Pulleys, levers, patience, paint — March 31-- Big day today, put a second finish coat on the cockpit, and the day was nice so it seemed right to take the boat off the trailer and flip it over.  It’s Easter; my son is in Hawaii; My sons-in-law are working; and I’m impatient.  There is no help, but I want this boat off the trailer so the trailer can go for sand blasting and maybe powder coating, and it is time to get working on the boat bottom. 

I was pretty sure that one guy could get the boat off the trailer, but not so sure about flipping it over.  The boat weighs 400 pounds naked.  It’s 14-feet long, and it doesn’t have a handle.

So—I set up the Little Giant ladder with a sling.  Didn’t have a tackle so the main sheet was used to lower the aft end after I levered it up onto blocks.  Just muscled the bow down with a 2 x 4 lever.  After two-hours work, it was free of the trailer and on the ground—no body (my body actually) hurt. 

The ladder is rated for 300 lbs, but it will hold at least twice that much.

The main sheet was really one part short, but three parts were enough for this job.

The turning was a bit more tricky.  I rigged a snatch from the side of the car port—we call it the covered bridge.  I was able to raise the boat to a 90-degree angle of heel, then hold it with the line rigged to the wall purchase—change sides and lower the boat with just muscle power. Big project—no injuries and only a few Aleve required.  Definitely going to need more patience and some strong younger men to put this baby back on the trailer.

Barnacle glue is stubborn stuff.