moving a boat with out the aid of water .

Captain Coochie

Captain Coochie

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Ive seen a great project , a 27ft seamaster 1960s type .
Its been compleatly gutted and the inboard is in bits so its going to take a while to get up to scratch . So i was thinking if i can get it into my front garden it would be easier to work on and no mooring fees /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
The problem is if i hire a trailer how do i get the boat off the trailer and then back on when the job is done without having to hire a crane ?
I dont really want to buy a trailer as they cost a fortune .
Any ideas ?
Jason .
 
Contact MajorCatastrophe as he has just done this,I would direct you to the relevant posts but as he is one of the more profligate posters the mere mention of his name caused the search engine to go tits up!
 
We used to do it with long strong thick planks wider than the trailer, blocks and a couple of jacks each year in Club compound.

Basically you jack up one end of boat .... pass plank through and block off ... jack up other end of boat ... pass plank through and block off. Take out trailer. You now have choice .... You can add blocks to make all secure at this height - knowing that trailer can return under for taking her away, or you can little by little jack her down onto lower blocks.

Word of advise ... do it in small increments up each end and also when lowering. You do not want boat to "slide" due to an angle set-up fore-aft.

Note - that with trailer that has open frame work - you can jack inside the framing. If trailer doesn't have open framing suitable ... you can actually have one end of plank on blocks and other end on jack ... so that you only jack up one end of plank lifting the boat. Then block of etc.

It's not so hard once you work out the sequence ... just takes a little time and patience. Don't rush it.
 
Ahhh good plan , thanks .
And thanks to lakesailor too /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Now ive gotta find a trailer hire bloke , is there such a thing ?
 
13.5 ton ! - need good planks / sleepers ....

With one larger boat we did it with blocks inside the trailer framing. We felt that planks / sleepers were not strong enough. So we jacked up via one slot in trailer ... blocks in other slot. Did same at other end. Moved trailer few inches till near touching blocks. Moved jacks and jacked up ... moved blocks .... moved trailer ... jacked again etc.

OK its inch by inch .... but once you get 2 guys in rythym on this - you'd be surprised how well it goes.

All the above though assumes a boat with biilge-keels or MOBO etc.
Long keels etc. unless you have a good area of hull ahead of and astern of the keel to lift via - you are better of with the crane.
 
Trailers ....

There are often trailers for sale in Boats and Outboards, Boats for sale etc.

It may be better in long run to get own trailer - then you have winter options instead of yard fees etc. I picked up a 4 wheel trailer for my Snapdragon 23 in the yard where we were doing repairs to her for £400. Lasted me 5 years and sold on to a haulage guy later when I sold the boat.

(To get round missus about having a girt big trailer stuck in garden ... explain that you can box in sides and floor it out - then its a big refuse trailer for carrying all her garden stuff to the tip etc....... well worth a try !! /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif)
 
[ QUOTE ]
but as he is one of the more profligate posters the mere mention of his name caused the search engine to go tits up!

[/ QUOTE ]

Steady on, old chap. I hardly utter a word.

2/10 for a poor LakeSailor attempt seaspray111

This post

and this one

and this one

has the pictures and words.

But, you do need six boat stands as at one point you need four nearer the back whilst you extract the trailer. But, as I have two heavy outboards at the back, the balancing bit was easy.

I did this all by myself and for legal reason, I don't advise you to attempt what I did. (Disclaimer)

I first tried using a trolly jack to lift the boat, but the wheels on it and the lack of a straight vertical lift meant it kept slipping.

In the end I used a 2 ton bottle jack and made a V shaped wooden bed to fit the shape of the keel. I simply lifted the boat and adjusted the stands as I went, moving the trailer forward. It took three lifts and shifts to get the trailer out and most of the day as I spent a lot of time just staring at it trying to work it all out in my brain before attempting the next move. It is a six mug of tea job, at the very least.

EDIT. I agree with Nigel. Buy a cheap trailer it will probably be cheaper that the heavy duty boats stands you will need and it is safer.
 
Re: Trailers ....

A trailer would save alot of hassle and i didnt know you could get them so cheap . The problem i have is im great at making thing but crap at looking at things like trailers and seeing if they are about to fall apart or not /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif
Any ideas what size trailer id need for a 27 ft , 9 ft beam , 2.5 ton boat ?
 
Re: Trailers ....

Best is to go online with the mags and search their adverts >>...

Boats For sale

Boats and Outboards

I was lucky at my price - basically a guy had launched his Voyager and sailed it from Solent to East Coast. That left the trailer at the yard. Bill was mounting up and I was offered it for moving my boat out to home .... in the conversation I found out I could buy .......

I assume its a MOBO .... so shouldn't be hard to find something suitable. Then all you need is an old Land-rover to drag it around.
 
Re: Trailers ....

I only found out about the boat today so i got the stats from HERE
I took a measurement of the boat and it came out at 26.6ft but there was a goose nesting with an egg on the top so it could have been 26 /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
Re: Trailers ....

As long as boat sits on trailer balanced and doesn't exceed its rating ..........

2.5 tin does sound like all-up weight in working form. But lets put it this way - you expect to do her up and get her back to glory - so better to work on 2.5ton and not the weight she is today...... minus the egg of course.
 
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