Getting a mast on a boat WITHOUT a real crane

[TrentePieds]

A good HIAB operator can sit on the shore, nicely chocked and stabilizers down, with the load - you mast - say 10 feet clear of the deck of you boat, wait for any turkeys to go roaring past, and the moment your boat is steady again, have the mast on deck and the hoisting straps off in less than 2 minutes.

As I said: The only way to fly. Don't know what the rates are these fifty years later, but cartage is a de-regulated industry so rates are bound to be cheap. And the cartage company's liability insurance will cover if anything goes wrong. If you hire one of the other devices mentioned in this thread and operate it yourself or have a friend do it, you'll be SOL if anything goes wrong.

All the best to you. Let's know how it all pans out.

TP

[MicHughV]

If you are at a marina that has a travel lift for fishing boat storage...or can find such a place nearby, this would be a good choice.
I've seen it done.
The travel lift arms are quite long, my guess....maybe 20'.... so can reach quite a way, and the mast is typically hung by a strap under the spreaders at the end of one of the arms. Those travel lifts can pick up some serious weight, so the weight of a mast should not be a problem. Getting the mast there, might take some thinking, but should not be an impediment. The travel lift arms can go up quite a ways, you'd have to check, but I don't think this should present a problem. They steer using the back wheels so they can incrementally swing pretty much anywhere they want.

The boat I saw was placed alongside the marina bulkhead, it was a monohull, so the travel lift arm did not have to extend very far, but I imagine a cat is likely within reach. There were a number of willing hands around to assist at the time, and the whole operation was done in a very quick time.

Lemme know...

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by MicHughV

If you are at a marina that has a travel lift for fishing boat storage...or can find such a place nearby, this would be a good choice.
I've seen it done.
The travel lift arms are quite long, my guess....maybe 20'.... so can reach quite a way, and the mast is typically hung by a strap under the spreaders at the end of one of the arms. Those travel lifts can pick up some serious weight, so the weight of a mast should not be a problem. Getting the mast there, might take some thinking, but should not be an impediment. The travel lift arms can go up quite a ways, you'd have to check, but I don't think this should present a problem. They steer using the back wheels so they can incrementally swing pretty much anywhere they want.

The boat I saw was placed alongside the marina bulkhead, it was a monohull, so the travel lift arm did not have to extend very far, but I imagine a cat is likely within reach. There were a number of willing hands around to assist at the time, and the whole operation was done in a very quick time.

Lemme know...

I am on the edge of a field, where the water meets the grass. The marina has no equipment. Not even a dock cart. Literally nothing. No power, no water and some insane new rules. Hence, why I’m planning all this out.

[MicHughV]

As a retired structural marine engineer, I can think of some ways for a "d-i-y" project constructing an onboard bipod arrangement, but considering your location, hiring a crane service might be your best bet....or move the boat to a more convenient location, but not sure how mobile you are.....but this would should likely be your first consideration.
y'know....to quote...."if the mountain won't come to Mohamed, Mohamed must go to the mountain...
As above, having someone else accept the liability if anything should go wrong, should be an incentive to seek out professional services.

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by MicHughV

As a retired structural marine engineer, I can think of some ways for a "d-i-y" project constructing an onboard bipod arrangement, but considering your location, hiring a crane service might be your best bet....or move the boat to a more convenient location, but not sure how mobile you are.....but this would should likely be your first consideration.
y'know....to quote...."if the mountain won't come to Mohamed, Mohamed must go to the mountain...
As above, having someone else accept the liability if anything should go wrong, should be an incentive to seek out professional services.

True. I just don’t feel like driving around a 60ft mast again. It was not too simple and requires permits. I’d rather put it on the boat to move it.

I’ll go with the big buckets, straight lift, lull HIAB or whatever like that.

[captnknopf]

I stepped the mast on my 39 foot tri in the water using a scaffolding and turning block. I could see setting up two one or two stage scaffoldings with a 4x4 on top of each, one near the boat and one closer to the mast. with two come alongs from each frame, you could walk the mast by first tightening one come along then the other. Once it was near the balance point one scaf could be set on the boat and continue the process. When I rented scaffoldings they were inexpensive.

[keyway]

Sign companies have small cranes. I have seen them in step mast before. The might be less expensive than a crane company. Equipment rental is not cheap.

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by keyway

Sign companies have small cranes. I have seen them in step mast before. The might be less expensive than a crane company. Equipment rental is not cheap.

Again, I’m not stepping a mast, but thanks for the idea on who to contact

[wsmurdoch]

During a flood in the 1990s we lost the center span of the Appalachian Trail bridge in Laurel Fork Gorge. Because of the location we could not use a crane to place the missing girders between two piers in the creek. We carried a 30 foot length of aluminum collapsible scaffolding staging borrowed from an outdoor sign company to the site. We got a rope across the gap in the bridge and with the rope pulled the lightweight staging temporarily across the gap. We then walked each of the 2x12x25' salt treated pine girders across the staging spanning the gap between the piers before removing the aluminum staging.

The raised section is the replaced section.


Perhaps you might do the same between the shore and the bow of your boat.

[nortonscove]

I'm not reading all the posts so I'll ask at the expense of others having also asked the same question. Have you looked into a zoom boom or telehandler? We used to own one and it was one of the most valuable tools around our boatyard.

[MicHughV]

60' is a big stick.....

I saw a video somewhere, where a monohull, had two other monohulls come alongside...one each side. They were appropriately fendered and tied together.
Using the two masts either side as lifting points, the middle boat had a new mast installed, or maybe it was the mast taken down..can't remember anymore.

Just throwing out random ideas as they come to mind...

When I built my first boat, the crane that put the boat in the water, also put the mast on. I believe it was a 42' stick. Complete will all the rigging, etc, it was quite heavy. It took several of my friends to lift it out from behind my work shed to a spot where the crane could get at it.
I imagine a 60' stick will be that much heavier and cumbersome. I'd also be concerned about using only a single hoisting point.

It may be worth your while to discuss this with the mast manufacturer, so as to avoid a possible bend or kink.

[SailCD33]

I agree with others who say move the boat to a proper marina where
they have the equipment to handle masts. It's too easy to hurt yourself
or damage the boat with operators and equipment not used to handling
masts.

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by SailCD33

I agree with others who say move the boat to a proper marina where
they have the equipment to handle masts. It's too easy to hurt yourself
or damage the boat with operators and equipment not used to handling
masts.

And how do you propose I get the mast to this proper marina then?

[Auspicious]

You asked for options that didn't include a crane. Here is an option: day workers. Probably eight, maybe ten. Ask around and you'll find a gathering spot, usually a convenience store or shopping center parking lot. You pull up, say you have work, and sign up as many as you want. Cheap. In Florida most if not all will be illegal. You only need one to speak good English - s/he's your straw boss.

The scene from the movie Wind where they move a mast by hand - much bigger than yours - comes to mind.

[Jammer]

Hello again Chotu. Still pursuing the thorny paths I see. I will try to help.

Originally Posted by Chotu

Does anyone have experience with non-crane booms/lifts and could you suggest the right equipment to hire or rent to place the mast on deck?

Yes. I have handled the somewhat smaller mast (about 35' and 150#) on my Hunter, and have used various sorts of bucket lifts, skid loaders, etc. for non-boaty projects including moving engines and transmissions around, as well as for various agricultural tasks.

I would think that the cheapest way to do this is going to be to make a dolly or two that you can use to support the mast while rolling it on the boat, either on the coach roof or on one of the sponsons. Then you can use an inexpensive, easy-to-rent skid loader to lift the mast just shoreside of its balance point while a helper guides the seaward end onto the dolly and secures it. Then the mast can be lowered and the skid loader repositioned to the shoreward end of the mast, lifted, and carefully moved towards the boat while the helper aboard guides the dolly, using lines as necessary to maintain confident control.

As necessary you can place the other dolly at the shoreside end of the coachroof (or whatever) under the mast, transferring the load and removing the aftmost dolly. You can make dollies from 2x4s and rubber wheels available at any home center, for this application ones that do not swivel will work best as it will be easier to maintain control.

The last time I rented a skid loader I think it cost $190 for a half day. Prices have probably gone up a little but they aren't expensive machines. If you have limited experience with them you are probably better off hiring one with an operator, which may not cost much more, since this is a job that requires finesse and they do take a certain amount of practice.

The drawback will be that skid loaders only have a reach of about 36" beyond the front wheels but it sounds like you are close enough to shore that you can work with that by supporting the mast from the boat as I described.

You would be lifting the mast from the side, attaching it to the bucket with rope, chain, a sling, or some combination of these, so that only the bucket of the loader is over it, and then "walking" the skidloader sideways by moving it (gently) backward and forward a few feet at a time and turning 45 degrees at the end of each move.


There are many variations on all this. If you can position the mast along the shoreline close to the boat, then you can just lift it near the balance point and swing it 90 degrees to get it out over the boat so you don't have to "walk" the loader sideways.


You could also build a short crane out of 2x4 attached to the bed of your truck, and use a 4:1 and a winch, since you only need to lift it up like 6 feet or something.


Full-size skid loaders (the most common size) typically they have a capacity of around 1500#. The one I used to have was a little larger and could lift 2200#. Typically the front lip of the bucket will go up about 10' from the ground.

Be careful, and good luck. Wear safety shoes, go slow.