Boat Hoist Opinions

[kfranklin]

Now that I am nearing finishing my nutshell pram, I am looking at storage. I am thinking about a hoist and debating between: http://www.amazon.com/Harken-Utility...2169660&sr=8-1 and http://www.amazon.com/Thule-571-Moun...169423&sr=8-12

Thoughts, Opinions, other ideas?

[sailboy3]

Yes, of course I have an opinion, and that is; build the thing yourself instead of buying overpriced, overcomplicated setups. All you need is 4 blocks, or 2 blocks and a bridle and a couple wooden cleats on the wall. Yes, you'll have to handle several lines in your hands at once, but if you take it slowly it's no problem. Lead all the lines thru one big fairlead on the wall near the ceiling. I've made quite a few rigs like this for storing large spars and gear and they work fine.

Good luck!

[kfranklin]

Heh the problem I have is I have due to the geometry no wall to secure a cleat to. I think I might go for something along those lines in the end though.

[johngsandusky]

I raised my canoe and melonseed to the garage ceiling using tie down straps and bicycle hooks, one end at a time.

[kfranklin]

I raised my canoe and melonseed to the garage ceiling using tie down straps and bicycle hooks, one end at a time.

I am thinking more and more I may go this route, but I just worry as I have to park my car underneath!

[Ian McColgin]

No wall to secure a cleat to ??? What, the roof is hung from a skyhook?

The trouble with those multi-line to one systems is that if you ever want to raise or lower all the way from the floor, rather than just from the car top, you'll run out of line somewhere. At the same time, you really want to suck the boat up as far as possible.

Both my solutions involve two independent tackles of whatever advantage you want but the falls are let to two blocks next to each other off to whatever side you like and thence straight down. You just haul on both together.

If you will always lift the boat off the roof upside down, you might have a sewn handle in each of the side-to-side straps that attach the boat to the carrier bars. Hook a tackle to each one, undo the roof to carrier connections and the bow and stern lines that go to the bumpers, and haul away taking boat and carrier right out of the way.

If for some reason you like leaving the carrier bars on because you enjoy how the increased air resistance lowers your gas milage, then use a seperate strap. Main thing is that the strap has a stitched in place loop that's centered right over the keel.

If you do the pick right side up, like off a trailor or such, straps will still work just tight. But the compression strain on the gunnels is something. You might do better to have lifting eyes bolted into the keel from the inside. Hook the hoists to each one. You'll see how the boat wants to flop over as you lift from the keel. So have two sets of a short wire each side connected by a ring and clippable to a pad eye in each gunnel so it spans the boat pretty straight, only enough slack to hook up. You pass the lifting line through the ring - might do that in advance as you reeve the tackle and then just leave it in place when the boat's not there - and down to the eye at the keel. This will keep the boat from tipping very far in either direction as you pull it up.

G'luck

[kfranklin]

I hate to sound like a moron, but does anybody have a image of their solution or others? The more I think about it, the more what you guys are saying sounds right about building it myself. Thank you for all the advice again!

[Bobcat]

I agree with the idea of buying your own blocks and line. I don't have photographs. My current set up has blocks on straps through holes in rafters in my garage. The rafters I picked are farther apart than the length of the boat so that hoisting lines come up at a slight angle. The blocks on the rafters are double blocks. The line is tied off at the double block and then runs down to a single block with a hook on it. I hook that block to the boat. The line goes back up and through the second pulley on the double block and then to my hand. I pull the boat up to the ceiling joists and cleat it off. I then put ropes or straps around the body of the boat to take the weight.

It's a good set up because I can lower my Batto onto the cart and vice versa

[Mark Reuten]

$125 to have the job done and functional doesn't sound over priced to me. The rig with the awning hook looks pretty darned efficient. I usually build everything myself but sometimes it's just more efficient to crack open the wallet. There is a saying in design and manufacturing: Don't build a solution if you can buy it.

[Full Tilt]

Now that I am nearing finishing my nutshell pram, I am looking at storage. I am thinking about a hoist and debating between: http://www.amazon.com/Harken-Utility...2169660&sr=8-1 and http://www.amazon.com/Thule-571-Moun...169423&sr=8-12

Thoughts, Opinions, other ideas?

The Harken unit might work for you, the pic is indistinct, but the Thule is designed to raise a smooth, plastic torpedo shaped box, and would not work with the hull inverted. I'd worry about the slings slipping off as well as leveling the boat.
I built a light wood cradle to fly my skiff up out of the way. Ply bulkheads, cut to the contour of the hull, 1"x3", 8' long battens, times four connecting them. It was whipped up in an hour from scraps lying around the shop and was meant to be temporary. I installed lifting eyes in the the cradles ply bulkheads and bridles to attach the lifting hooks to. It worked well for storing the boat at the time.
When it came time to work on the skiff, I found it handy to attach some castering wheels to the cradle for moving it around the yard. When it came time to launch, having no car, I rolled the skiff on the now reinforced and painted cradle with pneumatic tires a mile down hill to the lake. I joined a club of drysailers that all had beach dollies for their plastic dinghys. I roll the cradle into the lake and haul her back along the dock, my skiff floats off,and I tow the floating cradle back out of the water. It couldn't be handier! One doesn't need to pick up a dolly tongue to move the boat, just pull the spliced on hempex bridle. The original, contingency hanging cradle structure now has some nice indoor/oudoor carpeting over foam padding, and a tapering 2"x6" spine to support the keel. Bright white enamel and some large lightening holes cut into the ply bulkheads make it pleasing to the eye and still functional for its original purpose, hanging a boat from the ceiling. I have loaded the cradle/dolly onto trailers, van roofs, and the backs of trucks and transported the skiff that way.
Good luck,
Mike

[Bill Perkins]

I've got the Harken 4 point lifter rated for 145lb. I don't think it's overpriced for the quality of hardware and line supplied (including slings with strong snap fastenings) .The standard units can lift a boat from the floor when installed 8ft. AFF . My garage has 8 ft. walls with a cathedral ceiling .Harken used to offer the option of paying for a bit longer line that allows the slings to reach the floor from 10ft.AFF.That's what I have as my lift developes above 8 ft. Maybe you could order from Harken and specify a line long enough to allow you to reach the back wall and use a cleat .

The fall block has a spring loaded locking mechanism . I prefer a cleat on the wall for my instalation and have the lock propped open with a nail . If no wall is close enough for you to secure to (with the included line ) the self lock would be a practical necessesity .It's well made.


Because all 4 lines are raised at the same rate you have the option to set up the slings so the fall leads to a side wall .That's how I set up mine .Not as pictured, but the boat would remain in the same orientation. There's got to be enough room for the tackle to fully extend (8 foot minus depth of boat ) if you want the full range of lift .I don't know your exact situation of course .8 ft. ceiling? Check it out .You can angle the lead slightly to make more room for the tackle when you attach it to the side wall.

The tackle has a 6:1 advantage .What does the other system have ?What does the boat weigh?I like the way the operator is completly clear of the vechicle and boat when useing a tackle . That crank system looks interesting thou .Harken also offers an 8:1 tackle rated for 200 lb.l

[Full Tilt]

Couple quick points if you build it yourself. Use braided line, not three strand, which will untwist. Make sure the rope diameter is correct for the blocks or it will jam between the cheek and sheave. Install the blocks is such a way as to allow them free motion to align to the direction of pull. If a block is against a roof truss and can't swing freely, the rope lead into the block will tend to roll off the sheave.
All problems that have occurred rigging stuff like this.
Mike

[skuthorp]

I am thinking more and more I may go this route, but I just worry as I have to park my car underneath!

My Macgreggor lives up in the roof between the rafters above the car. A stout plank across the beams underneath is a failsafe.

[kfranklin]

Thanks again for all the options. I don't think I actually mentioned why a wall cleat is bad for me is because any exposed or easy to reach wall is 12 feet away from where I would want to place the boat. All the other walls have shelves installed.

All this input is exactly why I love reading this forum because it gives so many different viewpoints that I would not consider!

[hikingchrs]

I like the hoist on page 8 of the 2008 Small Boats mag. written by Ben Fuller "Storage Solution #1 Joe's Shed"

[johngsandusky]

My strap system lifts the canoe by it's thwarts, the melonseed by the aft deck and mast partners. No pressure on the gunwales, no tippiness.

[Bobcat]

I lift my Batto by rope handles in the bow and stern. Once, it's hoisted, I pass lines underneath the boat.

[kfranklin]

thanks hikingchrs and everybody in general. Now that I has been a few examples from WoodenBoat's Small Boats '08 I realize I think I have been seriously over thinking this! Unfortunately over engineering comes with being a engineering student! I think I will just go with wide 3-4" webbing attached to a spreader bar, one fore and aft, to prevent deformation. Each spreader to it's own block and tackle.

I saw this block and tackle set at harbor freight today, what do you guys think? http://www.harborfreight.com/general...ist-45076.html I think if I replace the really really cheap poly rope it should be ok.

Also I love that WoodenBoat has instant PDF downloads, seriously how great is that? Normally most old school publications like this don't have that or they make it really difficult.

[Full Tilt]

$6.99 ? How big are they? If you can replace the polyprop 3-strand with some 3/8" braided polyester, they might work. Thicker the rope, the easier on your hands.

[kfranklin]

Well I would say that each block was about fist sized mainly of stamped metal, but I figure a ~125# nutshell pram should be ok. The pulleys has like 4 or 5 turns through each pulley (didn't count only dawned on me after I left how cool it was).

[Benson Gray]

The page at http://people.csail.mit.edu/jaffer/Canoe/ has a good description of another option. I use simple straps and eye bolts as shown at http://wcha.org/pp-classifieds/showp...om-1994&cat=16 in my garage.

Benson

[Bill Perkins]

I looked at your Harbor freight link .Check the reviews on that tackle .It's cheap junk ;the plastic "wheels" fall off. You need to pay more .

[kfranklin]

Whoops that's what I get for trying to use their website on my android! I completely missed that review section. I think thought that I shall attempt my spreader bar idea with the pulley. Honestly no reduction is needed just redirection by the pulleys, but then again I'm still young and stupid. I think a simple gun tackle should be sufficient. Trust me I am truly over thinking this! I will make sure to post my results when I make it.

[essaunders]

I have the harken hoist for my canoe. As with anything, you certainly can assemble the parts yourself. but to get reasonable quality parts all in one place certainly was worth the price, for me. I think I can lower all the way to the ground, but honestly I've never tried - it goes onto the car or saw horses. I do like harken's specialized cleat/block thing.
My other canoe is suspended from the ceiling by 1/8inch line hooked to nails. that works because i can walk the canoe in, rest one end on a high ledge, "walk" back to the other end, hook it up, then hang the ledge end.

as all the previous posts have illustrated - many different ways to skin this cat... The biggest thing is how to transfer from "transport" of the boat to "storage".

[fishrswim]

I bought two cheap (29.99,I think) systems off Amazon for my kayaks. I put up a 2x4 on the garage ceiling to attach the hardware. They work great. I can lower them all the way to the floor. It's easy to operate. I looked at lots of different brands and they all seemed to be the same thing sold under different brand names with different prices. so I wnet for the cheap ones. The only issue is the rope provided. It's a little soft and will probably need to be replaced in a couple of years with something more substantial.

In the past, I've made my own lift systems with blocks and hardware from the store, but this system has a self lock on the initial pulley so there is no tension on the line that you cleat off on the wall. Also I can now lift both ends of the boat at the same time. In addition just the pulleys and attachment hardware will cost more than the entire premade system.

I'm currently in the final stages of a S&G wherry. I plan to do the same thing with it. Then I'll have three boats hanging from the ceiling and still have room for my two cars as well.