How to slide a trailer under boat

Finallybuyingaboat · #1 (**permalink**) 09-07-2007

Okay, new to hauling boats around. I am buying a boat that is sitting on a cardle in a guy's yard. Now, the cradle is not sturdy enough for the boat to sit on during transport, so I need to transfer it off of the cradle to a trailer. It is a Grampain 23, so not a full keel boat, really a trailerable boat. How would one accomplaish this without bringing in a hydraulic lift?

Paul

sailingdog · #2 (**permalink**) 09-07-2007

Support it on boat stands... and pull the cradle out... then put the trailer in... then remove boat stands

Finallybuyingaboat · #3 (**permalink**) 09-07-2007

AGGGGHHHHHH! So Darn simple! Ever feel like kicking yourself?

sailingdog · #4 (**permalink**) 09-07-2007

LOL... You'll probably need several people to do this properly... since you need to raise each end of the boat relatively evenly... Also, if you can look inside the boat.. try to line the boat stand pads up with the bulkheads that stiffenn the interior of the boat. They're probably the strongest locations for the boat stands.

Hope that helps. BTW, I had to do this with a 28' trimaran with a 18' beam earlier this year.

Lots of fun.

TrueBlue · #5 (**permalink**) 09-07-2007

SD's advice is correct IF you're transferring sailboats which don't rely upon ballast, such as his tri.

I'm not very familiar with the Grampian 23, but in my experience, in addition to jack stands, most keelboats also require keel blocks for support. This helps prevent deformation through compression of the hull sides in areas where the jack stand poppets are making contact.

This may complicate the transfer process, since two sets of blocks are needed while shifting the trailer axels beneath the keel. The Grampian has an outboard, but additionally, inboard engine boats should have support beneath the engine block

Davey · #6 (**permalink**) 09-07-2007

The technique described here will work well with a keelboat of up to 30-35'. Just don't leave the keel unsupported for more than a couple of hours, and try to get those jack stands as close to the bulkheads as possible. (if the cradle was built right, the supports for that might also be in line with the bulkheads.)

I would guess you can pull out the cradle and slide in the trailer and block the keel on the trailer within an hour. Even with 'help' from people watching in the yard.

blt2ski · #7 (**permalink**) 09-07-2007

On the other hand, My step dad has hired a local fellow, seattle to move his recently finished wood boat. The fellow comes in with a double axel trailer that will fit around the boat, with the rear axel removed, he can jack up the boat on to the trailer while doing this. Local cost is about $100 per hr, figure at most 2-4 hrs. This may not be worth it for an older boat likeyours, but for this boat, a 26' just finished boat, if bought new, upper 5 figures worth of boat! $500 or so to have this guy move the boat to the marina is peanuts! Then if it falls and breaks, his liability pays for a fix, new boat etc!

marty

resdog · #8 (**permalink**) 09-12-2007

By the time you have screwed around for most of the day trying to get it off the cradle and onto a trailer you could have had it at home and been playing with it a couple of hours. Call a crane service, it's not worth the hassle or the possible damage to yourself or the boat.

Finallybuyingaboat · #9 (**permalink**) 09-12-2007

Gining up trying to haul it out myself. Just not worth the hassle, and really not savings any money, after factoring trailer rental, extra beer for helpers, plus risk of tossing the boat onto the highway. Hydraulic service has been contacted.

Finallybuyingaboat · #10 (**permalink**) 09-14-2007

Just hit a bump in the road. To get the boat out, the transporter needs his Hydraulic lift. Unfortunatley, it is a monster long trailer and simply cannot get to where the boat is. Lots of room for a pick up and a regular sailboat trailer.

So....back to doing it myself. Have borrowed a trailer that a guy uses for a Tanzer 22 and have a buddy with a large pick up. Now , simply raise cradle, carefully slide cradle onto trailer, and drive away. Should be able to dig under the cradle, slide in a jack, and slowly raise it front, back, front, back, blocking it as I go. If I cannot slide the cradle onto the trailer, then the fun begins. As the boat is in between two trees (see my avatar), should be able to slide a sling under the boat at the front bulkhead and hang it from the trees, block up the transom area, slide the trailer underneath. Sound feasible?