We keep our Catalina 25 in a wet slip at a marina that also has dry storage. I need to pull the boat to replace a thru-hull fitting, and the nearest marina with a sling hoist is a long ways away. Has anyone had any experience with having their sailboat pulled from the water with one of those large forklifts used at dry storage marinas? I had asked our marina operator about dry storage (outdoor cradle) when we first rented a slip, and was told that they won't dry store sailboats. Their concern seems to be that the curved hull on a sailboat (fore-to-aft) could cause problems on the straight arms of the forklift and cradles. They also said the hull on a sailboat is "not as strong as a power boat's hull." Since I only need the boat out of the water for a few hours, I was contemplating trying to talk the marina operator into pulling it for me. Any experiences you could relate would be appreciated. Jack
Lifting sailboat with a forklift?
- Thread starter Cactus Jack
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The Problem I See...
...with lifting a sailboat IS the shape of the hull. The arms of the FL slide side-to-side to adjust to the width of the power boat. The rounded hull of a sailboat may cause them to slip and spread apart. You know what will happen then! Liability!, Liability!, Liability! *cry
...with lifting a sailboat IS the shape of the hull. The arms of the FL slide side-to-side to adjust to the width of the power boat. The rounded hull of a sailboat may cause them to slip and spread apart. You know what will happen then! Liability!, Liability!, Liability! *cry
I had a 21 footer
I had a 21 Buccaneer that use to be hauled with a fork lift all the time. This boat (if you've never seen one) is pretty big and heavy as 21 footers go. The yard I keep it in used a fork lift all the time, no problems. I've also had my Catalina 30 hauled with a fork lift but the fork lift was fitted with a sling. So it wasn't actually lifted out on the forks.
I had a 21 Buccaneer that use to be hauled with a fork lift all the time. This boat (if you've never seen one) is pretty big and heavy as 21 footers go. The yard I keep it in used a fork lift all the time, no problems. I've also had my Catalina 30 hauled with a fork lift but the fork lift was fitted with a sling. So it wasn't actually lifted out on the forks.
Fork lift
The concern your marina expresses is real. (Although the statement that a sailboat's hull is weaker is pure BS.) Because of the fore-aft rocker of your hull, the full weight of your boat will be focused on just two very small areas where it contacts the straight forklift blades. This could very likely damage the hull, not to mention the fact that, as they lift the boat from the water, it may rock backwards or forwards, potentially causing more damage to your boat and/or the forklift. The only way I'd recommend using a forklift on your boat is if they could fit it with slings. Your safest and cheapest bet would probably be to find someone to loan you their trailer for a day or two. Probably cheaper than paying a yard for hauling and re-launching.(Of course you need a vehicle big enough to haul it up a ramp. Find your local HUMMER dealer and ask for a test drive.)
The concern your marina expresses is real. (Although the statement that a sailboat's hull is weaker is pure BS.) Because of the fore-aft rocker of your hull, the full weight of your boat will be focused on just two very small areas where it contacts the straight forklift blades. This could very likely damage the hull, not to mention the fact that, as they lift the boat from the water, it may rock backwards or forwards, potentially causing more damage to your boat and/or the forklift. The only way I'd recommend using a forklift on your boat is if they could fit it with slings. Your safest and cheapest bet would probably be to find someone to loan you their trailer for a day or two. Probably cheaper than paying a yard for hauling and re-launching.(Of course you need a vehicle big enough to haul it up a ramp. Find your local HUMMER dealer and ask for a test drive.)
Yes forklift
The fellow across the pier from me refurbished a Catalina 27 he salvaged from a marina. He was surprised that our present marina launches it with the big forks instead of the lift (of which they have two.) The forks are of course very well padded. I would not put it on a cradle with straight beams for any length of time. However, C's are well made and should tolerate lifting and moving in this manner, but not storage in my opinion. (His is an inboard diesel.)
The fellow across the pier from me refurbished a Catalina 27 he salvaged from a marina. He was surprised that our present marina launches it with the big forks instead of the lift (of which they have two.) The forks are of course very well padded. I would not put it on a cradle with straight beams for any length of time. However, C's are well made and should tolerate lifting and moving in this manner, but not storage in my opinion. (His is an inboard diesel.)
Thanks!
Thanks for all the comments. JohnS makes a very good point in that all the boat's weight will be resting on one small area on each of the forklift's arms; I'm not real comfortable with that. I'm also not comfortable because the marina operator is not comfortable lifting sailboats, and he's the expert at it. Joe - Marinas that use forklifts run the machine up to a low seawall. The arms of the forklift extend out the front far enough to be lowered over the edge of the seawall and into the water deep enough to then back the boat over the arms. Once the boat is in position, the arms are lifted to lift the boat out of the water. As you would imagine, the forklift is very heavily counter-weighted at the end opposite the lift arms. I found some good reading at the below link. Jack
Thanks for all the comments. JohnS makes a very good point in that all the boat's weight will be resting on one small area on each of the forklift's arms; I'm not real comfortable with that. I'm also not comfortable because the marina operator is not comfortable lifting sailboats, and he's the expert at it. Joe - Marinas that use forklifts run the machine up to a low seawall. The arms of the forklift extend out the front far enough to be lowered over the edge of the seawall and into the water deep enough to then back the boat over the arms. Once the boat is in position, the arms are lifted to lift the boat out of the water. As you would imagine, the forklift is very heavily counter-weighted at the end opposite the lift arms. I found some good reading at the below link. Jack
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