Heavy Lifting - of 33 foot boat for bottom painting

tpenfield · Apr 22, 2013

Hi Folks -

This weekend I was sanding the hull of my 'new-to-me' boat (Formula 33 foot) in order to get ready for painting of a Barrier coat and then an Anti-fouling paint.

The boat is currently on blocks and stands, the thing weighs approximately 9,000 lbs . . . So, there are 2 areas, fore and aft, where the hull rests much of its weight on the stack of blocks. See (click) image below

I have been able to move the 4 stands, that you see in the picture, around to sand underneath the pad areas, but the areas obstructed by the blocks (circled in picture), remain untouched.

The Question:

For those who have dealt with larger boats or similar heavy objects, I am wondering what techniques I might use to access, prep and paint the areas obstructed by the stack of blocks. Each area is about 1.5 square feet of hull. I figure that I could make another stack of block adjacent to the existing stack(s) . . . but transferring the load would still be quite a challenge, and one with a high penalty of failure

Any tricks of the trade or techniques that folks have used with good results . . . :help:

I DO need to prep and paint these areas as they will become barnacle paradise in about 3 weeks after launching, if I do not.

T.I.A. for your advise and comments.

Ned L · Apr 22, 2013

Re: Heavy Lifting - of 33 foot boat for bottom painting

My advise, ... If you aren't familiar with jacking and blocking that size boat I'd get someone involved who is familar with it. As you said, "high penalty of failure"...... So I will defer from getting into an explanation here if you don't mind.

smokeonthewater · Apr 22, 2013

Re: Heavy Lifting - of 33 foot boat for bottom painting

What I have done is use the stands to lift the boat off of the blocks.... then move the blocks lower the boat and go back to work....
PS a cheater bar and a can of wd makes it MUCH easier to raise the boat

The stands SHOULD be tied together in pairs with a safety chain under the hull.
I have used 2" ratchet straps but chains are the correct thing to use here

I'll add that I am NOT a professional and my method MAY NOT BE THE CORRECT ONE.....
Moving heavy objects can be VERY dangerous and you do so at your own risk....
If you have ANY doubts I suggest getting professional help.

heyyou325 · Apr 22, 2013

Re: Heavy Lifting - of 33 foot boat for bottom painting

Mines not quite that heavy, only about 2000 lbs according to the brochure. I left it on the trailer, pulled it back about a foot, sanded, primed, painted, then moved it ahead and will do the spots I missed. I put it up on blocks last fall and too many inquisitive people wanted to see inside the boat, some oven got inside. It ended up on the ground with wet primer on it. A friend (professional mechanic and sbc lover) is helping me with carb problems, and he wanted to look at the engine. So did his 2 sons with him. I was rounding up some other parts for some of his projects then. It was not quite straight on the blocks, and I decided time to paint in a hurry. 2 days later, some people I had picking up scrap steel with nobody home, and when I came home it was on the ground. This spring the trailer idea worked a lot better, if I ever get another break from the rain and snow. I have to keep my boat outside, and up here there's only so much time and weather to work on them.

Ned L · Apr 22, 2013

Re: Heavy Lifting - of 33 foot boat for bottom painting

.... I'll just say 'I don't belive jackstands are designed to be particularly load-bearing'.

smokeonthewater · Apr 22, 2013

Re: Heavy Lifting - of 33 foot boat for bottom painting

mine sat on stands with no blocks in my driveway for 2 months as I regularly climbed on and off and through several BAD thunderstorms... although I have to admit I tied it to my jeep, my dually, and a tree with 20' straps during the worst one tho It likely would have been ok without.

I'll add that I am NOT a professional and my method MAY NOT BE THE CORRECT ONE.....
Moving heavy objects can be VERY dangerous and you do so at your own risk....
If you have ANY doubts I suggest getting professional help.

Ned L · Apr 22, 2013

Re: Heavy Lifting - of 33 foot boat for bottom painting

:thumb:

Ned L · Apr 22, 2013

Re: Heavy Lifting - of 33 foot boat for bottom painting

Tpenfield, ... for what it's worth for next winter, .... If that is your driveway the boat is blocked up in in the photo, ...If it were me, I would cut some 3/4' thick plywood pads or discs for the jackstands and cribbing to sit on rather than directly on the pavement. Driveways aren't known as the best paving with the best base underneath. I expect your boat will be back in the water before you have to worry, but if it were to stay there for the summer, given a couple of really hot days you you could find the jackstands sinking into the pavement, and worse case the boat dumping over.

tpenfield · Apr 22, 2013

Re: Heavy Lifting - of 33 foot boat for bottom painting

Thanks for the responses so far . . . the plan is to launch the boat on/about May 17th. So, I have a few weeks to prep/paint, etc.

I think I will do all of the painting on everything EXCEPT the keel block areas, then do all prep/paint steps on those 2 areas last, so I move the blocks once.

I had thought about getting another set of boat stands and support it totally on the stands for a few moments while I moved the blocks. However, I do not believe the stands are actually rated for much weight . . . like 1,000 - 1,500 lbs max each. Plus there is no telling how stable the boat will be as I crank up the stands progressively to bear all of the weight. Maybe I could do it that way, just not sure. :noidea:

I figure that I need to raise the boat about 1/2" to remove the weight and be able to transfer the load to another set of blocks right next to the existing ones. If I can do that, then I can finish up the paint job fairly quickly and just leave the keel blocks in their 'new' position.

I am estimating that the stern blocks/stands have about 6K lbs of weight and the forward blocks/stands have about 3K of the weight. I'm just trying to figure if it is better/safer to lift the boat by the chines . . . or to lift by the keel and stabilize by the chines . . .

smokeonthewater · Apr 22, 2013

Re: Heavy Lifting - of 33 foot boat for bottom painting

I don't know what stands you have but the ones I looked up state that they are able to support 30'000 lbs and recommend one (keel stand) for each 10,000 and two side stands for every 8' of boat length

the keel stands and side stands use the same screwjack and APPEAR to have the same construction on the frame but different heights..

You COULD obtain a keel stand and simply crank it up to remove the blocks BUT that requires you to be UNDER the boat when/if something bad happens

YES definitely do ALL bottom work on the rest and then move the blocks only once..... I would have suggested that but I missed that you weren't already doing that

tpenfield · Apr 22, 2013

Re: Heavy Lifting - of 33 foot boat for bottom painting

I have the Brownell 4 legged stands they are a local MA company. . . I think they are the MB-2 model . . .

They do not list a specific capacity, but in there product information they specifically say to use keel blocks and not to suspend the boat by the stands . . .

There is a Keel Stand that Brownell makes .. . . so, I could try to get something like that to do the lifting. It is rated for 10,000 lbs

smokeonthewater · Apr 22, 2013

Re: Heavy Lifting - of 33 foot boat for bottom painting

yep brownell is what I looked at... They'll hold the weight but you have to make certain they are stable.

What we regularly do is crank up the front side stands and back trailer under till it touches the blocking... than we remove blocking and back trailer till fenders almost touch stands..... Then we put a bottle jack on a block with a homemade V cradle on it under the keel and just in front of rear cross member of trailer... Next we remove the front side stands and back trailer till next cross member or axle reaches jack..... we use a large automotive jack stand and wood cribbing to support keel and move the jack and continue..... at some point the trailer will often begin to contact the hull and we will crank up the stern side jacks and remove that blocking..... I have had 10,000 lb boats on 4 stands with no blocks many times but I don't go under them unless they have blocks or a trailer under them.

smokeonthewater · Apr 22, 2013

Re: Heavy Lifting - of 33 foot boat for bottom painting

Frequently Asked Questions | Brownell Boat Stands, Inc.

tpenfield · Apr 22, 2013

Re: Heavy Lifting - of 33 foot boat for bottom painting

Just for clarity, I am not loading the boat to a trailer . . . I don't even have a trailer. Just needing to move blocks around to get at all the areas I need to paint.

i have a boat hauler with a special hydraulic trailer for when I launch . . . He just picks the boat up with the trailers lifting pads

smokeonthewater · Apr 22, 2013

Re: Heavy Lifting - of 33 foot boat for bottom painting

yeah I caught that.... I explained the whole process so it would make sense as to why I did it that way... I assume tho that he supports the bow on stands alone till he can get the trailer out and then blocks it.....

tpenfield · Apr 22, 2013

Re: Heavy Lifting - of 33 foot boat for bottom painting

smokeonthewater said:
yeah I caught that.... I explained the whole process so it would make sense as to why I did it that way... I assume tho that he supports the bow on stands alone till he can get the trailer out and then blocks it.....

Actually, I watched the guy unload the boat last Fall. He sets the boat on the blocks first, then secures the rear stands. Disassembles the hydraulic trailer's cross members and pulls the trailer out from under the boat. Finally, sets the front stands and it is done. I assume that the pick-up process will be pretty much a reverse of the unload process.

i think the trailer is a Conolift or a Hostar boat hauling trailer . . .

smokeonthewater · Apr 22, 2013

Re: Heavy Lifting - of 33 foot boat for bottom painting

ahh he must have one of those HIGH dollar open center trailers...... looks like a letter U from the top.... NICE

tpenfield · Apr 22, 2013

Re: Heavy Lifting - of 33 foot boat for bottom painting

smokeonthewater said:
ahh he must have one of those HIGH dollar open center trailers...... looks like a letter U from the top.... NICE

Yup . . . About $10/ foot to launch.

RotaryRacer · Apr 22, 2013

Re: Heavy Lifting - of 33 foot boat for bottom painting

Why not just wait until he picks it up and sand/paint it then?...I guess that $10/foot doesn't include waiting for you to work on your boat.

And yes the process to load is as you explain. I move 30,000 lbs boats with a hydraulic trailer and with the right equipment it is pretty straightforward. With your little boat (are you sure it is only 9,000 lbs?) you can get away with a lot. It is a solid well built boat.

At your own risk, you could cerntainly use your boat stands and jack it up a bit to move the blocking just far enough forward or aft to do what is needed then put it back until your hauler comes.

NEVER remove the rear stands or take weight off of them before the boat is supported by the trailer or you have another set of stands directly adjacent. It sounds like you may have already. Scary.

ALWAYS have a chain (drawn taunt) linking each set of stands down and under the keel of the boat.

tpenfield · Apr 24, 2013

Re: Heavy Lifting - of 33 foot boat for bottom painting

RotaryRacer said:
. . . (are you sure it is only 9,000 lbs?) you can get away with a lot. It is a solid well built boat.

At your own risk, you could cerntainly use your boat stands and jack it up a bit to move the blocking just far enough forward or aft to do what is needed then put it back until your hauler comes.

NEVER remove the rear stands or take weight off of them before the boat is supported by the trailer or you have another set of stands directly adjacent. It sounds like you may have already. Scary.

ALWAYS have a chain (drawn taunt) linking each set of stands down and under the keel of the boat.

The guy that hauled if for me said it was fairly light versus what he was expecting . . . Spec's on the boat is 8,900 lbs . . .

I have a temporary stand that I put in place for when I move the main stands . . . only move 1 at a time.

My thoughts are to lift the boat with leverage, rather than a keel jack, because I am not comfortable with being under the boat while raising it, shifting loads, etc.

So, I plan on making a fairly large lever so I can be out from under the boat, and reasonably far away while I lift the boat.

Heavy Lifting - of 33 foot boat for bottom painting

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