Lifting boat with forklift?

[Highndry]

I'm lucky enough to have a friendly farmer that will let me overwinter my Hunter Medina in his dryer. I kept her there for a couple of weeks when I first bought her home in the Spring and now that the season is ending, I will trailer her back from Rutland to the same spot. Fantastic place to work on her over the Winter.

However, it has occurred to me that if I build a wooden boat cradle, in theory I could get the farmer to lift her from the trailer and move her with his Manitou forklift. It would allow me to have the keel lowered while she's laid up and make working on the interior easier.

I'm thinking of the forks being under the boat (rather than supporting a sling) and from side to side rather than lengthways.

What are the issues? Will the hull stand being lifted on just two metal forks?

Is it any different to sitting on the rollers on the trailer or drying on a shingle beach?

 

[35mm]

I don't think the forks would be long enough, and the whole thing could be very unstable.

 

[ghostlymoron]

I had my Mirage 28 lifted by a Manitou telehandler forklift. I wouldn't do it without slings as you'll damage the boat.

 

[electrosys]

It's possible to buy or make fork extensions - they're frequently used for unloading large sheets of steel from delivery lorries ... but I wouldn't use 'em for lifting a boat with - too much concentrated stress, and there could also be stability issues.

A friend (publican in farming country) used to use 2 x fork lifts either side, with slings between - but that was a 1 ton Corribee.

 

[Avocet]

+1. I lifted our old Leisure 17 with a fork lift but used slings. I agree that the two "point" loads on the fibreglass (even disregarding any stability issues) would be likely to put some stress cracks in there. Maybe if you used soft wood, covered in a lot of carpet, on top of the forks, you'd get away with it, but slings would be better.

 

[Highndry]

A friend (publican in farming country) used to use 2 x fork lifts either side, with slings between - but that was a 1 ton Corribee.

I should be OK on that score, the Manitou telefork has a lifting capacity of at least two tons (that's the smallest in their range) and the Medina is a similar weight to the Corribee. Slings might be the best way to go, I just wondered if it might be possible to do it without them.

 

[sarabande]

the options are a lift from abeam or along the hull. (Cs of G at 1.2 and 3.3m respectively)

The (current) small Manitou is capable of lifting 2.5 tonnes at 3.3 metres, so it looks as if the Medina (1.1 tonnes and about the equivalent to a dense bale of sileage or a large bale of straw) could be lifted in a suitable sling - depending on the configuration of the forks and the stability and angle of the ground.


Of course, the farmer may have an earlier version

 

[35mm]

A farmer friend of mine helps me out from time to time with boats and other stuff. Just a word of advice. Do not listen to him when he says, "Na na na id'll boy foyne loy'at!" Use slings!

 

[testmonkey]

Across the pond many boats are stored in rack & stack storage shelves and put in water using forklifts for every usage. Nothing wrong with using a forklift. Have a look here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7oKg0LoG2Q

and looks like this system has arrived in the UK as well - see Gosport Marina dry stack storage

 

[35mm]

Across the pond many boats are stored in rack & stack storage shelves and put in water using forklifts for every usage. Nothing wrong with using a forklift. Have a look here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7oKg0LoG2Q

and looks like this system has arrived in the UK as well - see Gosport Marina dry stack storage

They have rack storage here as well, but they fork speedboats in and out as they have flatter bottoms and the C of G is right at the back under the engines.

 

[Tranona]

and looks like this system has arrived in the UK as well - see Gosport Marina dry stack storage

Actually been here for years. Two boat stacks in Poole have been operating for at least 15 years.

 

[Highndry]

No problem with the ground, this will all be happening indoors on the concrete floor of the dryer. I can tow the trailer around by hand in there!

I'd best start building the cradle. Seajet let me have a look at the rough plans for the one he uses on his Anderson and with a few adjustments I think they'll do the job for me too.

 

[ProDave]

Your motivation for lifting it off the trailer seems to be to allow you to lower the keel.

I would say do this ONCE. and while the boat is off the trailer, do some modifications to it so that you can lower the keel with the boat on the trailer.

This is what I have done to my own trailer, though it took two tries (to winters) to get it right. I had overlooked something on my first attempt, but it's about right now.

 

[rob2]

I was trying to think this through, but the devil is in the detail and only you know the details! Slings with spreader bars will give you a safe lift without crushing the hull. Using the forks direct onto the hull is probably a non-starter as they will only make contact at two points, whether you go transverse or lengthways. It's alright on a planing hull, but sailing boats are far more curvaceous. The other problem is ensuring that the forks will not be trapped either on the trailer or cradle when trying to transfer the load.

As you say the farmer is a mate, you may be able to borrow slings, etc. from a sailing club midweek as many only lift at weekends - but they may require you to indemnify them as certified lifting gear is expensive.

Rob.

 

[Highndry]

Your motivation for lifting it off the trailer seems to be to allow you to lower the keel.

I would say do this ONCE. and while the boat is off the trailer, do some modifications to it so that you can lower the keel with the boat on the trailer.

This is what I have done to my own trailer, though it took two tries (to winters) to get it right. I had overlooked something on my first attempt, but it's about right now.

My RM trailer isn't the original as designed for the Medina and even if I did make adjustments, I don't think it would be high enough off the ground to take the keel all the way down.

 

[rob2]

If you were to have a slot for the keel to drop through, the trailer could be towed up onto ramps (car type) to increase the clearance. With a single axle trailer, the wheels will sit cradled between the rungs so it won't be inclined to roll off. Mind you, it rather complicates blocking off the trailer for safe working, but a pole with a ball to fit in the towing hitch and a wooden brace under the back should do it. You would also need to lock the ramps against being pushed along by the trailer wheels - I could never get the rear wheels of a Mini to climb on unless the ramps were up against the kerb.

Rob.

P.S. Oops - just looked at the RM trailers and there are far too many crossmembers to do this!

 

[Lakesailor]

I'd best start building the cradle. Seajet let me have a look at the rough plans for the one he uses on his Anderson and with a few adjustments I think they'll do the job for me too.

I really doubt it will be as good as an Anderson cradle

 

[colhel]

if you are going to use slings on a fork lift, don't just wrap the slings round the forks, there are hook attachments for this. Makes it much more stable.

 

[Jim@sea]

I had a Manitou Fork Lift for 10 years you can get fork extentions which should go under the boat, depending how wide your keel is. I would have no hesitation in using a Manitou now. I would have thought that either side of the keel is the strongest place. Make sure you have a rope from the side of the boat to the Manitou mast in case it starts to roll.

 

[Chalker]

This is the plan for a wooden cradle for a 26 footer.

Might give you some ideas.

http://www.hallberg-rassy.com/hr26/hr26_wintercradle.shtml