Winter Lift Out

[dublin]

I have a new 39.
I have been toying with the idea of storage ashore and under cover for the winter.

A boat is desigend to be supported by the water with the keel hanging below.

Storage on a cradle results in the keel carrying the full weight of the hull. This is not a problem with older designs with long keels which spreads the weighe. In a previous boat I owned the hull "flexed" slightly on the cradle each winter resulting in leaks where joint (windows etc) came loose and needed to be sealed each spring when the boat went back into the water.
With a modern yacht with a narrow fin and bulb the keel attachment point is very small compared to the hull. It is unlikley that the designer intended the keel attachment to carry such weight.
It is interesting that medern racing yachts with very fine keels use cradles shaped to the hull so the keel is not supporting the weight of the hull.

Has anyone any thoughts on this.

[Zanshin]

My past Jeanneau and my current one have both been stored ashore when I've not been aboard - without evidence of deformation or leaks. The keel supports its own (not insignificant at over half the total weight) weight and then the stanchions/supports on the side support the boat not only laterally but also take on quite a bit of load. I only noticed flexing when a support was put in the flat surface between prop shaft and where the engine would be, as the glass there seems to be rather thin.

[MalcolmP]

On modern designs you definitely need to have as much hull support as possible when ashore, I don't think this has to be especially shaped, but prop support at least at the bulkheads and semi-bulkheads

The keel will inevitably sit quite solid but due to the windage on the hull and topsides are almost certain to move in winter gales etc and will put strain on the keel hull joint, particularly if the rig is left standing

Better left in the water with short lift outs as far as I am concerned

Malcolm