How to build a rotating sling?

[SailorKevin]

Dear Fellow Woodenboaters,
Anyone know how to build a sling to lift and rotate a boat in order to facilitate working on her?
I have a 19 ft. lightning class sailboat and I fear if I don't come up w something, my back won't last the time needed to work on her. Any ideas or suggestions would be welcomed!

[Gary E]

Welcome Kevin,
If you have the overhead and can rig some pulleys , you can pick up the boat and rotate it allmost by yourself but 2 others do make it much easier.

I wish I had a pencil and paper here to show you the way to rig it, but here goes with words.

Rest the transom on cushions or saw horses.

One choker line wraped around the boat to lift the bow.

I think I would drop the 2 lines for rotation into the mast hole and tie them to a 2x4 so that they will not come out. Then start with wraping a line around the boat so that when it is pulled the boat is lifted as a normal strap lift would. Now from the other side of the boat you need the other line wrapped the oposite way so that as you let this line out it will allow the other side to raise. Try this on paper first then use some string to set up this idea and try it on a loaf of bread or shoe box...

Where in Bucks Co... I lived at one time in Huntingdon Val.

Also as a kid in the Sea Scouts we had Lightning Number 352.. guess yours is newer smile.gif

[ 08-30-2005, 04:58 PM: Message edited by: Gary E ]

[Brent B]

Hello from Coopersburg (just N of Bucks County).

The way I turned over Lightning 11444 by myself:

Use two U-shaped slings hung from 4 points on the ceiling joists, located at 1/3 and 2/3 of the boat length, with vertical legs about 6' apart. Because of the taper, the slings tend to slide towards the boat ends. Essentially the anchor points form a 6' square.

Raise the boat using tackle on the same side of each sling. This will start the rotation. You can then extend the centerboard and use it as a lever to help complete the rotation. Be sure to rig a preventer to keep the board out when the boat goes upside-down.

It is easier to do if the steel centerboard is out of the boat making it lighter. You can still use another lighter board inserted in the centerboard trunk for a lever.

I used large diameter soft rope for slings. This arrangement was also used to turn over a Flying Scot, Thistle, and MC scow.

Brent
Benson Sails

[Ian McColgin]

I made one for working on the Thistle. I made it free-standing to adapt to a variety of boats indoors and out. Way over-built for the Thistle, it can handle boats up to about 3,000# and 7-1/2' beam.

It's basicly four uprights with perimeter braces atop and braces on the sides at floor level. There are two moveable braces at each end for resting the boat either totally on the gunnels if upside down or in any convenient angle sharing the load with the slings.

The slings. These are strapping stout enough to hold the boat. The upper end braces are actually paired 2x6's with enough space between to accept the slings. There are rollers on bolts drilled through - a pair for each brace a little closer together than the boat's beam at that point.

The whole structure is sized to conveniently hold a boat of this size. Since the thistle is about 17' long, I made the uprights 8' apart. Thus the slings take the boat almost 5' from each end.

The slings end in D rings at a length equal to the lowest I'd put the boat when turning it. The D's are connected with a multiple lashing. This enables me to adjust each end's height individually. For getting the boat cocked and then stabilized with one gunnel resting braced on the moveable lower braces at some angle other than right side up or upside down this is quite handy.

Even though the lashings between D rings provide enough mechanical advantage that I can lift the boat with them, I find it handy to have a tackle fed through the centerboard trunk - just a line to hook onto with a loop and stick at each end does fine for the CB trunk attachment. This does the major elevation change and is a handy brake when rolling the boat.

There's enough friction that rolling is easily controlled. It's so easy to do that I never bend into an awkward position but move the work to suit the job.

G'luck

[SailorKevin]

Originally posted by Gary E:
Welcome Kevin,
If you have the overhead and can rig some pulleys , you can pick up the boat and rotate it allmost by yourself but 2 others do make it much easier.

I wish I had a pencil and paper here to show you the way to rig it, but here goes with words.

Rest the transom on cushions or saw horses.

One choker line wraped around the boat to lift the bow.

I think I would drop the 2 lines for rotation into the mast hole and tie them to a 2x4 so that they will not come out. Then start with wraping a line around the boat so that when it is pulled the boat is lifted as a normal strap lift would. Now from the other side of the boat you need the other line wrapped the oposite way so that as you let this line out it will allow the other side to raise. Try this on paper first then use some string to set up this idea and try it on a loaf of bread or shoe box...

Where in Bucks Co... I lived at one time in Huntingdon Val.

Also as a kid in the Sea Scouts we had Lightning Number 352.. guess yours is newer smile.gif smile.gif Gary,
Thanks for the info and for getting back so quickly. I'm sure that between the responses I received, I'll be able to tackle this just fine. My boat is in a nice sturdy shed I built and will provide good support for a sling.

By the way, I'm located in Buckingham Twp. which is a bit south of Doylestown. Not a great sailing area but there's always the Jersey shore or the finger lakes area in upstate N.Y. where I sometimes go.

[SailorKevin]

Originally posted by Brent B:
Hello from Coopersburg (just N of Bucks County).

The way I turned over Lightning 11444 by myself:

Use two U-shaped slings hung from 4 points on the ceiling joists, located at 1/3 and 2/3 of the boat length, with vertical legs about 6' apart. Because of the taper, the slings tend to slide towards the boat ends. Essentially the anchor points form a 6' square.

Raise the boat using tackle on the same side of each sling. This will start the rotation. You can then extend the centerboard and use it as a lever to help complete the rotation. Be sure to rig a preventer to keep the board out when the boat goes upside-down.

It is easier to do if the steel centerboard is out of the boat making it lighter. You can still use another lighter board inserted in the centerboard trunk for a lever.

I used large diameter soft rope for slings. This arrangement was also used to turn over a Flying Scot, Thistle, and MC scow.

Brent
Benson Sailssmile.gif Coopersburg! I was just up there last week for the antique car show. (hot day it was).
Thanks for the advice Brent. I'm sure I'll be able to put it to good use. My boat is in a sturdy shed which I built and I'm sure will provide good support for a sling.

My lightning # is 7782, built in the mid 60s I believe but not sure where. She has a mahogany hull, seats & frames. She won't win any races but she's purdy!

[SailorKevin]

Originally posted by Ian McColgin:
I made one for working on the Thistle. I made it free-standing to adapt to a variety of boats indoors and out. Way over-built for the Thistle, it can handle boats up to about 3,000# and 7-1/2' beam.

It's basicly four uprights with perimeter braces atop and braces on the sides at floor level. There are two moveable braces at each end for resting the boat either totally on the gunnels if upside down or in any convenient angle sharing the load with the slings.

The slings. These are strapping stout enough to hold the boat. The upper end braces are actually paired 2x6's with enough space between to accept the slings. There are rollers on bolts drilled through - a pair for each brace a little closer together than the boat's beam at that point.

The whole structure is sized to conveniently hold a boat of this size. Since the thistle is about 17' long, I made the uprights 8' apart. Thus the slings take the boat almost 5' from each end.

The slings end in D rings at a length equal to the lowest I'd put the boat when turning it. The D's are connected with a multiple lashing. This enables me to adjust each end's height individually. For getting the boat cocked and then stabilized with one gunnel resting braced on the moveable lower braces at some angle other than right side up or upside down this is quite handy.

Even though the lashings between D rings provide enough mechanical advantage that I can lift the boat with them, I find it handy to have a tackle fed through the centerboard trunk - just a line to hook onto with a loop and stick at each end does fine for the CB trunk attachment. This does the major elevation change and is a handy brake when rolling the boat.

There's enough friction that rolling is easily controlled. It's so easy to do that I never bend into an awkward position but move the work to suit the job.

G'lucksmile.gif Hello Ian,
Thanks to you and the other helpful responses I received, I'm sure I'll be able to pull this off. No doubt I'll need future advice as the project progresses and this forum has proven to be a great place to get it!

[Brent B]

Kevin said:
"By the way, I'm located in Buckingham Twp. which is a bit south of Doylestown. Not a great sailing area but there's always the Jersey shore or the finger lakes area in upstate N.Y. where I sometimes go."

We keep and sometimes race our Lightnng (or our Thistle) at Lake Nockamixon, quite close to you. There are a number of Lightnings there, including a very nice woody built by Bob Blalock.

Let me now when you need sails.

Brent
www.bensonsails.coom (http://www.bensonsails.coom)