Several months ago I posted a tread about my
boat being dropped (just a foot or so) when it was being lifted off a transport
trailer. Thank you all who offered advise.
The
boat lies 60 miles from Lake Michigan in Wisconsin (go packers). Both mine and the cranes
insurance companies are clueless as to what needed to be done. I contacted a boat yard in Milwaukee and together have worked the problem.
The Damage:
The 12 foot spreader bar crashed down on the toe rail and nearly smashed it flat.
One
thru hull landed on one of the trailer's support pads and has broken the
sealant loose.
Two cracks running forward from the
keel hull joint. (see attached
photo from Oday 39
hull #53). My boat is hull #54.
keel jnt 006.jpg
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My cracks were nearly identical. They are now twice as long after the drop.
We suspect the shaft alignment must be checked.
Other than that, the boat came through this rather well.
Here's the plan.
The toe rail must be removed, cut, straightened, welded (the metal stretched when it was smashed) finished and re-anodized. No matching toe rail exists and the bolts were glassed in at the factory. Getting at and re-drilling to a new bolt pattern would exceed the value of the boat.
Thru-hull replaced.
Engine shaft re-aligned once the boat sees
water.
Bottom soda blasted to inspect for more cracks
The keel and
shower pan (above the crack)removed to visually inspect the crack. We know the crack extended forward. What we don't know is if the crack extended back towards the
keel bolts. If it did it surely will leak.
The boat is valued at about $50,000 that means the
repair work needs to be less than $25,000 to avoid scrapping the boat.
The
repair work is about $15,000
The boat yards says they will need a crane on site for 4 days to remove and reinstall the keel. That is about $36,000 at standard rate.
We are looking at two options:
Negotiating a better rate for the four days (possibly over a weekend)
Building a semi permanent structure to support the boat using the crane only to
lift it onto the supports.
My question.. has anyone every done such a thing and how should it be built?
Any comments or suggestions are always welcome.