cradle specs for 40' sailboat?

[JFH]

Does anyone out there have a design or advice on specs for a steel cradle that I intend to build for my 35000 lb cutter?
She's got a 5'10" draft and a 12' beam.
I would like to keep the width of the cradle at 7' because it needs to be loaded and unloaded on a trailer.

Thanks in advance.

Jim

[Stiletto]

You could hawve a problem with the beam of the vessel being wider than the cradle. I suggest that you vist a local yard and look at the cradles under boats that have a hullform similar to yours. Are you going to use a crane to get her on and off the cradle? I would have thought the critical issue is the overall width of the 'package'. The boat defines this.

[JFH]

My intention is to have the boat loaded onto a trailer via travel-lift. The trucker says he will outfit the trailer with jack stands to bring her home where I hope to have a cradle waiting. The boat has to travel about 800 miles and the hydraulic trailers from here (Ontario, Canada) are supposed to be short trippers according to the companies that I have phoned.
After comming home to the Marina in Port Dover, she will be lifted again off the flatbed and onto the new cradle or stands for the time being. Then I hope to move the entire package moved to my property with a hydraulic low-boy trailer and not require the use of a crane. The company requires a cradle that is 7'wide max.

Should I check another company?
Is there anyone out there who has used a low-boy trailer and moved the boat without the cradle?

Isabelle is comming up the coast and my boat is right in the path......I'm keeping watch.

Jim

[WWheeler]

Had the same problem with boat movers, they usually won't touch a sailboat unless it's on a cradle.

For cradle specs., you may be able to contact the Marine Cradle shop in Markham Ontario. They do an excellent job, and it may be worth the money to avoid an untimely accident. For what I can recall of my cradle, it's 5' x 12' for a 30' sailboat, with 6 support posts. (contrary to earlier comments, the cradle is typically less width than the beam of the boat - that way the support posts are underneath the weight of the boat.

PS there's also a limit to the width of the cradle due to the size of the trailer. They have some capability to spread, but 5' is a desirable width - it allows the trailer to not be an oversize load.

[ 09-15-2003, 10:40 AM: Message edited by: WWheeler ]

[Mike Vogdes]

Why not just use stands? They are nice to have when your working on the hull because they can be moved around and out of the way for painting and such. Your hauler would probably rather use stands anyway.

[JFH]

Stands would also be nice but, the hauler cannot move my boat without a cradle and I really don't want to have to hire a crane service to unload behind the shop.

I have contacted the Marine Cradle shop and they can do it for me but need to see the boat first. To see the boat, it would of course, need stands which I was hoping to avoid buying. Stands might just be bought anyway for the ease of the first stage in the move.

Well it looks as if the hurricane will determine most of the move times anyway. I hope my bilge pump is working well and those extra lines hold.

This move is driving me bonkers!

Jim