New Guy Here -Need to build a cradle

[Steve Ashby]

I just acquired a 2007 150 Sportster that is in the shop with some cracks in the hull from someone running it up on a submerged stump. The shop has quoted over $6k to repair it and I am just stupid enough to think I can do it myself. I will get a shop manual to help me remove the engine and I have enough fiberglass experience to patch the hull.

First things first. I do not have a trailer to get the boat home. A friend is loaning me a one ton capacity utility trailer, so I need to build some cradles to get in the trailer bed (5X8). Does anyone have any drawings or hull profiles I could use to build these cradles? I am trying to save the expense of purchasing a trailer just to get it home, fix it and then transport it back to the dock on the lake.

Thanks for your help. I am really looking forward to interacting with the forum family.

Steve

 

[n-mod]

I don't think its a big deal, but you posted this in the 2-stoke boat forum and your boat is a 4-stoke, but its still a boat made out of fiberglass.
Anyway I would just build a simple wooden frame similar to the one I built for my jet skis in this picture:

Honestly if I were you I wouldn't even worry about a frame and just lay it down, these fiberglass boats can really take a lot of abuse.

Good luck with your fiberglass repair, I'm doing some fire damage repair to my very similar boat and it can be a pain at times.

 

[Coastiejoe]

If the trailer you are using has a solid flat deck on it, then I would just use carpet.

To build a cradle that "fits" will be a challenge not having the dimensions. Doable, but not easy.

You could buy a few rolls (Remnants) of carpet from a store. Put one or two layers on the deck. Then use the carpet rolled up to support the outer edge of the lower hull. Before You set the boat down, I would run a line (rope or something that wont scratch the hull) from the side roll to side roll and tie it loose. When you set the boat down, the line will pull the side rolled carpet into the hull and prevent it from slipping out when you travel down the road.

If you have the rolled carpet doing most of the work, the keel will barely touch the carpet on the deck.

All this said,,, if you plan on wanting or needing the cradle in the future, then I would take wood with me and build a decent cradle once I got there. If you MUST build something before you get there, then build something with two parts.

Meaning, a mini-cradle for the front and a min-cradle for the back. This will allow for you to move the cradle forward or backward for the best fit without moving the other half. If you do the cradle thing, I would still throw carpet over the cradle as it will help both with the fit and to help not damage the hull while in transit.

None of what you want to do is hard, just a matter of confidence and doing it like you have done it a hundred times before.

Biggest key is to ensure that both the cradle/carpet is secure to the deck and the boat is secure to both the cradle/carpet and the deck. If you do that, you will get home perfectly safe...

 

[Ryan40601]

I hope the boat is worth it?! Good luck!

 

[Steve Ashby]

Thanks for the great info guys. I broke down and bought an inexpensive trailer to get her home. That worked fine. However, the crack in the hull sits right over the left bunker so I will still have to build a cradle to gain access. First things first, I am going to download the shop manual to figure out how to pull the engine to gain access to the inside portion of the breached hull.

Also, in reviewing my original post, I mistakenly said I had a 150 Sportster. It is a 2009 150 Speedster. In any event, it is going to be a fun project. I will try to post my progress.

Thanks again!

Steve

 

[suke]

post up some pics. Interested to see the damage on this bad boy.