Standing 'er up...
Hi Mel, To answer some of your questions... -- 5 stands sounds about right. That's what it took for my H25, and it seemed comfortable to me. -- The majority of your boat's weight should rest on the keel- but not a great majority. The figures I hear repeated around boat yards are in the neighborhood of 60% on the keel, and the other 40% evenly distributed around the 5 stands. (This is, of course, almost impossible to measure when you're trying to set the boat up... ;o) And yes, I'd recommend placing the keel on blocks- if for no other reason, to keep it out of the mud. -- Your boatyard should be able to answer your question about placement. Each stand will be supporting about 400 pounds on a 25.5 (My rough guess- your mileage may vary); It makes sense to place the stands under frame stringers rather than between them. -- Make sure the boatyard puts chains between your jackstands! If your boat is subjected to high winds or shifting weight aboard (like people walking around) while it's on stands, the stands could shift and drop your boat. Chains will help prevent this. (I actually had to tell my local boatyard to put chains on my boat- and it took the yard guy a little while to find them. INSIST ON THIS, for everyone's safety! Good luck in the yard... --Jon Bastien H23/H25
