Boat, Semi, Crane, #%$^@

[wind_magic]

I'm considering moving a boat via moving service to a site where I can unload it and work on it as time allows. In order for this to happen, of course, I would have to have a suitable place to put the boat once it arrived, and I would have to have a way to unload it from the tractor trailer.

Unloading, I talked to a crane service and they think they can handle the load and put it down where I want it, but I know they have no real experience with boats so I wonder what kind of things I should be considering here, what are the gotcha's they might not consider ?

Once the boat is at the site, of course, I will need to have already established a place to put it. What should I be thinking about here, I have never in my life been involved in putting a boat on the hard so all I know is that there are these thingies sticking up that the boat rests on, and that's about it.

I'm in the exploratory/curious stage at this point, not the actual planning stage, and I am looking for input.

Boat - 40 foot, 20k pounds displacement

Thank you!

[labatt]

Might I suggest that you contact a local marina that has an experienced TravelLift operator and contract with them to instruct the crane operator on proper loading and also to help you set the boat stands. I don't know if they'll do it or not, but perhaps you can contract with a worker on the side to help out...

[Jeff_H]

I'm not sure where you are located but I bought a boat that was located in a pasture in Maine. I chose to use a boat hauler with a hyrdraulic trailer. The price for hauling the boat was identical to what I was quoted for a conventional hauler, and I did not have to pay for either a crane at the Maine end, or a travelift at the Annapolis end of the trip resulting in a big savings. While you may be able to rent a crane capable of handling 20,000 lbs, it won't be cheap.

Jeff

[c40eb]

Well, our boat (30', 10K disp) is moved every year. The truck/transport is specially designed w/hydraulic arms. They back the boat where it is to go, and set up the stands to take the load when the trailer is moved. No crane needed to pick the boat off the truck and onto the stands/block.

The keel supports all the weight on blocks and the stands balance the boat.

The transport services I have used have been very experienced in doing this and are pretty amazing.

As noted, call around to marinas and ask what they can do...it's fairly standard stuff.

[JohnRPollard]

Originally Posted by Jeff_H

I'm not sure where you are located but I bought a boat that was located in a pasture in Maine. I chose to use a boat hauler with a hyrdraulic trailer. The price for hauling the boat was identical to what I was quoted for a conventional hauler, and I did not have to pay for either a crane at the Maine end, or a travelift at the Annapolis end of the trip resulting in a big savings. While you may be able to rent a crane capable of handling 20,000 lbs, it won't be cheap.

Jeff

Windy,

Let me add to Jeff's note above that the hydraulic trailer of which he speaks is capable of picking up the boat and setting it down without any need for a crane or a travellift. A hydraulic trailer is what you want, assuming you have a paved or hardpack surface that the trailer can back into and set the boat down on.

If you have to get the vessel into a back yard with no access for the trailer, then it's a crane you'll be wanting.

[wind_magic]

Originally Posted by labatt

Might I suggest that you contact a local marina that has an experienced TravelLift operator and contract with them to instruct the crane operator on proper loading and also to help you set the boat stands. I don't know if they'll do it or not, but perhaps you can contract with a worker on the side to help out...

That sounds like a good course of action. I am a few hundred miles from the closest marina, but I think talking to someone who does this for a living is a very good idea. One of my worries with the stands, besides getting them set up to hold the boat and not fall over, of course, is that the ground may not be the best for holding the boat, it is just a field. I assume I need to prep the site before even considering putting a boat on stands, so that probably involves gravel, or some concrete pads, etc, that is the kind of thing I need to figure out I think. I'm too far away from the coast to even consider putting the boat into an established yard to work on it, the drive would be too far and I wouldn't get anything done.

[JohnRPollard]

Originally Posted by wind_magic

That sounds like a good course of action. I am a few hundred miles from the closest marina, but I think talking to someone who does this for a living is a very good idea. One of my worries with the stands, besides getting them set up to hold the boat and not fall over, of course, is that the ground may not be the best for holding the boat, it is just a field. I assume I need to prep the site before even considering putting a boat on stands, so that probably involves gravel, or some concrete pads, etc, that is the kind of thing I need to figure out I think. I'm too far away from the coast to even consider putting the boat into an established yard to work on it, the drive would be too far and I wouldn't get anything done.

A hard pack surface or pad is best, but plenty of folks put boats in their yards/fields. The normal m.o. is to place 3/4+" plywood pads under the jackstands, to spread the load and avoid sinking in.

[c40eb]

Originally Posted by wind_magic

That sounds like a good course of action. I am a few hundred miles from the closest marina, but I think talking to someone who does this for a living is a very good idea. One of my worries with the stands, besides getting them set up to hold the boat and not fall over, of course, is that the ground may not be the best for holding the boat, it is just a field. I assume I need to prep the site before even considering putting a boat on stands, so that probably involves gravel, or some concrete pads, etc, that is the kind of thing I need to figure out I think. I'm too far away from the coast to even consider putting the boat into an established yard to work on it, the drive would be too far and I wouldn't get anything done.

I've had our boat on dirt/hardpack...and used good sized wooden pads under each leg of the stands. Probably would not be a good idea in soft ground with mud potential. Got to keep an eye on washout and adjust the stands every once in a while to make sure they're tight.

[Faster]

Another vote for a boat mover that has the versatile hydraulic trailer. In addition to being able to raise/lower the boat from blocks and stands, the axles split so they can drag the trailer out from under.

[wind_magic]

Originally Posted by JohnRPollard

Windy,

Let me add to Jeff's note above that the hydraulic trailer of which he speaks is capable of picking up the boat and setting it down without any need for a crane or a travellift. A hydraulic trailer is what you want, assuming you have a paved or hardpack surface that the trailer can back into and set the boat down on.

If you have to get the vessel into a back yard with no access for the trailer, then it's a crane you'll be wanting.

Thank you Jeff and John, I'm so happy you guys are responding to my request for information, I know you both have a lot of experience in boating and I appreciate your input.

The site is basically just a field. Without modification there isn't a way to back a tractor trailer down into the spot, it'll have to sit on the road, so I think a crane is about my only option. Another option I suppose would be to modify the site so that a tractor trailer could back down into it but I'd really rather not do that if it can be avoided, it would be an unsightly mess with gravel all over the place.

Edit - wow, lots of responses, thank you all!