About To Lift Hull From Mold - See Anything Wrong??

[hoytedow]

Going to bed now. Have a great spring.

[CatBuilder]

That's a good idea about 2 straps per crane... spread the load a bit.

Just to clarify - I'm lifting this hull in slings, not by the bulkheads this time. My main goal here is to avoid the hull curling up in a "C" or "U" shape. There is nothing protecting it from having the bow and stern rise while the hull folds and the mid section sags to the floor.

It shouldn't be able to bend the other way (mid section high and bow and stern low) because it's already glassed inside. It's a bunch of 1" Corecell foam with glass on the inside... nothing on the outside.

So.. the main thing is to keep those bulkheads from a) popping out... and b) leaning toward each other at the tops or along the side where there is a missing deck section (because the bridge deck goes there)

[rberrey]

Cat, just nail some scrap 2x4 or whatever to the bottem of your 2x6 stiffners at each bulkhead and screw them to your bulkheads. If you get any sagging in the ends while lifting try to put a rachet strap around the bottem all the way around the stiffners with a 2x4 nailed flat from one stiffner to another, this will allow some load bearing to be transfered to the stiffners. Take your time and adjust your pick points as needed, you will know if its lifting right. Put plywood splices both sides of the 2x6 stiffners, also have some strut material on hand to go between the bulkheads if needed. rick

[rberrey]

Also stager the joints of your stiffners. rick

[CatBuilder]

All good advice, thanks.

I'm going to add that this thing probably weighed 300lbs before I started adding bulkheads and stiffeners and everything. I was lifting it up with one hand and sliding the straps under it with the other hand.

Are you guys sure I need such huge timber? I was thinking 1x2's would do it at first, then figured maybe I needed 2x4's.

The hull won't sag at the ends. It's fully glassed inside.

The danger is if the ends to stay high while the middle sags. I guess this means compression loads on the stiffeners/strongbacks/longitudinals.

If I could pick it up by the bulkheads (which I can't because there is no hull surrounding some of them I would need to pick by), I could just pick it up and go with it... no supports at all. Here's another one picked up that way... just to illustrate what it takes (not much) to move one of these:



This hull is identical to the one I'm lifting in nearly every way, except that I have heavier temporary bulkheads in due to some logistics issues with moving mine around.
See? These guys just tied onto a bulkhead or two and lifted it out. It can't bend with the bow and stern down... it can only bend with the middle sagging, because I am using the temporary bulkheads and lifting straps.

I can't do it like the picture for a number of reasons I'll refer folks to another thread if they are curious about.

So... 2x6's? Are you guys sure? Sounds like overkill. I'm no expert at all, but I thought 1x2's would almost cut it.

[rberrey]

I,d say 2x4s will do, they are just stiffing the bulkheads, no load bearing. If there is a problem and you need them to have some load bearing then just nail another 2x4 flat along the side of the stiffner.Just make sure you have a balancened pick, slings not spread more than 60 degrees if you have a spread. I would do as one of the other posters said and use two straps to each lift if you have them. 300 is not much to lift,just pick it up slowly to start with to see if it is going to sag anywhere. rick

[rasorinc]

If your weight is correct go with the L 2-2x4s well nailed together giving you a 5" flat piece and a 3-1/2" vertical. USE 4 pick up points. If, by chance, you see flex in the center--STOP--add a long 2x4 vertical to the other side centered making a wood channel. that piece does not need to be full length but should be 12' or even 16'.