Hoist a Newport 17?

Jun 9, 2017
3
Newport 17 Alexandria, VA
Does anyone know if the Newport 17 can be hoisted on a crane and lifted onto the water using hoist straps? We're currently launching it on a trailer down the boat ramp using our car but we'd like to use the cranes instead, if we can, to lift it off the trailer onto the water. There appear to be four eyelets on our boat -- two on either side of the stern and two half way up near each mainstay. I've attached two photos. We'd love to know from other owners if you've done this with this model so we know the proper reinforcements are there to support this maneuver.

We also need to do work on the keel and hull. If hoisting is possible, is it ok to keep it suspended for 30 min to an hour as we work on it?
 

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Nov 26, 2012
1,653
Hunter 34 Berkeley
Without knowing anything about the Newport 17, I would say those are not lift points. To lift it the straps would go under the hull. This is the standard way of lifting a boat out of the water with a crane. Why do you think a crane would be easier than launching it from the trailer? I don't see it.
 
Jun 9, 2017
3
Newport 17 Alexandria, VA
Hopefully from this photo you can see the type of hoist cranes at our marina. Most boaters who use these do not put straps under the hull. They simply attach straps to two points on the boat, bring the straps to a center point and hook them to the crane and lower the boat into the water from the parked trailer. There is a much larger crane available at our marina for bringing large boats out of the water for transport or maintenance which does put the straps under the hull to cradle it while lifting it and moving it. But I believe it costs about $500 to use this.

My husband and I live a mile away from our marina and can get there much faster on bike than in our car (traffic lights, traffic, and such). We would much rather bike to the marina and use a dolly to move the trailer (which we know we can do) to the hoist/launch cranes (pictured in yellow in the image) rather than having to drive our car and use the launch ramp.
 

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Jan 24, 2009
450
1981 Cherubini Hunter 27 Shipwright Harbor Marina, MD
Hi Chrissie, welcome to the forum!
I was a member of the Sailing club of Washington (SCOW) eons ago and they launch their Flying Scots using the cranes and lifting bridles like the Hobie in the photo you posted. Their Scots are on trailers right there by the cranes, you can probably see the padeyes/u-bolts on each corner of the hull. Would the previous owner (PO) be available to come down and walk you through it once? Or possibly one of the guys who work there can show you (not sure who's there anymore)? I'm sure you use the cranes to launch there and not the Travelift, that's to haul the bigger boats for service.
SailboatData shows the Newport 17 as only displacing 800 lbs http://sailboatdata.com/viewrecord.asp?class_id=4571, but I would ask someone how they want you to block up the boat when you go to work on the botton, I'm sure they don't want you tying up a crane for an hour and there are probably some restrictions because they are a concession on Park Service land.
Good luck with it!
 
Jun 9, 2017
3
Newport 17 Alexandria, VA
Thanks Sailorman Dan! Yeah, I think we've decided it's best not to use the cranes to lift it for maintenance on the keel for th reasons you mentioned. But my question is: Can we launch the Newport 17 with the cranes shown above with straps on the u-bolts (see new photos for details of u-bolts)? The PO only (owner for 3 years) launched by trailer on ramp, but we're hoping to start launching by crane -- just need confirmation that this boat (800 lbs) can be hoisted using these four u-bolts. We know the cranes can hold 2 tons, it's just a question of if these bolts are reinforced to sustain lifting. See photos.
 

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JRT

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Feb 14, 2017
2,039
Catalina 310 211 Lake Guntersville, AL
Are those photos of your boat with the added U-bolts installed in the stern and the chain plates? I not sure anyone is going to say ya that should be fine without actually inspecting how those are installed. Maybe they were used to lift maybe they were installed for some other non-load bearing reason. The corners at the stern are probably very strong but I'd want to se and know how they are attached, i.e. hopefully a nice large stainless steal backing plate to spread the load into the hull. I'd have the same concerns with the ones next to the chain plate also. My Oday chain plates penetrate the deck and attach to bulkheads that transfer the load to the hull, the deck is not attached to the bulkhead and this would not be a load path I'd want 200 lbs concentrated in. Finally I would not work under a 800 lb boat with only the trust of the crane holding it, you really need to block it off or put it on stands.
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,995
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
Hi Chrissie, Welcome to the forum. Great smile in your photo.
Looking at your second set of pictures, I think those attachment points are for running rigging. The stern ones are similar to other small boat points for attaching blocks to handle a spinnaker. The ones near the mast (your stays) for blocks to adjust the jib sail or to hang a fender when docking.
They do not look to be the type of rigging to suspend the boat.
TO support your 800 pound boat you will need to have through bolted padeyes with strong backing plates to spread the weight over an area larger than just the screws. Otherwise the screws will just pull out when you try to lift the boat with the crane.
Talk with other boat owners at the marina and ask to see how the lifting hardware is secured to the boat.
You will also want to have lines that meet at a ring for the crane hook. The lines need to be able to hold the boat level and meet somewhere above the boat, closer to the mast then the stern as that is likely the center of gravity for the boat. You may have to run a test to find the right lengths for the lines.
Till then sail a lot. I sailed for 15 years backing my trailer boat into the water and out with my car. It got to be pretty easy and never once worried that something would fail and the boat would fall onto the concrete dock.