Supporting boat in yard

[seagypsywoman]

Eidos is hauled out right now and I have a question about how it's being supported. There are the usual metal supports on both sides, but the keel is supported with two blocks of wood lying on a metal beam. This makes me think of a woman on high heels - the entire weight of the boat is supported on those small blocks of wood. Wouldn't it be better to have a block of wood as long as the keel under it? It would spread the weight better. As it is, I am concerned that the keel will crack in those two places and the structure will be damaged. It is an encapsulated lead keel but I don't think the lead goes all the way to the bottom. I'll post a photo later today. Thanks for any advice or opinions.

[Pelagic]

A lot depends on the length of your keel. will wait for the photo before commenting

[Sandero]

No. Your assumption about the strength of the keel is wrong. Just think about the keel for a few moments. For one, when sailing it is connect to the hull with perhaps 10 - 16 relatively small bolts. This means that all the weight of the keel is concentrated and carried by the bolts and the threads of the nuts.

On the hard, the the point support needs to be sufficiently large and able to withstand the force (not compress). Buildings have all their weight supported by a relatively small cross sectional area of steel (or concrete) columns.

The jack stands really prevent the boat from tipping over. The weight of the boat is supported by the keel. If the boat is not a soil or ground with sufficient load bearing capacity it will sink.

A high heel shoe DOES concentrate most of the weight into two small areas, the toe box and the heel, both of which have sufficient are to support the load of the woman wearing them.

The blocks under the keel need to be large enough to distribute the weight of the boat to the ground with adequate area. Soft soil is not a good bearing material, asphalt is hardly better, but is laid over compacted fill usually.

If your feel is hollow then the weight of the boat would be supported by the skin and it might very well break from point loading. Chances are the bottom of the keel is thick solid GRP.

[Hud3]

My boat has an encapsulated keel with 9,000 lbs of lead in it. The boat weighs about 12 tons. It's always been stored on two or three stacks of 6"x6" timber pieces with no problems noted.

I wouldn't worry.

[seagypsywoman]

Thanks everyone. Yes, all the boats in the yard are supported this way, so it must work. The ground underneath is soft, but the supports are welded to a steel frame and this hopefully spreads the weight of the boat over the ground. I suppose I would feel better if the keel was supported by a long piece of wood on top of the steel frame but someone in the yard said that it would then be difficult to place the boat horizontally level. I'll try to post some photos now.

[cooper]

Shouldnt be a problem. It is mostly done this way so you can clean and anti foul under the keel at the same time as the rest of the boat. This leaves two little patches. When the travel lift or crane picks your boat up you make sure that the straps arnt covering these two areas. You wait expectantly with a pot of ant and a brush. They will then lift the boat and hold it there while you paint these last little patches. HINT ...DONT get the paint on their lifting straps...it really pisses them off.... : )

[Daddy's Dream]

Originally Posted by cooper

................ They will then lift the boat and hold it there while you paint these last little patches.................

I was wondering about that.

Is it safe to move the jack stands one at a time to paint under them?

[seagypsywoman]

Where my boat is it is not allowed for the boat owners to do it, but the boat yard crew will do it, no problem just before the boat goes in the water.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by cooper

...They will then lift the boat and hold it there while you paint these last little patches. HINT ...DONT get the paint on their lifting straps...it really pisses them off.... : )

It really pisses me off, if they don't use disposable plastic sleeves on their slings. I don't want your old paint rubbed into my shiny hull.