Moving the Armada

[signal charlie]

We have a move from NW Florida to Smithfield VA in process, multi stage over the next few months, picking up where pandemic left us off last year. Some of the Armada will go by PODS (again) so we have Pod 1 on site and are loading over the next few weeks. Last time I cut corners on securing boats, tied some crummy knots and had boat damage as a result. ZIP, the top boat on the right, drooped down and got a hole punched in her bottom by the swivel cam cleat on MADISON. This time I don't think we'll do as many boats per pod, or if we do I'll build cubbies for them.

Pod 1 arrived yesterday. The opening is around 7 feet, SMEDLEY has a 6 foot beam.

Old crusty daggerboards have multiple uses.

Hard to see in this photo but I am building a platform over the top of SMEDLEY, 2x4 framing with 4x8 sheets of plywood cut to 82 inches wide to fit inside the internal structure. Last time all I had were a few cross bars. I have a 4 foot section built already and will bring it out to at least 12 feet. Two Fish will go under SMEDLEY, probably the Standard Sailfish and a Sunfish, and the Super Sailfish on the platform.

I think the boats will get some pink foam underneath for padding.

If anyone has suggestions or motivating comments, please chime in

And if anyone has ever car topped a Catfish mast, let me know how that turned out. Maybe we put that next to the Grumman canoe...

 

[L&VW]

Fenders are relatively inexpensive and can support a huge amount of weight. Perhaps advertise on nextdoor.com for used fenders?

Dollar Tree stores have swim noodles for $1 each. Tape a few together when more support is needed. Stuff a few into pillow cases?

 

[signal charlie]

Great ideas!

 

[norcalsail]

I'm looking forward to seeing the new yacht club!

 

[signal charlie]

Found some pink XPS foam that we'll use for padding, I have some under ZIP's keel and TRACKER's chine.Room for the Standard Sailfish and maybe another Sunfish below, studs are inset a little more this time. Then we'll load as much stuff from the Carriage House as we can without messing up the boats. Already loaded 3 sheet of marine grade plywood, not leaving that!

 

[CaptainLarry]

I guess there is no buying, borrowing, renting a 6 canoe hauler? Beams not comparable?

 

[signal charlie]

That canoe hauler, I don't know, for one thing the canoes are about half the weight of the Sunfish and it was a big pain to lift one Sunfish 4 feet. They make it look so easy in the advertisements. Sunfish are 4 feet on the beam, we've seen a lot of Sunfish trailers but not a double wide, that would be pushing the 8 1/2 feet width limit of most states. There are definitely a lot of possibilities and variations with multi rack trailers to haul many boats from our fleet, the most I have done is 3 at a time, a Sunfish, Super Sailfish and Super Sailfish MK II.

And for our move there is going to be a lot more in the Pod than just boats. For the cost of that trailer I can ship close to 2 PODS, and I don't have to do the driving and the return trip.

For those thinking U Haul it is harder to load boats than the Pod, especially trailers, and then I have to drive it and then fly back. They do carry a lot though.

 

[signal charlie]

Our 1950s Standard Sailfish WINNIE found her way into the Pod, along with her Dynamic Dolly. The tires will make good bumpers. Other advantages to the Pod is that everything is stored out of the weather, I don't have to go crazy on tiedowns (though I need to do better than last time) and the spars and sails can ride inside without being beat to death at highway speed for 15 hours.

Look close and you'll see an elusive set of XPS foam blocks, they came from the hurricane damaged boat that we salvaged. One of my projects down the road is to make a replacement set of blocks from the pink XPS foam, layer a few sheets together with epoxy? Then use the white blocks for patterns. In the meantime they'll make good padding.

ZIP and WINNIE will ride on cushions of pink foam this time, and ZIP is held aloft by a wood platform instead of poorly tied line. One tip when loading a Pod is to tie down the boats and other gear so they won't slide towards the door and jam the door from inside. We'll use the boats bow lines for that, WINNIE is lagging behind the program right now.

One more Sunfish to go bottom left, then maybe 2 kayaks suspended up top, load some boxes and other oversize items, and finish up with spars and sails.

70F here a few days ago although a front is blowing in and we'll drop into the 30s. Meanwhile at the soon to be new Casa...

When I started looking at the pile of marine grade lumber to move, I thought I'd rather move a boat. So our little punt is coming into shape, here I have the board stretcher out and we stretched the bow 5 inches after I miscut a little. We are building this boat to see if it will be seaworthy for a couple of kids or an adult and a half to mess about in, shoreline fun, then throw it in the back of a pickup. Easy to build. Minimum expenditure. She's become v0.1 of the BLUFF RATTY Class of boats, her commissioning name will be SCUPPERS, designation MCC-101, though she's been wrongfully called other things during the build by her Marine carpenter...

 

[signal charlie]

Here's an Alcort box Alan gave us years ago, we think that kit parts for the wooden Fish came in it. We use it to store parts we've collected for the wooden boats.

Pandemic put a strain on our food supply chain down here in NW Florida, Omaha Steaks delivery was one way of getting nice cuts of chicken and steak. And the shipping coolers came in handy to put around ZIP as padding.

PODS Security Team, highly professional.

One more fiberglass Sunfish to load, lower left, and maybe a few other soft, lightweight items. And if anyone is missing an old style rudder or crusty daggerboard, I think I have it...I sure did load a lot of them. Also if you're in the Tidewater VA area and need spars, hold on, they're coming.
Let's see, what else is visible in the photo...a Wilcox and Crittenden 10 pound Yachtsman anchor. Sunfish sail kit from Sailrite that Skipper hasn't sewn yet. AMF cubby cooler. AMF daggerboard box that Alan brought us, empty, though I notice on the bottom it says 2 daggerboards. Box full of broken boat bits from WAVE, PHOENIX and BARBASHELA. Bent trim from the salvaged Hurricane Sally boat named SALLY. SPare mats for the Outback. Spare tire for Skipper's garden cart. My cone. All essential must have items...I think I'll have to unload this PODS at night while no one is looking and hide everything fast.

 

[Seaotter5]

I guess there is no buying, borrowing, renting a 6 canoe hauler? Beams not comparable?

View attachment 43742

I have a similar 2 canoe trailer, and when I put two sunfish on it The load was more than 8 feet wide, awfully close to the legal limit, and wider than I feel comfortable with. Other than that, the trailer accommodates the boat pretty well, as long as it placed cockpit down, as the trailer “arms” on my trailer are adjustable. I used mine to bring my Sailfish from Boston to Harrisburg PA without any issues.