The joys of a primitive marina

[Joe Snuffy]

My boat is located at the only marina on my lake with sailboat slips. For such a large lake, this marina has no facilitIies to haul your boat out, and the only useful item for a sailor is a (very) small crane that I can use to just barely step my mast with.
To make my point, I am worried about the need for a bottom job. This boat was brought to my lake in 2000, and the PO had a bottom job prior to delivery. I have owned the boat for just under three years, and have taken care of all the projects in need with the exception of below the waterline. I have inspected the keel by swimming under with a mask, but it's difficult as you can't see more than 1 foot with the mirky water. I have scrubbed off the algae and slime as best I can with a scrubber on a pole.
There is no way for me to haul out. A couple of the guys have a "shared" trailer, but with me having a wing keel, I'm thinking it won't fit my boat. Besides, the boat ramp has to have the water level much higher than normal to get a boat on a trailer.
My options as I see it are to build a custom trailer, or use a crane. The crane seems the easier option for me, as there is a commercial crane company just down the road from my office, and we already do business together. The problem is they know zero about hoisting out a boat. I own a manufacturing company, and I can easily make myself a spreader bar for the crane. I was thinking about using the bar and running straps under the bow and stern to the spreader bar. I could then hoist the boat over to some boat stands (another item my marina has none of.)
This seems like a ton of trouble for a haul-out. Is there an easier option that I'm not aware of? I take pride in my boat, and the fact that the last bottom job was 10 + years ago really bothers me.
Or do I worry to much about a freshwater boat?

Cheers!

 

[Snotter]

Hire a diver once or twice a year to clean your boat's bottom.

 

[Ol Dave]

Look for a boat yard (yeah , it'll be Dallas or Rockwall) that has a portable crane and adjustable trailer.
They unstep the mast (de-rig if necessary)
They move your boat to the trailer, that is then adjusted to fit your boat
They move it to wherever it needs to go to be painted
They assume ALL of the risk ... and there is risk
Make the haul, scrape, prep, paint, wax, buff, re-launch, rig and tune part of a package deal along with a good inspection of the rudder and stuffing box (if you are and inboard) and possible blister repair, if that kind of stuff bothers you.

I hope you saved a ton of money on the slip fees, 'cause whichever way you go, it's gonna cost you.
Ol' Dave

 

[Don12364]

Strength in Numbers

As there are other yachts in your marina they must have the same problems.
Ten year antifouling would be well past its sell by date.
Even the powerboaters need to come out and a crane is much more convenient than a home made trailer.

Why not make your TWO spreader bars and give or loan them to your friendly crane company. They probably have these anyway and then enquire if they have any longish strops.
Slinging is easy so long as one has a rope to connect the strops so neither can slip off the bow or stern. Also best to know where the bulkheads and the prop and shaft are - mark the gunwhale with stickers.
A chunk of foam taped round the crane's block helps avoid damage to the mast. Boat mags are full of photos showing boats in slings.
Then contact others in your marina to do a joint deal with the crane company with fixed dates for lift out and in.
Many yacht clubs on salt and fresh water do this every year.
My own club has done this for the last 50 years because it is a fraction of the cost of a marina haul out, block off and site rental.
We have it down to a fine art where each boat only takes ten minutes.
Even with only two boats your costs will be halved.

 

[Joe Snuffy]

Look for a boat yard (yeah , it'll be Dallas or Rockwall) that has a portable crane and adjustable trailer.
They unstep the mast (de-rig if necessary)
They move your boat to the trailer, that is then adjusted to fit your boat
They move it to wherever it needs to go to be painted
They assume ALL of the risk ... and there is risk
Make the haul, scrape, prep, paint, wax, buff, re-launch, rig and tune part of a package deal along with a good inspection of the rudder and stuffing box (if you are and inboard) and possible blister repair, if that kind of stuff bothers you.

I hope you saved a ton of money on the slip fees, 'cause whichever way you go, it's gonna cost you.
Ol' Dave

Dave, are you a displaced Texan?
I see your point about risk, but this option looks to be the most expensive bottom job ever. I'll have to pay for transport both ways, about 250 miles, then pay for the work.
I really want to lean towards keeping the boat at my marina and doing the grunt stripping/sanding/painting myself. I enjoy it.
Thanks for the suggestion, and it might be my last resort option.
Hurry up and get back to Texas!

 

[Joe Snuffy]

As there are other yachts in your marina they must have the same problems.
Ten year antifouling would be well past its sell by date.
Even the powerboaters need to come out and a crane is much more convenient than a home made trailer.

Why not make your TWO spreader bars and give or loan them to your friendly crane company. They probably have these anyway and then enquire if they have any longish strops.
Slinging is easy so long as one has a rope to connect the strops so neither can slip off the bow or stern. Also best to know where the bulkheads and the prop and shaft are - mark the gunwhale with stickers.
A chunk of foam taped round the crane's block helps avoid damage to the mast. Boat mags are full of photos showing boats in slings.
Then contact others in your marina to do a joint deal with the crane company with fixed dates for lift out and in.
Many yacht clubs on salt and fresh water do this every year.
My own club has done this for the last 50 years because it is a fraction of the cost of a marina haul out, block off and site rental.
We have it down to a fine art where each boat only takes ten minutes.
Even with only two boats your costs will be halved.

This is just the type of thing I had in mind. Yes, we have about 15-20 sailboats, and hopefully one or two of the other guys would be willing to go snacks on the expenses.
The biggest concern is my design and layout of a spreader bar. I was thinking about one long bar, with straps on both ends. The bar would be in the way of the mast, so I was under the impression the mast would need to come down?
Thanks for the help, you have given me a bunch of things to chew on.

Are boat stands something that can be rented, or do I need to plan on purchasing some?

Cheers!

 

[r. gallagher]

Cedar Creek Sailor

Hey Joe, i am in sort of the same situation at Cedar Creek Reservoir. I have a nice slip with water and electric. My slip is hard fixed not floating. I hate it but the lake is big and the fees are resonable. The water level has dropped four feet but i still have six feet under the keel.

We have a lot of sail boats on the lake but very few slipped at the marina; maybe eleven at the most. Only five are used on a regualr basis. My wife and i are on ours every weekend and during the spring, summer, and fall spenad every weekend on her.

Cedar Creek reservoir is not sailboat friendly. There is not "yard" and no means to haul out unless you hire someone with a trailer. I have been in the water going on three years. I use a dry diver as oftern as i should so as to not scrubb off all the bottom paint. I will probably have to hire the transport company that brought me here from Lake Grapevine to do a haul out and rent the trailer for a week to get my bottom job.

even with the lack of facilities Cedar creek is a great lake to sail.

 

[kenn]

Seconding Donalex. Our yacht club owns their own spreaders and slings, and every year we hire a couple of BIG cranes for a day or two to launch/haul out approx 350 yachts, in sizes up to maybe 42' LOA. Most other Toronto-area clubs also manage launch/haulout this way.

The marina should make the small investment (including some cradles or stands), then offer the service themselves, and they subcontract the crane.

 

[Ed Schenck]

I agree with the post that suggests your crane company might like the boat hauling business. My marina owns their big portable crane. Bought it after dropping a 46-footer with the old one. You can see in the picture how the lifting bar is designed. You do not have to remove the mast.

We have a co-op marina next to mine. Every spring and fall they rent a crane. Everyone shares the cost. Maybe there are a few or several fellow sailors who are worried about the same thing.

 

[Joe Snuffy]

Re: Cedar Creek Sailor

Cedar Creek looks like a nice lake, not covered up with stinkpots like lakes closer to Dallas. I drove 175 over your lake last week. You guys need rain in a bad way, that sucker is LOW.

 

[Joe Snuffy]

Re: Cedar Creek Sailor

Thanks for the pics, that is just the design I was looking for. Looks like I need to plan on the width a bit wider than the normal boat, and the straps need to be at least 16-20' long at least.

 

[Ed A]

The spreader bars are a must to prevent loading on the hull at the deck level. also plan where the straps go so you dont life it and bend the prop shaft. straps should be put as close to bulkheads as possible.

 

[kenn]

Google "boat sling" - there are a number of suppliers that make properly-constructed and rated slings with padding and quick-links. At our yacht-club, when we are launching 350 boats with two cranes in a day, the ability to break and reconnect the slings from the ground is important, to keep the speed up.

 

[Photo Bug]

Call Robert Cummings, 214-341-1626. He will pick up your boat, do a bottom job on it and put it back in the water. My boat is at Lake Ray Hubbard at Rockwall and he would charge around $1500 for the whole job. Most likely you will pay a bit more for the additional miles. He has a trailer that he can use on a ramp and he knows what he is doing.

 

[Ralph18422]

Crane

We are a self help marina as well. Rent the crane for the day and everyone spreads the cost out (30-40 boats). Roughly $100 - 150 per lift. We lifted 4 boats separately once and the cost was still the same. The spreaders used in my pic are adjustable depending on the size of the boat.

 

[Photo Bug]

Doing it in Texas

This is how we do it in Texas. The Crane comes with all of the straps. You will need the metal bar.

 

[Honeyman]

Hey Joe...the guy that "Photo Bug" is recommending sounds like a good solution, cranes can get real expensive. My experience with bottom paint for fresh water that has to last a long time is Trinidad by Petit(sp). Its expensive paint, but its a modified epoxy that dries fairly smooth and is almost like a non-stick coating in a good frying pan. The fresh water gunk brushes off very easy and it lasts a LONG time.

 

[Joe Snuffy]

I have the crane figured out, but now my marina is giving me problems. They are not willing to let me use a crane by the water, on account of a 30 year old water line that runs underground to one of the docks. The line has been giving them problems, and they are afraid the crane will rupture it. Fair enough, but I have offered to fix any damage I create, or even better I have offered to replace the entire water line with new, regardless if I bust it or not.
Once I got past the water line issue, now they say they "really" would rather me not do bottom work around the marina. I heard mumbling of "toxins" "water authority" and other terms.
I'm sure I can work this out as well, but I feel like I'm talking to a grumpy old man when I deal with these people.

Oh, they have a wonderful alternative to me using the crane in their yard:
Step my mast and motor 7 miles to the dam. Have the crane stop traffic on the bridge, and hoist my boat onto a trailer (I don't own one) and haul back to the yard. Rinse and repeat when I want to launch.

Yes, they are the only marina on the lake and they know it. :cry:

 

[kenn]

Once I got past the water line issue, now they say they "really" would rather me not do bottom work around the marina. I heard mumbling of "toxins" "water authority" and other terms.

Those are good points... permitting bottom work would probably bring an unwelcome horde of inspectors to the marina, forcing the operator to clean up on a bunch of other points as well.

Pity the marina owner can't see the business opportunity... having the crane place just down the road would make offering a haulout service a no-brainer and a nice little profit-center.

 

[mark_swart]

I still think a trailer is the way to go - take the boat home or somewhere you don't have to worry about the marina folks hassling you. I've been looking for one myself, as I know I will move a few times in the next few years and it will offset the cost. What I'm thinking about is buying an old boat with decent trailer on ebay, then ditching the boat or giving it away for scrapp. New trailers for our size boats are $3,500K plus.
Unless you have blisters, sticking with diving/cleaning really might not be that bad of an idea. God I miss fresh water.