Travel Lift Vice Crane for Hauling Boats

[Ron Hall]

I've contracted a travelift to pull Mouzzer this year using slings under the hulls instead of using a crane with the slings going under the beams. I know this will place some inward force on the hulls at the keel, and am planning on placing the slings at the beam buklkheads to spread the load as much as possible. Has anyone done this before with one of the larger Tikis (mine is a 38), and what do I need to worry about.

[Jeff Kittle]

We have a Tiki 46 that we had hauled in Pensacola a year ago using a Travel Lift like you describe. Worked great. We just had them put the slings close to where the bulkheads were. The only scary part was getting into the bay (our engine was dead, hence the haulout). The marina guided us in using their dinghy. That wasn't the worst part though, - it was the fact that there was less than 2 inches of clearance between the concrete wall and our beams!

Jeff and Sue on Kittywake

[Carl]

Ron,
I used to have a Tangaroa and had her hauled/put back in the water but had two steel beams below the hulls that the slings were attached to. No stresses on the hulls, and also saves your paint work. Should be easy enough to source 2 beams a bit wider than the Tiki and have eyes welded to the ends for the slings to attach to. Let us know how you get on.
Cheers

[Jeff Kittle]

Sue replied to your post, but I thought I could add some photos.

Jeff

[Ron Hall]

Thanks everyone,

Makes me feel much better about the process. I don't have time to have anything made up, although a beam sounds like the ul;timate solution, so guess I will have the yard place the slings as close to the bulkheads for the 2 and 3 beams, with carpet strips to protect the hull. Pictures very helpful, very reassuring. Thanks Jeff and Sue-have followed your adventures on the web and impressed with your just going and sorting it out later. Another year and we hope to be meeting some of you all out on the water rather than just corresponding.

Ron

[Ron Hall]

Jacques,

Thanks for the photo. Feeling much better. Boat Looks great, hope you are having fun sailing her. Sometime would like to hear what you have learned about sailing the boat, and maybe compare notes. We have found that the boat will actully sail pretty well to weather in heavy (20 plus) without the jib. Last week we had the boat upwind in a northwesterly of 18-20 with periods of more (25-30), and were carrying just the foremain (one reef) and the main (two reefs). The boat made a steady 3+ knots in the lulls and 6+ or so in the gusts, so we were not particularly fast, but the rig was not straining and the boat was not crashing into the waves. Comfortable, but not particularly fast, with the boat tucked into the chop rather than bashing through it. We were probably tacking through 110 to 120 degrees, but so were most of the cruisers. So am wondering what you have found. When the wind and waves were down later (maybe 15 gusting 18), we put up the reefed jib, but the boat was still slow, and we were pointing only a little better. Probably needed more sail at that point, but crew was comfortable and didn't want to change (very cold), and we were only 2 or so miles from home. Again, hope you are enjoying the boat.

Ron

[Tom Haver]

Hi Ron,
I,ve lifted my tiki 38 with a normal travellift.
No problems at all
Put the slings there where the bulkheads are.
Good luck
Tom "tinto"