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Cradle or Jack stands

Brian K

Member III
I'm looking for a cradle or, less preferable, jackstands for my 1988 Ericson 32-200. It's a fin keel 6' 1/2", with 10' 10" beam, 9,800# displacement for those of you not familiar with the specs. If you have any leads on a cradle or 6 flat pad stands and 1 "V" stand please let me know. Ted had an unused Jowi 2.0 (I'd need the Jowi 1.5) for sale but unfortunately it's just a little too big for this boat. I'm in Central NY. Thanks. Brian King, brian.king@us.ngrid.com
 

Akavishon

Member III
Brian, is a cradle much preferable to jack stands? I inherited a cradle with my boat (32-3) which I bought earlier this summer ... it's still in the marina where the PO used to keep the boat before selling it. I will soon need to figure out whether to have it shipped 70 miles to my current marina, or sell it where it's presently located. What are pros/cons?
 

tenders

Innocent Bystander
Having used both over the years I'd say they're both quite adequate but a solid cradle is necessary when you need a secure way to hold a moving boat.

Aside from that, the pros of the jackstands are the same as the cons for the cradle: it's a small (big) piece of steel (steel or wood) that's easy (a pain in the neck) to move around and store for the summer.

My club happens to require cradles because we use a marine tidal railway to haul and launch boats. It's an amazingly simple and robust system but it involves supporting a moving boat on the railcar, and then schlepping the boat around the yard a few inches above the ground with a "yard car" which straddles the cradle. Can't be done with jackstands.

In severe weather, ie a hurricane, I'd greatly prefer a cradle. Jackstands, I think, could be susceptible to fail if there's an undue amount of wobbling. I've also climbed to the top of my mast with the boat on a cradle--no worries.

(I still have a nice Jowi 2.0 folding steel cradle on Long Island Sound. Without a flatbed truck or trailer wider than what U-Haul offers, it can't be moved as far as Brian K's upstate New York location at reasonable expense.) :esad:
 

Brian K

Member III
I think Ted pretty well covered it. Yes, I believe a steel cradle is more stable than jackstands. But jackstands installed correctly, chained together and on firm ground are certainly acceptable. My boat is going to be exposed to frequently heavy winds over the winter so I'd prefer a cradle.
 

NateHanson

Sustaining Member
You've checked with your boatyard about what is allowed, right? I know some boat yards that require cradles, and others that do not allow the use of cradles at all.
 

Brian K

Member III
Yes, thanks Nate. I have checked with the boatyard and they have no preference. They do agree that a cradle is the most stable option. And right now they are not charging a summer storage fee for the cradle. Of course that may change in the future.
 
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