First time lifting.

[Graham_Wright]

I have a bilge keeler never been lifted since delivered as a bare hull.

Where to put the slings? Major weight is aft (the engine), no anchor chain (but could be added).

I am nervous about her slipping.

The other concern is the underwater fittings. The engine cooling water intakes are well aft but there is the hole (blanked!) for the log and two depth transducers forward.

I've seen videos of boats slipping out of their slings and would like to avoid same. Is it best to use spreaders or bring the slings together at the point of attachment to the crane hook? The crane is a thirty five tonner (at 8 metres) and a very long extension.

 

[nrcoyle]

I do the slinging for our sailing club lift out.

You didn't say if you have dropped the mast, we always have the masts down so the following may not be applicable if there is a mast to consider as well.

For bilge keelers we tend to sling just in front and behind of the keels, or slightly further apart to get a flat lift, we do not use a lifting frame so the slight inward pull of the slings if anything will tend to move the slings together rather than letting it fall out. The largest/heaviest boat we lift is a westerly Konsort using this approach.

 

[Seajet]

My boat is in her 40th season, so this must be her 80th lift coming up - and I still get nervous !

Make sure the slings don't go over and crush any paddlewheel log etc.

The only risk with slings is the forward one sliding up the curve of the forefoot; if in doubt tie the forward and aft slings together, just one side will do.

She'll be fine. :encouragement:

 

[Praxinoscope]

At our club we lift out and lift in on average 40 boats on one day each season, about 25 of them are bilge keelers, varying in size from 18’ to 34’. The slings for most of them seem to settle perfectly just fore and aft of the keels.The smaller boats 18’ - 22’ usually don’t need spreaders, but anything larger spreaders help to avoid damage to the ‘bits’ at the top of the mast.
In over 30 years of being on the lifting team we have never had any boats slip in the slings, as the angle of the slings from the hook tends to pull them towards the keels.
The crane driver will should have plenty of experience so will be able to give advice,.
One thing you may find helpful need to do for the aft sling is, if she is on a drying mooring, to run a rope from one side of the boat under the hull to the other side making sure it avoids your prop, so that you can drag the aft sling under the hull. Not so easy to do if on a non drying mooring, but if you can do this it avoids the risk of the aft sling lifting on the prop.
If you post what your boat is you may find that other owners can give you some specific advice of the optimum lifting proceedure for your boat.

 

[Graham_Wright]

I do the slinging for our sailing club lift out.

You didn't say if you have dropped the mast, we always have the masts down so the following may not be applicable if there is a mast to consider as well.

For bilge keelers we tend to sling just in front and behind of the keels, or slightly further apart to get a flat lift, we do not use a lifting frame so the slight inward pull of the slings if anything will tend to move the slings together rather than letting it fall out. The largest/heaviest boat we lift is a westerly Konsort using this approach.

Mast has been removed and will sit in a cradle on the hull once loaded onto the trailer.

 

[Graham_Wright]

One thing you may find helpful need to do for the aft sling is, if she is on a drying mooring, to run a rope from one side of the boat under the hull to the other side making sure it avoids your prop, so that you can drag the aft sling under the hull. Not so easy to do if on a non drying mooring, but if you can do this it avoids the risk of the aft sling lifting on the prop.

That is a great piece of advice. It's very obvious but only when someone has offered it! Boat is to be lifted off the hard, delivered to the yard by trailer and launched (or dunked according to inspection!).

It begs the question of how to position the slings when lifting out of the water although I guess lower well aft and then brought forward should serve.

If you post what your boat is you may find that other owners can give you some specific advice of the optimum lifting proceedure for your boat.

The boat is a Countess 33, twin bilge, centre cockpit.

 

[Deleted member 36384]

I did not use spreader bars on very long slings, and they still pinched the teak gunwale, it all had to be removed and refastened. At first it was not noticeable but on close inspection one could see the gaps clearly on the outside, where the teak had been squeezed into the centre line. I would always use a spreader bar. If you don't have any type of cap rail then perhaps you could getaway with it.

 

[prv]

It begs the question of how to position the slings when lifting out of the water although I guess lower well aft and then brought forward should serve.

Yes, just give it a few seconds to sink properly and then pull gently forwards from on deck. It should be pretty obvious if the aft sling has hung up on the rudder or prop, in which case just lower it a little further and try again.

Since you're starting on the hard it wouldn't hurt to make some small marks at the gunwale to indicate the proper positions. The standardised hook symbol stickers on the outside of the aluminium toe-rail (if present) will be crystal clear for any travelift operator in the boat's future, but any old marking that you know about will do.

Pete

 

[Graham_Wright]

Yes, just give it a few seconds to sink properly and then pull gently forwards from on deck. It should be pretty obvious if the aft sling has hung up on the rudder or prop, in which case just lower it a little further and try again.
Pete

I meant before lifting i.e. when the boat is in the water.

 

[Praxinoscope]

Mast down makes life a lot easier, looking at the unwater profile your biggest problem is getting the aft sling under your rudder and forward of the prop, if you can get a rope slung under the hull just aft of your keel it makes life easier if you can drag one end of the sling with the rope. But if you can’t then the allowing the sling to sink and drag it forward is the other option.

 

[prv]

I meant before lifting i.e. when the boat is in the water.

So did I

In the yard there's no need to wait for the slings to sink

Pete

 

[Praxinoscope]

Maybe I mis understood is the boat in the water or on the hard?
If on the hard it’s easy peasy.

 

[prv]

Maybe I mis understood is the boat in the water or on the hard?
If on the hard it’s easy peasy.

On the hard now, but he's also considering how to lift her from the water in future.

Pete

 

[Graham_Wright]

On the hard now, but he's also considering how to lift her from the water in future.

Pete

In future,I anticipate that the yard will be experienced in positioning slings.

The advice received has ben valuable. The boat is being moved by a friend (properly equipped, licenced and insured) but inexperienced with boats.

I am led to the conclusion that I should go for slings attached to a point lift but maybe, spread horizontally to avoid squeeze. There is no toe rail as such and, at the forward sling there is a transverse bulkhead. There is not one at the aft sling position.

 

[VicS]

In future,I anticipate that the yard will be experienced in positioning slings.

The advice received has ben valuable. The boat is being moved by a friend (properly equipped, licenced and insured) but inexperienced with boats.

I am led to the conclusion that I should go for slings attached to a point lift but maybe, spread horizontally to avoid squeeze. There is no toe rail as such and, at the forward sling there is a transverse bulkhead. There is not one at the aft sling position.

IF you use long slings and a 4 legged chain set as in my photo below you will not need spreader bars. ( Meon Valley Crane hire, owner/ operator now retired, working in Paynes boatyard)

Take the opportunity to record, and mark, the position of the slings for future reference when lifting from the water.

Undo the guard rails .. saves having to thread the slings between or under them.

 

[Graham_Wright]

IF you use long slings and a 4 legged chain set as in my photo below you will not need spreader bars. ( Meon Valley Crane hire, owner/ operator now retired, working in Paynes boatyard)

Take the opportunity to record, and mark, the position of the slings for future reference when lifting from the water.

Undo the guard rails .. saves having to thread the slings between or under them.

That's the way I was thinking. I note the after sling is abaft the skeg not the keel. That would seem to cope with the engine weight better. The crane has sufficient height to achieve those angles.

 

[Deleted member 36384]

IF you use long slings and a 4 legged chain set as in my photo below you will not need spreader bars.

Vic, that is very similar in length to my lifting arrangement and on a 41' yacht with 11' beam at 10 tonnes, the teak cap rail was displaced by the compression force. It is therefore possible to damage cap rails if a spreader bar is not used. Just below by teak cap I have moulded in rubbing strake, so the slings were even being held off the gunwale slightly. Teak cap rail protruded about 1.5 to 2cm.

 

[Tranona]

Unusual to have the sling that far aft. as already suggested the normal location is just in front of the keel which is also usually around the forward bulkhead and mast step then aft of the keels around the front of the engine.

As you are starting from the hard it is sensible to have the crane driver lift to check the fore and aft balance and reposition the slings to get it right if necessary. Then mark the lift points - you can buy the little stickers from most chandlers.

It is very rare for well balanced (both weight and shape) boats like yours to slip - most of the disasters you see are V bottomed MOBOs which are not only badly balanced fore and aft but cunningly shaped to slide out of slings!

Built a boat once for a Gulf State harbour authority. Slipped out of slings on first launch. Nice profitable job to build a replacement boat and the original was salvaged and rebuilt locally! Suspect somebody had an interest in dropping it!

 

[Praxinoscope]

I think Tranona has a point, the stern sling looks too far back for a balanced lift, the bows look high compared to the stern.
I woukd normally expect the stern sling to be more forward and near the stern of the keel.
But ir might be that there was a particular reason the crane driver decided to have the slings in that position.
It certainly is well worth marking your lifting points when the best position for the slings has been determined, I have marked the toe rail on my boat where the slings should settle.

 

[VicS]

Vic, that is very similar in length to my lifting arrangement and on a 41' yacht with 11' beam at 10 tonnes, the teak cap rail was displaced by the compression force. It is therefore possible to damage cap rails if a spreader bar is not used. Just below by teak cap I have moulded in rubbing strake, so the slings were even being held off the gunwale slightly. Teak cap rail protruded about 1.5 to 2cm.

I dont think the Op's boat has cap rails