CHEAPEST WAY TO BUILD LOADING RAMPS

[aczlan]

I propose to have both of the "pull" vehicles FACING the boat.and pulling in reverse gear. That way both drivers can see what is happening and adjust accordingly.

Just be aware that that is the weaker direction on the differential in the vehicle and if you have to pull hard it could possibly damage the differential.

Aaron Z

 

[Jim Shooz]

Will we have to wait long for the video of the recovery ???

 

[Aussiebushman]

Still awaiting delivery of the dry suit and I need longer tow ropes - also pouring rain here for several days so I'd want the ground to dry out before towing

Good point about the diffs but we are talking about a Range Rover and a Toyota HiLux - - not toy vehicles so should be OK

 

[rfc143]

Well, since you haven't actually tried to haul it out yet, I'll throw my two cents in the hat. It's highly unlikely that any deck fitting on the bow you might be considering to attach the haul rope to, will handle the load. I'd run the haul rope between the hulls to the aft of the vessel and attach it to a beam resting athwartships (sideways across the rear of the vessel), letting it sink until it's resting right on the tops of the pontoons. That way you'll distribute the force across the entire structure of the vessel. The traction on your pull vehicle is likely to be the limiting factor anyway though, so it may not matter. Good luck.

 

[sleepybozo]

If your access hatches are big enough, have you considered putting some of your inflatables (even car tire tubes might help) *inside* the hulls? Then as you *slowly and carefully* inflated them (so as to avoid excess pressure on the inside of the hulls) they would displace the water and at least lighten them some, making any other salvage attempts easier. If you had enough, it might even float the hulls and plug the holes?

 

[Aussiebushman]

Thanks to both of you for the most recent suggestions.

First - the tow points I mentioned are not at the bow. There are two large sheet winches bolted to integral structures adjacent to the cockpit but I take your point that even these may not be strong enough to take the load without something breaking. The stern is of course currently well under water but when it is raised it certainly will be possible to place a bean right across both hulls. You are right - this will spread the load evenly and eliminate any danger of anything breaking off under the strain.

Using a single rope between the hulls to that beam sounds fine in principle and would allow a single chain block from the tow vehicle to be used. If I have to do this job on my own, that makes sense but with another 4WD and assistant I think twin tow ropes to a vehicle on either side of the trailer provides a considerable safety margin

The suggestion of putting the inner tubes INSIDE the aft hatches is certainly worth exploring because it will make getting the air into them much easier than if they are under the deck. However, although they are currently well under water, tubes in these positions probably will not raise the hulls lift high enough.
The flotation needs to be as low in the water as possible and that is why tubes under the cockpit will probably be better.

I should have the bits together next weekend and by then the ground may have dried out enough to provide traction for the tow

 

[square1]

The tubes inside the hulls is a technique used in kayaks without waterproof internal compartments. They displace enough water to keep afloat and to some degree stable allowing additional self rescue measures to be performed. Good suggestion sb!
In the end it's whatever floats your boat

 

[Deere Dude]

I may have missed this, but if it was me, I would put a 2" winch strap around the rear of one pontoon and another strap at the rear of the other pontoon, the farthest to the rear the better.
That would require getting the winch around a pontoon section which may be impossible, but probable.
Hook a tow line to each, string it along the side of both pontoons to the trucks.
Put another winch strap around the front of each pontoon and rope to make sure the rope will stay inline with the direction of travel.
Pull gently for a little ways and let the water in the pontoons settle out. Repeat.

 

[Aussiebushman]

Exactly!

Re tubes inside the hulls, conventional car tubes will fit inside so I'll get a couple and once inflated, they might as well stay there for permanent flotation. However, as stated earlier, they will probably be too high to lift the stern as high as it needs to go for recovery. Please remember that unlike a kayak, this boat weight about 600Kg even without the water inside

The tractor tubes now purchased are too big to get through the hatch covers into the confined spaces at the stern BUT one of top of the other placed under the aft deck will provide massive lift right where it is needed. The only hassle will be getting them in place, then running the compressor line under the boat to inflate them - hence my need for a warmer diving suit than the wet-suit I already have

The only problems with straps is that even he 5m ones are costly and they are hard to get in 10+ metre lengths at any cost I can justify. Rope is cheap and the previous suggestion of placing a beam right across the stern will make it easy to fix in place as well as spreading the load.

Straps or ropes from the bow are doable but the fixings are not as strong

 

[square1]

re: tubes in hulls: Don't think lift, think displacement. The average 20 foot pontoon log filled with water would weigh approximately a metric ton each.

Seeing the boat recovery rigs around here, I don't think they even attempt to lift a boat until they can displace as much water water from the logs / hulls as possible. They all have huge on-board air compressors. The average compressor can't deliver the volume of air required to overcome the water entering, hence the tubes to contain the air inside the hulls.

Car tubes inside the hulls might want to go wider than the hulls once pressurized which could blow out the sides of the hull. The hull's design is to not implode from external pressure, it's design is not to withstand internal pressure.