Removing Engine while on the Hard

[ontherocks83]

I am having my boat shipped to my house next week and I am going to remove the engine. I've removed an engine from a C30 before but it was while the mast was up and we could use it as a crane. This is going to be in my drive way. As of now what we are planning on doing is, a few of us lifting it into the cockpit and placed on 2x6's. Then we are going full Red Neck and putting a large cherry picker in the back of a pick up truck. Lifting it out of the cockpit with that, slowly pulling the truck away and then lowering it down. I am sure I'm going to get roasted for this method, but does anyone have any other less questionable means of lowering an almost 300 pound engine from 10-12 feet in the air to the ground?

 

[Justin_NSA]

Ya gotta do what ya gotta do. Good luck. Be careful !
You could dismantle it some before you lift it to reduce the weight but it will still be heavy!

 

[shemandr]

A friend removed the engine from a Catalina 27 to the cockpit and then rigged a slide to get it to the ground - he is a house framer. It got about half way down before he lost control of it. No real harm done but if someone had been standing there they could have been seriously hurt.

 

[Hunter216]

Have you considered contacting a towing company to price coming in with their rotator and placing it where you want. Driving forward in a pickup with a cherry picker strapped in sounds kinda dicey (I used to run a crane so have a little knowledge here). Having the engine bash your boat in could cost some $ too.

Take some video if you go ahead with your plan!

 

[BrianRobin]

Easy to unload from the truck after as well, put'er in drive, and hit gas, (unloaded, red neck style!) Best of luck, I've got faith in you!

 

[Michael Davis]

That's a lot of weight in a confined area to lift out into the cockpit. Building a small "A-frame" would be safer. The bed of a pick-up will be a little less stable with 300# swinging around with a 10 to 12 foot moment arm. I think I would build a large A-frame that would straddle the boat ( like a large sawhorse), lift the motor then move it sideways off the boat , then lower it. My $.02

 

[Whatfiero1]

Gantry crane. On wheels they rent them too.

 

[Jim26m]

It's been several years since I did it, but I called a sign company and rented their crane service to lift several 40 ft steel beams when I built my house. Price was very reasonable, and the placement was very safe. Wrecker would be similar, but sign guy might be cheaper.

 

[DayDreamer41]

2 x A frames one on either side of the boat, a beam across the top you could even add 4 x casters to a tie piece at the bottom of the A frame to allow you to pick the engine right from its mounts and then raise and roll the whole rig back. Really doesn't sound like what you are planning is very safe.

 

[ontherocks83]

The engine is out safely!!!! It went exactly as I planned, but better then I had hoped. It took a bit of redneck ingenuity with a dash of sketchiness and a big dose of the wife shaking her head in disapproval.

We used a lever and chain to lift the engine on to 2x4's in the 1st picture. We then put a large cherry picker in the back of a pickup truck with a 12' long 2x3 steel beam inserted into the cherry picker arm. We lifted it out of the cabin and there was enough flex in the arm to swing it into the cockpit. We then repositioned the truck, shortened the chain, lifted it and drove the truck straight out (very slowly) with guide ropes attached. After, I pulled the lawn mower trailer under it and lowered it onto that, then drove it into the garage.

 

[ontherocks83]

 

[Whatfiero1]

That steel flex is awesome kinda like a big fish on the line

 

[ontherocks83]

That steel flex is awesome kinda like a big fish on the line

It was only 1/8th in wall thickness but it still weighed over 50lbs.

 

[Michael Davis]

and a big dose of the wife shaking her head in disapproval.

I think they learn that in kindergarten! For sure they all do it!

 

[Jim26m]

Well, you got it out and nobody died. I'd call it a win.

 

[sailme88]

For about $125.00 ( here anyway) you can rent for 4 hours a man lift. They're are towable. My C-34 comes home every winter with the mast across the rails. The mast is probably 350lbs or more. I use the man lift as a crane. It has a 1000lb working load limit. Simple to use.. Self leveling. Consider using a boom vang to make " little" movements within the hull.

 

[tedsbeds]

I had my mast strapped on deck to use as a hoisting point with a come along. Once high enough, slid it along plank into cockpit. Hoisted it again onto plank spanning gunnels. Slid it off to side of boat and lowered it along another plank down side of boat. Also have made A-frames made out of extension ladders bound together. Or just higher a small man lift for a day.

 

[Hunter216]

Well, you got it out and nobody died. I'd call it a win.

 

[tfox2069]

At any point did anyone say, "Hold my beer."?

 

[ontherocks83]

At any point did anyone say, "Hold my beer."?

Not quite, but when we go to put it back in I'll be sure to have a beer "hidden" in one of the pictures to give you all some fodder.

Believe it or not it was not nearly as sketchy as it looks or sounds. When we first started I was contemplating scrapping the idea and renting a crane, but it ended up going very smoothly and at no point did it get uncomfortable or unstable. With everyone involved it all happened in a very smooth and controlled manner. Maybe i'll even higher out my services for engine removal