Loaded and Cranked

Yesterday, we had a gang of folks helping to get the boat loaded on the new trailer, as well as getting engines swapped and rigged.  And, we needed the help.  The plan was to have a crane on site to make the transfer.  However, a Lull was the only piece of equipment available. A Lull is an all-terrain forklift with an extending boom, and articulating forks.

Alyssa, Frankie's eldest child, climbed aboard to lap the strap over the rigging.

Frankie gently lifted the bow of the boat off the cribbing (blocks of wood stacked to support the weight). The bow had to be lifted high enough to allow me to back the trailer beneath the bow, but, not so high as to rock the stern off of the aft supports and cribbing.


Once the trailer was far enough beneath the boat to support the weight of the front half of the boat, Frankie rigged the stern to be lifted.  While Carl, yet another Frankie relative, cranked the bow up to the trailer's pulpit.

And voila!!  Actually three hours later.  'Clawd' is re-trailered.

Frankie exchanged engines, hooked up the electrical, rigged the hydraulic steering, attached the fuel lines,  replaced the oil reservoir, and drained the old gas out of the fuel tank.  I put up ... two lights in the pilot house.  And, I am ashamed to say, Alyssa had to help me do that! At present my major talent in this project is running to the store to get Frankie a soda.