Building a cradle - Tips?

[Abier]

Hello all,
New to this board but been lurking and gleaning info for some time. I finally secured my plastic classic, but need to get it out of the water pretty soon. I need some advice on building a steel cradle for this boat, a 32' Columbia Sabre, approx 5000lbs (less I hope).
My question is about steel sizing. Is 4" c-channel heavy enough for the base, and 2" angle for the pad braces? I know bigger is better, but weight and cost, mostly cost, are driving factors. I've tried to attach a picture of something similar.
Thanks for any advice.
Andy

[Capn_Tom]

Is there a reason you have chosen to build a cradle rather than using boat stands?

[Duncan]

My question is about steel sizing. Is 4" c-channel heavy enough for the base, and 2" angle for the pad braces? I know bigger is better, but weight and cost, mostly cost, are driving factors. I've tried to attach a picture of something similar.
Thanks for any advice.
Andy

My steel cradle is built of 4" X 2", 5/16ths wall thickness. It is definitely overstrength and 1/4" would be ok.
A nice touch is to cap the ends, which is rarely done, but makes a lot of sense. It's more work, but it keeps the water from getting in and rotting the channels from the inside out.

Is there a reason you have chosen to build a cradle rather than using boat stands?

This seems to be a question of local preferences. I've seen stands all over New England, and hardly any cradles. Up here in Canada, it's the opposite, almost always cradles, and very few stands (except for powerboats).

Cradles take up less space to the sides when the boat is on them, which is a factor in yards where space is tight. I think that they are more stable, since there is more surface area in contact with the ground, and since they are all one piece? Cradles are also less prone to setup errors by crew, and they can be used for transportation on a flatbed trailer.

On the other hand, stands are cheaper, easier to store and are more adaptable.

[Hirilondë]

Cradles take up less space to the sides when the boat is on them, which is a factor in yards where space is tight. I think that they are more stable, since there is more surface area in contact with the ground, and since they are all one piece? Cradles are also less prone to setup errors by crew, and they can be used for transportation on a flatbed trailer.

On the other hand, stands are cheaper, easier to store and are more adaptable.

Yup, those are some of the major considerations. I made a cradle for my 1937 Founce designed 25' canoe stern sloop. It was mostly for the sake of transport as the 6' beam made it too narrow for the hydraulic pads/supports on a conventional boat hauling trailer. Mine was made out of 8'x8' oak timbers and 2x4s so I can offer no advice on a steel design.

[Abier]

Yes, I want to build the cradle for transport on a flatbed that I have. Also, when I have it home, being on a cradle will make it more portable if I need to move it.
Duncan - Do you mean that your cradle is made of 4 x 2 square tubing?

[Duncan]

Yes, I want to build the cradle for transport on a flatbed that I have. Also, when I have it home, being on a cradle will make it more portable if I need to move it.
Duncan - Do you mean that your cradle is made of 4 x 2 square tubing?

Yes, 4" X 2", 5/16ths rectangular tubing. This is overkill for my 7500 lb boat, so I am sure you could use something lighter for the 5,000 lb. Sabre. The standard around here seems to be 1/4" tubing, and this is used even for much heavier boats.

Like with stands, almost all the weight of the boat is carried on the keel, so the uprights don't need to be nearly as strong as the base. They usually are, though, since I guess people just use the same tubing size for the whole cradle. Extra wall thickness is good insurance against rust, I guess, but you pay the price in weight - the crane guy said that my cradle weighs about 800 lbs.

Here's a (not-so-great) photo, which shows it sitting on a utility trailer:

[Triton 185]

Mine was made out of 8'x8' oak timbers and 2x4s so I can offer no advice on a steel design.

I think it is worth looking at wood. It is strong and depending on the treatment or species; it will last a long time. If you can do the work yourself, you will save some bucks. Have a look on line, there are companies that build wood cradles to ship boats worldwide. A combination of framing lumber, plywood gussets and bolts could be a solution for you.

Two things with a metal cradle. If you don't weld - you will save some cash if you cut the metal yourself and then bring it to be stitched up by a welder. Also, check out your local metal recyclers.....you could get lucky and buy the materials you need at a fraction of the cost of buying new. (I am using recycled metal to build stands for my used 48' sailboat trailer)

Good luck with your project.