Boat Stands

This week we got the boat sitting on proper boatyard stands and cut off all the welded supporting framework. The stands are very heavy and should do the job. when the time comes to paint the bottom we will shift the stands (in pairs) so that we can paint under their present location. We had to modify some of them to fit under the hull, but for the most part everything went very smoothly. The final step in the process involved making sure all the stands were tight, then cutting the final supports from the hull with a torch and knocking them free with a sledge hammer. We also chained the stands together under the keel so that they can't slide out or shift position. It was a typically windy summer day at Mare Island and we kept a very close watch on things through the process of transferring the weight to the stands. Actually the keel blocks carry almost all the weight. The stands are just there to keep us upright, but a failure of this arrangement would be very very bad. We still check everything regularly to make sure nothing's shifting around. Once we were up on the stands, I removed the rudder and rudder shaft for (hopefully) the last time so we can paint and install the bearings. Again the lifting points we installed on the hull came in extremely handy for this job - definitely a worthwhile addition to any boat like this. Anyway, we are still standing and, apart from a nasty blood blister from pinching my finger on one of the stands, all went well. -PB