BOATEL STORAGE/FORKLIFT?
 

How many of ya'll keep your boat in a boatel/rack storage where they have to use a
forklift to take your boat in and out?

The last time my boat was taken OUT, they had a real hard time trying to get the forks
under the strakes without hitting the drives?
:eek: :eek: SO, what they ended up doing, is taking it out with the forks on the outside edge! :eek: :eek:

Have ya'll ever heard of this on a twin engine application?? Do you think there could be any damage doing it that way??

Thanks
Steve

p.s. It's stored on the rack correctly however!!

They do it all the time at my marina ...it is only onthe forks fora what 3 minutes going in and about four comming out??

The guys at my marina don't have any problem with the twin-engine boats. I've seen them lift my friend's Cigarette, and it looked normal. On my single, the forks come in between the two strakes (avoid drive and tabs).

I have a Top Gun and they have been taking it in and out for years using the forks. No major problems, just skuff marks etc... it sounds to me like the problem is your fork lift operator !

It's not the operator, I've watched them and
there really isn't any way to pick it up when it's in the water. You can't see!

Basically, they end up picking it up where the outside bunks of the trailer are.

While it's on the lift you can pick it up on the strakes but it's a close call.

I was under the impression that the boats should be hauled by the strakes not anywhere
else!

I don't think it matters where they pick it up at, as long as the whole bottom is supported. besides , its not on the truck long enough to do ant damage. I rack a triple engine 42 Sonic tha weighs 12,000 lb. No probelem.

I went to Md. to look at a 303 formula last summer. It was put in and taken out by a fork truck. I was shocked, to say the least, by the operators actions. I didn't see the boat go into the water. If going in was as spectatular as coning out, I'm glad I didn't see it. The owner and I backed the boat on to the forks. As the boat was lifted form the water, it was cocked a bit on strakes. Instead of puting it back in the water, the operator bounced the forks until the boat was straight. In the meantime the port drive hit the fork and broke part of the trim plate off. Then to top it off, he set the boat on uncovered concrete blocks. It didn't seem to bother the owner. Turns out I didn't buy the boat. I wonder why!!!! :confused:
Gizmo

Thats unbelievable :eek: :eek: !!!

Mine's the only twin engine sport boat, they seem too intimidated to be bouncing boats on the lift!!

formula1,
I don't have the lift pics posted on the net so I sent you some of the fork lifting my tripple outboard Cigarette to your e mail. You should be able to see from the photos where they are putting the forks.
Cordell

Some lift drivers are idiots...no question. The only complaint I have about dry storage is that the gelcoat on the bottom dos take a beating over time.

I do get nervous sometimes watching them take out my boat. forks go into the water...boat is pulled back over the forks and then the operators starts lifting. almost everytime...he squeezes the forks together as he is lifting it to get the boat centered. The forks are covered with a thick rubber pad....and since everything is wet, there probably is not alot of friction but I hate the sound....like the sound of sneakers on a newly waxed floor.

I also get nervous, but there is not a safer place to keep my Top Gun than in a warm wharehouse. Go to Traderonline.com and look up a 1996 Top Gun with AMerican Flag Graphics and you will see a pic of it on the forks with me in it. No Problems....

I also keep my boat at a Hi&Dri rack storage marina where fork trucks are used for haul out and launching. There seems to be no problems at all here. I guess it all depends on the boat shape and design, but I have never seen or heard of a problem. There are all kinds of boats here from cruisers, offshore boats, cats and vees, inboard or outboard with single, twin or even triple configs. Fork placement can vary from boat to boat but it is a simple procedure for any experienced fork driver. There are some idiots out there to be wary of, though.

I've been doing it for two years now without even a scratch. It all comes down to the quality of the protective material on the forks and skills of the driver.

I'd like to share a little advice after years of seeing my boats forked in and out from warehouse storage. No issues getting the boat from the rack and into the water. It's much trickier lifting the boat from the water however. More often then not, the water is not clear enough to see the forks once they're submerged to allow proper placement under the hull and this is a problem.

A coulple of years agos I measured the optimal distance between the forks when the boat was being lifted from the rack. I constructed a measuring device out of PVC tubing - just a tube to span the distance between the forks and two 90 degree elbows with short lengths of tubing to fit over the outside of the forks. The operator slips the PVC tubing over the forks and adjusts the forks until the device is snug. The forks are then at the right separation and the operator removes the PVC and throws it under my rack. Once the forks are in the water, center the boat in the middle of the forklift and lift out. You get it right the first time every time this way plus you save the hull in the process.

Rick

Rick

Have any of you had or seen problems with step hull boats and the forks causing the gel to crack or chip at the trailing edge of the step? I seem to remember some discussion on this before. I am sure a bad operator can mess this up too. Is this a problem with the good operators as well. Is it specific to a brand of boat (step design). If problems, what was done to solve it.

Thanks,
Rick

Yep. I've even got a small one. My boat has the small, early Fountain step, so it isn't necessarily dependent on step height. What I'd really like is a little extra padding on the back of my rack stringers so the step will be supported and the boat will sit properly. If it was a couple extra layers of carpet, it probably would harm the boat if it bumped a little when they were getting her down.

Cordell, that is exactly what I'm talking about!! It looks like your boat is being carried towards the outside edges of the boat, NOT on the strakes!! But, it sounds like it's more the "norm" than not. Besides, I called Formula and they said that for the few short minutes it is being hauled, it's highly unlikely any structural damage can occur (unless they bounce it around like a basketball
:eek: :eek: :eek: )!!

As always, thanks for all your input!

Step damage from fork lifts. I could write a book.
But I do have a solution that works. You need to raise the stern of the boat up about 4 inches while on the lift. This gets the weight of the boat off of the edge of the step and redistributes it on the hull forward of the step. This works!
How?
I made a "block" out of 2x4's about 1.5' long. Take 5 or 6 of these 2x4's and bolt them together on their edge. Then take a piece of 3/4" plywood and screw it into one side (for more height on the block) cover the other side with carpet. Get some rubber bungee cords and use 2 per block to strap it to the arm of the lift.
Works like a charm. Jane your PQ will never have stap damage if you use these. My old PQ 280 went thru the same thing. Get the glass fixed, there is more damage there than meets the eye. Make a set of blocks, tip your lift drivers and tell the marina managment that unless they want to pay for repairs to the step of your boat, they had better use the blocks EVERY time your boat is moved.
THIS WORKS!!!!

I have witnessed Bill's solution. The folks at the storage facility he uses has been real supportive of his efforts to improve step hull storage techniques. It really has worked for him and was a good effort.

BillR,
That sounds like a pretty straight forward solution. It also sounds like you have actually had the problem. I can see the operator using the blocks when he picks the boat off of the rack (I assume the blocks lay on the ground by your boat rack). This should not be to much effort as they are right by the boat. However, when you come back for the day it seems like he is not going to be going back to the rack area to get your blocks before he picks you out of the water. Isn't that a hassle for them which turns into not doing it.

Rick

rv, You are talking about a guy who vacuum's his bilge. I have never seen a guy go over a boat like Bill. He actually has this down to a science. Tie up, Get stuff and lift boat. He is there for the whole process. The blocks really work. The other folks in the storage area have copied his approach. The fork lift guys like it.

It's not a big deal. They keep the blocks out on the "launch pad" and the dock hands (or I) strap them on.

What about when she's in storage? Does your rack also have blocks of some kind? (My Fountain spends a good bit more time in storage than on the water, and I'd like her to be properly supported.)

Bill also built blocks for his rack. They put in back in the same hole when it is in the barn. Works great.