Boat Storage Question

[Clay Greene]

Attached is a 2004 C34 stored in an unusual manner, at least to us.  As you can see, the keel is unsupported.  Our understanding is that the boat has been on the hard since August 2009 in this cradle, which obviously was made for a different boat.  We looked at the hull and did not see any evidence of deformation or cracking but obviously we cannot see under the pads.  If we make an offer, we would plan to have the surveyor inspect for any damage but I am skeptical of how thorough such surveys can be.  Any thoughts on whether this method of storage is acceptable?   Thanks.

[Ron Hill]

Clay : It appears that the two supports are about where there are bulkheads.  It is unusual to see the 5600 lb keel putting that kind of weight/strain on such a small "cradle area" of the hull.

I believe that I'd send this picture to Catalina and ask them your question of what to look for and if there might be some damage. 
What the factory told me 23 years ago about storage, is that 75% of the weight of the boat should be on the keel and 25% of the weight on the hull.

I'd definitely check with the factory.   A thought 

[tonywright]

Wow, amazing that the frame has not collapsed without the keel being supported. A good way to check for deformation is whether the doors to the aft cabin, head and the cabinet  doors under the galley sink all open and close freely. Any deformation will usually show up this way quite quickly.

Bur seriously, someone needs to put some support under that keel without delay.

Tony

[lazybone]

Some people deserve to be kicked in the nuts.  Starting with the owner and the boat yard manager.

[Stephen Butler]

As Ron says, show the factory and get their input!!  Having just redone our keel-to-hull joint with new ss backing plates, fiberglassing, etc., I would be very reluctant to purchase a boat stored in this manner. If you calculate the moment arm forces from the bulkheads to the center of the keel, the loads are BIG. But again, see what the factory says.

[Clay Greene]

That's a good idea about checking with Catalina.  I will see if I can find someone to talk to about this tomorrow. 

Lazybone's comment just about made my day.  This boat actually was taken in trade by one of the U.S. sailboat manufacturers.  They put the boat in a cradle designed for one of their boats and have left it uncovered for the past 18 months.  Despite all that, the boat still looks in pretty good shape. 

[2ndwish]

While it seems like a bad idea and well worth checking with CY- I would remind you that in its natural state (afloat) 90% of the keel weight is hanging off the hull. The strain at the joint is even greater when the boat is heeling. The CY guideline is presumably to minimize localized forces where the cradle meets the hull. I have definitely seen boats with indentations where the cradle pads meet the hull. In this case though, it appears the cradle was tailored to the hull which would distribute the load. Furthermore, if the cradle is designed to align with structural bulkheads, the load will be distributed through the deck and tabbings throughout the hull, so it may not be a very big deal. Just think-you can get to that unreachable spot with bottom paint before it's in the slings!
My $0.02

T

[Jim Hardesty]

Looks to me like the supports are very close to the sling marks.  I would not totally rule out buying the boat.  But, considering the odd cradle, I would look over everything else and if I saw other odd ways of doing things I would pass before spending good money on a surveyor.  Then again if the price is very right.  If you do make an offer figure on getting a factory spec. cradle or set of jack stands in the price.  I'm a bit surprised that it stood up to a Great Lakes winter if it was stored outside. 
BTW, I have seen factory cradles that hang the keel before.  I think that they were for older C&C's (balsa cored hulls) and worked well.

Jim

[Mert Gollaher]

There can't be too many 2004 C34's named Ithaka, so that has to be Tom Lanzilli's old boat.  It sat uncovered here in Guilford for one winter (properly blocked by Brownell) and then went to the dealer - a Tartan/C&C dealer in NJ as I recall - upon launch in the Spring.  Tom traded it for a friend's 2006 (I think) C36 when his friend bought a new Tartan 4300.  In the 3-way deal the dealer ended up with Ithaka.  The word was that the dealer would let it go pretty cheap, so I thought about it a little while, but I happen to favor the mk I's and the fin keel.  It's odd that it's been uncovered as Tom had a full fairclough cover.  I'm pretty sure Ithaka was on the hard at GYC last winter, so it may be that the dealer took ownership in Aug '09, but didn't cradle it improperly until this winter.  Even so, the issues are likely the same as is the need to check carefully for deformation.  Ithaka was definitely well cared for while Tom owned it.

[Clay Greene]

Yes, this was Tom's boat and he very kindly answered a number of questions for me.  It has had a strange chain of ownership and storage since it left his hands.  We found the Fairclough cover stuffed in the lazarette.  The frame is nowhere to be found - Tom is looking to see where it might be.  I was surprised to see how nicely the boat had stood up to being exposed to the elements. 

Kent Jones at Catalina sent me back a quick reply to my inquiry and gave me some things for the surveyor to inspect.  You have to love Catalina and their owner support.