Lifting a sailboat by crane

[NoTies]

I want to haul Nightcap and am going to do it with a crane, preferably without unstepping the mast. Anyone done this? Swept spreaders fractional. I'll make sure they use thwartship spreaders but is there anything else I need to know, the crane company have never done it before.

[estop]

Did this several times working in a boat yard. Never from the water. Just from trucks and from Jack's to cradles. Straps had to be longer than needed to get rig clear of spredder bars.
Crane operator had to have a fine hand and slow. Never had a problem.

[NoTies]

Thanks for that. Lifting from the water adds a whole new dynamic but I can talk the operators through that as I have some experience. I was more concerned with slinging arrangements which you have answered. Cheers.

[atoll]

Originally Posted by NoTies

I want to haul Nightcap and am going to do it with a crane, preferably without unstepping the mast. Anyone done this? Swept spreaders fractional. I'll make sure they use thwartship spreaders but is there anything else I need to know, the crane company have never done it before.

depending on the lenth of the slings you might have to remove your back stay or fore stay to clear the spreader.

also attaching fore/aft lines between the slings either side of the keel removes the risk of the bow sling slipping out if the hull is heavily fouled.

[atoll]

FYI,lifting a similar sized yacht with a crane

[Dennis.G]

I had done several times with my Dana, but always with the mast down. Mast-up not possible with crane rigs I have seen.


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[zeehag]

my islander 26 was lifted by crane, mast up, uin san diego.
my olympian 34 was lifted mast up in los angeles by eddies crane ...

[Tayana42]

My Tayana 42 was lifted by crane mast up for bottom work. No problems.

[Dennis.G]

Mast-up will save a lot of work. When I had mine lifted they had a square spreader setup like previous posted photos and slings of a length that had no chance of clearing a standing mast. Goggled about and I see photos of single spreader bar used that allows a standing mast. always learn something on CF


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[nigel1]

Hi

Did this earlier in the year, out and back into the water.
Slings were to a single hook on the crane. No problems, bit nerve wracking when the wind notched up to 40 kts with the boat going back in.

If they lift this way, or use a single spreader beam, watch out for your lifelines, either slack them right down or lead the slings under the lower lifeline wire, make sure slings are well clear of the stanchions.

Dont have any pictures of the last lift, but here's one from a previous boat some years ago.

[ryon]

We lifted this sweetheart onto the hard with a crane last Summer. We had to cockbill the yards to clear the frame, but that was all.

And it WAS a big crane!

UPDATE: Found a photo!

[NoTies]

Great stuff thanks everyone.

[msponer]

If your cap rail sticks out from the hull, even slightly, you'll need a way to keep the lifting straps from pushing on it.

Our crane operator brought big foam pads when we were pulled out of the water in Cape Town. These worked. He didn't bring them when it was time to go back in the water, and the thinner foam pads we found in the yard weren't enough -- the cap rails split down the middle and popped off all around the boat.

The photos indicate that the center of mass is very close to the mast. So I don't think it would have been possible to lift it without removing the mast. I don't know if this is common to all boats. It only took about an hour to remove it -- most of that untwisting turnbuckles and undoing wires.

[Compactorguy]

Had my boat lifted this year


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