You must not alter or interfere with any of the props, boat cradles or boat supports."
lw395
Well-Known Member
Indeed.
That was true 15 years ago when I had my boat at Moody's.
But when required, they'd send a chap who knew what he was doing to drop the leg for you, or whatever, depending on what the cradle or propping consisted of.
It's much the same as not letting the customers fiddle with the jacks in a garage.
A lot of people are capable of jacking up their car, but quikfit aren't going to let anyone do so on their premises.
JumbleDuck
Well-Known Member
OK. It's not necessarily safe, but when it isn't they normally get away with it.
He wrote, in a thread about a man who was killed when he lowered one of four legs and his boat fell on him.
JumbleDuck
Well-Known Member
I taught both structural analysis and 3D kinematics to engineering students for twenty years, and do not consider myself qualified to drop props. People who think it's easy simply haven't realised how complicated it is.
NormanS
Well-Known Member
Blimey! What qualifications do you think boatyard blokes have?
dom
Well-Known Member
‘
Probably why in the yards I know they are authorised to remove/alter the position of additional wooden poles in suitable weather conditions, but never touch the cradle pads while a boat is in them.
Probably why in the yards I know they are authorised to remove/alter the position of additional wooden poles in suitable weather conditions, but never touch the cradle pads while a boat is in them.
JumbleDuck
Well-Known Member
Experience. And props, so the boat is always additionally supported.
Tomaret
Well-Known Member
“My” yard only uses wooden props and wedges for all the boats and has done for 53 years. The T&Cs ban the use of cradles. I can’t say whether it’s without incident because I’ve only been there since 2002 but clearly it’s not an inherently unsafe system. If it was, I’d expect my insurer to exclude cover whilst the boat is propped ashore, which they don’t. There are plenty of insurance inspired signs around so I guess the yard’s insurers are happy with the arrangements. The lads in the yard move props on request, seemingly with no problems. With maybe 100 boats in the yard, over so many decades, the stats don’t suggest that they are just lucky.
oldharry
Well-Known Member
If you believe that, try taking a leg off a chair and tell me whether its still safe to use. Small wonder the yards make such an issue about it!
lw395
Well-Known Member
The three legged stool is a time-honoured concept.
Actually I don't think I know of any yards making an issue of cradle legs being lowered, the issue is letting clueless customers fiddle with the cradles.
lw395
Well-Known Member
Yes.
I met plenty of lecturers in electronics who I wouldn't trust to wire a plug or put the battery in a torch.
newtothis
Well-Known Member
This is probably a clueless question, but hey ho.
Is it not possible, when a boat is propped up, to put another prop alongside an existing one, then remove the first one so that where the first one was can be anti-fouled, painted, etc?
Is it not possible, when a boat is propped up, to put another prop alongside an existing one, then remove the first one so that where the first one was can be anti-fouled, painted, etc?
Poignard
Well-Known Member
It is. However, it works best when the three legs are spaced equidistant around the edge of the stool
penberth3
Well-Known Member
It is. However, it works best when the three legs are spaced equidistant around the edge of the stool
Yes, exactly. Which is not the same as a four-leg cradle with one leg lowered.
lw395
Well-Known Member
It is. However, it works best when the three legs are spaced equidistant around the edge of the stool
A true physicist was once said to be someone who could not discuss a three legged stool without mentioning (at length) stools with a) one leg, and b) infinitely many legs.
The world is full of cretins who cannot see if their boat is likely to be blown over.
Sad really.
Resolution
Well-Known Member
The real point here is that cradles SHOULD be designed so that one leg at a time can be dropped safely, and antfouling completed properly. But I can still see that marinas / boatyards will want this to be done by their staff, not a random selection of owners.
.