Have noticed that the galley cabinet doors are more difficult to close since the boat is up on the cradle. The floorboards are also up a bit. Is this due to the pressure of the boats weight resting onthe cradle? Is this a cause for concearn?
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Is your boat leveled ?
When your boat is in the water, it sits perfectly leveled and drawers and cabinet doors work perfectly. Now the boat sits on a cradle and is probably out of level. Is it a cause for concern? I for one certainly don't like to leave my boat in a "crooked" position for 6 or 7 months as I am afraid it is going to take a set. However, you can easily make things better: Check the cradle first with a carpenter's level and using a small hydraulic jack (about $20 at WallMart or Canadian Tire), lift it corner by corner, placing the right size board under the corner as a shim to make the cradle sit square and level. That should help unless the boat is not positioned properly on the cradle itself. Place your carpenter's level across the beam on the floor and check it. If your cradle has adjustable legs, you can adjust these to make necessary corrections, loosening the legs on the high side and tightening those on the low side until satisfied that it is level. The drawers and cabinet doors should then be working properly. Good luck
When your boat is in the water, it sits perfectly leveled and drawers and cabinet doors work perfectly. Now the boat sits on a cradle and is probably out of level. Is it a cause for concern? I for one certainly don't like to leave my boat in a "crooked" position for 6 or 7 months as I am afraid it is going to take a set. However, you can easily make things better: Check the cradle first with a carpenter's level and using a small hydraulic jack (about $20 at WallMart or Canadian Tire), lift it corner by corner, placing the right size board under the corner as a shim to make the cradle sit square and level. That should help unless the boat is not positioned properly on the cradle itself. Place your carpenter's level across the beam on the floor and check it. If your cradle has adjustable legs, you can adjust these to make necessary corrections, loosening the legs on the high side and tightening those on the low side until satisfied that it is level. The drawers and cabinet doors should then be working properly. Good luck
Yup, you have a problem
Could be its a "tupperware" boat; the hull area supporting the keel isn't strong enough to take the boats weight, hence it flexes like tupperware. Or you could have the pads taking too much weight; the keel should carry all the boat's weight, the pads are just to keep the boat upright. Try lowering the pads. Are the pads close to strong bulkheads or are they pressing against an unsupported part of the hull and causing it to flex. Next year see if you can move the boat so the pads are near your bulheads. If the hull was strong and sitting properly in the cradle I don't think an unlevel cradle would cause doors to bind. But if your cradle is on unlevel ground do the leveling before the boat is placed in it next year. Kevin
Could be its a "tupperware" boat; the hull area supporting the keel isn't strong enough to take the boats weight, hence it flexes like tupperware. Or you could have the pads taking too much weight; the keel should carry all the boat's weight, the pads are just to keep the boat upright. Try lowering the pads. Are the pads close to strong bulkheads or are they pressing against an unsupported part of the hull and causing it to flex. Next year see if you can move the boat so the pads are near your bulheads. If the hull was strong and sitting properly in the cradle I don't think an unlevel cradle would cause doors to bind. But if your cradle is on unlevel ground do the leveling before the boat is placed in it next year. Kevin
Yup, It's called 'point loading'.
Don't do it. I must disagree with Claude on this one. If the boat loads were evenly dispersed it wouldn't matter what the angles were, within reason. But if your boat is warping and 'Tupperwaring', you've got a problem that needs to be corrected. Don't worry about the hull, but do worry about evening out the cradle loads. You don't mention which boat you own. If it's larger and in a yard, score some jackstands and help out the cradle. But first check the keel. It must be resting on a block. If not, then the cradle will point load all of the keel weight on it's contact points. If a yard did the work MAKE THEM FIX IT FAST! The cradle should just keep the boat from tipping over, not hold it up.
Don't do it. I must disagree with Claude on this one. If the boat loads were evenly dispersed it wouldn't matter what the angles were, within reason. But if your boat is warping and 'Tupperwaring', you've got a problem that needs to be corrected. Don't worry about the hull, but do worry about evening out the cradle loads. You don't mention which boat you own. If it's larger and in a yard, score some jackstands and help out the cradle. But first check the keel. It must be resting on a block. If not, then the cradle will point load all of the keel weight on it's contact points. If a yard did the work MAKE THEM FIX IT FAST! The cradle should just keep the boat from tipping over, not hold it up.
Fred, Fred, we don't disagree at all
In fact, we are in agreement about if loads were dispersed evenly it would not matter what the angles were. Key word being "within reason". Fact is floor boards are "up a bit", which generally indicates point loading. Consequently, we are in agreement that Robert has a problem that must be taken care of quickly if the boat is warping and/or tupperwaring, which is what I assumed it was doing based on the post. We agree that the yard should fix it, and we do agree that the keel must be on a resting block to support the load of the boat (some say 80%). And we do agree that the cradle should just keep the boat from tipping over. I should have clarified that as a starting point. My previous post took in consideration the fact that here in Eastern Canada, boats on the hard are so close to one another that a crane or travel lift cannot be brought back once the boat is positioned. But Robert still has to fix the problem. And a little hydraulic jack will work wonders in that with it Robert should be able to put a support block to even the load under the keel, then level the 4 corners. If the cradle is level and the loads are dispersed properly, even if the boat is not completely level on the cradle, it would not make a major difference. BTW, you never took me up on the invite last summer. Too bad, sailed over 1300 wonderful miles, lots of it alone, and some with company. You would have enjoyed it.
In fact, we are in agreement about if loads were dispersed evenly it would not matter what the angles were. Key word being "within reason". Fact is floor boards are "up a bit", which generally indicates point loading. Consequently, we are in agreement that Robert has a problem that must be taken care of quickly if the boat is warping and/or tupperwaring, which is what I assumed it was doing based on the post. We agree that the yard should fix it, and we do agree that the keel must be on a resting block to support the load of the boat (some say 80%). And we do agree that the cradle should just keep the boat from tipping over. I should have clarified that as a starting point. My previous post took in consideration the fact that here in Eastern Canada, boats on the hard are so close to one another that a crane or travel lift cannot be brought back once the boat is positioned. But Robert still has to fix the problem. And a little hydraulic jack will work wonders in that with it Robert should be able to put a support block to even the load under the keel, then level the 4 corners. If the cradle is level and the loads are dispersed properly, even if the boat is not completely level on the cradle, it would not make a major difference. BTW, you never took me up on the invite last summer. Too bad, sailed over 1300 wonderful miles, lots of it alone, and some with company. You would have enjoyed it.
No Problem, get over it
That's why your boat needs to be in the water several days before a marine mechanic does shaft and engine alignment. It's common for doors and cabinets to bind up as the hull flexes. That 5000 pound keel that used to hang off the hull now has a 5000 lb plastic boat sitting on it. It's the nature of the beast
That's why your boat needs to be in the water several days before a marine mechanic does shaft and engine alignment. It's common for doors and cabinets to bind up as the hull flexes. That 5000 pound keel that used to hang off the hull now has a 5000 lb plastic boat sitting on it. It's the nature of the beast
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