How to lift a yacht

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kidwell

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I am looking for guidelines on how a vessel should be lifted on a hoist or a boat-shifter/handler, especially with reference to the angles that a yacht should/shouldn't be carried at. Could anyone please point me in the right direction?

Many thanks

David
 
Really depends on what vessel it is, ie, mobo- shafts or outdrives
raggy-fin, long or bilge keel?
wood? grp?
 
I would say best lifted with strops fore and aft of keel with spreaders fore and aft of mast (if still stepped)
The people doing the lifting will know the best way to do it
 
Unless this is a DIY job it isn't really something to loose sleep over, as the crane operator will (should) /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif have lots of experience in the art of lifting boats of all shapes and sizes.

Is it going in or coming out?
Mast up or down?

Going in - no problems with arranging strops, just a case of getting the balance about right.
Mark where the strops 'bend' over the tow rail.

Coming out - a mental picture of any protrusions aft of the keel is useful.
Again - Mark where the strops 'bend' over the tow rail.
 
Other than extreme daft acts, I think the only really important thing is not to compress the hull. This sometimes happens on a crane when the slings go under the hull and then all come to a single point at the crane hook a few metres above the coachroof. When this happens, there are big inwards forces generated and these can crack the GRP. It is best to have transverse "spreaders" about the same width as the boat between the sling tops so that this can't happen. Either that or have the slings meeting a very long way above the deck (say, at masthead height!)

On a purpose-built boat lift this is rarely a problem as the slings are held apart at the top by the lift frame itself.
 
Ahh Col

Your comment on the people doing the lifting should know has hit the nail on the head! They didn't and water ran back from the exhaust and KOed the engine. Hence I am now looking for 'offical guidelines' which give a warning about tipping yachts at angles when ona hoist or boat shifter.

Cheers

David
 
Lady in Bed

many thanks for your response, whilst really useful could I ask you to look at my response to Col's answer?

Many thanks

David
 
I don't understand this. Surely they haven't tipped the boat anymore than it would pitch when out on the water?
 
I'm with Joe Cole on this, there is clearly something wrong with the exhaust set up if a crane/lift had that effect. But everytime I've seen a boat lifted - i guess must be getting on for over a hundred, they have been lifted level.
 
Oh dear!

I don't think Ican help on this one! As has already been said, unless the thing was standing on its nose, I'd be extremely surprised if, in a well designed installation, this should be an issue. Because of the shape of Avocet's keel she's early always a bit nose-down when lifted and it hasn't caused a problem. Is it possible that there is some other fault at work? I guess to ruin the engine, the engine must have stopped with the exhaust valve open (nothing unusual there) and the water in the gooseneck / muffler / exhaust tubing must have run back up the exhaust, up the manifold and into the cylinders but at 13m and 55 horses, surely you're not direct-cooled? Maybe others with more expertise can advise you better but I'm wondering whether there is a problem with you engine / exhaust / anti-syphon arrangement that this has highlighted?
 
Who diagnosed that water from exhaust caused the problem, and what reasons did they give. As others have said, this would be happening all the time while you are sailing in anything other than a flat calm with the engine off.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Ahh Col

Your comment on the people doing the lifting should know has hit the nail on the head! They didn't and water ran back from the exhaust and KOed the engine. Hence I am now looking for 'offical guidelines' which give a warning about tipping yachts at angles when ona hoist or boat shifter.

Cheers

David

[/ QUOTE ]


Noah!???? Is that you?
 
If water ran back from the exhaust into the engine when the boat was lifted then, as others have said, you must have a bad problem with your exhaust system.

I cannot imagine a yacht in the slings of a lift or crane angled at such an angle that such a problem could be reasonably expected to be foreseen. Perhaps the experience has given you a warning of what could (is likely to?) have happened at sea and so accept the warning with thanks.

John
 
Fremantle Maritime Museum has John Sanders record breaking circumnavigation yacht on display in the main hall at about 45 degrees nose down. it is cllaimed that it reached that attitude many times while sailing.
To see the 50 ft boat now, is quite alarming. I can't imagine your boat reaching this kind of angle in a lift. It would be just too scary for any crane operator to allow. So highly it is unlikely any ccrane operator could get your boat to an angle approaching what it should cope with at sea. olewill
 
Crane operator should know what he's doing but don't rely on that. I once had to stop one from lifting 'cause he was running a sling under the prop shaft. Once it's been properly lifted, it's a good idea to mark the sling positions with stickers or paint.
 
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