Launching after a long time on the hard?

[CYQK]

Starting to see the end of a long rebuild project. Guessing that the boat is not going to like or appreciate going back in the water after six years
What can a guy do to make the dunking process less painful for the hull
Surely the hull is going to change shape. Made great efforts to brace and support as much as possible during the rebuild
Any suggestions would be great
Wish me luck!!!

 

[LeslieTroyer]

Be sure and close all thru hulls before the launch.
Notify the operator you want lots of time in the slings
Once the bottom is wet, stop and check for water
Go a bit more and check for water again - esp stuffing box
Drop till most not all weight is off slings.
Open engine raw water - look for leaks
Turn shaft by hand look for excessive binding
Exercise each and every thruhull end up leaving the closed except engine
Start up the engine
Check for water out exhaust
Check for water along exhaust in boat
If all ok motor to local dock

 

[31seahorse]

Hello CYQK,
This is not news to you, but the hull will flex, move, and change due to temperature changes and pressures like jack stands. One big difference between being out of the water or in the water is that the boats weight will be on the keel when the boat is blocked, however the keel weight will hang from the hull when the boat is afloat. (1)When some boats (for instance, wooden hulled boats) are launched they remain hung in the slings for an extended period. Although your hull will not need to be soaked for the purpose of swelling, staying in the slings overnight might support the hull in a useful way. At least it would give you some confidence that the boat is not being subjected to extra bending and twisting as the waves move in the marina. (2) After any launch it is necessary to check the integrity of all through hull fittings and the shaft seals aft of the engine. This would be especially true if you have not rebedded the through hull fittings. Best wishes.

Added: I just read Leslie Troyer's post. His ideas are more specific than mine. +1 Capt. Troyer!

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

Unless you want to do it first and then again to retune, I'd wait a while after it gets wet to step the mast and run the rigging

 

[CYQK]

All new and rebedded thru hulls
How much time suspended by the lift would be best?
Gonna motorsail couple days before mast and tuning rig

 

[jssailem]

@CYQK... What @LeslieTroyer said. That is the same process I went through this past April after my boat had been on the hard for 3 months. There was water coming in the stuffing box. Took 30 or so minutes till the water stopped dripping. All my through hulls were dry.

Leaving the boat in the sling while you check is a very smart idea. If you have small drips and your pump is capable of pumping it out. Not big problem. Staying with the boat till the water stops dripping is a smart idea.
If you have a major leak then the sling can haul you right out and you can get it fixed.
If like me you’ll have a little water then none and you will be a happy owner.
Good luck.

 

[Gunni]

That boat is way tougher than you are giving it credit for, and floating in the water is A LOT better for it than sitting on the hard with 7 or so jack stands pinching the hull. It has a massive industry-leading hull grid and unless something has happened to the bulkheads it is an over-engineered monocoque hull. If something isn’t right you will know in a few minutes. Get aboard while it is in the slings and check your thru-hulls, rudder tube, shaft log and monitor the bilge. Don’t forget the transducer and speed paddle wheel tubes. Toss a bunch of those cheap battery-powered water alarms in the grid bilges, ask the lift crew to park you on a nearby dock and spend some time aboard. Crack a bottle of Champaign, toast your launch and sleep with her. Congratulations! Nice boat.

 

[jssailem]

In the old days a boat made of wood would be set in the water but not out of the sling for 24 or more hours. They needed to give the wood enough time to swell and stop the leaks. During the time the boat would leak water into the bilge. They would put extra pumps on the boat to pump water out till it stopped coming in.

Our plastic boats don’t have that problem. Most of the time.

 

[CYQK]

Gunni
Yeah she looks plenty tough to me
Replaced all the bulkheads as well as most of the interior just trying to be kind to the old girl!!

 

[Benny17441]

Is that a wooden plank hull with cotton caulkin? Fiberglass won't know the difference

 

[jssailem]

Is that a wooden plank hull with cotton caulking?

Yes. Old wooden hulled boats. Some still around up here in the PacNW. We have a Wooden Boat festival that happens in early September each year. You can see wooden caulked boats float...

 

[Will Gilmore]

Is that a wooden plank hull with cotton caulkin? Fiberglass won't know the difference

A glass hull on the hard for a long time can change its shape if the strands are not well placed. Putting her in the water moves the pressure points. However, there isn't much you can do except keep checking the tuning of your rig as the full moves over time.

-Will (Dragonfly)