I’m not totally comfortable dry docking my NS 26 using stands and would much prefer a cradle. Does anyone have any recommendations on a source for used or even new cradles in the New England or upstate, NY area?
Pat Furr
NS 26C
“Bandolero”
Charlotte, VT
Pat,
I have had my 33 in a boat yard 2 winters on stands. One winter the mast was up. The stands are a very good solution.
What will you do with the cradle when the boat is not on it. I believe most boat yards frown on cradles as they are a storage problem.
I could build a steel cradle for you but I am not sure I could fit your schedule.
Any steel fab place could make a cradle. You would need to give them dimensions. Use Brownell or Scaffoldmart screw poppet pads in the 1-1/2" pipes fabricated into the cradle.
If you find a shop near the boatyard, shipping will be minimized.
You should reconsider sailboat stands.
My 26U is on a cradle built by Loyalist Cove Marina just west of Kingston ON. At our former sailing club the yard was was infill from the harbour dredging and therefore stands were not allowed as any rain accumulation would puddle in the soft infill yard for a day or so. The cradle is made from angle iron steel bolted together allowing it to be folded for summer storage. Purrfection is now located at Loyalist Cove Marina and the cradle is used spring and fall to move the boat to their larger storage yard. I’m not sure if they could ship a cradle to you or even have time to manufacture one at this time. I do recommend folding steel cradles but they do limit you to having a yard with a hydraulic trailer to move you on the hard. The Marine Cradle Shop, Toronto also has standard plans for a Nonsuch cradle. Both have websites under the names provided here.
Ted Eedson
Purrfection N26U #232
Thanks Ward for your thoughts. I am certainly not ruling out stands, and that will most likely be the way I go for at least this coming winter. I am leery of the stability of stands when considering the melt freeze cycles we go through in Vermont combined with the rather exposed boatyard to big south westerly’s. I imagine some of the comfort would come from trusting that the boat yard crew is diligent about checking the integrity of the stands on a fairly regular basis to ensure things are as they should be. I am three hours from the boatyard and would not be coming to check on my own very often. But I will say that I am very impressed with the staff at Point Bay Marina and how good they have been at keeping an eye on the boats while wet. Bandolero is my first Keelboat and all my previous boats have been trailerables. Just takes some getting use to, to trust stands I suppose.
Pat Furr
NS 26C
“Bandolero”
Charlotte, VT
Hi Pat,
My yard in CT probably has less frost in the ground. I know the yard staff adjusts stands periodically so that point is agreed.
Careful here. Marine Cradle Shop may not know the dimensions of a Nonsuch 26. Ten years ago they first shipped a 26 shoal draft cradle even though I specified the standard version. They modified it at their cost but then this one was way too high and my keel had to be blocked up that year. I took the uprights back to them and they sawed them off. Now it fits well.
Now I have a cradle that works but just looks wrong because it is modified. However I admit it is solid enough.
My marina likes boats with a cradle, they can place boats much tighter together with cradles than with stands.
Nothing is for certain - a few years ago some boats on cradles were blown over in Hamilton.
Tom
26C 28 North Star
Penetang
Good points, Tom -
I sure prefer a steel folding cradle (and would never bother with a wooden one). Most clubs and marinas prefer steel folding ones. And, yes, Marine Cradle Shop does good work but lots of us have heard about them screwing up. However, they are the big players around Southern Ontario.
I believe that the boats that blew over over years ago all had their masts up, sitting there, defenceless, on their cradles. We had one go over, mast up, at our club in Toronto at the same time. It was on stands (plenty of them), not in a cradle.
Ernie A. in Toronto