Moving a boat.

[john_morris_uk]

A friend needs to move a yacht from a yacht transport trailer into a barn. The door of the barn is high enough for the yacht to pass under but doesn’t allow for a crane jib to lift the boat in. The only idea I’ve got so far is a rigid cradle and rollers. Any other ideas? The yacht is long keeled and we estimate about 9 tonnes. We have a tractor available for pulling/pushing. To further complicate matters, the ground is compacted hardcore so not perfectly smooth.

He’ll hire a crane to lift the boat off the transporter.

 

[Fr J Hackett]

It really needs a wheeled transporter that is used to move and launch boats with a tractor in yards that don't have boat lifts. Fabricating one would be expensive and I doubt you could persuade a yard to hire or loan one even if near enough. Putting what might be a flimsy cradle with 9 tonnes of boat on rollers seems a bit sketchy, if you do it make a substantial sub-frame or base for the cradle and if possible substitute the rollers for some substantial wheels but that's all getting complicated and expensive.

 

[[70521]]

I'd suggest the same as @Fr J Hackett, but with a slight modification if he has the clearance.

A cradle set up on a low flatbed trailer.

 

[Blueboatman]

9 tons is going to require a fairly stout modified or built up cradle and rollers.


I’ve done it the old way with skid boards, pulleys and a wooden cradle with supports and tackles to the chainplates of the long keeler. Back in the day..
But the fact that the question is being asked says this is impracticable.

So in the absence of a competent welder, time, RSJs and large timbers and scaffold tube…

You need a hydraulic boat mover Manitou type attached to the front of a tractor. As Hackett suggests but some farms do have them too. Are you on a farm?

Or.. take the tin roof and 2 or 3 steel trusses off the barn and let the crane drop the boat in ?
Not always such a daft suggestion as it might at first seem.

Or invest in a trailer for the boat
and then the expense of modifying the barn doors and opening heights and just roll her in and out.

Or. Leave the boat outdoors alongside the main barn and simply build a temporary barn lean to over it. Probably simplest

 

[Daydream believer]

Put the boat in a cradle. Easy to knock up with some scaffolding & scaffold clips off a couple of runners.with cross beams to carry the keel
If you do not know how get a scaffold contractor in to make it for you
Lay 2 RSJs on the ground. Dig them in to reduce height & use scaffold poles as rollers. Probably need 4 RSJs so you can move them along as you go.
I suspect timbers instead of RSJs may be too soft but cheaper & more readily available
A lot depends on the cradle. It will require long runners on the underside to run on the rollers.

To make the cradle I would suggest 2 light RSJs about 12-15ft long laid about 6-7 ft apart
Across those would be lots of 8 ft poles at 4-6 inch centres to carry the keel & clipped to the RSJs-
Need to be close to carry 9 tonnes but it is only a short distance & only for a short while.
Just keep the 2 RSJs close together to keep the span down but not so close that the boat tips over
4 of the poles would be longer to match the width of the boat
Attach uprights to these poles with braces to hold in place
A couple of diagonal braces
That is the cradle made
That sits on rollers which sits on the RSJs I mentioned above
A lot of scaffolders have this stuff in their yard if you go to a decent one
As a builder i would have had it without going to a scaffolder

 

[RunAgroundHard]

Use two HiHabs booms down the side of the boat, between the door posts and boat and lift via a pair of slings. Short slings longitudinal bar through sling loops each side. Retract booms and place boat on trailer.

I lifted a 10T boat with a HiHab at full extension, but no over head restrictions, with low height slings. The HiHab only lifted about an inch off the ground and moved the boat with a high degree of control.

 

[john_morris_uk]

9 tons is going to require a fairly stout modified or built up cradle and rollers.


I’ve done it the old way with skid boards, pulleys and a wooden cradle with supports and tackles to the chainplates of the long keeler. Back in the day..
But the fact that the question is being asked says this is impracticable.

So in the absence of a competent welder, time, RSJs and large timbers and scaffold tube…

You need a hydraulic boat mover Manitou type attached to the front of a tractor. As Hackett suggests but some farms do have them too. Are you on a farm?

Or.. take the tin roof and 2 or 3 steel trusses off the barn and let the crane drop the boat in ?
Not always such a daft suggestion as it might at first seem.

Or invest in a trailer for the boat
and then the expense of modifying the barn doors and opening heights and just roll her in and out.

Or. Leave the boat outdoors alongside the main barn and simply build a temporary barn lean to over it. Probably simplest

Interested in the skid boards method as she’s long keeled with legs.

He’ll probably go down the heavily built cradle with RSJ’s welded as a base. Then use rollers.

 

[john_morris_uk]

Use two HiHabs booms down the side of the boat, between the door posts and boat and lift via a pair of slings. Short slings longitudinal bar through sling loops each side. Retract booms and place boat on trailer.

I lifted a 10T boat with a HiHab at full extension, but no over head restrictions, with low height slings. The HiHab only lifted about an inch off the ground and moved the boat with a high degree of control.

Great tip. Do you mean Hiab?

 

[Daydream believer]

Why 2 HIABS? - it will need a big HIAB (25tonne ?to lift 9 tonnes at the reach needed) into a barn
2 HIABS means 2 vehicles with legs extended. How does one get those in the doorway?
25 tonne Hiabs are available my friend has one in his building business for moving plant & site containers

 

[Blueboatman]

Interested in the skid boards method as she’s long keeled with legs.

He’ll probably go down the heavily built cradle with RSJ’s welded as a base. Then use rollers.

That’ll work.

If he’s clever he can sit the long keel between two longitudinal RSJs with 3/4 plate tabs welded across them on the bottom flange to support the keel
Thus the boat is now as close to the ground as possible less the thickness of the tabs and flange. And then weld other RSJs laterally out to a couple of other longitudinal to complete the box plan form.
Or, the old way was a bunch of sleepers strapped, dogged or angle bracket bolted to two long wooden runners like a sledge ! Which worked.
Build up a couple of angle braces fore and aft per side and a really stout pole upright in line with each shroud and going up higher above the shroud. And then by attaching a couple of main sheet /vang tackles made off between the shroud chain plate and the top of the stout pole, you have a pretty stable cradle and support system that will take a surprising amount of bend, wobble push and incline as you push the sled into the barn using a long smaller RSJ hooked onto the front of the tractor as a push stick ! Or a pulley block and cable anchored at the dead end of the barn..

This is all pretty much how heavy stuff was shifted around before the advent of cranes, travel lifts , hydraulic tractor trailer rigs , overhead gantries and chain hoists, sky hooks ( and there were accidents too , of course as ever)

Sounds like a longer term restoration your mate is planning in a controlled environment ?
Good luck

 

[westernman]

Or.. take the tin roof and 2 or 3 steel trusses off the barn and let the crane drop the boat in ?
Not always such a daft suggestion as it might at first seem.

 

[Fr J Hackett]

What if it's a thatched roof barn.

 

[Blueboatman]

What if it's a thatched roof barn.

Over to you.
More to the point, what’s the boat?

 

[ylop]

Have a look at the Ran sailing channel on YouTube. They are building a massive 50fter in a barn with minimal clearance. If you can find the video where they take the boat out the shed, turn it over, put it back in. Might give you ideas. They were moving on gravel outside the shed.

 

[john_morris_uk]

Over to you.
More to the point, what’s the boat?

Sadly I understand that taking the roof off isn’t practical.

I’m sworn to secrecy over the boat as it’s of some historical interest and he’s currently in negotiations and there are very good reasons for it not being made public. If the sale goes through all will be revealed.

For other reasons, I can’t go into the boat is unlikely to see the water again for several years.

 

[zoidberg]

Based on experience of moving a Wharram Pahi 63 (two hulls temporarily close-joined ) from a shed some 30 yards out into the open.... and similar daft exercises over the years, I'd suggest consideration of this:

Run a series of horizontal scaffolding poles as rails - 4 pairs in parallel - straight into the barn/final location.
Lift the boat from trailer onto a Jacobs Cradle Jacobs Yacht and Boat Cradles set squarely on rails in front of barn. Use a HIAB crane/scaffolding plus chain hoists.
Ensure the poles/rails are all well greased BEFORE cradle is positioned on top.
Winch the structure into final position. Chain hoists as pullers work well.

N.B. rollers on ply sheets proved impracticable. Too much friction/point loading penetrated the 1/2" ply. Above 'skid' method was remarkably easier.

 

[Fr J Hackett]

Based on experience of moving a Wharram Pahi 63 (two hulls temporarily close-joined ) from a shed some 30 yards out into the open.... and similar daft exercises over the years, I'd suggest consideration of this:

Run a series of horizontal scaffolding poles as rails - 4 pairs in parallel - straight into the barn/final location.
Lift the boat from trailer onto a Jacobs Cradle Jacobs Yacht and Boat Cradles set squarely on rails in front of barn. Use a HIAB crane/scaffolding plus chain hoists.
Ensure the poles/rails are all well greased BEFORE cradle is positioned on top.
Winch the structure into final position. Chain hoists as pullers work well.

N.B. rollers on ply sheets proved impracticable. Too much friction/point loading penetrated the 1/2" ply. Above 'skid' method was remarkably easier.

I can see that working with a small overlap of the scaffolding poles and welding the cradle onto a subframe. Polish the rails up first to get rid of the rust make the subframe in two pieces but joined above the lower pieces that will be the skids ( reduces friction)

 

[Blueboatman]

Sadly I understand that taking the roof off isn’t practical.

I’m sworn to secrecy over the boat as it’s of some historical interest and he’s currently in negotiations and there are very good reasons for it not being made public. If the sale goes through all will be revealed.

For other reasons, I can’t go into the boat is unlikely to see the water again for several years.

Ooh exciting
Best wishes

Sounds like it’s worth doing it right then.

A really solid, part steel frame/cradle, preferably one where all parts can be individually unbolted as he makes progress and demands access all over, this could be a worthwhile investment of your chums effort and skill then.

 

[john_morris_uk]

Ooh exciting
Best wishes

Sounds like it’s worth doing it right then.

A really solid, part steel frame/cradle, preferably one where all parts can be individually unbolted as he makes progress and demands access all over, this could be a worthwhile investment of your chums effort and skill then.

Agreed. He’s taking it seriously and is taking courses at the Boat building Academy.

 

[RunAgroundHard]

Why 2 HIABS? - it will need a big HIAB (25tonne ?to lift 9 tonnes at the reach needed) into a barn
2 HIABS means 2 vehicles with legs extended. How does one get those in the doorway?
25 tonne Hiabs are available my friend has one in his building business for moving plant & site containers

Because there is no room to fit a boom, as per the OP No 1, between the boat and the top of the door. So you need a boom down each side to lift below door height. I have no idea of the room available but my own boat was between two Porta Cabins and the 25T HiHab and the transporter managed to position themselves to get the boat out.

Thinking about it further, dragging it out would be easier, and a method I have used to get containerised offices under overhangs on ships, would be to use Hillman Rollers (or equivalent) and place under the keel after jacking up the keel. Steel plates could be used on the ground. Power Mats can be used with air pressure to lift high enough to get the rollers under, or jacks. Obviously the boat would need to be stabilised from falling over sideways.

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