Can anyone help with steel sizes, for a cradle high enough to have the keel fully lowered. I have the wood cradle part to go on top.
The question really is what is the minimum steel sections I can get away with?

Hi Stephen, I was thinking along the same lines but have never really got into gear to make something. I did however come across a 275 called Aquilla last year at Felixstowe Ferry looking very abandoned in the yard but it was on a cradle that allowed the keel to be fully down. It looked a bit delicate but I will send some photos I took.

"Redshank" came with a cradle. It is high enough to allow the keel to drop fully.

It is made from square section, tubular steel and comprises of two trestles held together by a horizontal bar on each side. The bars are bolted on to the legs of the trestles and can be removed, but the trestles themselves stay assembled.

We shall be visiting "Redshank" soon and I shall try to remember to take some measurements. Watch this space....

This picture may help explain how it is constructed.

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We visited Redshank this afternoon and took some measurements. I hope these are clear enough to read. Do feel free to call if you need more detail.
Hope this is useful.

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Hi
These trestles look flimsy in the extreme and totally dependent on being placed on a very sound foundation (yard). Where I am on a gravel surface these would be totally unsuitable.
My 26 'rascal' sits on a galvanised steel table framed base with 2 cross supports with timber bearers and shaped wedges, designed by a structural engineer so probably well over engineered.
For ease of access the legs are not high enough for full keel drop, but this winter I will dig a small hole under the keel to allow for this as I want to adjust the keel guides a bit.
As for being demountable, it all bolts together, but would need a lorry to carry the individual parts.
I can measure the steel sections if you are interested.
Philip

Hi Philip, I have similar reservations, as our boat park is only gravel on hardcore, I have seen your cradle when I came to Chichester to pick up the a wood top cradle a couple of years ago and am in agreement with you that it probably over engineered. But would like to know the minimum height from under boat to bottom of keel.
Stephen

Stephen
I won't know until I have dug my hole, but I presume it will be about the difference between keel up and keel down depths. Usually stated as 5'6" to 1'3" so it should be 4'3".
Philip