Out of water storage stand / blocking

[PDQ-Dave]

When storing your PDQ 36 ashore is anyone using the under wing stands to support the boat as illustrated in the PDQ 36 Classic manual?

Link to manual http://www.pdq36.com/PDQ36Classic.pdf (Page 54)
OR
See attached file showing just page 54

The manual calls for three 'saw horse' stands constructed out of 2x8's and 2x4's. No additional blocking is shown under the keels or else where which is contrary to what I've seen as common practice in most boat yards. The typical blocking method I've observed and used in the past consists of blocks under the keels and jack stands supporting bows and sterns.

What are your experiences using the stands?
How much clearance is there below the keels when the 59" and 62" stands are used?
Do you use any additional supports?

[Tanah-Keeta]

Hi Dave,

When I owned Tanah-Keeta (36089), I cruised the Bahamas in the winter and stored her during the summer. I took the easy way and just blocked the keels and put stands fore and aft under the hulls. The boat showed no ill effects from this storage method. While waiting for a sale, she was stored for 10 months with no problems. Maybe it's not for everyone, but it worked for me.

[SecondWind]

Second Wind was always stored on the keels. Never a problem.

[Page 83]

Page 83 spends four months every year on blocks at Herrington Harbour near Annapolis. They put blocks under the keels and a stand under each bow and stern just aft of the rudders. She hasn't mentioned any problems to me yet. And I can park under the foredeck in the rain.

I built the overgrown sawhorses for my 32 and used them three years. I had a couple long pieces of blue styrofoam used for residential construction and glued them to the top of pressure treated 2x6s to cushion the load. The boat hardly compressed the foam, and there wasn't even a scratch under the bridge deck. Since then I've been cannibalizing from those frames, so you can say I've spread the cost of the materials (about $200 ) over a range of projects!

[Loki]

I've always used three pairs of jackstands holding 4"x4"x8' pressure treated deck beams that have a strip of carpet stapled on. I add those on after the yard puts it down on the keels and blocks the stern. (The LRC is a bit stern heavy and needs the extra blocking.)

[PDQ-Dave]

Thanks for the great input. I had designed and almost purchased materials for 'saw horse' stands, but now may go the route of jack stands supporting a 4x8's padded with rigid foam insulation. With jack stands I anticipate more easily leveling the boat to facilitate the construction of the hull extensions.

[Loki]

I'm not sure it's possible to raise the boat with the jackstand! I hand tighten several times a year, but have never felt I was taking much pressure off the hulls. If you were planning this, you should make sure its as level as possible to start, and the stands are well footed, perhaps on boards or some type of stone. Also, I used 4x4 beams, but sometimes I felt that 2x8 would be more stable. The 4x4 require some care to get the stands centered.

BTW, a few years ago there was an older Prout 37 next to Loki in the yard. They didn't support the center (hard on a Prout) and had lots of problems with the hull flexing, especially when the mast was put back up and tightened. I don't know if this would happen with a PDQ, but it was severe enough that we couldn't get the hatch open.

[PDQ-Dave]

I'm thinking 4x8's with rigid foam board for padding supported by three jack stands per beam. The additional jack stands would be oriented fore and aft for additional longitudinal stability. The plan is to set up the stands, position the beams, square and level the stands and then set the boat down on top. Perhaps, a few blocks will be added under the keels and shimmed after the boat is determined to be level as extra insurance.

The rational for all this seemingly excessive extra complication and effort is to ensure that the boat is level and not twisted for the transom extension project mentioned on an earlier post.

If I were to just haul for a bottom paint job I'd just set her on blocks and support the ends with some jack stands.

[PDQ-Dave]

The boat is on the hard and the jack stands work great. I would now use this method every time in the future placing the jack stands per the PDQ manual prescribed locations. I used 2"x8"x8' lumber padded with 1" pink rigid foam to distribute the load of the jack stands. For more pictures see http://www.pdq36.blogspot.com