Use boom to crane new engine in?

[Scotty_Tradewind]

I considered it a few years ago and was strongly advised against putting too much direct weight onto the boom. It's possible but not always practical.

A fork lift with 2 or 3 extensions to its lift was the ideal in my yard to do the job.

S.

 

[contessaman]

Thanks for all the replies thus far guys. I can see that the general opinion is that it should be fine with the caveat that I naturally came up with - if it goes wrong I will have a disaster on my hands!!!

To clarify some details, in order to line up with the cockpit floor hole into which the engine will go, the engine would need to be lifted approx halfway along the boom. Id already twigged on the idea of taking hallyard(s) to this point on the boom so its not sagging in the middle supported at each end. The engine is less some ancillaries but basically complete with the gearbox and bellhousing fitted. I would need two blocks and tackles, one on each lift point. this will allow me to lower the aft end of the engine first, tilting it as will be necessary to get it through the opening which is slightly shorter than the engine and gearbox.
the hallyards by the way, are stainless wire the entire length and on big captive barient winches on the mast with brakes. I dont doubt that they couldnt winch many times the weight of the engine.

I would rig the mainsheet to one side of the boat and the spare mainsheet out to the pontoon so I had complete control of the boom laterally.

I really dont think the weight would heel her much - 4 or 5 people stood on one side doesnt have much effect, she weighs 10 tons, more like 12 with tanks full and gear.

Yet I'm still not sure. Got visions of something parting and crashing through the deck. Probably silly really. I lifted the engine to spray it with a lightweight folding alloy stepladder straddling it and 2 blocks and tackles. It is only really a little 1.8 litre escort engine.

the flip side could be trying to tow the boat with the little dory and outboard to where the crane is on a windy winters day, could put her at risk of damage also.

Its certainly not the cost - its only 80 quid for the crane. its just I have literally been trying to get the tow and the crane and leave and weather all to coincide for weeks now to no avail. Getting fed up, want the motor in the boat so I can spend the winter getting it all plumbed in.

go on, somebody send me a picture of a 200kg engine dangling on a little boom to reassure me!

 

[30boat]

A 200kg engine dangling on a little boom to reassure me!

But it'll be hung halfway down the boom .I'd do it!

 

[Plum]

Thanks for all the replies thus far guys. I can see that the general opinion is that it should be fine with the caveat that I naturally came up with - if it goes wrong I will have a disaster on my hands!!!

To clarify some details, in order to line up with the cockpit floor hole into which the engine will go, the engine would need to be lifted approx halfway along the boom. Id already twigged on the idea of taking hallyard(s) to this point on the boom so its not sagging in the middle supported at each end. The engine is less some ancillaries but basically complete with the gearbox and bellhousing fitted. I would need two blocks and tackles, one on each lift point. this will allow me to lower the aft end of the engine first, tilting it as will be necessary to get it through the opening which is slightly shorter than the engine and gearbox.
the hallyards by the way, are stainless wire the entire length and on big captive barient winches on the mast with brakes. I dont doubt that they couldnt winch many times the weight of the engine.

I would rig the mainsheet to one side of the boat and the spare mainsheet out to the pontoon so I had complete control of the boom laterally.

I really dont think the weight would heel her much - 4 or 5 people stood on one side doesnt have much effect, she weighs 10 tons, more like 12 with tanks full and gear.

Yet I'm still not sure. Got visions of something parting and crashing through the deck. Probably silly really. I lifted the engine to spray it with a lightweight folding alloy stepladder straddling it and 2 blocks and tackles. It is only really a little 1.8 litre escort engine.

the flip side could be trying to tow the boat with the little dory and outboard to where the crane is on a windy winters day, could put her at risk of damage also.

Its certainly not the cost - its only 80 quid for the crane. its just I have literally been trying to get the tow and the crane and leave and weather all to coincide for weeks now to no avail. Getting fed up, want the motor in the boat so I can spend the winter getting it all plumbed in.

go on, somebody send me a picture of a 200kg engine dangling on a little boom to reassure me!

You have had lots of positive and useful advice already. Just a few more points....

1) saw someone in my Marina do that. Three strong blokes carried the engine down the pontoon. Put it on a wooden skid/sled to drag it along the finger pontoon to get it alongside the cockpit. Three blokes plus engine concentrated at the end of the finger submerged the finger until the water was round their ankles and because of the now sloping finger pontoon the whole lot nearly slid off the end into the water before they even got the hoist attached...... But I am sure you have already considered this.
2) based on what I saw next, do not underestimate how even a small amount of heeling, with the engine now slung outboard from the boom, can make it very difficult to pull the boom amidships with the mainsheet(s). As you pull it across the mainsheet tends to pull more downwards.
3) despite everything, all should go well but if I were doing it I would initially find four volunteers (their total weight equalling the engine plus a safety margin) to hang from the tackles over the pontoon and swing them over the coming into the cockpit ......... If they are still your friends after that, now repeat with engine.

Colin. Www.solocoastalsailing.co.uk

 

[30boat]

You have had lots of positive and useful advice already. Just a few more points....

1) saw someone in my Marina do that. Three strong blokes carried the engine down the pontoon. Put it on a wooden skid/sled to drag it along the finger pontoon to get it alongside the cockpit. Three blokes plus engine concentrated at the end of the finger submerged the finger until the water was round their ankles and because of the now sloping finger pontoon the whole lot nearly slid off the end into the water before they even got the hoist attached...... But I am sure you have already considered this.
2) based on what I saw next, do not underestimate how even a small amount of heeling, with the engine now slung outboard from the boom, can make it very difficult to pull the boom amidships with the mainsheet(s). As you pull it across the mainsheet tends to pull more downwards.
3) despite everything, all should go well but if I were doing it I would initially find four volunteers (their total weight equalling the engine plus a safety margin) to hang from the tackles over the pontoon and swing them over the coming into the cockpit ......... If they are still your friends after that, now repeat with engine.

Colin. Www.solocoastalsailing.co.uk

When I unloaded the Bukh from the Fulmar I deposited it on my litlle dinghy.
Wouldn't do it on a narrow finger with marginal buoyancy.

 

[{151760}]

Indeed. Any halliard winch will put that much tension on the main halliard.

We live and learn.

 

[Tranona]

When I lifted my little Yanmar in I did it in stages. First was to lift it onto an oil drum level with the cockpit, then slid it on a plank and then lowered into the engine bay. That way never far up in the air so the unbalancing bit and falling off scenario considerably reduced.

Seem to recall somebody posting recently craning a Yanmar 4JH in an out of a charter boat (replacing old with new) in a day using the boom. Will try and remember who it was.

 

[contessaman]

Thanks again Gents.

My boat is on the hammerhead she's too large for the wobbly finger pontoons.

There's one last potential date next week when I could do the crane if that passes me by again I'm going to use the boom. Slowly, carefully , mind over matter seems to be the order of the day. I will take the mainsheet off the track and attach it to the cleat on the deck opposite side of the boat to the pontoon, that should ensure I have plenty of pull in the right direction to swing the whole lot back inboard. I will also rig a line in the oposite direction to the ponton so I have complete control over the boom. De-rigging the guardrails will be worth doing. The 'rassy has monstrous free board as it is.

Thanks again for all the gen, will advise success and any further lessons learned once done. Alternatively, you might see a project hallberg rassy on ebay with a 4 foot hole through the deck and hull. supplied with a lovely newly built engine currently stored on the seabed.

 

[Sarnia]

When I lifted my little Yanmar in I did it in stages. First was to lift it onto an oil drum level with the cockpit, then slid it on a plank and then lowered into the engine bay. That way never far up in the air so the unbalancing bit and falling off scenario considerably reduced.

Seem to recall somebody posting recently craning a Yanmar 4JH in an out of a charter boat (replacing old with new) in a day using the boom. Will try and remember who it was.

Definitly better to slide into position rather than swing with the boom

 

[nickd]

I did similar last year putiing a bukh 20 back into my Konsort (29 foot)
I actually did the whole operation single handed. I dont know why people are casting doom "if the sling breaks it will go straight through the bottom of the boat" - the sling is just as likely to break on the crane.
I also had a problem that the lifting point was near the end of the boom whereas the dropping point was nearer the center so to avoid to bigger point load on the boom I strapped, with webbing straps, a length of 6x2 timber this also meant that I could slide the block and tackle along this and not damage/scratch the boom.
Its dead easy dont worry about it

 

[Mariner69]

The crane is independent of the yacht and the controlling of the weight (the engine) is separate to the yacht giving more control. I used to handle heavy lifts, 80 tonne generators, trains that sort of things on derricks on merchant ships, back in the 1970's and they heeled by varying amounts which we controlled by the stability of the vessel. One system of controlling the load wit four sets of three fold blocks and flexible steel wire tackles required the vessel to be slightly unstable so the load could swing outside of the sheer strake. It needed planning and if it went wrong the elf & safety crowd will arrive big time.

The lifting regulations require a safety factor of 5 in calculating the size of equipment to be used. Seamen have traditionally used a safety factor of 6.

When we had to remove the old and fit a new engine on my small boat we did it ashore to cut down the factors that could go wrong on the KISS principle.

Only a small 14HP Beta but even that was difficult to move in tight spaces and we (actually the genius who did all the work for me) used a gantry type unit.

Perhaps I have become an old woman, but I have seen some rather unfortunate outcomes in the big world even before YouTube.