Storage Cradle

[Long Story]

Here is an interesting or odd question for our group. Of the owners that had cradles at time of delivery, how many have kept them over the years and still use them for storage.

I am finding more and more yards that will not store your boat on a cradle, and do not have the space to store the cradle itself. I am making a move to a new docking location and they are not allowed. I had thought of storing the cradle at the old yard, as they will do it for me - but at a cost of $50.00 summer and $50.00 winter. Not sure the value added of having a cradle at time of selling the boat will be worth what I have it in? Could make a heck of a deal to someone in WI that needed one...

So - Have you kept yours, never had one, lost it years ago or find it a major benefit?

Thanks
Russ
s/v Long Story

 

[Alansails]

Our boat came without a cradle, so we were lucky enough to buy a cradle from a Catalina 34 that was going to the Chesapeake and did not want the cradle. We bought the cradle for $500.00. To get one custom built would cost $1500.00 locally, our other option was rent a cradle from the boat yard for the winter or Jackstands (buy or rent). Because we store our boat on the cradle at the yard in the winter they do NOT charge us to store the cradle. We find owning the cradle a benefit as it makes (in our opinion) the boat more stable in the winter, we go to the boat a few times each winter.

 

[Bob James]

We have had the cradle since day one and continue to use for winter storage. Boat yard stores the cradle (lots of room) for $1 per ft or $31.

 

[Doug4bass]

My dealer in Wi gave me credit for my factory cradle for my 270 .....and I got a nifty trailer. I have seen a 315 on a trailer. Pretty nice.

 

[pk104]

You probably never saw this before. When I bought my 310 I had to buy and modify a cradle. We launch the boat off the cradle via a special trailer that picks up cradle and boat.