slipway cradle details for winged keel

[threes company]

Hi everyone this is my first time online. I am about to take our C34 winged keel out of the water for the first time since sailing her home. Our club has a slipway and a cradle that will fit which i checked prior to purchasing our boat in 2013. I need to gather info as to what support the boat requires whilst it is on the cradle on the slipway and out of the water. I am led to understand that she can rest hard down on the keel. Can this be confirmed and if so does she require a forward tension strap under the bow or stern areas. As i sailed her down the east coast from sydney to her new home near melbourne. austaralia.  We only used a suspension crane while it was in sydney and  as we weren't resident there it was all done without me being there or seeing the cradles. I am sorry if this has already been written about but i have had no luck on the site trying to research previous information. Regards Stefan

[Clay Greene]

Not sure what you mean by a "slipway," but the keel is intended to take 80-90 percent of the weight of the boat while it is on the hard.  The remaining weight would be distributed on the pads, of which most cradles have either four or six.  There are posts elsewhere on the site as to how the boat should sit on the keel to make sure that the weight is properly distributed.  Others will most likely jump in with that information.  Hope that helps. 

[Stu Jackson]

I am sorry if this has already been written about but i have had no luck on the site trying to research previous information. Regards Stefan

Stefan, welcome.  And congratulations on your new boat.

Here's how:  Use the search engine, upper right.  Type in cradle.  Read the results,  Type in blocking, read the results.  Lots of material already here.

[patrice]

Hi and welcome,

Also, if you go in the 'tech wiki' ( at top of page) you will find in the manual a sketch of the cradle.

[Ron Hill]

Stefan : When I got my 1988 wing keel C34 and took it out of the water the first time, I called and talked to the factory on the topic that you are asking about.

They told me that 75% of the weight should be on the wing keel NOSE and 25% on the hull.  Do not let them put too much weight on the rear of the wing or you'll be guaranteed to get the "Catalina Smile" (separation of the keel to the hull in the front).

Your post indicates that you have the shipping cradle?  It has 4 pads, 2 on a side and are positioned to match the bulkheads. Don't let the yard put the boat in the cradle backwords (the narrower pads are for the bow!)  Just make sure that the center and aft pads are taking the weight and the fwd pads are just snug.

Hope this helps.

[threes company]

thanks all for the information given. i have had no luck with my investigations on the tech wicki, i don't think my search engines up to it.. Our club has the old fashioned rail line slipway not the travel lift type. We run the different cradles into the water and float the boats on and bring it out till the keel touches on the cradle. We tie off the mast to the forward stauntion supports for stability and then bring it up the track to the wash down. we then move the boat and the cradle on the traverse to our position in the yard for work to be done. this cradle is designated to us for the term of the work so we are crawling over the boat whilst on the cradle. I have looked in the owner manual and it shows 4 pad supports in total and the dimensions required. I understand from all the info on the forum that i must not rest on the rear of the winged keel and support 80% on the front so i am thinking i will utilise a ratchet strap to support the aft end of the hull off the rear staunsions when coming out of the water where the lift here marks are on the hull. once in position in the yard i can then add the support pads where instructed and carry out our work. I also now understand the support pads must be at the forward  and companionway bulkhead areas. Feel free to comment if you anybody disagrees. thanks all.

[lazybone]

Must be an great, old school boat yard to still be using a slipway.  Haven't seen one of those being for a long, long time.
Australians must be stubborn.