anyone ever hire a tow truck to lift a boat?

[HubertMagni]

I've got an old O'Day 22 project boat on a bad trailer. I have a newer trailer for it but I don't know the easiest way to move the boat from one to the other. I'm in serious doubt of the road-worthiness of the old trailer it is currently on otherwise I'd just launch it and retrieve it.

Someone suggested I hire a large "rotator" tow truck to come by and pickup the boat so I can swap the trailers. Does anyone have any experience or advice on this?

 

[FastOlson]

FWIW.... I once lifted our 1500# trailerable sailboat off its trailer in order to prep and paint the bottom at home.
Backed it under our deck, and figured that the deck support beam (approx 4 X 12) should be plenty strong. After all, the boat weighed about what 7 or 8 people would weigh, if standing on that deck.

Used a block-n-tackle on each side, attached to the perforated alum. toe rail. Mainsheet tackle on one side and vang tackle on the other. Worked fine -- each tackle was rated for about 1K max strength, IIRC. Did not leave it suspended very long, tho! I could have easily swapped a trailer that way.
Do you have or know a friend with a deck over their driveway?

 

[Admiral]

You could always use a group of large trees and winches the same way.

 

[rgranger]

You could always use a group of large trees and winches the same way.

I've done that.... but I used ratchet tow straps instead of winches....on another occasion I used a picnick table and a sling (see pic). But to answer your question... the search term you want is a "boom truck". Do a local search for a boom truck rental. It should look something like this.. I just now googled Boston MA boom truck rental and got a dozen hits.

 

[dlochner]

Assuming the aft end of the boat is clear of the trailer, lower the trailer tongue. This will raise the aft end of the boat. Support the aft end with a beam and cement blocks or something similar.

Now raise the trailer tongue. so the bow is higher than the higher highest point on either trailer. Support the bow with a beam (a 4x6x10 should be long enough and strong enough). With the boat thus supported, remove the old trailer and insert the new trailer.

Reverse the process to lower the boat onto the new trailer. The 4x6 can be made by screwing 2 2x6s together. A bottle jack may be handy to get the boat to the right height. If you have 2 bottle jacks you can just jack the trailer up, support the boat with 4x6s, lower the trailer and remove it.

 

[ShawnL]

Check out Jim's Little Boat on youtube. He has an video where he takes you through what he does to take a Catalina 22 off of the trailer each winter.

 

[rgranger]

Assuming the aft end of the boat is clear of the trailer, lower the trailer tongue. This will raise the aft end of the boat. Support the aft end with a beam and cement blocks or something similar.

Now raise the trailer tongue. so the bow is higher than the higher highest point on either trailer. Support the bow with a beam (a 4x6x10 should be long enough and strong enough). With the boat thus supported, remove the old trailer and insert the new trailer.

Reverse the process to lower the boat onto the new trailer. The 4x6 can be made by screwing 2 2x6s together. A bottle jack may be handy to get the boat to the right height. If you have 2 bottle jacks you can just jack the trailer up, support the boat with 4x6s, lower the trailer and remove it.

Right.... what @dlochner said... I've done this one also... I forgot that one (I've restored a lot of old boats over the years)... it works but a boom truck would probably be cheaper and you would be done in a day... this took me a long weekend... and then you have to reverse the process....see pics

 

[Leeward Rail]

The biggest advantage of doing what @dlochner and @rgranger suggest is that you then have the gear to lift the boat off the new trailer, anytime in the future, for keel work or painting.

I use 4 automotive safety stands from.harbor freight that were 5 feet high.
I modified them to be the correct height.
Adjustable jack screw tops.
Less hassle than stacking up cinder block or whatever each time.
More expensive.
The next person who owns the boat will love me. Hehe.

 

[PaulK]

Your boat weighs less than a ton. Car jacks would lift it easily, using gRanger's idea (nice photos) of putting a beam underneath each end. Doing one end at a time, maybe a foot at a time, and holding the beam up with cement blocks (putting them under the beam as you go) would be cheap and would enable you to roll the old trailer out and the new one in. You could create nice I-beams with 2x lumber clench-nailed together. .