hoisting a dory at a marina

Today I visited the marina where I might put my sailing NE Dory (lug rig setup). The marina has a jib crane that can lift a 1-ton boat off a trailer, swing it over the bulkhead and lower it into the water. And reverse all that too at the end of the day. The crane has a hook. Ropes from tie downs in the boat are slung over the hook.

I've been around boats for decades, but until today I never saw one. I was like, "They have these?!"  

They do - http://www.ghsa.com/en/products/marine-cranes/marine-jib-cranes/


On the NE Dory, the oarlock sockets, and under/around the mast/mast thwart, seem like the logical lifting points.

I know this boat doesn't weigh a lot, likely less 200 lbs. with the mast up and the sails onboard. Yet, I am reluctant to hang the boat by its mast thwart or from the oarlock sockets. Probably I am overthinking this, but would love to hear from anyone who has hoisted a dory from lifting points.


6 replies:

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RE: hoisting a dory at a marina

Does the marina lift also have a spreader bar with slings on the ends to go under the boat?   

RE: hoisting a dory at a marina

   The crane you showed in your link has a higher rating that 1 ton. It is also pictured with spreaders and slings. 

RE: hoisting a dory at a marina

   Have you talked to the harbor master about how the small boats are lifed?

Have you looked at how others there are lifting their boats?

Remember your stich and glue boat may use a different construction technique than the other boats.

For ligint a 13-1/2 foot Blue Jay I used a 3 rope bidal. Shackles held two of the rops to the chain plates and the 3rd rope attached to a lifiting pad eye in the keel. This kept the stain on the sides and ribs and the keel. These features are not present on the NE Dory.

I would look at a spreader and straps that pass under the hull of boat.

You will alse need to decide if you will lift with the sail stepped or unsteppedd.

It is also important to courteous at the lift and not take a long time to set up and lift the boat and unerstand the safety issues about the crane and its use. You may also want to use wheel chocks for the trailer or car if neat the water.

 

RE: hoisting a dory at a marina

I would have a crane that has a hook. No spreaders.

While I was there a guy was putting his fiberlgass sailboat into the water. I wasn't up close so can't tell for sure. He had a bridle that looked like it tied down to where his shrouds were. Not sure where it tied at the rear of the boat. His mast was up, but it wasn't a lug rig. Anyway that's not the important thing to me.

So after the crane swings the boat over the water it is about a 4-foot drop down from the top of the bulkhead. He lowered the boat to the water, unhooked the bridle from the crane's hook and then led the boat around to a floating dock pier.


I suppose I could use a couple of slings to get my boat off the trailer and into the water. I'd have to be careful unhooking the slings from the crane but it seems doable. It's the other way that seems to be difficult.

How would you lead the boat from the pier over to the crane, get slings properly positioned underneath it while it is in the water and you are on top of the bulkhead, and lift it with the crane while being sure it won't drop into the drink?  I don't think I want to try that.

Which means I have to figure out 3 or 4 points on the Dory to tie down a bridle that will lift the boat into/out of the water.


I don't mind adding some hardware to the boat. I might put some cleats on the inner rails anyway just to help with tying up or whatever.

Just looking for anyone with experience hoisting up a Dory or similar 6 mm plywood boat.

 

RE: hoisting a dory at a marina

For a quick lift, use a line with a loop at one end and an unbalanced non-buoyant stick at the other. Simply lower the end with the stick into the daggerwell, twist it so that it turns to line up with the boat's beam, pull up to hold it in place and attach the hook to the loop. The tension caused by the boat's weight will hold everything in place. Once in the water, unhook, twist the line so that the stick lines up with the daggerwell slot and pull up to get it out of the well. Same thing for coming in.

You'll probably need a second line from the hook to the transom or bow unless the boat is perfectly balanced.

I use a similar scheme to hoist my 12-ft sailing dinghy to the garage ceiling. The bulk of the force is applied where the daggerwell and thwart reinforce the boat the most so no extra hardware is needed and I don't depend on screws or bolts.

Good luck,

Laszlo

   

RE: hoisting a dory at a marina

   i plan on using an electric winch on a sliding beam to store mine in the garage , the plan is to make an H shaped braket to fit inside the boat to allow rhe boat to get a bit higher up then slide it over  and lower it into  cradles attached to the wall .sounds a bit complicated but with 4 boats and my wifes car in a 1 car garage you've gotta be a bit creative

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