# How to move a sailboat on a cradle



## musicmanontheseas (Aug 30, 2008)

Any suggestions on how to move a sailboat which is on a cradle and get both up on a flatbed trailer and then how to get them off. Any pictures available would be helpful. The sailboat is a 25' Bristol, full keel 6,000 lbs. and it needs to be moved about 350 miles in Georgia.
Thanks


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

How solid is the cradle and is it a one-piece cradle? If it is a solid one-piece cradle, you might be able to lift both the boat and cradle together, but you'll need a crane.


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## kd3pc (Oct 19, 2006)

I'm with SD on this one...it really depends on the cradle. 

You should be under 10K pounds total so a fork lift may do the trick, else a crane...Unless you really know the cradle condition, I would have the yard lift the boat with the travel lift and sail/motor to your new location.

all the best.


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## musicmanontheseas (Aug 30, 2008)

I've been told that the owner didn't think there was access on the sides to get a lift to the boat. I have no idea on the condition of the cradle but based on what I know of the owner I would expect it to be in very condition. I have seen some posts that suggest jacking up the cradle up on two beams high enough to back a flatbed up under. Any comments on this method?


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

That's a recipe for disaster IMHO. Unless the flatbed can get lower than most can, you will be tilting the cradle enough to cause the boat to shift on it... once the boat starts moving....bad things happen quickly.


musicmanontheseas said:


> I've been told that the owner didn't think there was access on the sides to get a lift to the boat. I have no idea on the condition of the cradle but based on what I know of the owner I would expect it to be in very condition. I have seen some posts that suggest jacking up the cradle up on two beams high enough to back a flatbed up under. Any comments on this method?


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

musicmanontheseas said:


> I've been told that the owner didn't think there was access on the sides to get a lift to the boat. I have no idea on the condition of the cradle but based on what I know of the owner I would expect it to be in very condition. I have seen some posts that suggest jacking up the cradle up on two beams high enough to back a flatbed up under. Any comments on this method?


I dunno. I like that method. What they do with houses is lift them off the foundation and get the truck under it.

In fact, I'd contact a house mover and see if they will jack it up and get it on a flatbed for you. They do that kind of work all the time and have all the jacks and stuff. Piece of cake for them.


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## JimsCAL (May 23, 2007)

For years our club stored boats on cradles and used a local hauler with a special flatbed trailer to launch and haul the boats from a nearby boat ramp. Cradles were shifted from blocks to the flatbead first using jacks and hydraulics that lowered the bed during the transfer. Contact a hauler to see if they have such equipment.


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## saildork (Feb 20, 2007)

musicmanontheseas said:


> I've been told that the owner didn't think there was access on the sides to get a lift to the boat. I have no idea on the condition of the cradle but based on what I know of the owner I would expect it to be in very condition. I have seen some posts that suggest jacking up the cradle up on two beams high enough to back a flatbed up under. Any comments on this method?


How did they get the boat in this spot in the first place? Seems to me the reverse of the same process will at least make the boat accessible to equipment that can then place it and the cradle onto a flatbed.


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## aibuiltpc (Jun 1, 2009)

Same here, I had a boat and craddle set up that my hauler would just move both to the water. He could've moved it 350 miles too. I only moved it 30 miles on average. Look for a hauler that has the correct rig for safety sake.

Good Luck



JimsCAL said:


> For years our club stored boats on cradles and used a local hauler with a special flatbed trailer to launch and haul the boats from a nearby boat ramp. Cradles were shifted from blocks to the flatbead first using jacks and hydraulics that lowered the bed during the transfer. Contact a hauler to see if they have such equipment.


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## merc2dogs (Jun 5, 2004)

Call up a mobile home mover. If they can't get the boat and cradle on a trailer it can't be done.
I've moved my Triton three times, twice with a flatbed, once with a professional mover. Once with my buddies who work at a mobile home service, and once I put it on a flatbed alone using a floor jack, a bunch of wood for cribbing, (from the mobile home service) and some pipe for rollers. Here's the Triton and the cradle:

Picasa Web Albums - ken - triton

I just lifted it a bit higher than the trailer with the cribbing in front set back a bit, then pit the pipes down on the trailer, set the front of the boat on it, then pulled the cribbing in front and pulled the trailer back with a pair of come-alongs. Three stacks cribbing on each side, remove cribbing as I reached each stack to keep the boat stable.
If you do that, make sure you stack the cribbing more like " # " with at least two blocks per layer, and not just one block on another.
Cribbing was various chunks of 8x8,4x4, and 2x6 Lift it, fill space with thinner cribbing, go to other end lift it twice as high, fill the space replacing thin stuff with thicker stuff as you can. 
Whether it's a viable option depends on the cradle. With the triton cradle, it's heavy duty enough that I've actually considered just mounting axles and a tongue on it. (8x8 square tube)

Ken.


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## bubb2 (Nov 9, 2002)

If it's not in a boat yard where a travel lift can get to it. One of these will make short work of putting it on a flat bed.



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## mikehoyt (Nov 27, 2000)

Just did this last week. Used a trailer with 18 inch deck.

Use jack to lift one end of cradle and put blocks about 40% of the way from the front until the end of cradle is just above trailer bed height. Back trailer to just under end of cradle and then use winch or come along to winch it onto trailer.

I had a brand new steel cradle and had out it on 6x6 12 foot hemplock beams for the winter.

Mike


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## musicmanontheseas (Aug 30, 2008)

*moving a boat*

Thanks Ken,
What is the size and weight of your boat. I think I can do this but it is scarry with so many unknowns (I have not seen the boat nor seeing it on the cradle or where the cradle is positioned in relationship to other boats or obsticles) and no extra money to just hire someone.
Tom


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## merc2dogs (Jun 5, 2004)

Sorry for the delay.
The Triton is one of those boats that has a few different weights listed for it, 'Advertised' is 6900lbs, other references bounce between 8000 and 9000lbs. It's 28-6, 8-6 beam. My cradle is 12ft x 6ft and I'd guess the weight at 1000lbs plus.

It's an easy process, but can be risky. Keep the work area clear of observers and 'junk', and if you need to leave for any reason, make sure it's sitting level.

Incidentally, locate the center of balance by lifting the boat enough to place a 2x4 across the beam under the cradle near the center. Then let it down and see if you can rock the boat, move the 2x4 fore and aft untill you can rock it easily (relatively) by hand from either end then you have center, so mark it. That way you can reference the mark when you place the boat on the trailer for correct tongue weight instead of using 'best guess'. with the mark ahead of the trailers weight center (axle on a single, between axles on a dual, and center axle on a triple) you will have more weight on the tongue. (5inches forward worked nice on the triton with a 3/4 ton Ford)
The mark also tells you when the weight is on the cribs or trailer. 

Practice on smaller things first, One of the first things I moved was an 8x10 garden shed.

Don't look at it as having to raise the boat 3 feet, you really only have to raise it two inches a few times.

Ken.


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## rikhall (Feb 7, 2008)

musicmanontheseas said:


> I have seen some posts that suggest jacking up the cradle up on two beams high enough to back a flatbed up under. Any comments on this method?


When we bought our first boat, a Tanzer 22, she was on a cradle in a show room in Toronto. We had a flat bed type trailer and a pickup truck. We borrowed two beams (12 x 12s I think) that were longer than the outside width of the trailer tires.

We had a couple of jackalls and a hydraulic jack. We jacked it up the height of a 4x4, (3.5 inches) one side at a time until we had it blocked high enough to back the trailer under, which we did. Yes, it took a long time and we blocked very well and were very careful.

We had taken some long pieces of angle iron and a portable welder. We cut and welded these as supports, virtually welding the cradle to the trailer. We also strapped the whole thing down with trucker straps.

We then hauled it home to New Brunswick. (1,546 km)

We got the boat to a launching site, used an angle grinder to remove the angle iron supports, unstrapped her, put a long rope on the bow and backed her so the rear wheels we just about to the waters edge. We put a wheel on the front end of the trailer and then tied a very large hawser to the trailer, and to the truck, pulled ahead about six inches.

We removed the blocks from behind the wheels, supported and guided the trailer as we backed up and let the trailer go way way down the gentle launching ramp. I was on the boat and when we got the trailer down as far as it would go, the boat was floating free.

Well, almost free. I tied another long rope to the stern and threw it to a guy on the dock. Next, I tied the bow line around my waist with a bowline, got in the water and guided the boat totally free.

They used the rope to assist me ashore. I am active, a good swimmer and advanced SCUBA diver. But - I needed the assistance ashore as I was not planning on going in the water.

Remember, this was in a lake in Canada in May! I think the water was 32.1 degrees!



It worked for us, but I was 15 years younger and maybe not too smart.

Use your own intelligence and be safe!

Cheers


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## downeast450 (Jan 16, 2008)

We used to drag cradles up the ramp at the "Boat School" in Eastport, ME. With 18 ft. of tide we could weight down a well built wooden cradle and settle the boat on it as the tide went out. The ramp is a granite one that used to serve sea planes for the govt. It is quite long, hard and wide. If the boat was over 30" with a full keel we would get a big pay loader from the Mearl Corp, take a hitch on the base. (Usually at least 10 X 10's), have two guys run along side with lines from the top of the mast to steady things and drag her up the ramp. It smoked a bit but until we got the 60 ton TravelLift it was the way we did it. Some lengths of schedule 80 pipe was handy for rolling things around after the pay loader stopped. Ha! You make do! A man can't have too much blocking and absolutely needs a few bottle jacks! If it needed to proceed to a truck's bed we winched it on. The TravelLift sure made life easier but it wasn't nearly as exciting. We never damaged a boat.


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## musicmanontheseas (Aug 30, 2008)

*Cradle is moved!*

Well Thanks to you guys and your very helpful info I now have a sailboat in my back yard! I plan to repost with pictures. I hope it my be helpful for someone else who has to do the same thing. Thanks again guys!!!!!!!!!!

Tom


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## merc2dogs (Jun 5, 2004)

Great!
Looking forward to the pics.

Ken.


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## musicmanontheseas (Aug 30, 2008)

*How I got the cradle moved.*

My challenges with this move were that I had not yet seen the sailboat, the cradle or where it was set up and it's surroundings. Once I finally showed up at the site I found it closely surrounded by cars and a truck but pleasantly elevated by previously built cribbing. This saved me a lot of time.
The first thing I did was take Ken's suggestion and find the balance point of the load. I did this by raising the cradle in the middle with a house jack on each side until we found the balance point. This was important to help balance the load on the trailer with an acceptable amount of tongue weight. Next I elevated the cradle to the approximate height of the trailer. See movingboat1. Then I raised the front high enough to get the trailer bed under neath the cradle. To do this I used a 6X6 timber so the jacking was clear of the trailer. See movingboat7. Then I backed up the trailer as far as I could. 
Next I raised the front of the cradle and cribbed the keel so I could remove the 6x6. See movingboat8. Then I raised the back of the cradle so I could place a 2x12 from the ramps on the trailer to the built up cribbing at the back and then lowered the back of the cradle down on the 2x12. I built up the center of the 2x12 with cribbing and used a 1x4 in the cribbing to create an angle to somewhat match the angle of the ramp. see movingboat12. Finally I attached chain come-alongs and cranked the cradle on the trailer. See movingboat13. 
I would have used pipes to roll on however I knew that the trailer had wheel wells and did not know the width of the cradle ahead of time and decided to eliminate this option. I was able to do this because those of you who had done this before shared your experience and ideas. Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!! Will you come and help scrape paint?????
Tom


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## musicmanontheseas (Aug 30, 2008)

*Things I think I learned*

1. Using pipes to roll the cradle on would have greatly reduced the time and effort needed to crank the cradle on the trailer if the wheel well did not exist on the trailer.
2. I had concrete blocks in my back yard and planned on using them along with wood but a couple of gentlemen at the tool rental place told me that the concrete blocks have a habit of breaking- not a thing we wanted to take a chance on so I stuck with wood.
3. I planned on buying wood for the cribbing but one visit to a construction site's dumpter (with permission) helped me with all I needed. I precut all of them in 13" lengths which made a good combination of combining 2x4, 2x6, 2x8 and 2x10s to make an approximate 13"X13" crib section. 
4. I planned on buying some cable come-alongs with around a 3 ton rating to crank the cradel onto the trailer but with more thought I wasn't sure I could crank that much weight. I ended up renting chain come-alongs which were geared lower and made the job easier. At $15 a day I believe they were the right tool for the job. I think I could have done it with one but two made it easier, quicker and allowed us more control to pull the load to one side or the other by cranking one and not the other.
5. The 6X6 lifted by the house jacks was a risky setup as the timber wanted to twist. Next time I will tie or strap tightly the timber to the cradle to ensure more stability.

Hope this helps someone else. Thanks again guys!!
Tom


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## merc2dogs (Jun 5, 2004)

Congrats on a job well done! 
Good reference pics, They should help anyone looking to move a boat.

Bet you don't look at 'big' things as being immovable again.

Ken.


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## musicmanontheseas (Aug 30, 2008)

*It worked*

Use jack to lift one end of cradle and put blocks about 40% of the way from the front until the end of cradle is just above trailer bed height. Back trailer to just under end of cradle and then use winch or come along to winch it onto trailer.
Mike[/QUOTE]

Mike,
In case you didn't check back I used your ideas and they worked. Knowing that others have done this and how gave me the courage to try it. Thanks so much for your contributions! I posted pictures on the site if you care to look.
Thanks again!

Tom


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## camaraderie (May 22, 2002)

Excellent thread and thanks for the pix and description musicman!


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## Valiente (Jun 16, 2006)

I'm glad you didn't find out the wrong way to move a boat on a cradle:

The World Encompassed: It's not a great day when...


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## musicmanontheseas (Aug 30, 2008)

*Glad this wasn't me!!!!!!!!!!!!!*

Wow,
I felt like I was was being watched over as I moved my boat. Things went well. Sure glad this wasn't me. This is what a local Scottish sailor would call "a bad day."


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## BristolJonny (May 8, 2009)

What a great thread! I'm contemplating the same thing, as I will be bringing my bristol home in another month. I would like to build a cradle for it and a flatbed, so I will have the use of both. Not to hijack the thread, but does anyone know a good, inexpensive place to get a cradle built?


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## AdamHowie (Oct 20, 2010)

Once you get it on and moved, how can you get it off? Thinking of a mirage 24.


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## AndrewTanzer (Jul 6, 2015)

I just posted my DIY lifter here.
http://www.sailnet.com/forums/gear-...cradle-lifter-timelaps-video.html#post3320897


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## roverhi (Dec 19, 2013)

When we launched our W32 the trucking company used jacks to raise the boat to the height of the trailer and then cribbing support the boat as they moved it onto the trailer. It was a long time ago so don't remember exactly how they did it but no crane was used. They just came and loaded it on the standard flatbed in a surprisingly short period of time. It was something they were very familiar doing. One of the main support beams on the cradle had broken because of settling but it wasn't an issue for them. If yours isn't a do it yourself project, the trucking company should be able to handle it. 

They had no problem getting the boat on the trailer but had a hell of a time getting the boat and trailer onto firm ground. We built the boat in a makeshift boatyard in SoCal and were setting on bare ground. We launched in the spring after fairly long rainy period. The rock hard clay had turned to semi goo and the trailer sunk in. Ended up taking three 18 wheel tractors to drag the 20,000# boat plus the trailer out to pavement


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