Jack stands

[GBurton]

I need to support my soon to be new boat on a flatbed trailer for a short move to my house (1/2 mile) The boat will stay on the flatbed until ready to go in the water using a travellift type crane.

I have no experience with this.

Can someone make a recommendation on how to support the boat with jack stands and also, where would I get these stands from?
The boat has a full keel and weighs 20 000 lbs

[JohnRPollard]

GBURTON,

For jackstands, check places like Defender Marine, Hamilton Marine, or Jamestown Distributors.

You indicate you have no experience with moving large boats by trailer. It would be a good idea to either seek professional help or at a minimum get someone involved who does have some experience. I am frankly a bit leery of your idea to set the boat on jackstands on a flatbed. Take a look at the typical hydraulic trailer used for moving boats of this size and you will understand what I mean.

Also, check with your insurance company. Your method of moving the boat may not be covered by the policy....

[jrd22]

Gburton- I would re-read what John said above and do exactly what he says. Jackstands on a trailer+ 20,000lb boat=disaster. IMHO. John

[Faster]

Agreed..

A proper solid cradle on a good flatbed might be acceptable, but a flat bed has too much flex (esp under a 20,000 lb load) for jack stands to be reliable for the transport phase for sure.

[sailingdog]

You really need a solid cradle for a 10 ton boat being moved on a flatbed. I can't think of a flatbed that is made rigidly enough to keep the boat stands in place properly.

[GBurton]

Thanks for the advice

[Valiente]

Cradle. Get one. Then guy the cradle with tensioned cable and/or industrial strength webbing to the trailer. This is a pro job and they earn their money by avoiding the 101 ways this can go wrong (like your boat breaking into two pieces that land on two SUVs, one filled with nuns, the other with orphans.

Want to see how idiots can pooch a trailer job? Ask me. The legal crap surrounding this clusterscrew started in May and is only now concluding to my satisfaction.

[Hartley18]

Originally Posted by Valiente

Cradle. Get one. Then guy the cradle with tensioned cable and/or industrial strength webbing to the trailer. This is a pro job and they earn their money by avoiding the 101 ways this can go wrong (like your boat breaking into two pieces that land on two SUVs, one filled with nuns, the other with orphans.

Want to see how idiots can pooch a trailer job? Ask me. The legal crap surrounding this clusterscrew started in May and is only now concluding to my satisfaction.

Impressive!! How did they get out of that one? A crane job I suppose??

What are the fenders for? To fend off passing trees??

Now I know where the saying "may the road never rise to meet you" came from.. From the camera angle it looks like it just bloody well might!

--Cameron

[GBurton]

Ouch! Cradle it is

[sailingdog]

Valiente actually posted the series of photos from that particular event a while back. It was very impressive... and shows a lot about the stability of his fat steel beastie...It was probably a very good thing that the cradle and boat were both steel—I don't think a wooden cradle or fiberglass boat would have done very well in that situation.