Boat lift rigging & anchor option for TI

I have two interrelated questions about storing my new Tandem Island ('15) both above and in water during sailing season. The first is about properly rigging my boat lift and the second is about the possibility of anchoring it safely overnight.

First, when I am away from my lake cottage in the UP of Michigan for longer periods in the summer (possibly a few weeks at a time), I hope to keep the TI on a small boat lift I previously used for my monohull Catalina Capri 16.5'. The lift is the model shown here (http://www.docks.com/wp-content/uploads ... 5x1024.jpg), with a square metal lifting/lowering frame. It currently has two parallel wooden boards fastened on top of the frame and at about a 45-degree angle, where the Catalina's hull rested, but I presume I'd remove those to mount the TI Cradle Set (often used for trailers) to the frame somehow. Am I missing a reason why this shouldn't work? Is there a cheaper and relatively easy fix that I'm missing? I'm reasonably handy, and would be willing to jerry-rig something myself, but don't want to spend too much effort with it.

Second, since the lift is only about 5' wide, I'd need to collapse the amas and unhook the tramps when bringing the boat in each time, doing the reverse when I went back out. That's not a major hassle, but I'd rather avoid it since the quicker and easier it is to get out and get in, the more often I'm likely to sail the TI. So I'm hoping that I can anchor the boat near shore when I am up at the cottage, leaving the amas (& tramps) out. But since this would hopefully include leaving it anchored at night, when the winds and inland-lake chop (maybe 2+feet) might pick up when I'm asleep, would the boat be in danger of getting damaged? If really heavy winds were predicted, I'd put it on the lift or bring it in, but shy of that, I'd like to leave it anchored at night. I would take out and store the mast and sail each night, and I'd use a very adequate anchor and perhaps a bungee-like anchor rope (Anchor Buddy) to reduce stress on the bow mount. Only a rope line would be tied to the mount, nothing metal, so the hull wouldn't get scratched. Finally, would the metal pad eye on the bow be sufficient or would I want to add something more substantial?

Thanks for any feedback, and if you're in the east-central UP, stop by for a sail! (Steve)

Welcome Steve.
Brad (Wallabee) posted a similar question viewtopic.php?f=71&t=53674&p=248721#p248478

1. Folding of Amas requires removal or disconnect one end of the tramps. Someone may know a way of
avoiding that but I don't so you may have to leave the tramps off when doing short sails from the
platform.
Hobie recommend that you turn the TI upside down and store on the gunwales for the safest method.
However, I have stored my TI on the runners below for over two years without a problem. My runners
are adjustable so that they fit nicely into the v in the bottom of the hull.


2. I store my TI for days at a time on Lake Bonney in South Australia. The method I prefer is to remove
the mirage drives after lifting the rudder and dagger board. I pull the TI up onto the beach above the
water line (no tide this location). I have a 6m stainless cable which I padlock to the bow cleat and
padlock to a post or tree. I leave the mast but remove the main sheet so that the sail cannot unfold.
I take the mirage drive and paddles with me, for security. We had an almighty storm one night and
I took the time to check the TI but all was ok. So I now sleep soundly knowing my little treasure is ok.
Oh, and I'm like Bob and don't mind if the bottom gets scratched (TI that is) as the colour or should I
say for you color, is all the way through.

Anyway, I'm sure you will enjoy your new craft and I am certainly jealous of a great setup like that boat lift.
I store my TI in the ceiling of my garage above the car and have to car top and rig each time. It's worth it
though.

_________________
Cheers, Brian in South Australia
Tandem Island -

G'Day, Brian, and many thanks for the response!

I might mimic your dry-land storage technique for my barn in the cold months (which, sadly, in northern Michigan is October through later May).

1. I had seen Brad's post, but since the photos of the platform he mentioned weren't viewable, I can't tell whether he is using the Hobie Cradle Set I'm considering (http://www.austinkayak.com/products/174 ... e-Set.html) or something else to support the amas. I probably wouldn't have acquired a lift for my new TI, but since I already have an unneeded one, I figure I might as well figure out how to rig it for the TI.

2. And unfortunately, I can't easily and safely pull my boat onto shore like you do because we have a cement seawall that would do too much damage to the hull (colour aside) for the times when I had to drag the TI onto shore myself. Theoretically, I could look into some kind of a ramp, but I'd prefer to avoid the hassle, partly because various kids play in that area and I don't want to clutter it for them. So I still want to explore whether it would be safe to anchor the TI (amas out but mast off) during the days and nights for a week or two at a time, except when the forecast predicted bad storms.

I'm glad you raised the possibility of collapsing the amas without having to remove the fore side of the trampolines. If someone out there has a system for doing this, I'l love to hear about it since it would make using the boat lift each time more appealing.

Thanks again!

OK, so dragging it up on the beach is not an option.
I have lived on my Young 7.8 metre water ballast yacht many times for weeks on end.
Fortunately I was aboard, each time it dragged anchor and was able to avoid other boats and
those hard bits at the edge of the water. Personally I would want to be sure your TI didn't
drag anchor. The only way I know of is to have a chain mooring at each end of the boat,
attached to large lumps of concrete on the sea bed.
I have left the TI tied to the bank for days at a time as in the picture below.

But your circumstances could be different so you will have to judge.
Let us know how you get on.



Cheers,
Brian

I'm actually not worried about dragging as my anchor system is plenty adequate and has held similar-sized boats for long periods over the years. Instead, I'm wondering if there's something else that I haven't considered, perhaps particular to this boat. Even while typing this, it occurs to me that perhaps a strong gust could flip the boat, lifting it from underneath the trampolines that would be out flat with the extended amas. In the photo of your TI tied to shore (pretty scene!), I notice that trampolines are not secured to the boat. Much of the time, my purpose in anchoring (again, probably just during the day now) would be to avoid having to take the time to un-hook and re-hook one side of each trampoline from the aka each time I went out and returned.

The more I think about it, the more I think I'll just anchor it between sails during the day, collapsing it and putting it on the lift after my last sail of the day. Looking at photos and diagrams online, it appears that I should be able to collapse the amas with the trampolines on, using bungees to keep them gathered above the hull and each ama, and therefore out of the water. It doesn't seem like there would be any unhealthy pull on the trampolines somewhere when collapsing the amas, but perhaps I'm wrong? Also, I am also assuming that I can slide each bungee through the space where the secured trampoline meets the side of the hull. Are these assumptions right, or am I missing something? Not having my TI yet, I have to go off of images from the web and the brochure.

Finally, I've decided to buy the two-piece cradle set to secure to the lift. Seems like the safest way to store it on the water during the season, and worth the relatively modest investment.

Thanks again for all the helpful feedback, Brian!

--Steve

My only experience with Hobie trampolines was to try one to hold my Dalmation dog.
I found that it sagged a little too much and her feet were in the water.
So I built a frame and had a tramp made from heavy tramp material.
Now she goes to sleep as she is that comfortable.
The dog, not the wife as she had to pedal.

So it will depend on what you want the tramps for.
If for hiking out, look at hakas as well.



Cheers,
Brian

Hi Steve. I 'sleep on board' and have anchored overnight on many occasions. I've found that the most secure way is to tie off to both anchor and land. I use a 'Cooper' anchor and deploy it as I'm approaching shore. Then once in knee deep water I wrap the anchor rope once around the rear Aka then once around the forward Aka and then tie off to a tree or similar. The boat is then free-ish to move and also to rise and fall with the tide. If I think that the wind is too extreme, I use 'Blue Screws' as an insurance. The 'Sleeping on Board' thread has info on how others also do it. Best of luck with it.

_________________


Don't take life too seriously................it ain't permanent.

Steve:
If it were me I would just adjust the rails on your existing crane so the rails are on 11 inch centers. Either that or replace the existing rails with two parallel 1 1/2" dia PVC pipes mounted on 11 inch centers (about 10 ft long). Shouldn't cost more than $10 bucks, and the PVC holds up really well in the water. (if you have a new 2015 you may need to design in a dip in the pipe for the scupper drain (I plan to just heat the PVC up in that area and create a little dip in the pipe around the drain area, when I get my 2015 later in the summer))
As far as anchoring if it were me I would put an anchoring ball in (a float attached to several big bricks, or one of those screw in things if the bottom is soft) just off your dock if your allowed. In the Keys many resorts have free anchor balls available just off shore and we have anchored just off shore for up to a week at a time often.


When moored just off shore:
What I think would work best would be a long rope loop from your dock to the anchor ball (so you can reel the boat up to the dock, so you can get in the boat without having to swim out to it), on the loop there would be a cleat that clips to the front cleat on the bow. Then run another rope to the rear cleat on the hull to tie the rear of the boat just away from the dock. You don't want the boat to hit the dock ( I've scratched mine up pretty good, tying to docks (Barnacles)). We just tie ours out there fully rigged mast and all during our stay for up to a week (we typically go out a couple times a day).

When on your lift for a long period of time:
The tramps are pretty easy to roll up onto the front AKA bar and are easy to stow. I don't recommend leaving the sail in for long periods of time (sails are dacron and they can't take sunlight) plus the motion of the boat rocking is really hard on the mast holder (not mentioning the fact that the sail and mast is the most expensive component on the boat (about $3 grand I think))
Hope this helps
Bob

Many thanks, Bob (& everyone). I'll begin looking into your various suggestions when my work schedule permits me a bit more time than it does this week. I can easily walk out in our shallow water to launch the boat, so there wouldn't be an advantage to retrieve it from my dock. Your ideas for the lift could save me some money, so extra thanks for those. Of course, I'm sure I'll find a way to divert the savings into Hobie's account one way or the other!
--Steve