Cruising/ leaving boat on hard/ no cradle?!

[Sapphir3]

Iv'e noticed that up on the great lakes, there are way more cradles than poppet stands in use. A few friends in Buffalo area keep boats on upper Niagara river that are 35 + feet and have cradles. for them takes a fork lift just to move them around.

Down in Southern Connecticut where I boat and sail, a cradle is almost an oddity. With a few exceptions, everyone uses poppets.

That said, I have never heard of a boat falling off its cradle, but have seen some boats fall off poppets.

Before poppets, the yard guys would set the hull on blocks and then use 4 X 4 lumber as struts and shingles to steady her for the winter. Been a long time since I have seen that method.

[JordanH]

Originally Posted by hamburking

If you are moving the boat from Bayfield Ontario to Port Colborne Ontario, there is a company that moves cradles around very inexpensively (less than $100 last time I used them). I can't recall the company name right now, but was referred to them by The Marina Cradle Shop (near Toronto).

So for this easy first leg of your trip, I suggest shipping your cradle.

*this* this right here.

I bought my boat in Bayfield and sailed it to Toronto. I had the choice to ship my cradle or pick it up on a flat bed trailer and move it myself... boy did I make the wrong choice by doing it myself. When I was in Toronto, I had to move the cradle from the yard to the yacht club and I paid for the move. It was worth it.


We used John Kitchener, known locally as "Cradle Man"... this goes back about 9 years ago, so he may or may not still be in business.
John Kitchener, "Cradle Man"
416 797-5077 or 905 838-3848
cradleman@rogers.com


You may also want to try these guys to see if they have one you can rent? https://cradleridetrailers.com/

For the rest of the world that doesn't spend time in our area, almost ALL boats are up on steel cradles for the winter. High winds, particularly in Port Colborne, and the extra/shifting weight of snow, ice etc. are a problem and jack stands, blocks and so-on are usually not allowed for liability and insurance reasons. Steel cradles or similar trailers are required in just about any marina or yacht club for big sailboats.


I know you said you were planning to put up in Port Colborne; If you make it to Toronto, you can also look up Uli's Yard. He will (used to?) take transients at a reasonable cost (cash) for the winter right in Toronto. Not so much a yard as it is a parking lot with a crane. Was much cheaper than Port Credit or some of the other options.

[merrydolphin]

I have cruised to over 50 countries. And for the most part, those that cater to yachts, use jack stands. The only thing that might not be obvious is that for longer stays as you are talking about, tap out, or have them tap out the hull and listed for bulkhead “hard spots” thats the best place the jack stands or what ever the support is.

[Magic Dragon 42]

I have been storing my 42 ft Hinckley on the hard at various yards from New York to Boston for 20+ years using yard supplied cribbing and jack stands. I’ve never even seen a cradle around here.

[jeepers]

Call this guy,,He has cradles in GTA..
https://www.kijiji.ca/v-sailboat/mis...158/1412915107
Not much available on Kijiji.ca at present for cradles.
Most yards use blocking & stands here in southern Ontario.
Boat Owner's supply cradles..
I move boat & cradle on a trailer.
If the cradle folds down or not, can be moved on a Uhaul tandem car transporter trailer or by towtruck..
If it was me I would phone ahead to future marinas.
If you build stand with wood ..Insurance likely void.
Boats were still coming out of water in late December to Mid January

[capeharj]

I truly don't understand the issue. I'm from Michigan and see boats on blocks all the time. I' also in Florida right now and boats are on blocks. Maybe this is unique to Canada, but in the U.S. blocking is routine.

[BBill]

Originally Posted by Linesledaft

I second this. If you leave it, get the boat “anchored”. There are boats down in Indiantown Marina that have endured plenty of hurricanes with no owner for years. Probably just a good practice if the yard allows it.

+1
You have to look hard to find any yard in Florida that uses cradles. Jackstands and keel blocking is normal. For hurricanes they add more stands and straps all around to steady the boat if the stands fail. Even with a cradle you have to add straps for hurricanes.

I'm 3 miles from the ocean in Florida. One yr (1980) I had a backhoe dig a hole and set my 42' x 12 'x5' x 24k lb cutter in it to water line depth. 100mph hurricane no problem. Boats next to me with jackstands no problem.

[LauraleeG]

Thanks for all the feedback. After calling around we have the problem sorted. In my neck of the woods... southern Ontario most sailboats are on cradles in boat yards and very very few on jack stands.
Agree about port colborne and winds... so now we are going to Buffalo Canoe Club who are the staging ground guys for the Erie Canal! We might not get that far though... don’t want to rush through the north channel.... so we might put her up in port Dover!

[LauraleeG]

Originally Posted by BBill

+1
You have to look hard to find any yard in Florida that uses cradles. Jackstands and keel blocking is normal. For hurricanes they add more stands and straps all around to steady the boat if the stands fail. Even with a cradle you have to add straps for hurricanes.

I'm 3 miles from the ocean in Florida. One yr (1980) I had a backhoe dig a hole and set my 42' x 12 'x5' x 24k lb cutter in it to water line depth. 100mph hurricane no problem. Boats next to me with jackstands no problem.

Good to know what to expect... Thanks

[nofacey]

Presently have a 50ft monohull with a moderate fin keel.....over past few years have hauled in Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Fiji, Trinidad (typically haul, inspect, re-zinc and antifoul hull annually) - New Zealand was the only place that used cradles.

Had hull on the hard in BC for several years while being outfitted - on jack stands, on gravelled ground. Lots of rain, lots of wind, not too much snow...no issues.
In Trinidad I stood in a boatyard during a significant earthquake, (okay, I ran for a clear area, then stood) surrounded by hundreds of sailboats on jackstands.....not one tipped, less than a half dozen needed to be reblocked.

Eastern Canada might think they’re unique in hauling for winter....in other locations, they do it for cyclone seasons. You do not need a cradle.

[LauraleeG]

Originally Posted by nofacey

Presently have a 50ft monohull with a moderate fin keel.....over past few years have hauled in Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Fiji, Trinidad (typically haul, inspect, re-zinc and antifoul hull annually) - New Zealand was the only place that used cradles.

Had hull on the hard in BC for several years while being outfitted - on jack stands, on gravelled ground. Lots of rain, lots of wind, not too much snow...no issues.
In Trinidad I stood in a boatyard during a significant earthquake, (okay, I ran for a clear area, then stood) surrounded by hundreds of sailboats on jackstands.....not one tipped, less than a half dozen needed to be reblocked.

Eastern Canada might think they’re unique in hauling for winter....in other locations, they do it for cyclone seasons. You do not need a cradle.

That seems to be the trend... good to know, thanks!!

[sailorladd]

I stored my 31 foot sailboat in Australia once for a year when I had to return to the US for a year.. I employed the same system we used in the yacht club where I originated and several times on many boats I saw this system and it was always very sturdy and strong and widely accepted.

When the boat is placed on the hard (I assume she will be travel lifted or craned onto the hard) you will need four stout wooden posts (fencing poles) as tall as your boat's gunnells as she is sitting on the hard, with an added length of around two feet, for example if your boat's draft is 5 feet and your freeboard is 3 feet above that, you will need to add an extra 2 feet to that and will need poles of at least 10 feet long...

The method now is to stand the posts up alongside your boat, and have predrilled holes through the poles right at the upper end of all poles, large enough to either pass a length of around a quarter inch or three eighth inch chain through the poles...I have seen people use threaded rod with an eye bolt at the end, this works well too... a bit more expensive but fine.

Onto the chain, or the eye bolt, attach a fairly robust galvanized rigging screw or bottle screw (Home Depot or somewhere commercial where chain, shackles etc are sold), open the rigging screw to around three quarters open and attach it to port and starboard main mast shroud chainplates, where they are attached to the stays or shrouds.. you will obviously need a handful of shackles..the remaining two posts can be similarly attached to the mizzen chain plates or if it is a single master, to the fore and aft end stays , so as to have a fairly well balanced set of retaining posts ... and firmly adjust the rigging screws until there is no play left in the chain (which is attached to the top of the poles and the one end of the rigging screw...)

One could put wooden chock posts around a few areas of the hull for good measure, but it sounds as though your marina won't allow this, but perhaps in conjunction with these jack poles, they might reconsider

[LauraleeG]

Originally Posted by sailorladd

I stored my 31 foot sailboat in Australia once for a year when I had to return to the US for a year.. I employed the same system we used in the yacht club where I originated and several times on many boats I saw this system and it was always very sturdy and strong and widely accepted.

When the boat is placed on the hard (I assume she will be travel lifted or craned onto the hard) you will need four stout wooden posts (fencing poles) as tall as your boat's gunnells as she is sitting on the hard, with an added length of around two feet, for example if your boat's draft is 5 feet and your freeboard is 3 feet above that, you will need to add an extra 2 feet to that and will need poles of at least 10 feet long...

The method now is to stand the posts up alongside your boat, and have predrilled holes through the poles right at the upper end of all poles, large enough to either pass a length of around a quarter inch or three eighth inch chain through the poles...I have seen people use threaded rod with an eye bolt at the end, this works well too... a bit more expensive but fine.

Onto the chain, or the eye bolt, attach a fairly robust galvanized rigging screw or bottle screw (Home Depot or somewhere commercial where chain, shackles etc are sold), open the rigging screw to around three quarters open and attach it to port and starboard main mast shroud chainplates, where they are attached to the stays or shrouds.. you will obviously need a handful of shackles..the remaining two posts can be similarly attached to the mizzen chain plates or if it is a single master, to the fore and aft end stays , so as to have a fairly well balanced set of retaining posts ... and firmly adjust the rigging screws until there is no play left in the chain (which is attached to the top of the poles and the one end of the rigging screw...)

One could put wooden chock posts around a few areas of the hull for good measure, but it sounds as though your marina won't allow this, but perhaps in conjunction with these jack poles, they might reconsider

Wow... seems fairly simple and straightforward... I have never seen that. Thanks for that!
Good to know there are lots of ways to skin a cat....

[Nicholson58]

Originally Posted by LauraleeG

Hi
We are moving boat in stages down south. I cannot believe we are the first people to have the problem of leaving the boat in the hard over winter in a new marina... but you don’t have your cradle!!
What do people do?
I have called around to a few marinas... they don’t “ rent” cradles in the port colborne , Ontario Marina. They also don’t do jack stands ( not that that is a good portion anyway) ....
So.... what do people do when they need to leave the boat on the hard in a strange marina and they don’t have a cradle?
Thanks!
Laura

We leave our 58 foot Camper & Nicholson On jack stands in Trinidad every hurricane season, six months. Before that, every winter in Muskegon, Michigan. It’s rare to see a boat on a cradle. If you cruise, you will be on Jax.

ROXY in Trinidad. Love the steps, so civil.

[Montanan]

Proper supports are a must. No room for error.