Blocking for Storage

[Viper]

It'll only take one winter for things to go wrong if the ground is unstable just before and after winter. Every area is different but you'd be surprised how much movement that can be. I've dealt with stands that had to be unwound with a sledge hammer because they got too tight, and some that don't do a thing because the ground has dropped leaving several inches of space between the hull and the stand. With a stand, that can be remedied quickly, with blocks, you can shim a gap but if it goes the other way, it'll be a pain to remove a block safely and without damaging the hull.

Source of the post.... make sure all of your interior doors are open, as they will bind.

++1
Pontoon houseboats are notorious for having that problem because of the way they get blocked. It's also not uncommon to find bent structural beams from years of flexing on land.

Take pictures of all your windows to prove that none were cracked prior to this point. If she flexes enough, one or more will crack.

Send the pic to Carver Service and see what they say as some OEMs will have diagrams of the blocking points for different models, which by the way have always been the keel that I've seen. Even if they say those points alone are okay to support the weight of the vessel, the concern is how will ground movement affect that since the sides are bearing all the weight rather than simply steadying her. If they tell you that she must be set on her keel, get it in writing, take it to the marina and insist they remedy it properly. That means lifting her and setting her keel on blocks, not simply shimming blocks under her now.

[pepmyster]

I take back my opinion.

[bud37]

A little story here.......We had our first Carver that came with it's own factory shipping/storage cradle..weighed a ton... .....well the first winter we stored it on that cradle thinking that was the best...... this boat had a transom door and a few weeks after sitting on the cradle the door would not close right.....in the spring about an hour after the boat hit the water the door worked just fine again.

Needless to say a lesson learned, bought blocks and had stands made.....we did all our own lift out/in/blocking work ourselves at the time....it never happened again......I know , I know another old guy tale....

[Dusty Bilges]

In case anyone is interested the marina owner drove his lift over the tops of two houseboats that were in the row I was in; picked up my boat; put three keel stands under keel and set it back down again; and used the wood blocks on the four corners just to keep it from leaning. No charge. Good guy. Good marina. He likes me - maybe because every time I fill up with gas its a four-hundred dollar event.

[Viper]

Excellent, thanks for following up. Good on them for taking the extra time and expense to satisfy a customer.

[Dusty Bilges]

In case anyone's interested I bought three keel jack stands ($168 each!), and the yard redid it.

[Viper]

Thanks for keeping us in the loop