Sailboat cradle

[Sadie103]

I have a 22 ft. Windstar sailboat that I just purchased. I want to put it up on a cradle so I can check out the keel and patch a small hole on the bottom and clean and polish the bottom. Also have to put new boards on the trailer. What is the cheapest and safest way to do this? I cannot trailer it anywhere at this time. I live out in the woods of central Florida and have plenty of room to build something for it to rest on. I will probably have a crane come in and lift it off the trailer and onto the cradle. Any suggestions? Thanks for your help!

Danny Duboise

 

[31seahorse]

Welcome to the SBO forums. Try looking on youtube for videos of the lift and hold project you have in mind. The crane will cost a bundle of dollars and you would need it twice, I think. The weight of your boat will be a major factor in getting the work done.

I have seen several substantial cradles built from 4 X 4 upright beams and 2 X 4 cross supports. Plywood is often put on the forward and the aft uprights and cut to conform with the hull. Old carpet padding would be a good idea too.

Don't work too hard in Florida's summer heat! Best Wishes

NOTE: I made a quick search for an example of a Windstar 22 and came up with nothing. If it is light enough you could slide it off the trailer onto some support like foam blocks or bales of straw. I've done both with wooden power boats or with our Celebrity 19 sailboat. Hulls were 1000 lb and 800 lb respectively.

 

[justsomeguy]

If you drop the trailer's nose as far as possible, that should raise the stern, allowing you to build a support structure under it.
Then, you raise the trailer's nose to full extension, and build supports for the bow.

Good luck!

 

[Tsatzsue]

Simple and the lumber cost a little over $100. I used a chain fall that I had but a come- along would also work.

 

[Mulf]

I agree with justsomeguy

Many years ago annually did to my O'Day 222 exactly what justsomeguy describes. The web says that boat displaced 2200 pounds. I have a few comments to add. First, you want the supports under strong parts of the hull. For the stern support, it should be close to the transom. Make sure the ground under the supports is firm, and use enough cinder blocks to stabilize the column both fore and aft and side to side. You want a nice square stable column under each end of the planks supporting the transom. Then, jacking the trailer tongue as high as possible, I built a square column of cinder blocks with hunk of 2x6 lumber on top. Located it under the center of the hull forward of the keel and under the forward cabin bulkhead. Then, I dropped the trailer low and flat and had enough room to bottom paint the boat and to do any work on bunks etc. Did that for about 11 seasons.

 

[tlsallada]

Agree with Justsomeguy

did basically what Justsomeguy said - lowered the tongue of the trailer which raises the stern, then used two steel oil drums on each side of the stern and 4X4's across the drums. I put high density foam insulation under the stern and built cribbing to prevent the hull from rolling side to side.
Once I raised the tongue of the trailer the boat came off the bunks of the trailer which allowed me to build cribbing supports near the front of the hull and then pull the trailer out. This was stable enough to allow me to scrape the bottom, lower the cast iron keel for painting and replace the bunks on the trailer.
I have a Clipper Marine CM26 - don't know just what it weighs but the keel alone is about 550lbs.
Good Luck and be careful!!

 

[Ken Cross]

I used cribbing on my MacGregor 26 to work on the trailer. I just lowered the front of the trailer, and cribbed the transom. I then raised the front of the trailer and cribbed the front. Once I pulled the trailer forward so it was close to the cribbing I re-cribbed it aft of the trailer using bottle jacks and pads, removed the trailer and then replaced the front cribbing for stability. Reverse the process to put it back on the trailer.

It really sounds worse than it is.
I hope this helps
Ken

 

[Gene Neill]

Simple and the lumber cost a little over $100. I used a chain fall that I had but a come- along would also work.

Excellent pics, Tsatzsue. Right click, save.

It's simple enough to picture how to jack up the stern. It's how to lift the bow, and hold it securely, that has had me scratching my head a bit. I hear descriptions often but never seem to see pics.

 

[Brian D]

Having never done this I would have copied the trailer frame (less the tongue and wheels) and made a cradle from that. Transferring the boat is a different issue. I do like JSG's idea though. But having a cradle that is built just like the trailer will keep the stress point on the hull in the same place(s).

 

[DJN51]

Made these to get my 23.5 off trailer bunks to bottom paint .also add a wider 6x6 under bow stand when needed .Lets me pull trailer out from under boat .Very sturdy.Put front stand on trailer with out legs and use trailer jack to raise boat enough to put legs on.In back, put stand together and use two car jacks to raise trailer with boat on.position stand ,lower trailer. done .I,m 63 yrs old and do it myself.Use 6 in pipe for boom,mast raising pipe storage when trailering and winter storage .Saves inside cushions and woodwork from abuse

 

[Brian D]

Made these to get my 23.5 off trailer bunks to bottom paint .also add a wider 6x6 under bow stand when needed .Lets me pull trailer out from under boat .Very sturdy.Put front stand on trailer with out legs and use trailer jack to raise bot enough to put legs on.In back, put stand together and use two car jacks to raise trailer with boat on.position stand ,lower trailer. done .I,m 63 yrs old and do it myself.

How do you get the trailer out without knocking the front support down?

 

[Joe]

How do you get the trailer out without knocking the front support down?

He spreads the stanchion/supports farther apart with a longer 6x6 crosspiece.