What happens when a cradle fails.....

SW Boat Transport · 19 September 2011, 21:46

Interesting site at Plymouth Yacht Haven today. Looks like the cradle collapsed, leaving 40 tons of yacht on its side!

Crusher · 19 September 2011, 22:09

Ooops!

Interesting insurance claim to follow I would think........

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IBWET · 20 September 2011, 06:45

Something is not quite right in my eyes with that;

1)It looks like the yacht would have needed to be positioned on the hard, so close to the operational area of the crane, they would not be able to lift boats?

2)The mast is designed to take literally tons strain,not sure it would have broken once let alone twice.....

nope...nothing better to do......

Ruari 29 · 20 September 2011, 07:56

Maybe it was a freak wave! Lol ha

spartacus · 20 September 2011, 08:24

Could be somebody 'borrowed' a few pieces of 4x2 to make an outboard stand?

9D280 · 20 September 2011, 08:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by IBWET

Something is not quite right in my eyes with that;

<snip>

2)The mast is designed to take literally tons strain,not sure it would have broken once let alone twice.....

Mind you a mast is also designed to take a distributed load - what you can't see is what it may have hit "off screen"?

Also if it bent once, a few of the stays / spreaders wouldn't be doing their designed job, thus inducing more weakness? They are remarkably bendy when the rigging isn't tight. Watch any of the dingy being rigged. Mast is well floppy until the strain is applied by the jib halliard.

Poly · 20 September 2011, 08:47

Probably paying someone minimum wage to do a safety critical job! Perhaps expecting them to work way beyond the EU Working Time Directive Limits too so they were fatigued...

hamster · 20 September 2011, 09:17

Looks like one of the old 72ft bt challenge yachts. That's a lot of boat to pick up again and repair!

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Zagato · 20 September 2011, 09:46

Mine slipped in it's cradle last week whilst being hauled out for a survey. A big URRR! came from the watching crowd as the front strap slipped forward up the bow (longkeel boat!) The strap stopped where it should have been placed in the first place

The boat dropped by about 4' at the front and stopped just before hitting the hard

I did tell them they had the strap in the wrong position but would they li.......!!

andyxs · 20 September 2011, 19:05

iv seen a few masts break, they are very strong in the directions they are designed for. and the aluminium tube is actually quite weak, its all triangulation forces by the steel wire stays and spreaders that keep it up. 1 of them gos and its bye bye more often than not. and dent the aluminium and the tube is sicnificantly weakened.

IBWET · 21 September 2011, 07:38

Okeedokee,...I would still be interested, as to why the yacht was positioned so close to the crane?

also I would have thought the toppling motion would have replicated the directions of forces the mast was designed for..... I think, (not being a yachtie type, I'm really only guessing)

.

Zagato · 21 September 2011, 08:27

They can easily fall over on some stands. I have heard of a whole row going over like dominoes in Anglesey

Foggy · 22 September 2011, 13:19

Something not quite right here, why is the sail all over the place, did it become loose and then fill with wind, there are very few shores or cradles that will stand that sort of pressure...

Bigmuz7 · 22 September 2011, 15:00

So it was on a cradle on the hard and the wafi decided to put his mainsail up to test a halyard or check something ? surely not ? ...

.....

Jimbo · 23 September 2011, 14:21

It's BIG SPIRIT (formerly BG Spirit) and is indeed one of the 72' Ex BT Global Challenge Yachts.

Word in the Yachtie rumour mills is she's a total loss.

Zagato · 23 September 2011, 16:06

I couldn't find anything on YBW.com, wonder what happened

Club Yachting · 25 September 2011, 19:37

I can confirm it is Big Spirit. She won the round the world yacht race and when challenge folded was bought and totally re-furbished.
She was being lifted for anti-fouling and the travel lift failed. The main sail was not out, but tied to the boom in the normal way. When she fell the mast hit the edge of the key and stopped her falling into the water, but the boom became disconnected at the goose neck, hence main sail on deck!
And yes it is over £2 million worth of damage and therefore good bye to a great yacht that comquered the southern oceans!

Club Yachting · 25 September 2011, 19:39

In answer to Bigmuz7: nope - boat was dropped, mast broke, goose neck broke and then main sail fell off boom as it became disconnected from mast

Ian Austin · 25 September 2011, 20:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by Club Yachting

She was being lifted for anti-fouling and the travel lift failed.!

The boat was not DROPPED, it was propped and had been standing there for at least 20mins before it toppled, the hoist was not involved.

Channelop · 26 September 2011, 08:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by Club Yachting

I can confirm it is Big Spirit. She won the round the world yacht race and when challenge folded was bought and totally re-furbished.
She was being lifted for anti-fouling and the travel lift failed. The main sail was not out, but tied to the boom in the normal way. When she fell the mast hit the edge of the key and stopped her falling into the water, but the boom became disconnected at the goose neck, hence main sail on deck!
And yes it is over £2 million worth of damage and therefore good bye to a great yacht that comquered the southern oceans!

As Ian said, the travel lift was not involved. Where did you get your "info" from? The boom didn't become disconnected either... You are right about the boat but that's about it...