Mark Weinheimer - Inner Banks Sails and Canvas in North Carolina provided some photos of his boat lift. (At the bottom of this page is a link to another lift and stands that Stephen Jensen has built.)[Return to Harbor Links and Messages]"My hoist frame is 10” dia pilings with 2 - 4x10 beams and diagonal guy wires – overkill perhaps, but its really solid."
More:
"I have a hoist and chainfall at my house and have lifted #255, #2577 and #2 without any problems. My lifting bar is cut out of a 4x6 timber – probably overkill, but I had it on hand. I cut an approximate cabin top curve in the timber and added 1 x 6 blocks on the ends. The bar has to be long enough to reach out to the cabin sides so the load isn’t on the edges of the hatch and padded with Styrofoam so it doesn’t damage the interior finish on the overhead. I keep the load chain out of the boat with a catch bucket suspended directly below the hoist. The hand chain is light enough not to cause any damage. Balance point on Mk1 is at the back cabin wall, Mk 2&3 is at the front of the hatch. Lifted in this manner all the load is on the cabin sides and transferred to the hull thru the deck joint, which is completely glassed over. Remember that the chainplates are attached to the cabin sides on the Mk1 – sailing loads in a breeze will be several times the actual weight of the boat, so if picking up your boat to weigh it reveals some structural problems, you shouldn’t be sailing the boat until it is repaired anyway. The hoist is pictured in the latest Jibsheet and is admittedly far more sophisticated (and expensive) than is required to simply hoist the boat, but the basic hoist is very simple. Two 20' pilings, two 4x10 beams, some thru-bolts and 4 trailer tie-down anchors for guy wires to stabilize it and you're done. The chainfall is about $100. Getting in and out of the boat is simple - just go up a stepladder and step slowly into the boat. As long as you move slowly, the boat won't do anything untoward - it doesn't shift around on the bar at all. If you are going to spend any time working under the boat, it is a good idea to use props of some sort as a safety precaution. It can be drums, styrofoam blocks, wooden staging - whatever you can scrounge up. Also bear in mind that if t he keel is down and resting on the ground, a good proportion of the boat weight is supported."
See Mark's Rebuild/Re-Coring presentation
Stephen Jensen has also built portable boat lift and stands to hold a San Juan after lifting it."I have a 2 ton chain hoist and will be getting the lumber to build my boat lift. I figure two 4x6 uprights, one on each side of the trailer, with two 2x8 bolted together spanning the top holding the chain hoist. There will be supporting 2x4's to keep the uprights steady. Once the boat is lifted, it will be lowered on these stands, one forward, one aft.
"These will keep the boat up high enough to allow the keel to be lowered to the full down position, allow the keel angle to be checked, allow keel gaskets to be installed more easily, and the whole thing is portable. The lift and stands are bolt together assemblies. They can be disassembled and reassembled in any location. "
A link to pictures: http://www.sj21fleet1.org/?Tips_and_Tricks:Lift_a_San_Juan_21_off_the_trailer
