Yacht Cradles - transportable

[Sailfree]

Hoping to transfer my boat to Poole later this year but one disadvantage of not paying the extra £6,000 for MDL marina prices is that I will need to get a cradle for my 43' for winter lift out. Hard standing is used as a Dinghy park in summer so I will need to break it down and transport it home (perhaps in parts as only A6 estate).

Complete new area for me so seeking advice.

Thanks

 

[sarabande]

I had a 6 leg Atlas for a 16 ton motor sailor.. It set up and broke down very easily , with one spanner and lump hammer for tiny adjustments. It did need a 6ft sheep trailer to move it around, but would fit in a white van I guess. Very heavy galvanising, and storm chains (essential IMHO)

Used it for 5 years, then sold it for more than I paid

They are always coming up on ebay (16 there now) and usually go for a Buy it Now, so set up a search and be prepared to move fast.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_t...t+cradle&_nkw=yacht+cradle&_sacat=0&_from=R40


My current cradle is a lovely solid DIY job completed by a competent engineer. Easy to make a copy of a commercial one if you have access to a metal workshop and galvaniser.

 

[jerrytug]

I use scaffolding, the amount and lengths you need would fit in/on a large estate car or small van, and it's galvanised. Also it's super versatile, eg very easy to clip on extra bits for staging to do work in awkward places like the bow roller. Plus you can store it anywhere, boatyards may charge for storing a cradle. And you can use it for other jobs! cheers Jerry

 

[Tranona]

When I researched buying one a couple of years ago, www.yachtlegs.co.uk seemed to offer the best value portable cradles.

 

[savageseadog]

Bear in mind that should there be any problems, the insurance company may take a dim view of DIY efforts.

 

[Coaster]

We bought a new six leg Atlas cradle 5 years ago and have been very pleased with it. There is no corrosion or wear despite the cradle doing its job for five months over each winter.

The cradle takes about half an hour to unload and assemble. Fine tuning is done when the hoist lowers the boat onto the cradle.

Transport in the back of an estate car with back seats folded has been straightforward. I cut a piece of 18mm ply to serve as a load bed liner.

I have tried to find Atlas online but cannot see the company. Does anyone know if it's still in business?

 

[NormanS]

Bear in mind that should there be any problems, the insurance company may take a dim view of DIY efforts.

That is a common attitude, which is destroying our civilisation. Seems a shame to perpetuate it on a PRACTICAL Boat Owner forum.

 

[Boo2]

Hoping to transfer my boat to Poole later this year but one disadvantage of not paying the extra £6,000 for MDL marina prices is that I will need to get a cradle for my 43' for winter lift out. Hard standing is used as a Dinghy park in summer so I will need to break it down and transport it home (perhaps in parts as only A6 estate).

Complete new area for me so seeking advice.

Some of the eBay prices seem a bit steep, Jacobs will sell you a cradle for ~£1300 see here : http://www.jacobsboatcradles.com/price-list.html but I don't know whether these are transportable. The Yacht Legs Co also sell cradles, their price list is here http://www.yachtlegs.co.uk/priceguides.php and they do transportable types.

Can't find Atlas Yacht Cradles on the web, their site used to be here : www.atlasyachtcradles.co.uk

Hth,

Boo2

 

[Sailfree]

Thanks guys

It should not be needed until next winter.

I will measure up the cradle that MDL put it on this winter -including leg lengths! Then monitor e bay with the new price sorted with recommendations from on here.

Once again thanks

 

[KenMcCulloch]

Some of the eBay prices seem a bit steep, Jacobs will sell you a cradle for ~£1300 see here : http://www.jacobsboatcradles.com/price-list.html but I don't know whether these are transportable. The Yacht Legs Co also sell cradles, their price list is here http://www.yachtlegs.co.uk/priceguides.php and they do transportable types.

Can't find Atlas Yacht Cradles on the web, their site used to be here : www.atlasyachtcradles.co.uk

Hth,

Boo2

We have a Jacobs cradle bought second hand a couple of years ago. The longest section is about 3m long and it does break down into pieces that 2 old blokes can just about move. Needs a long van or truck/ trailer. You should have a look at Tenamast cradles as well.

 

[pcatterall]

I second the scaffolding idea.
If you have access to the previous cradle then you could make up a cradle in scaffolding to suit and to be an exact fit for your boat, mark all the pieces so you can rebuild correctly. Aluminium would be even lighter to transport.

 

[PabloPicasso]

I've got one of these http://turnermarine.eu/boat-storage/yacht-cradles/transportable-yacht-cradles/

It goes into the back of my focus estate easily. Would go into a small hatchback they say.
It works for me. They probably have prices on their website.

Not the ones with wheels at the top of the page, look lower down at the pics and video

 

[Tranona]

I second the scaffolding idea.
If you have access to the previous cradle then you could make up a cradle in scaffolding to suit and to be an exact fit for your boat, mark all the pieces so you can rebuild correctly. Aluminium would be even lighter to transport.

That is a lot of faffing about when you can get a well designed fully adjustable 6 leg cradle that will fit in the back of an estate car for transport.

 

[rudolph_hart]

That is a lot of faffing about when you can get a well designed fully adjustable 6 leg cradle that will fit in the back of an estate car for transport.

I've used alloy scaffold poles and Acrow jacks for the last 27 years on 4 boats, from 33 to 35 foot, mast up. Takes about an hour to set up, and is transportable - poles on roof rack, Acrows in the back (Merc estates & X5's).

It can be set up to give a much wider 'footprint' than a cradle for greater stability, but I'm not sure I'd use it for the OP's 43 footer, though.:ambivalence:

 

[LittleSister]

We have a portable 'Tennamast' cradle, which came with the boat and is very satisfactory.

Ours is the 'E' version, which IIRC is for smaller boats like ours and they do a different verion for larger boats. It is modular, so you can choose the size and number of supports you want.

We were told the previous owner had transported it in the back of a small estate or hatchback. (However, when we had the boat transported by road it was lifted and carrried under the boat, at the suggestion of the driver, to save the bother of dismantling it.)

When we first had it I had some query about it, and contacted the manufacturers (in Scotland IIRC) who were very friendly and helpful.

 

[Lakesailor]

I've got one of these http://turnermarine.eu/boat-storage/yacht-cradles/transportable-yacht-cradles/

It goes into the back of my focus estate easily. Would go into a small hatchback they say.
It works for me. They probably have prices on their website.

Not the ones with wheels at the top of the page, look lower down at the pics and video

That's a good concept. However it would seem to get it's rigidity from the hard standing and so the firmness of the ground is very relevant.

 

[Coaster]

That's a good concept. However it would seem to get it's rigidity from the hard standing and so the firmness of the ground is very relevant.

This is very similar to the Atlas cradles, and I think quite similar to the Yacht Legs products.

The ground does not need to be any firmer than that of a yard using wooden props and wedges. In fact the cradles can probably be used on slightly softer ground.

The cradle comprises a 'backbone' from which six horizontal arms extend. The props are hinged at the outer ends of the arms and their angles from horizontal are controlled by adjustable stays. At the upper end of each prop there's a hinged pad which can be raised or lowered on a threaded rod. The principal role of the arms is to prevent the bases of the props moving in or out.

The base of each cradle prop is supported by a T plan arrangement, i.e. an arm and a transverse stabilising bar. The T has a fairly substantial surface area so a typical gravelled boatyard bears it well. If the ground were very soft a spreader plate could be placed under each T.

The weight of the boat is carried by the cradle backbone. We put a wooden sleeper on ours, for protection. If the set up is correct each prop should be carrying little or no load in calm weather and with nobody moving around on the boat.

 

[Deleted member 36384]

Last year I sourced a cradle for my Rival 41C, 41' LOA and 10t. The lowest cost new cradle I could find in the UK was from Tenamast who quoted £1400 including delivery to Largs from Ayrshire. This was a 6 legged, fixed based, undercoated cradle i.e. it could not be broken down for transportation by car, trailer. A 6 legged, sectional cradle from Tenamast, which can be transported in the back of a Volvo Estate, or trailer, costs £1995 incl vat. Again this was the lowest cost I could find.

Now, Tenna actually quote for an 8 leg cradle and I queried why all the other companies quote 6 leg. This is the reply: -

We have been made aware of other companies offering smaller cradles in the past to try and be more competitive with their prices. This started when the new edition of the Yacht Harbour Association layup guidelines changed a few years ago, they used to specify a 6 support cradle for yachts up to 40ft and 8 support up to 50ft, this is now not part of the guidelines but many marinas and insurance companies still work to this guide. This is the reason we have stuck with this guide.

This doesn’t mean that our cradle is any weaker than any other companies cradle, our 6 support is as strong if not stronger than the cradles that other companies offer.

So if you are in the market for a new cradle, you may find that Tenamast in Ayrshire provides the lowest cost amongst all the UK cradle suppliers at least for a 41' LOA, 10 Tonne, yacht. In the end I bought a second hand cradle on eBay for just over half the cost of a new Tenamast.

I paid £795 for the 4 Leg Cradle below designed for up to 18 t and about 14' maximum beam. As you can see this location is a bit exposed, my tub has sat through all the big gales so far with no hassle. The previous owner had a shorter keel than mine and he used shores under the bow and stern, 2 each side, for additional security. Most of this fits inside an 8' x 4' trailer except the base which is 10' long. So its not back of the Volvo transport, but easily transportable all the same.

I hope this gives you and idea and confidence on size. It should also be noted that Vyv_Cox of this forum has wintered a 32' yacht on beach legs, on a marina hard. If the yacht can sit on her keel, then you do not need much to keep her from falling over.

 

[Billjratt]

As BlowingOB points out, the keel shape is of prime importance. The longer it is, the simpler a support system (I hesitate to call it a cradle!) is needed.
This lot has been transported in a Pug 206 (It did sag a bit!) and now takes two goes in a renault cdi easily.

If your boat will almost stand on it's own, all you're doing is steadying it.
Otherwise it's got to be a set of adjustable legs attached to a ground frame, and you have to know where the strong bits/bulkheads are from the outside... best of luck - spindly-keel people.

 

[geem]

That is a common attitude, which is destroying our civilisation. Seems a shame to perpetuate it on a PRACTICAL Boat Owner forum.

There were two fin keepers on proper galvanised cradles that failed over Christmas in the strong winds. The yachts both had masts up. It took a big crane to sort it all out. One yacht snapped its keel off.
It is vitally important to have the correct cradle for your boat, especially if you are leaving the mast up. I priced a cradle up with Jacobs for my boat (44ft ketch) at close to £5k. I am sure can get cheaper but what happens when it all goes wrong?