Should I have my boat lifted by an undersized travelift crane?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Deleted User YDKXO
  • Start date Start date
D

Deleted User YDKXO

Guest
My boat weighs 44t according to the manufacturer's technical data. I've always been a bit sceptical about whether it actually weighs this much because it's considerably more than any other boats of similar length from other manufacturers but if I take that figure as being accurate and add a couple of tons of fuel and another ton for the SWMBO's clothes and shoes, the boat weighs 47t. The marina where the boat is currently moored has a travelift gantry crane which has a max rated capacity of 40t. They're very keen to do the winter maintenance on my boat and they're insisting that they've lifted bigger and heavier boats than mine with this travelift and actually I have had this confirmed by somebody else in the marina. The nearest yard with a larger travelift is 60nm away and whilst I have made a provisional booking to have my boat lifted there, obviously it would be more convenient to have the boat lifted in my home marina.
What does the panel think? I haven't spoken to my insurance co yet but I think I know what they'll say
 
Z
Deleted User said:
My boat weighs 44t according to the manufacturer's technical data. I've always been a bit sceptical about whether it actually weighs this much because it's considerably more than any other boats of similar length from other manufacturers but if I take that figure as being accurate and add a couple of tons of fuel and another ton for the SWMBO's clothes and shoes, the boat weighs 47t. The marina where the boat is currently moored has a travelift gantry crane which has a max rated capacity of 40t. They're very keen to do the winter maintenance on my boat and they're insisting that they've lifted bigger and heavier boats than mine with this travelift and actually I have had this confirmed by somebody else in the marina. The nearest yard with a larger travelift is 60nm away and whilst I have made a provisional booking to have my boat lifted there, obviously it would be more convenient to have the boat lifted in my home marina.
What does the panel think? I haven't spoken to my insurance co yet but I think I know what they'll say
Click to expand...
Will your Marina take the liability Mike?
 
What's the maximum amount of money you think you could make from the film of a Ferretti 630 being dropped onto concrete?
 
Is that net tonnage or GRT? For both the boat and the travel lift.

I wouldn't chance it personally as their insurers (may) and yours will wash their hands of liability if you go ahead. Yes they may have got away with it many times before but that reduces the odds against your lift. Plus if they have been exceeding the limits on the travel lift what has been weakened.

Ignoring the calculations to achieve the Safe Working Loads for my comments...

W.
 
Mike there is no question about a good condition 40t hoist lifting 47t of boat as a matter of physics and engineering because they have a safety factor of something like 3.

The safety factor is there for a reason of course. It's contingency for a defect in the gear or some weird combination of events. Suppose it drives over a drain pipe that collapses and the two back wheels drop 6 inches sharply - 1/2g deceleration will create a load of 70t, and so on. That's what the 3x is for

If it fails, even due to a maintainance defect that would have caused it to fail with a 30t boat, your insurer won't be rushing over with a cheque. Sure you might have a claim on thr marina but I doubt it because you will have consented to their action. And anyway it is all irrelevant because they may not be able to afford it. Their insurers won't pay of course.

I wouldn't do it. The risk/reward is way out of balance IMHO. Sure I'd do it with my car because I'd just buy another, but buying another boat is too much of a financial dent (aka retirement delay) IMHO!
 
An absolute no no. Despite there being a safety rating built onto the lift which means the yard are right, it will probably do the job fine, if anything goes pear shaped everybody will run a mile leaving you out of pocket with a damaged boat.
 
Deleted User said:
My boat weighs 44t according to the manufacturer's technical data. I've always been a bit sceptical about whether it actually weighs this much because it's considerably more than any other boats of similar length from other manufacturers but if I take that figure as being accurate and add a couple of tons of fuel and another ton for the SWMBO's clothes and shoes, the boat weighs 47t. The marina where the boat is currently moored has a travelift gantry crane which has a max rated capacity of 40t. They're very keen to do the winter maintenance on my boat and they're insisting that they've lifted bigger and heavier boats than mine with this travelift and actually I have had this confirmed by somebody else in the marina. The nearest yard with a larger travelift is 60nm away and whilst I have made a provisional booking to have my boat lifted there, obviously it would be more convenient to have the boat lifted in my home marina.
What does the panel think? I haven't spoken to my insurance co yet but I think I know what they'll say
Click to expand...

You could offset the damage by taking a video and getting £250 from It'll Be Alright on the Night.........:)
 
jfm said:
I'd expect it's neither. It will be weight, as in displacement. Neither nt nor grt are measures of weight, despite the use of the word "tonnage"
Click to expand...
Absolutely +1.
If PilotWolf would have asked about the boat, I would have just wondered why.
But since he asked also about the hoist, "WTF?!?" is what actually sprung to my mind.... :p

PS: +1 also on all your other comments, fwiw.
 
Last edited:
Thanks for replies, guys. You're right, of course, and it would be stupid of me to risk doing this. Looks like I'm going to get a 60nm winter cruise next weekend
 
As a hoist operator and a boat owner I would not do it!

If you go any further on this one check rating of hoist tons or tonnes and condition and rating of slings, they are marked on a sew in label at one eye.

Unless the hoist is a relatively modern one it probably does not have a hydraulic weight sensor per set of slings ie front and back, without this you can't tell whe the centre of gravity is or what actual weight is going on to front or rear slings.

The sling point stickers stuck by manufacturers on boats do not generally show the correct position to lift a boat as the manufacturer's own hoist often can't give a weight per sling set.

Also some boats are difficult to lift as stabilisers, keels, sounder protrusions, drain cowls preclude placing slings in the right place for cog.

Go for the larger hoist, if they drop it the paperwork is horrendous, protracted wrangle with yard in a foreign language, insurance co wriggling out , you will be out of pocket and miss at least two to three seasons!
 
Bandit said:
Go for the larger hoist, if they drop it the paperwork is horrendous, protracted wrangle with yard in a foreign language, insurance co wriggling out, you will be out of pocket and miss at least two to three seasons!
Click to expand...
Well, accidents can always happen, I reckon.
But if they would drop her with the larger hoist, saying that I would be shocked is an understatement.
This is the sort of thing they were dealing with before lifting my boat, the last time I've been there.
75T of Aluminum, with three Isotta Fraschini monster engines inside....!
CP283bow.jpg


CP283stern.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Other threads that may be of interest

Gixer
Should I adjust my PSS seal?
Replies
12
Views
337
Zing
Zing

Share this page

Top