Brain Buster- How to use a bosuns chair to reach the end of a cantilevered beam?

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

So in New England there’s all these municipal harbours with seawalls etc. where a crane can get right to the edge, isn’t there? Just like in Europe?

Not so much. A good angle however. Maybe I can find something that works with an independent crane.

That would more likely work in Florida, actually. I can think of several places with parking lots big enough to get a crane into on a municipal seawall.

Part of the reason we don’t have much of this is the tidal range

Certainly I can’t take the mast off, work on it on land, then have the crane come back later and put it on lol

But I like this a lot.

The issues here have to go back to my standing rigging page. I don’t know how long to make things until the mast is vertical. I can make some good guesses. But the measurements are not perfect. The margin of error is within inches

But truly that paragraph should be back in my standing rigging thread. Not in this one. I will explore the option. Even more motivation for me to get out to the end of the mast and start getting all of my stuff together up there. That way if I could find a crane to do the stepping, at least it would be ready. Which is kind of why I decided to do all of this anyway. I can’t just wait around for the hope that some marina will finally have time. You have to get things done when you build a boat.

This is definitely an idea worth exploring. You have a lot of good ones lately!!

[s/v Jedi]

Here’s another thought: with the mast stepped, go up with a bosuns chair and mount two folding mast steps about 4’ down from the masthead. Now you can go up and stand up there, looking down onto the top of the mast and easily do all kinds of work there instead of taking the mast off, do acrobatic maneuvers etc.

What a bunch of bullocks that you’re not even allowed to write Kung ** here

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

Here’s another thought: with the mast stepped, go up with a bosuns chair and mount two folding mast steps about 4’ down from the masthead. Now you can go up and stand up there, looking down onto the top of the mast and easily do all kinds of work there instead of taking the mast off, do acrobatic maneuvers etc.

What a bunch of bullocks that you’re not even allowed to write Kung ** here

It’s a good idea but I don’t go up masts. That’s what girlfriends and wives are for. Ha ha ha. I do not go up masts. I cannot get anything done once I get up there.

That’s why I’m just going to do it while it’s all down here at a level I can handle

I much prefer acrobatic maneuvers, falling in the water, whatever. Much better than going up a mast.

[Chotu]

Oooh!!!! I found a crane!!!

Thank God I’m home. Or close by.

A guy I know going back like 20 years on the water up here has a BARGE CRANE!!

So all I have to do is get back in my standing rigging thread and hang out on the end of this mast and stuff and get it set up. And I can go vertical.

Thank GOD

All can be done without marinas!

Unfortunately I’m going to have a lot of questions in the standing rigging thread. I really don’t want to screw up these expensive things that I have. Getting these stays to be the right length is going to be very very tricky.

[fxykty]

We had the mast removed from our boat, trucked it to a rural property with a big shed, placed it on three rolling stands, and worked on it for a month in the shed. The crane was a large 40T unit that usually works construction. None of this had anything to do with marine, other than the crane drove onto the marina property to get next to the shoreside dock we tied up to. It was a 30 minute operation each time - no worrying about tide. Our mast was vertical, so the trickiest part was rigging the sling to lift the mast up vertically before swinging it horizontal. Any experienced construction crane operator will have the rigging experience needed. Yes, the crane cost money as you pay by the hour and that includes their travel time - we paid for 3 hours of crane time for initial removal and subsequent replacement.

Seriously, if you’ve got hardware to mount and halyards and wiring to lead through a mast, it is infinitely more productive to do the work with the mast supported at waist level on a level surface.

I don’t understand why this is so hard?

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by fxykty

We had the mast removed from our boat, trucked it to a rural property with a big shed, placed it on three rolling stands, and worked on it for a month in the shed. The crane was a large 40T unit that usually works construction. None of this had anything to do with marine, other than the crane drove onto the marina property to get next to the shoreside dock we tied up to. It was a 30 minute operation each time - no worrying about tide. Our mast was vertical, so the trickiest part was rigging the sling to lift the mast up vertically before swinging it horizontal. Any experienced construction crane operator will have the rigging experience needed. Yes, the crane cost money as you pay by the hour and that includes their travel time - we paid for 3 hours of crane time for initial removal and subsequent replacement.

Seriously, if you’ve got hardware to mount and halyards and wiring to lead through a mast, it is infinitely more productive to do the work with the mast supported at waist level on a level surface.

I don’t understand why this is so hard?

I don’t understand why some of you are making this so hard either. It’s simple to stand at the end of the mast and attach things.

Do you have a rural property for me to put the mast on in the northeast usa?

No? Me either

It’s getting frustrating that so many people (that I greatly respect) are saying this is hard. It’s not. I’m just going to stand at the end and put my stuff on. What’s the big deal? Why do people keep giving me a hard time about it?

I’ve set up with an old friend who has a barge crane (as mentioned one post back) and can get things vertical, although I’ll need some advice in the standing rigging thread for how to get the measurements right.

Also, maybe this is the part you guys can’t wrap your head around. There is no shore side dock. If there was, I would use a marina crane. But there is not. As I have already said several times in this thread, the marinas are set up to use a travel lift and the crane can only reach the travel lift well. And I can’t fit in that well. Not sure how many times I have to say that. But it’s just getting frustrating.

I don’t know why it’s so hard for everyone to understand what a marina looks like. Here’s what it looks like. Take a close look. Where do you put my boat and the crane again? You don’t. The vast majority of marinas are set up like this.

And I’m not speaking directly to you fxykty. I’m just frustrated that so many people can’t seem to wrap their head around this stuff. And it’s like the smartest people on the whole bored lol the ones that know everything about boats. But they’re not picturing marinas properly.

Marinas reach into the travel lift well to pull the mast as the boat is being hauled out of the water. That’s what they do. That’s how they are almost all set up. If you cannot get into the travel lift well, you cannot get a land based crane. That’s why I have a barge crane coming.

[Chotu]

And here are three more marinas

[Chotu]

Now are people starting to follow the situation? With pictures?

[Lee Jerry]

There's this one:

They might even be stepping a mast in the photo. (Bow in.)



Or this one:

Here's a better view of the cranes (red) and dockage for them (purple).

Both in RI. Five minutes on the internet.

[fxykty]

Originally Posted by Chotu

Now are people starting to follow the situation? With pictures?

The Safe Harbour Marina (your third pic) has a floating dock next to the travel lift well. That floating dock has a parking lot/hardstand right next to it. A crane can easily reach 20-40’ horizontally to reach the mast as its laying on your boat. The first two pictures don’t seem to have that kind of dock or have landscaping in the way so probably would not be suitable. But one of three is good.

The hardest part may be where to put the mast for you to work on it. Any decent marina with yacht services on hand or called in should have a rigger and rigger’s yard available.

I’ve been to a lot of marinas in NZ and AUS - the vast majority have a rigger on site and a place to store and work on masts. That’s why I don’t understand why you’re having such a hard time finding a facility that you can use to move your mast ashore so that you can work on it efficiently. I’m not insulting you, just puzzled.

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by Lee Jerry

There's this one:

Attachment 279565

They might even be stepping a mast in the photo. (Bow in.)



Or this one:

Attachment 279564

Here's a better view of the cranes (red) and dockage for them (purple).

Attachment 279566

Both in RI. Five minutes on the internet.

Yet you didn’t post a single location. What marinas are they? You posted nothing.

Edit: I think I know what marina is in the first picture. That’s a Safe Harbor formally New England boat Works. Three month wait.

Second picture could be a good one. But you didn’t mention where it is. Or the name. Or anything. Why not?

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by fxykty

The Safe Harbour Marina (your third pic) has a floating dock next to the travel lift well. That floating dock has a parking lot/hardstand right next to it. A crane can easily reach 20-40’ horizontally to reach the mast as its laying on your boat. The first two pictures don’t seem to have that kind of dock or have landscaping in the way so probably would not be suitable. But one of three is good.

The hardest part may be where to put the mast for you to work on it. Any decent marina with yacht services on hand or called in should have a rigger and rigger’s yard available.

I’ve been to a lot of marinas in NZ and AUS - the vast majority have a rigger on site and a place to store and work on masts. That’s why I don’t understand why you’re having such a hard time finding a facility that you can use to move your mast ashore so that you can work on it efficiently. I’m not insulting you, just puzzled.

And you think your boat or my boat could fit on the dock you were pointing out? I didn’t even see it is so small between those 20-something foot (less than 10m) boats.

I’ll say it again. And again. And again. And again.

The marinas are set up to pick the mast out of the travellift well. They do not have a dock along side the parking lot. Or along side the yard. I cannot fit into the travel lift well. So no crane ability.

It’s no problem to put the mast anywhere at a marina to work on it. As long as they can get it off the boat and step it. But they can’t. Not unless I fit in the travel lift well. That’s what they all tell me.

I mean it’s not like I haven’t called 20 marinas.

The minute they hear about my beam they say they can’t help me.

I mean, the reason I’m getting so frustrated is because you guys aren’t calling these marinas. You don’t know what you’re talking about. It’s very frustrating. Why are you are giving me a hard time?

I’m not insulted, I’m just getting really annoyed.

You’re not talking to these people. You’re not hearing what they say when you ask. I am. The ones I can pull the mast at have a three month wait. (Like the Safe Harbor that was formerly New England Boatworks in Jerry Lee’s last 2 pics) The ones I can’t pull the mast at I just can’t. There’s no crane ability because they pull it from the travel lift well.

Also, all these different marinas are a day or 3 in different directions. I can get these things on my mast now before I can motor to some far off marina somewhere. Takes way less than three days to drill a couple holes in a mast and screw some things in.

I have a place that might be good to go for one of the weeks in September. So that might be good. But if I want to get things done now I have to do them myself. That’s just the way it is.

The marina in Jerry’s post is 140 miles away from the one that might be able to take me in September. And I’m motoring at 6 knots.

There is even a Safe Harbor in Port Washington New York that I tried. They are all safe harbor now apparently. That one is listed in our list online here as being able to haul 25 feet. It cannot. You can haul something like 24‘6“ and that’s really pushing it they said. And they said because I cannot get into the travel lift they cannot pull the mast. When I went by there I had tried them as well.

I also tried a Rigger in Port Washington. At the other marina over there. He could not get the crane to the water.

A third marina in the same harbor. Same situation.

Every Marina down the Long Island sound? Basically the same situation.

Let’s not even begin to talk about the $8000 bottom jobs that I have to wait three months for. That I can’t do myself because none of the marinas allow that

I did it for about $600 the last time.

I am beyond frustrated with all these marinas. That’s why I want to do it all myself also. I’m done with this crap. It’s a waste of time. With the amount of time you have to put in calling marinas and traveling to them? You could have already had the work done yourself.

It’s very similar to getting a car fixed at a shop these days. A complete waste of time. And money. Easier and faster to just do it yourself. Like most things are now. Things have changed dramatically in the United States.

I’m working on setting things up so I don’t have to ever use a marina again.

I’ve solved every other annoying thing about boats with this boat. I can solve this situation too.

[Chotu]

Let’s just get back to the rigging thread. I will take care of this side of things one way or another it will get done.

[sailingharry]

You are in an area where you don't know people, so this may not work easily. But on a day with mild winds, you can do all this work from the deck of a friend's boat. The challenge is to make a "new friend" that will let you do the work from his deck.

Or, you might have better luck paying a lobsterman to use his boat as work service. He may be less worried about tools and hardware and trips around on his deck. He would probably charge you, but far less than the cost of lifting the mast ashore and back. Find a day he's not working, and he'd probably love the $100!

Two shore side places that you might be able to make work.

The first is a little far from where you are, but Old Saybrook on the Connecticut River has a very nice town dock that you could dangle your mast over to work from the dock.

Closer to you is the harbor of refuge at Point Judith. You could probably anchor with your mast a reasonable distance from the breakwater and stand on the breakwater. Only on nice days!

Dutch Harbor Boatyard on the other side of Conanicut Island looks to have some fairly angular piers with few boats tied up and not a lot of water. I'm specifically looking at the smaller structure on the end of the point, not their main dock. You might be able to arrange a tie up that has your mast laying over a dock area. They also seem to be a very small yard that might be more open to diy. As an aside, they have sailboats on the hard and no visible travel lift. They may very well use a hydraulic trailer or even an old-timey marine railway. They could be much more accommodating to lifting your beam than many yards.

Depending on how long you need, you really don't need a proper marina. Especially with your draft, you might be able to make do at a public boat ramp with a dock, or a smaller Yacht club that might be agreeable to having you do the work there.

[Chotu]

The latest:

“Unfortunately, we are so busy right now we are not taking any more projects on until the winter months.
I would suggest perhaps trying a smaller boatyard who is looking for some work. I know that NEB is currently booked solid as well.
Not sure if there are smaller yards in the Fall River, New Bedford or Fairhaven area which might have more flexibility.
Sorry we couldn't help with this project. Sounds like a very exciting one!”