Advice on jacking up then down, a boat that is on a trailer

Jul 25, 2005
29
Oday 25 Monroe Lake Indiana
I own a 1978 O'Day 25. I had a diver help replace the centerboard pendant. We had a miscommunication and I ended up with the pendant shackle stuck in the pendant tube unattached.
When I hauled out the boat I had the centerboard held up with a line and when we thought we had the boat centered on the trailer we took the line out.

Unfortunately the keel wasn't centered and the centerboard dropped a bit and now I have the boat crooked on the trailer with a bit of the centerboard dropped.

I am concerned about how best to jack up the boat. I know I need to do it, but with the centerboard slipped out and the boat off center I am just paranoid about the opportunity for disaster. Asking for advice about how best to deal with jacking the boat up - and also I am concerned about how best to let the boat back down to the trailer once the job is done. I have attached a picture that shows the centerboard that slipped during haul out.
 

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Aug 3, 2012
2,542
Performance Cruising Telstar 28 302 Watkins Glen
IMG_1022.JPG IMG_1023.JPG You can do this several ways: you could use boat jacks, or you could use cradles, or you could use a combination.

Do not worry about the centerboard. As you lift the boat, it will rest on the trailer. Truly, you want the centerboard supported underneath any time you trailer the boat. That takes lead off the pennant.

One way: build a cradle to slide under the stern. Lower the trailer tongue to the ground, slide the cradle under the stern as far as you can, and lift the trailer tongue using the trailer jack. The boat will be suspended between the bow roller and the cradle. If you need it higher, you are going to need to walk the trailer from under the boat supporting it with a could of boat jacks.

I have used some boat jacks on the stern and a timber beam with two boat jacks to lift the bow. I set the beam across the jacks, with the jacks wider than the trailer tires, and lift the bow on the timber beam. I lift the stern with the rearward jacks. Then I drive the trailer out. I then support the keel and place a few more jacks along the length of the boat, and I replace the beam with a v-jack to hold the bow. This was done on my 272 several times while I reconditioned the bottom and keel.

I have used jacks and cradles as well on my friend's Oday 26 and my own C22. Works fine.
Once the boat is on the stands, you can lower the centerboard to work on it. Be careful, it weighs 70 or so lbs.
 
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Oct 24, 2010
2,405
Hunter 30 Everett, WA
Depending on how high you need to get it I've been successful with a simple hydraulic car jack.
Build cribbing under the transom on both sides to give lateral stability.
Put a sturdy long block of wood on the top of the jack under the bow and jack it up.
When the jack won't go higher, crib it up and put blocks under the lowered jack and do it again.
When the boat is high enough put a beam (long enough to clear the trailer) under the bow with cribbing under each end.
Pull the trailer out of the way.

For cribbing, I simply used some old pieces of railroad tie and other heavy pieces of wood I had laying around.
There are any number of things you could use including purpose built saw horse style supports.

Ken
 
Aug 3, 2012
2,542
Performance Cruising Telstar 28 302 Watkins Glen
Could you launch the boat, capture the board and then retrieve the boat onto the trailer?
The problem remains that he needs access to the top of the center board at the rear to attach the shackle. I think he also said the shackle is stuck in the tube. He will need to lift the stern a couple feet to do that.

It really helps to get yourself some working room under there.
 
Mar 1, 2012
2,182
1961 Rhodes Meridian 25 Texas coast
If it were my boat, I'd find a yard with a travel lift, have them hoist the boat, do your work, and set it back down. Might cost a bit, but totally safe. Most yards charge $50, $60 to do things like that
 
Aug 3, 2012
2,542
Performance Cruising Telstar 28 302 Watkins Glen
Now you tell me. I woulda come and used yours. Rats!
Truly, I have considered building a sling lift. It would so much easier than boat jacks!

Quite appropriately, I see you used jacks once the boat was off the trailer. Working on it in the sling is never advised.
 

Kermit

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Jul 31, 2010
5,657
AquaCat 12.5 17342 Wateree Lake, SC
Quite appropriately, I see you used jacks once the boat was off the trailer. Working on it in the sling is never advised.
I'm pretty sure Dave will tell the story of the jack stands. (Silly me wanted to use a cheaper lift that didn't have them.) I did climb on once after we removed the stands and the boat was hanging free. Not fun.
 
Feb 14, 2007
166
Ranger33 25 NewOrleans
When I bought my Macgregor I used a engine hoist on the rear to lift it and a A frame on the front worked great you could use two engine hoists can probably rent them .
 
Aug 3, 2012
2,542
Performance Cruising Telstar 28 302 Watkins Glen
When I bought my Macgregor I used a engine hoist on the rear to lift it and a A frame on the front worked great you could use two engine hoists can probably rent them .
Yeah. I used my floor crane (engine lift). I ran a strap under the boat, around the keel and back, creating a sling under the stern. I also used it to lift the bow
 

JCall

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May 3, 2016
66
Macgregor 26D Ceasars Creek
When I took my boat off its trailer, I supported the stern with a stand then lowered the tongue of the trailer. I used TWO engine hoists, one at the starboard side of the bow pulling on a pair of 5,000 lb. ratchet straps and the other hoist at the stern to help share the load and provide stability to the hull. I rolled the trailer out to the port side, then lowered the bow onto a dolly. I then raised the stern to remove the support stand then lowered the stern onto a second dolly. I kept tension on both hoists at all times to distribute the load for safety.

The dollies are fabricated from 3" angle iron with 6" castors welded at the corners. Wood was cut to support the shape of the hull. I can now move the boat around in my shop by myself.

I own one engine hoist and borrowed the other.
 
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Jun 8, 2004
10,024
-na -NA Anywhere USA
With the water ballast boats in the Hunters, a lid is affixed to the bottom of the hull for water ballast. The problem I see so often when raising these boats and specifically I am only discussing the Hunter water ballast, I had to repair the tank lids due to the inappropriate way the boat was raised with pressure on the hull in the wrong place. Then I saw what could be an accident waiting to happen. There is an old saying you can replace the boat or repair it but NOT HUMAN LIFE which is why I advise against several methods posted on this forum first for the individual and next the boat. Kermit learned a lot last week and I will let him speak. As for the straps, please note I was insistent anywhere to bring my own lines and strap them together on the sides so they will not slip and pull tight. The stands were added for protection and when using them use chains so they will not kick out or if chains are not available use ropes or lines.

As for the centerboard, we had it started and up as far as we could get it. I tried inserting the bolt back and it would not thread. If you have a long handle pair of anything that has rubber on the handles, gently move the nut forward on the centerboard bracket and then start hand threading and the rest is history.