Yard Wouldn't Haul the Boat for the Survey

[Pineapple Girl]

We had the sea trial and survey yesterday on the 1984 PT 35 sundeck*we are buying (see avatar photo).* First stop was the yard for the haulout and out of the water inspection.* This is a new yard with a brand new travel lift.* The current owner was with us and said he always hauled at another yard nearby that has the*traditional railroad car thing (sorry I am not sure what it is called).*

We ended up with three guys from the yard out there scratching their heads trying to fit chine blocks around the exhausts which run along the outside of the boat just above the waterline.**They kind of look like*rub rails but the exhaust is inside it.* In the end they were too concerned*the*exhausts*would be crushed if the chine block shifted so they would not haul the boat.* It will come out of the water this afternoon at the other yard that has the rail car system!* Of*course the current owner was shaking his head and asking the broker why we didn't take it to the other yard to begin*with!**He was quite a character and shared a lot of the boat's history with us.

Luckily everything else went fine.* The boat is in great shape for its age, including the motors.

The yard said if we want to be able haul out by travel lift we need some custom chine blocks!* Seems like it might be a worthwhile investment as "you never know"??

Gotta love this boating stuff!

 

[skipperdude]

Pineapple Girl wrote:

Gotta love this boating stuff!

So,**
you are on the hard now. How long till you splash her?
Are you doing the bottom while she is out?

Fine looking boat by the way.

SD*

*

 

[Pineapple Girl]

Hey Dude!

It was supposed to come out of the water at 2.* Unfortunately neither my husband nor I could take*time off from work to*be at the yard this afternoon.

There are two through hulls that need to be replaced so we asked the yard to do that as long as the surveyor has no significant findings.* We aren't planning to paint the bottom since the one on there now is pretty recent but you never know until you see it!* We have not heard anything yet.* Not sure if that is good or bad an hour after it was supposed to come out of the water.* It is supposed to go back in the water today and the yard manager will take it back to the slip.* He did that for the current owner "all the time" apparently!* Nice service; of course there is a nice hourly rate involved.

PG

 

[Tonic]

I think if that yard wants continued business they should invest in some blocks themselves. I've had my PT42 hauled twice now, at two separate yards, once for survey and then for new transducers, etc.* Both had blocks on hand, ready, and didn't need to be told to use them.* There didn't seem to be any issue with them shifting.* The photos are from the survey.* the second yard had single slings but, again, no problem with the blocks.

-- Edited by Tonic on Friday 27th of August 2010 10:33:29 PM

 

[FF]

Now that she is out , invest in a set of markings "SLING HERE" , so in the future it will be a snap.

Also figure the size of the chine blocks and make a rug covered set and stow them aboard somewhere.

 

[Baker]

I will agree with Tonic here to a degree. You said the yard was new...obviously with new personnel that lacked the experience in taking care of such things. You do have to give them credit for not hauling a boat they did not feel comfortable with hauling. I think that is the biggest bright spot in this story. And like Tonic said, any yard with experience would not have hesitated in hauling a boat like this.

 

[Phil Fill]

A mentioned I would mark, take picture of the hull and make/have the chine blocks/chocks as yards like to know and see what is under the water line.* Our neighbor has the side exhaust also and not all yards will pull him either.* We are 58 ft and 43 tons and not all yards will pull us as most have 50 ton lifts and 58 ft is longer than the most boat they pull.* One of the big concerns when they hear 58 ft is the beam as most 60 ft boats are 18+ ft. as they tend to pinch the boat.* They also like to see picture of the hull below water and where to lift the boat.* Many yards may pre inspect the boat.**

 

[Pineapple Girl]

Thanks so much for the input everyone!* This has all worked out for the best as the original yard that was uncomfortable hauling her did not have time to do any work on the boat--they told us we could come back within 30 days for a free haulout and to have any work done.* This place is several hours from us.* The yard where she*was hauled out is able to work on her now and she will be out of the water for several more days for a new*bottom. I will post some pictures when I am home.*

The yard where she is now is*also where the current owner has had her worked on for the past 18 years so they know and love the boat.* My husband spoke to the*guy who picked her up in her slip and drove her to the yard and he said something along the lines of loving the boat and that it has "bad ass motors."* I was just happy the engine room is well insulated and they didn't seem ridiculously loud.* You know us blow boaters like quiet.* LOL.

FF, we got a lot of photos so we can figure out where to put the slings next time.**I think I will wait until she has been out on a travel lit to make sure of the location before marking the toe rail--one of our friends says his sling indicator*things (from the factory) on his bow are in the wrong place as the boat tips forward if the front sling is put there!* I'll have to do some research on how to make the chine blocks.* Hopefully we won't need her hauled again soon so I'll have some time to work on them.

As for the yard that would not haul the boat; the chine blocks they had were nowhere near as beefy as those in Tonic's photos (thanks for the photos!) so I guess I can see why they were concerned.**Plus as mentioned by FF there were no markings of*where to put the slings so they were worried*about*where the shafts were.* In looking at all the boats they had in the yard, every boat was a newish racing sailboat.* Some had fancy custom painted equipment trailers parked next to them.* So maybe these guys had never dealt with a*trawler, or at least one with exhausts like these.*

We are hoping the new through hulls and bottom will be done by Thursday so we can*go on our club's Labor Day cruise before bringing her home to our marina.* Of course we have a to do list but none of it will keep us from using her!

 

[JMYSS]

One thing to add to your list, even after you get the sling markings perfectley set, hop in the engine room and if you have access, spin the shafts by hand. If they spin freely after they have pulled the slack out of the slings and put just a small amount of weight on the lift, you know that at least the slings are not on the shafts.(of course it will be warm though as you just got done running the boat to the lift pit!)*Depending on the lift/pit/current/ operator experience, just because the slings are in the right spot on one side, does not mean they will be on the other side....

Being in the marine business and taking care of many boats through our yacht managment program, I would hesitate to use a yard for any complicated work that did not have the tools on hand to lift a boat like yours. The yard I use in my neck of the woods has hauled everyhting from 30' to 70'for me, and I have never had to tell them what to do. All make, models, etc from sportfishing boats to trawlers and sail, they are always ready. I bring a couple boats a month in and its like clockwork. We all have to start and get our experience somewhere, but too many things can go wrong if someone lifts a boat the wrong way....

 

[Pineapple Girl]

Tim thank you for that.* I LOVE the area you are in.* I was in Southport last December for a few days.** I lived in Chapel Hill in for 13 years, from middle school on.* I'm*back to my "roots" in California now.
*
Neither of these yards are ones we are used to dealing with.* We will have to check with our "usual" yard to make sure they would be comfortable with the new boat but from the variety I have seen there in the past I wouldn't expect them to have an issue with it.* I'll see what they think about chine blocks--whether we need to make some or would reasonably expect a yard to have them...