Winter Storage - Suspended from Joists?

Hi all, this will be the first winter storing my cat. Where I live we can have up to 3 feet of snow on the ground during the winter, so putting a tarp over my cat is probably not a good idea.

I was thinking of backing my trailer into the garage and running four ropes from the pylons up around the roof joists and hoisting my cat off the ground, leaving it suspended off the floor all winter. I was planning on building some sort of cradle but I wont have the time for it this year. I have a really old trailer with 4 carpeted "v"s that the hulls rest on, but I think this is too much weight on just 4 points of the hull. I also dont want to rest the hulls directly on a concrete floor.

What do you guys think? Will sitting for 5 months suspended by the aluminum side rails from the roof trusses make the hulls want to pull away from the pylons? I dont think these boats were meant to be stored this way, especially ones that are 35 years old and could have weakening joints.

Coveredhere.

Matt is the king of gagets, but for my 2 cents, there is no problem with the point loading of a H16 ng, but I really don't think it damages the hulls one bit. Hobie 16s are the tanks of the catamaran world.

You guys with boats les than 30 years old, feel free to chime in and refute this!

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Raced extensively as a kid (against Matt Bounds!!), just bought a 20 year old 16 and am refurbishing it.

Sail # 21888

I would have to agree with the above, any of the three ways you mentioned storing the boat would work (on trailer, on ground, or suspended). These boats are tough, as long as you don't have 3-feet of snow sitting on the boat, it should be fine. If you sit it on the concrete floor, just throw some padding under it and don't climb around on it. Storing it suspended from the pylons would also be totally fine. Just make sure it's held securely and balances properly for the hoist.

sm

Thanks for your responses everyone.

My main concern with storing the boat suspended by the aluminum frame is not having the frame come apart, its having the force of gravity pull the pylon(s) out of the hull. Obviously the hulls are designed to handle substantial weight and downward pressure. Im worried that they were not designed to take a lot of upward, pulling pressure (this doesnt occur under normal operating conditions). If you are having trouble understanding my concern, picture someone standing on one hull between the pylons and pulling upwards on the sidebar, exerting 120 ilbs of pull on the sidebar (half the weight of the boat).

I see what Mbounds has done with his mint looking H16 hanging from his ceiling, but Im afraid my boat is much older and not in such great condition. I apologize if I am worrying too much, but Im really trying to minimize wear on this boat until I can afford a brand new wave or getaway. Has anyone devised a cradle or something that supports the untire hulls from the bottom (not just 4 small surfaces on the trailer)?. I was thinking of getting 6-8 trailer rollers per side, and making a banana-shaped cradle to support the hulls evenly and spread the weight distribution.

Thanks again for your input, any further suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Quite honestly, it is my humble opinion that you are really over thinking this.

Once you have it hanging, it is static weight, unless you are planning on using the boat for a chin up bar once you have it hanging.

Even the older hulls weigh between 70 and 80 pounds apiece. all the rest of the weight is in the frame, tramp, mast, sails, rudders, etc.

75# X 2 = 150# Divided by the four pylons is less than 40# of downward pressure per pylon, 37.5 # to be accurate. As someone else noted, the H-16 is nigh unto bulletproof anyway, especially the older ones.

Just hang it and pat yourself on the back that your boat is getting the royal treatment that very few ever see.

One last note, make sure that the drain plugs / port holes are out and the water remaining in the hulls has all winter to evaporate out and not leech into the foam sandwich.

Stephen

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If the grass is greener on the other side of the fence, maybe it is time to water your own lawn.

If your boat can't stay together hanging from garage joist, you don't want to be sailing it. Sailing forces are much much higher.

sm

cdogg, I found a copy of a system to hang your boat a member of this forum sent to me. Send me an email and I'll send copy to you - skipshot (at) sbcglobal (dot) net

Thanks all for the detailed responses.

I decided to just lay some old pink fiberglass insulation on the concrete floor as a cushion and rest my boat on that, i cant see anything wrong with this.

In the summer I am going to build a cradle that can sit in the water and double as a dry cradle for winter storage. I invision 4 vertical posts spaced out 8'x8', braced by 2x4's below the waterline.. The front of the cradle (closest to land) will be loosely bolted into the 2 posts closest to land, so that the entire cradle can rotate downwards and form a ramp of sorts to pull the boat up onto (maybe with a winch if necessary). Once the boat is secured to the cradle, i will lift the rear end up and slide a pin through a pre-drilled hole to keep the back end up and out of the water.. Of course i wont have to lift anywhere near 240 pounds of weight considering the front will be bolted to posts, above the waterline.

If your so worried about the hulls detaching from the frame just make it simple... Suspend your boat by its frame like you planned on doing and then for safety and peaceO'mind, tie your hulls to your frame using rope or moving straps or something like that.

Even though you probably wouldnt need it, the rope/straps supporting the hulls would not let the hulls fall if for some reason they came detached from the frame. Well they wouldnt let the hulls detach from the frame in the first place.
And it will give you that piece of mind your looking for...








Just my two cents. But what do i know?

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1971 H16 (sail #1768)

To all of you on the Hobie Forum... I love you guys!!!
thanks for all the help!