Boat Stands

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A

Arturo DeVitallis

Any 23.5 owners out there that have used purchased boat stands for doing a bottom job? Been looking at purchasing Brownell stands and am not able to choose which stands will work best on a 23.5. The Brownell stands are not that expensive and that puts a question mark in my mind. Do you have any reccomendations other than "make your own" ?
 
Jun 3, 2004
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Got a trailer?

I did the bottom on my H23 while she sat on her trailer in the marina parking lot waiting for launching last spring. I followed some threads on this site and decided it was doable and safe enough. The attached photo is not a picture of my boat but I used the same proceedure. I downloaded this picture off a posting last year. The fore brace is at the bulkhead. In my case: I decided to do only one side at a time, leaving the other side on the bunk. After give the paint plenty of drying time I jacked the bunks back up snug against the hull with a hydraulic floor jack. Not too tight, snug is perfect. You don't want more than 10 or 20% of the weight of your boat on the bunks on a 23 or you can deform her hull, probably the same caution on any keel boat. The 23.5 sits on her keel on the trailer, doesn't she? If so: You won't have any where near as much room to work under there but you should be able to do it without buying stands and paying to have her lifted off the trailer to get them under her.
 
C

crazy

stands

I would have recommended stands. Seeing the photo really disturbs me for a couple of reasons. First, that micky mouse arrangenment could slip if bumped and God forbid if you are under. I have seen the results of an accident by doing it that way. Get the short stands which I suggest three and place them where the hull is thick more below the hull. In addition, the placement against the hull below the rub rail can actually puncture the hull and roll over. I knew someone who tried that stunt and we ended up fixing the boat which cost many dollars. The hull is not the thickest there and it can be easily punctured with that type of situation. Use stands and when you do, tie them to the trailer so they cannot pop out.
 
J

Jay

H23: bought 2 jack stands

Hi, We have an H23 (same as Steve), and we bought 2 jack stands a few years ago to help with the bottom painting. With the boat on the trailer, the _forward_ jack stand goes inside the trailer rail, with 2 of the 3 legs touching the rail, and jacks up the boat there. The aft jack stand goes just outside the trailer rail, and we tie it on securely to the rail in 2 places. Then jack it up until it is about 1/2" off the bunk board, and unbolt the board and remove it. This is pretty easy. We also use large squares of 5/8" plywood under the jack stands so they don't sink into the lawn. This ends up feeling pretty secure: I have never felt any qualms about the stands punching through the hull, or shifting and letting the boat drop on me. I think it was well worth the price of the stands, and we've used them every year. Paint under the boards on one side, and then swap sides. 2 Jack stands is plenty. I think they were $130 or so (per each? per pair? don't recall...)
 
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arturo devitalis

More about your jack stands

Just to make sure I understand - you jack up one side with the other side resting on the bunk. I had never considered the possibility of doing it that way; only way I had read about was to lower the trailer and brace the stern, then raise the trailer. What mechanism is on the jacks that permits "jacking" with a load on them?
 
J

Jay

Yep, that's right.

The jacks are screw jacks. They're just a (welded + braced) tripod of heavy metal tubes with a huge screw going through the peak of the tripod (pyramid). On the end of the screw is a square wooden pad on a ball-joint. Just above the peak of the tripod is a humongous sort of a 10-inch long "wing-nut" which lets you apply enough torque to the screw that it is quite easy to jack the boat up off the one bunk board. All you need is just enough clearance to be able to unbolt the bunk board and remove it. I could post a picture if you like (maybe tomorrow), but they're just like all the other boat jacks you see in most boat yards. As I said earlier, this seems quite safe and is easy to do. Good luck.
 
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arturo devitalis

Sounds good to me

Tks and soon as our replacment home is complete and the "honey do" list under control I will purchase two Brownell stands, do the bottom job as you described, and get back on the water. It's been a long time since IVAN and my soul longs for the wind in my face.
 
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