Reasonable????

J

Jaguar 25

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After unsuccessfully trying to sell my Jag 25 I am considering other options and one is to move it elsewhere (to avoid the £2500 pa charges at Liverpool Marina) but requires road transport. Blue Point Marine who are responsible for boat lifts at Liverpool Marina yesterday quoted £305 for lift out, mast lowered (prep by myself) and jet wash prior loading onto transporter. That's made up of £192 for lift out, £68 to lower mast (they require me to do the prep for this) and £45 for a jet wash.

Seems quite outrageous to me and significantly more than it was two years ago when I arrived. Makes me wonder about using a trailer to recover and man-handling the mast down,
 
I've man handled a mast down off a 32ft boat. I lost control at the last moment so it had bit of a fall for a few feet but was undamaged. Lowering a mast off a 25' boat should be straightforward especially if you can make use of a larger yacht alongside.
 
I've did the mast on my first 25 footer twice a year, use a ladder to control the down force once it gets past about 25-30 deg off vertical. I've also dome the masts on my 31' ketch a couple of times, but I am getting older & weaker these days. Dylan has regularly done his own masts too. It's not rocket science, especially if there is a pivot bolt in the base. Totally different situation if keel mounted.
 
Price doesn't seem outrageous, although of course I'm comparing against south coast prices.

We used to take the masts down on our 24 footer every year as a matter of routine. With the right gear (admittedly including a tabernacle, but not a big one) a mate and I could lower the mainmast without any stress or struggle.

Pete
 
The lift cost is high but if there is no local competition there is little alternative for most. Recovering to a trailer if you have on is possible but difficult unless you are well set up for it. Is the boat a lifting keel version? The mast is the easy bit, get yourself moored between 2 larger boats and use a halyard from each onto a strop that goes up to the cross trees. take the weight, disconnect rigging, lower gently. Easy to control and nice and safe.

Yoda
 
where are you going to take the boat,why do you need to take it out of the water, dropping the mast is easy you need four/five people and a rope (we usually use a halyard) I,ve never kept my boat at a marina , and seeing those charges I now know why.Kieron
 
Would have thought transporting by road would have dwarfed the lift out costs anyway. If you can go by sea there's quite a few places around the Wirral you can get out. The associated sailing clubs usually use tractors or chip in for a crane - and should be able to help with moorings too.
 
obmij said:
Would have thought transporting by road would have dwarfed the lift out costs anyway. If you can go by sea there's quite a few places around the Wirral you can get out. The associated sailing clubs usually use tractors or chip in for a crane - and should be able to help with moorings too.
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That was an option but we have settled on Windermere so that we go any time to sail.
 
Jaguar 25 said:
After unsuccessfully trying to sell my Jag 25 I am considering other options and one is to move it elsewhere (to avoid the £2500 pa charges at Liverpool Marina) but requires road transport. Blue Point Marine who are responsible for boat lifts at Liverpool Marina yesterday quoted £305 for lift out, mast lowered (prep by myself) and jet wash prior loading onto transporter. That's made up of £192 for lift out, £68 to lower mast (they require me to do the prep for this) and £45 for a jet wash.

Seems quite outrageous to me and significantly more than it was two years ago when I arrived. Makes me wonder about using a trailer to recover and man-handling the mast down,
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The lift-out charge seems high (compared with east coast marinas), but the mast work seems cheap and the jetwash about right. Swings and roundabouts. You were presumably aware of their boatyard charges when you chose Liverpool Marina, so the best route might be to pay up and find somewhere cheaper. I'd be cautious about DIY unstepping of the mast.
 
If you have a couple of helpful neighbours on the pontoon, take a halyard from each of their masts, round a strop that pulls up to your cross trees, the quietly free your shrouds and forestay. You can slacken the back stay but leave it in place. Take the weight and guide the mast foot forward and lash onto the boat.

We do this at our clubs with about 40 masts annually. About 5 ~ 10 mins a mast.

When raising the mast in the same way, don't forget to put a line on the strop.... so you can get it down from the crosstrees!
 
Spirit of Glenans said:
When I kept a 27-footer in Malahide ,2017-2012, they charged about €150 each way for lifts. The jet wash on lift out was included. I never got the mast lifted while there, but they charged, AFAIR, about €70 for that. Annual contract, (in water or on hard), was approx. €2.2k, so the prices you mention seem pretty exorbitant to me.
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Just had a quote for a lift off a transporter onto the hard standing at Low Wood on the noth shore of Windermere for a mere £300!
 
I've raised and lowered Avocet's mast (mast is about 30' tall) with about 4 people. Trick is to get a ladder in the cockpit and lower it on to the ladder so that for the last bit (where it gets close to horizontal) the load isn't being taken on the forestay. Roller Reefing extrusions make it more difficult, of course. As others have said, maybe (especially at this time of year) you can ask a local club if you can share a crane? I think there's a club at Fiddler's Ferry.
 
With respect to the helpful advice being offered regarding masts - the issue is the cost of the liftout, and now it seems the lift back in.

Easiest just to stump up the cash and get on with sailing. Unfortunately they have you over a barrel, same place you'll find most of us..

If you're planning on moving her again, might be worth buying a trailer and taking her out via a slip? You can also rent trailers for a reasonable price. Not sure there are any suitable for yachts in the NW though.
 
obmij said:
With respect to the helpful advice being offered regarding masts - the issue is the cost of the liftout, and now it seems the lift back in.

Easiest just to stump up the cash and get on with sailing. Unfortunately they have you over a barrel, same place you'll find most of us..

If you're planning on moving her again, might be worth buying a trailer and taking her out via a slip? You can also rent trailers for a reasonable price. Not sure there are any suitable for yachts in the NW though.
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Yes, I am looking for a trailer. There are a couple on Gumtree for just over a £1000 and you could say that I get £300 off if I use it to take my boat out of the water! I need it anyway for winter storage on the hard standing in the Lakes.

Thanks for all the advice.
 
I've tried manhandling the mast on a 24 footer and it was OK, though for peace of mind the more hands the better - and a ladder to catch it at about 45 degrees, then lower the ladder away (much more secure). On the 28 footer, the weight is just a little too much, tried a sheerlegs type hoist, but the blocks gave out, the legs twisted and the whole kit landed a little heavily...

Here's where the lateral thinking came in (not mine). Local lad said, he'd get the mast lowered and restepped for me at £25 each way. The driver from the scrap yard parked his hiab truck alongside and did a fine job of it without a scrape or scratch, even getting the mast dead plumb on restepping. For him it was a night out paid for and he was only ten minutes late for his tea. Not only is he skilled in using the crane, his experience tells him its quicker to do the job right and take his time.

Rob.
 
There is a big difference between a trailer suitable for yard use and a road-going trailer. A big difference.
Plus a Jaguar 25 on a road trailer will be a fair old weight to move. The boat weighs 1950kg plus the trailer and extra gear fitted. Do you have a vehicle suitable?
Why Low Wood out of interest? Surely cheaper to have a swinging mooring and keep her ashore at Ferry Nab in the winter. Plus they have a mast crane for mooring holder's use.
 
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