Larger boats are normally lifted in or out of the water by crane or travel lift, but this is also possible via a slipway. The necessary equipment is usually operated by trained personnel such as the harbour master or crane operator. Which is a good thing, as loads weighing tonnes are hanging from the hook. Nevertheless, it can be an uneasy feeling to leave the fate of your own boat in the hands of strangers. After all, who wants serious damage to their boat?
Apart from the actual craning process, the preparation for craning larger boats only becomes routine after many years, as most owners only crane in spring and autumn.
The situation is somewhat different on many inland waterways and with trailer boats. Craning is part of everyday life there. Anyone who puts their small cruiser in or takes it out of the water by crane due to a lack of slipways will sooner or later learn how to use the harness and spreader bar safely and as a matter of course. Beginners, however, are likely to have a lot of questions about how to manage the boat safely.
However, to prevent damage from occurring in the first place, we have summarised here what owners should look out for when craning in their boat. Conversely, many tips for uncraning can also be derived from this:
Check the side outlets before craning
Before the boat goes into the water, it is essential to check that the valves are closed, i.e. positioned at right angles to the direction of the respective hose. At the same time, check that everything is in order with the hoses, if this has not already been done in winter. This means checking whether they are porous, look strange, are still flexible and whether the hoses are attached to the valve with two hose clamps. Two is better than one. The valves can also be checked again or at all for function. Can they be moved at all?
Transducers, for example from the log, can also be a nasty trap. If these were removed in winter to clean them or not painted with antifouling, they should also have been put back in.
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After craning, as long as the harness is still attached, check immediately whether all valves and transducers are tight. For this purpose, a valve plan should be available, in which all onboard passages are marked. This can speed up the inspection process considerably and helps to avoid forgetting any checkpoints. The stuffing box of a shaft system and the sealing sleeve of a saildrive can also be potential leakage points. They should also be visually inspected. If the machine is to be started under the crane, the cooling water valves must of course be opened beforehand. Nevertheless, check immediately after the first start-up whether cooling water or antifreeze is leaking. If this is not the case, check the seawater valve again to make sure it is open.
If a leak is detected during this phase, the boat can be lifted again immediately as it is still hanging in the harness.
The correct belt position when craning
Crane marks are good aids for positioning the straps correctly. The best position for the straps can be obtained from the shipyard. Alternatively, identical yachts can be used as a template. If you don't have a point of reference, the positions of the cabin and fore bulkhead are good starting points, also because the compression of the hull is particularly low at these points.
An initial position can also be easily determined by eye. The rear belt should run freely from the saildrive or a shaft system so as not to damage them. At the front, it should be pulled back far enough so that it cannot slip out at the front.
The ideal position should then be found by carefully lifting and gradually moving the straps. A boat that is hanging askew should never be lifted very far - once it starts to slip, it can no longer be stopped The strap position is then best marked with crane marks. Secure the straps with lashings to prevent them from slipping while you are trying them out and also when you crane the boat afterwards. This can be tedious, but is good for safety. If you always crane with the same crane harness, you can also buy lashings cut to length with a carabiner at the end that only needs to be clipped into the harness.
Paint antifouling under the crane
A small amount of the antifouling used should still be available for craning. This is because the keel sole and the supports for the boat cannot normally be painted during winter storage. This can only be done when the yacht is hanging in the crane. But be careful, this involves working under a suspended load, so it is all the more important that the boat is securely fastened in the straps. It is not ideal if the antifouling is still wet when it enters the water, and the surface often cannot be properly prepared by sanding, but it is still better than if there is none on the hull. The colour set, the can with the rest, a brush or a roller should be available immediately so that there are no unnecessary delays.
Deploying lines and fenders
The preparation should be the same as for a mooring manoeuvre. This means deploying fenders and preparing mooring lines. There should be at least four fenders on the side where the boat is moored under the crane. The mooring lines or control lines should be long enough to reach the operators even when the boat is raised or lowered very low. One person should lead a line at the bow, another at the stern. This is especially important in strong winds to prevent the boat from rocking or turning uncontrollably.
Hot strop, hook and traverse
The choice of connection method to the crane plays a decisive role in the stability of the boat. A four-point or scissor lifting beam is ideal here, as it provides four separate brackets for the straps, which means that they usually hang almost vertically. The same applies to the strap holders on travel lifts. But be careful with small boats. While the distance between the straps can usually be adjusted on travel lifts, this is usually fixed on traverses. Depending on how large the spacing is, smaller boats can slip more easily between the straps. This makes it all the more important to secure the strap position.
A crossbeam is a simpler solution and works well for boats up to eight metres in length. It has two points to which the boat is attached, which helps to minimise the pressure on the hull when lifting. However, it must be attached across the boat and not lengthways as is sometimes seen. To prevent the lifting straps from slipping towards the centre of the boat, the straps should also be secured here.
Craning directly on a single hook is more stressful for the boat - and should be avoided if possible. Not only do the straps have to be secured, but there is also a high level of compression on the hull. This makes it all the more important to attach the straps as close to the bulkhead as possible. It also helps to clamp a solid beam between the straps, which compensates for the compression pressure somewhat.
However, hot strops are all the more suitable for craning only on the hook. However, these should be provided by the shipyard and the attachment points reinforced accordingly. If there is only one central sling, it is important to distribute the load evenly in the boat so that the boat does not hang heavily forward or aft in the crane. This can make the manoeuvre more difficult. Several attachment points on the boat minimise this problem, but with a heavy load at the front or rear, it can happen that some of the hot slings are heavily unloaded while the others are heavily loaded. This should also be avoided.
Lowering the boat
The trailer does not need to be positioned perfectly; a little manual manoeuvring just before setting it down is quicker than the tedious, precise slewing with the crane. A tip: manoeuvring with a double-axle trailer is easier if the front wheel is cranked down or up so far that the front or rear of the two axles is suspended in the air or is at least heavily relieved. This is because when driving in tight circles, the axles work against each other due to their different circle radius and there is a lot of friction on the tyres, which is often almost impossible to overcome with muscle power alone.
Liability for damage
As described above, the manoeuvre is usually carried out by trained personnel. Normally, the crane company is also responsible and liable in the event of damage.
If something happens, it is advisable for the owner concerned to handle the case as if he were not insured, i.e. to hold the crane company liable. If he has comprehensive insurance, he should report the damage to his insurer in any case. The insurer can also close any gaps in the amount reimbursed, as the crane company normally only reimburses the current value.
In general, every owner should check the general terms and conditions of the crane company, the harbour operator or their association. This is because these may exclude recourse claims against the crane company or the harbour staff. If this is the case, the hull insurer must be informed.
Operate the crane yourself
Sometimes, however, especially with smaller cranes for smaller boats on inland waterways, you have to crane yourself. The owner is almost always liable for damage to their boat, and sometimes also for damage to the crane, depending on how it was caused. You should therefore check your own hull and liability insurance to see whether it will cover you in such cases.
To ensure that nothing happens, it is best to ask the harbour staff or a member of the local association to explain how to operate the crane. The most important thing is to ensure that the maximum authorised load of the crane is not exceeded by your own boat.
Operation: Depending on the equipment of the crane, there are four to six buttons on the control panel, two each for operating the following functions: Hook up and down, crane rotation to the right and left and, if available, the movement of the trolley on the jib forwards and backwards. Caution: start carefully and without rushing. In most cases, the switches have two stages: when pressed gently, the corresponding motor runs slowly; when pressed firmly, it switches to the faster stage. This should only be selected by experts with a suspended boat.
Furthermore, the crane technology will thank you if only one button is pressed at a time, i.e. the boat is not swivelled as soon as it is lifted. It should also never be lifted higher than absolutely necessary, as it becomes more difficult to steer the boat with auxiliary lines the further it is from the ground.
Do not allow any hectic at the crane
When the crane date is set, things always move incredibly quickly, those at the back of the queue push those at the front, which can lead to pressure and a hectic pace. Nevertheless, everyone should take the time they need and not take on the pressure. For example, the boat should not be taken out of the harness immediately after launching. A quick check to make sure everything is tight should always be included. This includes a valve plan on board, in which all points where water could penetrate are listed. Then check these quickly all round. If leaks have occurred over the winter, for example due to a burst valve, the boat will still be hanging in the harness and can be taken out of the water again immediately.
Lars Bolle
Chief Editor Digital
