Levitating the Daysailer

[UCanoe_2]

After months of intermittent work, the centerboard which began looking like this:

now looks like this:

The dark area is .050" phenolic laminate, to reduce friction between board and trunk.
The hole for the CB shaft is lined with .025" copper to prevent wearing the hole oversize.
I didn't quite achieve an ideal foil shape, but it's way better than when we started.
We lower the front of the trailer to raise the boat's stern, and support the stern on sawhorses:

Then we raise the front of the trailer and support the bow. This is much sturdier than it appears in the picture!

....and roll the trailer forward enought to clear the CB slot:

Then we use rachet straps to raise the CB into its trunk:

It's almost in place -- we'll need to make a little adjustment fore and aft:

Patient spouse tolerates my boat habit, lies on a bed of chains, and learns to install DS I centerboard lever.

[talbot]

An alternate levitation, this one for turning the boat upside down for bottom repair..
The usual method is to careen the boat on a lawn, but with no flat property, we had to put our trees to use.
The picture shows the boat at the top of the lift, just before rolling over on its back. The slings run through pulleys, so they can rotate with the boat.
The boat went back onto its trailer (with some extra supports) so that it can be moved during the long drying and repair process.

[UCanoe_2]

Very cool -- are you a rock climber? I'm sure there are creative, if not gentle, boat flipping methods using a tractor and front end loader.

[GreenLake]

Used basically that method, but suspended from the joists in a garage ceiling. Works pretty well and you can manhandle the boat by yourself.

[talbot]

Actually, I was a rock climber, in a previous life. The lifting line is a retired 11mm Edelrid lead rope. The haul purchase is basically a big-wall haul system. The forward pulleys run to a set of Jumars on the tree in front. One of them is fixed, the other is attached to an etrier. I step in the stirrup to lift, hold the weight between lefts with the fixed Jumar. The after half of the boat is too heavy for my 150 lbs, even with 3:1 purchase. I use an old trailer winch to raise the stern.

Question: Anyone launch from a crane at a marina? If so, how do you rig a single-point lift? I see DS I's at our local yacht club launched from a crane, but I'm not sure what to attach to on my DS II that would not damage the boat. On past right-side-up paint jobs I have attached to the transom plus chain plates plus bow eye, but I think I stressed the hull, particularly the transom (I.e., gel coat tracks not seen before). The current job was actually easier (except for the flip) because I didn't need to have the bottom clear during the lift. I could just put slings around the hull. Open to suggestions.