Storage on boat stands

[Sunsetrider]

I am thinking seriously of having Manatee hauled home from the marina for winter storage - so I can perform work on her more conveniently and as well to save a few dollars. I'll tarp it rather than shrink. I have to get some of those pyramidal boat stands and put together some keel blocking.

Can I get away with 2 stands and 2 blocks? Rule books says 4, but I see plenty of boats on 2 stands.

[RobS]

I will let someone else comment on the stands but see if you can find someone who does the shrink wrap on the side and get a good deal. Add a zipper door and on sunny days you have a very nice warm workplace. I have logged hundreds of hours in mine.

[johnmurray]

I think with the A-25 you would be safe with four stands (two on each side) and two blocking points under the keel. Just two stands would be very risky. At our club we had a boat (not much bigger than yours) blow over that was blocked with just two stands. It caused considerable damage to both itself and the adjacent boat it hit on the way over. When I had an A-27 I used four stands, now with the A-30FC I use six, primarily for insurance purposes because the manufacturer of the stands recommends a pair for evey ten feet of boat length.

[Sunsetrider]

John Murray - how is your boat cover holding up?

[johnmurray]

Very well. I purchased it in November 2008 from Quinte Canvas in Kingston. It is a semi-custom 35X22 split into two zippered sections. ($775.plus freight and taxes). It is now entering its sixth season with no tears or holes.

[Sunsetrider]

I live near K-town. I'll have to call them, Their website seems to offer for sail only.

Meantime I found 2 used stands for a decent price and I'll the carpenter make another side support. No doubt I can pile up a few wodden blocks all on my own.

[Sunsetrider]

Still a bit more shoring up to.

[denchen]

Im no expert but as most of the weight is in the middle of the boat I would get some props in the middle, as it is it doesn`t look over safe to me.

[DougSea]

There's a 27 (for sale) on the hard at our marina. I suspect their keel blocking is just a little bit more in from the ends than yours to achieve a little better weight distribution. On our 28 they'd have the aft blocking just forward of the downward curve of the skeg. I have to agree with Denchen above that you may have a bit to much of a spread between your blocks. You should also have a piece of plywood or other material under your stands. On a lawn they can settle and the boat can tip.

I'll see if I can find a picture of the 27. I'm sure I took a few.

Here you go. This is how they store everything from 15' to over 40'

image.jpg

image.jpg

[jleonard]

You can build a set of "stands" yourself. One marina I stored at for many years (Mystic Marine Basin) always built their own using a 6 x 6 across the bottom of the boat/keel then 2x6 uprights with a pad and a gusset.
Nailed together.

[denchen]

I shored mine like this

[RobS]

Wow that's a lot of lumber, certainly lighter than lugging around cement blocks. Looks like beautiful country there.

[Sunsetrider]

OK, here's what I've done. I bought 2 used stands for the front area, linked by chain to prevent any side-slip; placed 3 sets of blocks under the keel; and stabilized the stern area with PT 2X5 wedged under the gunwale. These I further secured with 2 1X4 strapping, again to prevent slippage of the planks. Shrink over the cabin top. We'll insert a zip door on the port side of the shrink this weekend so I can work inside in the off-season. Signed up for a CPS electrics course for November (4 weekly evenings).

FYI the strapping is behind the bow block, not on top of it - the pic is deceiving in that regard.