Lifting a 27

[tjr818]

We are going to have Slainte hauled for our first time. Can anyone tell me where the lifting slings should be located?

[Malcolm Burgess]

I hauled my CD 27 yesterday. The aft sling goes abeam the companion way bulkhead, the foreward sling goes between forward hatch and the mast. The two slings should be tied to prevent forward sling from slipping forward.

[Bill Goldsmith]

One more point. Even when placed as Malcolm indicates, you need to make sure the weight of the boat is not resting on the rudder. Best way to check is to ask the lift operator to lift the aft sling slightly and then hop aboard and turn the tiller. If it is turning freely you are not resting on the rudder.

[tartansailor]

One more point. Even when placed as Malcolm indicates, you need to make sure the weight of the boat is not resting on the rudder. Best way to check is to ask the lift operator to lift the aft sling slightly and then hop aboard and turn the tiller. If it is turning freely you are not resting on the rudder.

Smack on with that one.
A yard ape ruined my rudder that way.
Just as well as it was starting to separate from it's shaft.
I now have a solid SS rudder.
Dick

[Jeff G]

I think a CD 27 is very similar to a CD 25D. My Youtube video shows how my yard lifted my CD 25D. It shows them dropping her in but the same process is used in reverse to take her out. They lifted from the stern below the transom while tilting the hull forward and keeping the load on the forward strap.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6dpFUOOwmY

[ronkberg]

Jeff, nice to see your video but the yard I use to launch/haul my Typhoon will not do the job with a mast tied down like yours. That is because a few years ago they hauled mine and it slipped off the front sling, caught my mast, bent it and pulled my bow pulpit off. It also caught my outboard motor with the rear sling and luckily the motor mount released and we watched my motor do a 360 and into the drink. It was a fall haul out so during the winter they bought and wired my mast and installed a new pulpit. The outboard was pulled out and sent to a shop to clear the salt water and run it so I'd be ready for the spring launch. Now they tie the slings together to minimize the slippage.

Lesson learned and big cost to the boatyard but the Ty stayed in the yard for free that winter and was ready for spring launch.

Regards, Ron

[karonoko]

Wow - I am really surprised they lifted you like that. Best practices is to lift a full keel boat by the keel so you don't overly stress the hull and the keel/hull connection. In other words, lift from astern using a sling just forward of the rudder post, NOT from the transom, and a forward sling angled aft (as in your video). Scotia has sling markers just below the toe rail fore and aft. I might suggest your next lift be one that lifts the boat from the heaviest point - the base of the keel. IMHO!

[Jeff G]

On the 25D there is no keel hull connection. The lead is encapsulated within the hull. The heaviest point of the keel is resting on the forward strap. There is no lead behind the rudder. That's where the holding tank is on the 25D. Both lifting methods are ok as long as the proper precautions are taken to distribute the load evenly.

[Steve Laume]

When I did my short haul this summer, I asked the yard guys if I should mark the lifting points. They told me there was no need to do this as they haul a lot of Cape Dorys and were very familiar with where they needed to put the straps.

If any yard were afraid to lift your boat with the mast on deck because they feared dropping the boat and damaging the mast, I would be looking for a new yard to haul my boat. Those straps need to be connected so they cannot slide apart.

If you look at the launching video, you might notice that the keel was sitting in a bunk on the trailer. This made it impossible to get the rear strap under the keel. This necessitated lifting from farther aft. While this might not do any damage, it is not the preferred location for the strap. Our boats balance point is just before the turn at the forward end of the keel so the front strap is carrying most of the weight.

The straps want to be located at the forefoot and just forward of the rudder and certainly tied together or you are flirting with disaster, Steve.

[tjr818]

I hauled my CD 27 yesterday. The aft sling goes abeam the companion way bulkhead, the foreward sling goes between forward hatch and the mast. The two slings should be tied to prevent forward sling from slipping forward.

Looking at a picture of our 27 in a cradle I can agree with the location of the aft sling, right at the companion way bulkhead, but it looks like the forward sling needs to be much further aft than the mast. I'd say it needs to go behind the middle porthole. Maybe a foot behind it, which is almost amidships.

[Steve Laume]

"Looking at a picture of our 27 in a cradle I can agree with the location of the aft sling, right at the companion way bulkhead, but it looks like the forward sling needs to be much further aft than the mast. I'd say it needs to go behind the middle porthole. Maybe a foot behind it, which is almost amidships."

If you look at your cradle, the straps should go just about where the forward and aft stands are set. If you put the forward strap as far aft as you suggest, to rest under the flat section of the keel, the boat would tip forward and peel right out of the straps. The balance point on the keel is surprisingly far forward. I know this from messing around with the keel blocks. There was no drama but I did find the tipping point, Steve.

[tjr818]

If you look at your cradle, the straps should go just about where the forward and aft stands are set...The balance point on the keel is surprisingly far forward. I know this from messing around with the keel blocks. There was no drama but I did find the tipping point, Steve.

So, that would be, as Malcolm said, between the mast and the forward hatch. No wonder the straps must be tied together!
Well, Friday is the day...I'll post the results.

[tjr818]

The evil deed is done. Sláinte is on the hard. There was no drama. The lift operator has been doing this for a long time and was somewhat aware of what was required for a Cape Dory. She is on her cradle now and resting comfortably.
Here are a few shots:

[ronkberg]

Tim, glad to hear that the deed is done. I noted that the rigger had the two slings tied together and I believe that is what keeps the forward sling stable. That is what the problem was when they lifted my Typhoon since my hull had some late summer slime and thus the sling slipped off.

Nice looking boat and hopefully she gives you many more years of fun sailing.

Is summer almost here?

Ron

[Neil Gordon]

I noted that the rigger had the two slings tied together and I believe that is what keeps the forward sling stable.

Matt, the lift operator at Marina Bay (Quincy, MA) has lifted LIQUIDITY 30 times or so without tying the slings together. He does carefully adjust the distance between the slings so that the angle of the forward sling prevents it from slipping. He's experienced launching sailboats and as far as I know, hasn't lost one yet.