Lifting harness

[Guest]

The club from which I sail my Daysailer I presents me with a problem. The only in-harbor ramp is limited to dolly-launched boats like Sunfish. I use a hoist and straps to get the boat off the trailer and into the water, but I have to attach a heavy spreader frame to the hoist to keep the straps from pinching in the sides of the hull. The process would be a lot faster -- not to mention easier, cooler and probably safer -- if I had a harness that gave me a single lifting point.

So: Has anybody come up with anything like this for a DS I? And if so, where are your attachment points for the harness?




L. Specker (LFSpecker-at-aol.com)

[Guest]

Hi
We actually use a bridle for our hoist. It works very well. What I used were I think two 15' pieces of I think I used 5/16ths Low stretch braded nylon line, with Carabeaners in each end, and they are tied together about 2/3 of the way foreward so that there are loops centered above the centerboard. The carabeaners are hooked to two rings that are mounted in the transom, and backed with wood. The rings are about 3 inches from the deck, and about 3 inches inside the corner. I also have two shackles in the chainplates. The shackle pins hold the shrouds on the chainplates, and the rings for the shackle are used for lifting. It is kind of tricky to get the knots balanced so that the boat lifts squarely. It requires a little trial and error, but once it is done you never have to retie it again.

J.P. Clowes (jpclowes-at-hotmail.com)