Propping a yacht

[Norman_E]

The "34 yachts blown over" thread has comment on the merits of steel cradles vis-a-vis wooden props, and there are horrific photos of a large motorboat very badly propped. (Props vertical, not braced together and too few of them)
this photograph shows my yacht propped at Yacht Marine in Marmaris. The props are correctly set to a slight "lean in" from vertical, and were placed by the marina crew after tapping the hull to determine where the internal bracing would take the load. Some of the yacht cradles I have seen have a narrower base than this arrangement of props, as well as supporting the boat at only four places, which may or may not coincide with internal bracing.

 

[Cloven]

Quite agree with above. Our marina yard does all the fin keel yachts like this and also insists on mast down for all yachts whether fin or bilge. In fact the yard is very reluctant to allow people to use their own cradles and will often supplement a cradle with additional propping.

Yard is West Coast of Scotland and winds in excess of 100 mph occur every winter at some point without damage.

 

[starboard]

My yard at Troon do a superb job off blocking off, use thier own solid props and all tied together with many timber battens. They will not allow storage with mast up unless in specific types of steel cradles....They have some of thier own manufactured steel cradles and it would take a major earthquake to move these..........I can only remember about 2 occasions during the last 20 years when a boat has blown over and that was during the 2000 hurricane when wind speeds were sustained at over 100kts for 4 hour duration.....gusts were to 140kts!!!

Paul.

 

[Norman_E]

The wind strengths you get in Scotland show that propping can be safely done. Where we are the winter storms do get up a bit, but not to any where near those wind speeds so masts are left up but all sails have to be removed. I am having mine valeted and winter stored by UK Sails in Marmaris.

 

[jonathankent]

Thats how the yard I use do it. They do leave all the masts stepped though. It is in a valley though so wouldn't get the full force of the wind I suppose.

Hopefully pics like yours, and the posts so far, will relieve some people of the view that this method isn't strong enough.