Lock up your cradles

samwise

Well-Known Member
Joined
6 Dec 2001
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1,523
Location
Suffolk
kalessin-of-orwell.blogspot.com
Went down to the marina to check the cradle at the week-end ready for imminent haul out and found that some kind soul had nicked the L shaped pins that retain the sliding adjusters for the pads. Fortunately I had taken the pads home. Jacobs turned up trumps and have provided a set of pins FOC, delivered to the marina.
They tell me that this sort of "borrowing" is my no means uncommon and components removed include bottlescrews and frame parts. Apparently a complete cradle was nicked by some lads who turned up with a truck, loaded on and were away. Bearing in mind they now cost £1200 plus and a good secondhand one fetches £700-£800 they were on a winner.

I had stencilled the boat name on all parts of the frame and the pads, but not the bottlescrews. After last week they too are inscribed. I bought the cradle last year and so have not had the experience of leaving it sans boat. Next season I will make sure to strip off everything easily nickable, even if it is marked. Anyone else had problems like this?
 
Some years ago the marina yard guys were tidying up, put a load of scrap metal, near my cradle which was dismantled, yes you've guessed it, when the scrap man collected, my cradle went too!

The marina now provide me with one of their cradles FOC as long as I'm there. Be about another 20 odd years I reckon.
 
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