What is dry weight?

Dry weight, I?m a little unclear on the subject. I have a 16? 1985 fishmaster sporting a side console and a 50 hp evinrude. The specs I found online say it is 630 lbs ?dry weight?. Is that the empty boat only, without motor, people and gear? I ask because it is my project boat. I?m going to remove the motor first thing, raise the boat with a chain hoist and slings, remove the trailer and then set the boat down on blocks. Will I be hoisting 630 lbs without the motor?


Thanks for your input.

Dan?

Re: What is dry weight?

dry weight is the weight without fuel, oil, gear oil, stuff, gear, etc. wet weight is full of fluids and stuff

Re: What is dry weight?

since it is an older boat and obviously needing some work (or you wouldn't be blocking it up in the first place) Do not rely on the dry weight to be accurate, it will probably weigh quite a bit more, water logged wood and foam, etc.

Rather than hoisting onto blocks it may be easier to drag the boat off trailer (tie off to a tree/post) and as you drag it out place blocking underneath it. Hoisting can be done but without the proper equipment it could lead to damage/injury so whatever method you use just plan ahead and be safe!

Re: What is dry weight?

Good point about water logged, I hadn't considered that. My plan is to remove the motor first then block the boat. Yes as an older boat it is in need of refurbishing. My that is such a kind word for a description of my boat, refurbishing.

My son has a 3000 lb chain hoist hooked up to a frame made of 6x6 uprights and a 10 foot 6x6 overhead beam (all sistered 2x6's) in his garage. he says he has lifted over a thousand lbs before, no problem. Using two slings and a spreader bar I can borrow from work, we'll lift the boat just enough to clear the trailer and pull it out. I use slings, up to twenty feet long to lift 1800 lb electric motors, 500 lb pumps, stainless steel piping bundles and carbon steel square tubing bundles. The gear we have will handle this boat as long as it is done safely and correctly. A 4 foot spreader bar, the smallest we have, is rated to lift 2000 lbs. Using a double sling basket from a spreader bar will cut the weight in half for for each sling. We can lift the boat ok, I'm not worried about that. Balance is a key word here. The boat must be precisely balanced between the two slings before I'll feel comfortable. A tag line or two can be used to help steady the boat even more. Here's a couple of diagrams from a safety manual they gave us at work to illustrate. I intend to lift the boat a smidgen off the trailer and see how the cross beam reacts. If I feel it's ok to proceed, we will finish the lift. We're still in the planning stage and I wanted to know how much my boat weighed and was not sure exactly what dry weight entailed.



I'm grateful for your input and hopefully I was able to convey some useful info to others.

Thanks, Dan...

Re: What is dry weight?

I think you're going to be fine Dan. Many of us have done a lot scarier and lived to tell the story. Are you going to need to flip the hull over? I have a system that worked for me. The difference being that I used two chain hoists as my "spreader". Going to move this to our Restoration section as guys deal with these issues all the time over there. Good luck!

Re: What is dry weight?

um......why are we slinging such a little boat?

are you moving it once it is off the trailer?

you can take it right off the trailer and block it where is is... or you can take it off the trailer and put it on cradles with wheels.

i had to sling mine due to the fact there was no room in the garage to get the trailer out.

to get it off the trailer...jack the tounge all the way down....put a block infer the transom. then lift the tounge all the way up.

put a block under the keel.....move trailer forward till you are caught up on the trailer....then re block. and repete till you are off the trailer.

if you want to move the boat.....make cradles with wheels....and in stead of blocks....use cradles.

if you have a floor jack.....this is easy.

Re: What is dry weight?

The dry weight is that when the boat left the factory.
The motor is not included unless an I/O. Your motor is about 220lbs.
If you think about it 630 isn't that much when your probably lifting from 2 or 3 places.
While comealongs are not intended for lifting anything I have used beefy comealongs to lift
any number of different style boats weighing 2000lbs or more.I did have the advantage most were vintage wood with lifting eyes bow and stern.

Re: What is dry weight?

How to unload your small boat on the ground in 5 minutes

Before you get too involved with come-alongs and frames read the above.

Re: What is dry weight?

Good lord boys. I am surprised at you.

Everyone knows dry weight is before you put the beer in the cooler.

Re: What is dry weight?

I don't believe any specs from any boat manufacturer. I don't care if they call it dry or wet or with engine or without. Doesn't mean they are false, but many are. Interior? Carpet? Glue? Hardware? Software? Oh wait, I guess that doesn't weight anything. Lights? Steering? And that's just the weight questions. I don't trust Length overall, length underall, draft, beam, deadrise, etc. Who is actually monitoring this stuff on an independent basis and what authority do they have? In 1985? Today? Blechhh.

Re: What is dry weight?

Why don't you simply (?) take it to a truck stop and get on the scales. Subtract the approximate weight of the trailer and you have your weight. What's a trailer weight? 250ish#?

Re: What is dry weight?

I was surprised when you said "a little boat". It seems pretty big to me being as my other boat is a 14 foot rowboat. Compared to a 22 foot cuddy with a hardtop sure it's little but 630 lbs sounds like alot to me. If I can't muscle it into my pickup truck bed like I do with my 14 footert then its too big. Anyway after I read your post I started more searching online and came across a couple of others describing your method. One I found on u-tube. Looks alot easier than what I was thinking.

Is 630 lbs too much to drop the boat straight onto the grass refurbish the trailer and then and winch it back on?

Re: What is dry weight?

"Is 630 lbs too much to drop the boat straight onto the grass refurbish the trailer and then and winch it back on? "

My opinion is you would never get it back on the trailer...easily, of course. Pulling weight and lifting are different mechanics.

Re: What is dry weight?

My 2?! Build some cradles the height of the boat as it sits on the trailer. Pull the boat back off the trailer a couple of feet and then back it over the cradles. Tie the back of the boat off. Pull forward with the trailer and have the forward cradle read to insert at the right time. Done.
This vid kinda shows what I mean.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVMCWe-qrj8&feature=related

Re: What is dry weight?

no 630 lbs is nowhere near too much to just dump on the grass... I've dumped a 5000 lb boat on the grass and winched it up.... need rollers or lube for that one but 630.... heck that's the weight of 3 guys.... prop the front of the keel on a block or log, spray your bunks with silicone lube, and you could winch that on with 2 fingers.... the boat in the link I put up weighs 935 lbs dry plus the 115 hp engine a big batt and 60 gallons of gas (bout 1800lbs total) and was EASY as pie

Re: What is dry weight?

you have to read some of the links these guys are giving you bud.

all you need to know is right there.