Boat arch

Good evening fellow TFers and happy new year to you all, may you be happy, healthy and wealthy.
My boat has a fix arch that makes its air draft about 14 feet. Add to this its draft of about 3 feet and total height is about 17 feet what does not allow me to move it by road (bridge, power lines etc).
Discussing with my wife I was telling her that it would be nice to be able to move the boat to our house in spring so to have it nearby to be able to work on it every day or evening without having to drive 30min to the marina.
So I started to think about cutting the arch and make it foldable. The arch is supporting the radar, anchor light, radar reflector, one vhf antenna, one gps receiver, and the wifi booster antenna so 5 cable.

So here my question: cutting the arch to make it foldable, good or bad idea?

L

Radar cables are usually long so - 10m is normally the shortest so you may have a coil somewhere. GPS could be replaced with a new one if not long enough. Wifi boost is probably an ether net cable so not difficult.

The hinges will almost certainly need to be custom made. And not cheap. Unless you know someone to do it as a favor, would not be surprised if they are over a couple grand by the time they're done and polished.

But it's doable. Would be cool to have the boat in your backyard. Also being truckable would expand your resale market if the boat is not planned on being your coffin, which is my plan.

Keep us posted. Intriguing project.

Peter

mvweebles said:

Radar cables are usually long so - 10m is normally the shortest so you may have a coil somewhere. GPS could be replaced with a new one if not long enough. Wifi boost is probably an ether net cable so not difficult.

The hinges will almost certainly need to be custom made. And not cheap. Unless you know someone to do it as a favor, would not be surprised if they are over a couple grand by the time they're done and polished.

But it's doable. Would be cool to have the boat in your backyard. Also being truckable would expand your resale market if the boat is not planned on being your coffin, which is my plan.

Keep us posted. Intriguing project.

Peter

Click to expand...

It is my plan too but would be nice to be able to move the coffin before being buried

L

The hull door on my Willard 36 swung outboard. Huge nuisance as it would always catch on a floating dock. Hinges were separable so it would lift the door off and put it at risk of floating away. Plus, being out-swing, was a safety risk if anyone leaned against it. So as part of my refit, I had it converted to an in swing which was deceptively complicate at the angle on the opening side of door needed to be reversed.

Where am I going with this? Hinges were pretty expensive to have fabricated, even in Mexico. Over $500 for polished stainless.

Good luck. Good plan on selling coffin before you're buried.

Peter

The arch on the boat in my avatar was hinged. The hinges were custom made stainless. The arch itself was reinforced on the inside where the hinges attach. We also installed 12 vdc linear actuators that would fold - unfold the arch with a switch on the helm.

I’ve been able to cobble most of my boat hardware together from home-made or production hardware meant for something else, including polished 316 SS hinges. Show us a photo of where you would would like to hinge the arch and maybe we’ll have a decent reference of an existing product.

An application such as yours shouldn’t require a constant usage bearing surface or an expensive high-wear product. A heavily built but simple bolt or pin & loop device made of 316 SS should do the job. SS Semi-trailer door, refer door or gate hinges might make a decent alternative.

The arch on my North Pacific 39 was hinged for folding. Maybe contact Trevor Brice at North Pacific Yachts.

https://northpacificyachts.com/contact

Rob

Ka_sea_ta said:

The arch on the boat in my avatar was hinged. The hinges were custom made stainless. The arch itself was reinforced on the inside where the hinges attach. We also installed 12 vdc linear actuators that would fold - unfold the arch with a switch on the helm.

Click to expand...

I was thinking about 12v actuators too if I can fit them.

L

healhustler said:

I’ve been able to cobble most of my boat hardware together from home-made or production hardware meant for something else, including polished 316 SS hinges. Show us a photo of where you would would like to hinge the arch and maybe we’ll have a decent reference of an existing product.

An application such as yours shouldn’t require a constant usage bearing surface or an expensive high-wear product. A heavily built but simple bolt or pin & loop device made of 316 SS should do the job. SS Semi-trailer door, refer door or gate hinges might make a decent alternative.

Click to expand...

Will post a photo along with a drawing of what I think would be my plan tomorrow.

?

My boat stores in a barn 1 mile down the road from our house so access is easy. Have you thought about instead of hinging the arch maybe modify the mounts so that you can just unbolt the arch. Maybe have a pin or bolt sticking through the arch from where it mounts on the boat. The pin could be used as a pivot point to let the arch lay down. Then just unbolt the arch and let it rotate down and up as needed. No custom made hinges needed this way. Maybe all off the shelf parts would do it.

Comodave said:

My boat stores in a barn 1 mile down the road from our house so access is easy. Have you thought about instead of hinging the arch maybe modify the mounts so that you can just unbolt the arch. Maybe have a pin or bolt sticking through the arch from where it mounts on the boat. The pin could be used as a pivot point to let the arch lay down. Then just unbolt the arch and let it rotate down and up as needed. No custom made hinges needed this way. Maybe all off the shelf parts would do it.

Click to expand...

Good idea did not think about that, it may be a good option knowing that I won't lower it often.

L

My mast is hinged at its bases, but best raised and lowered with a crane.

Lou_tribal said:

Good idea did not think about that, it may be a good option knowing that I won't lower it often.

L

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It may be an easier method to do as a refit. From new the hinges would be the most elegant solution but now it will be very costly to manufacture a custom hinge.

Here is a picture of the boat showing the arch:



And here is a drawing of what is my intent, sorry it is not at scale but at least it shows the idea.



L

A pin setup to pivot on would likely work. Or, if you leave enough slack in the cables or can add a way to disconnect them at the base of the arch, you could detach it entirely, lay it down on the deck behind where it mounts (or against the rails) and strap it down.

Our boat (in the avatar) has a hinged arch - it will hinge both forward and backward - really cool hinge setup. But with our bimini and enclosure attached to the arch, along with electronics, we have never 'hinged' it either way. That sucker will be heavy also.

Comodave said:

My boat stores in a barn 1 mile down the road from our house so access is easy. Have you thought about instead of hinging the arch maybe modify the mounts so that you can just unbolt the arch. Maybe have a pin or bolt sticking through the arch from where it mounts on the boat. The pin could be used as a pivot point to let the arch lay down. Then just unbolt the arch and let it rotate down and up as needed. No custom made hinges needed this way. Maybe all off the shelf parts would do it.

Click to expand...

This is exactly what we did with our past boat for moving it to our home and back twice a year - worked out great and was fairly easy to do.

I would do it in a heartbeat

However, I am a retired mechanical design engineer skilled in the fabrication of all sorts of hardware using a wide range of materials. It all depends on your design ability and skills. The possibility of my ever owning a boat with a flying bridge is remote. I simply do niot like them.

Moby Nick said:

However, I am a retired mechanical design engineer skilled in the fabrication of all sorts of hardware using a wide range of materials. It all depends on your design ability and skills. The possibility of my ever owning a boat with a flying bridge is remote. I simply do niot like them.

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To each his own.

smitty477 said:

This is exactly what we did with our past boat for moving it to our home and back twice a year - worked out great and was fairly easy to do.

Click to expand...

I like your trailer, do you store your boat on the trailer?
May I ask what is a price envelope for a trailer?

L

Might it be simpler to just remove the arch and put the accessories on a mast the could just be unbolted from the deck ?

Hinged arches are not unusual at all. We had one converted a couple of years ago by Pipewelders in Fort Lauderdale. Unfortunately, I don't know anyone in your area but anyone you find who does towers or arches should have the expertise to do it.

The Helmsman's also have a folding arch as one option.

The linked promo clip has some shots. None too close but you might get the drift and an idea or two. This design can be folded forward or aft.

Lou_tribal said:

I like your trailer, do you store your boat on the trailer?
May I ask what is a price envelope for a trailer?

L

Click to expand...

Ah - the trailer was 'borrowed' and only used to move the boat back and forth. The boat was blocked at our house after I pulled it home. The picture is about 15 years old now and memory not perfect but the trailer was a hydraulic one with sliding keel braces. The hardest part was finding a nearby boat ramp that was suitable for the boat and the route home without limiting height.

FWT said:

The Helmsman's also have a folding arch as one option.

The linked promo clip has some shots. None too close but you might get the drift and an idea or two. This design can be folded forward or aft.

Click to expand...

Thank you very much. Apparently the hinges are about mid height and hinges plates are placed between the two parts.

L

smitty477 said:

Ah - the trailer was 'borrowed' and only used to move the boat back and forth. The boat was blocked at our house after I pulled it home. The picture is about 15 years old now and memory not perfect but the trailer was a hydraulic one with sliding keel braces. The hardest part was finding a nearby boat ramp that was suitable for the boat and the route home without limiting height.

Click to expand...

I was thinking about getting a trailer and store the boat on the trailer, no hassle to block the boat.

L

Hinge Arch

Lou,
I've got the same issue - too tall radar arch. I'll be moving my boat from Florida to Vermont and would rather take the Champlain Canal than go around
via the Erie Canal, St. Lawrence and come in to Lake Champlain from the North. Besides, there may be some instances that I would want to go to NY City etc..

My arch is similar to yours, fiberglass/oval. While I've looked at several hinged arch's from the dock, I haven't been able to really study them.

- How does the hinge attach to the arch? There must be some support on the inside of the hinge to attach to the arch - that's the part I haven't figured out.

I'm 20' from the water line to the top of my radar - I'd like to have the hinge as close as possible to the base.

Any TF members that have done this or know how to connect the hinge to the fiberglass arch?
Thank you,
Gregg

Greggnvt said:

Lou,
I've got the same issue - too tall radar arch. I'll be moving my boat from Florida to Vermont and would rather take the Champlain Canal than go around
via the Erie Canal, St. Lawrence and come in to Lake Champlain from the North. Besides, there may be some instances that I would want to go to NY City etc..

My arch is similar to yours, fiberglass/oval. While I've looked at several hinged arch's from the dock, I haven't been able to really study them.

- How does the hinge attach to the arch? There must be some support on the inside of the hinge to attach to the arch - that's the part I haven't figured out.

I'm 20' from the water line to the top of my radar - I'd like to have the hinge as close as possible to the base.

Any TF members that have done this or know how to connect the hinge to the fiberglass arch?
Thank you,
Gregg

Click to expand...

My first guess would be that if the arch is made of fiberglass only there should be a backplate inside the arch through which the bolt are going. My arch is made of plywood and fiberglass over it so quite thick (I would say 1" thick) so not sure a backplate is required but it would be a good reinforcement anyway.

For now the biggest stainless hinges I found are 3" by 6" (so each plate 3x3), but no info about how much weight they can carry.

L

Does anyone have any idea how much one of these arches weigh??I would also like to go down the western portion of the Erie Canal and think I am about a foot too high. I would even consider taking it off for the transit and then replacing it. Need also need to investigate how many spots on the Erie Canal require the 15’6’’ clearance. Attached is a picture of the boat. Think the arch is kind of common. So, anyone have idea to its weight??

Hinge Arch

Lou,
My arch is, I guessing, all fiberglass. I'm sure there is wood that's been covered in fiberglass but it's still a oval/hollow arch. I've drilled in my arch to place antenna mounts, speakers etc and while those have all been in the upper part of the arch, the fiberglass is not that thick.

It almost seems that the inside of the arch would need to be built up with wood/fiberglass so the hinges screws would have something to bite into.

The SS hinges I've seen seem to be at least 1/4" per hinge thick. This is also an issue as my upper helm is enclosed, so I would need to take off 1/2" of arch or reposition my side curtains as my bimini canvas top is attached to the top of the arch and the side of the upper helm.

Maybe I should just get a canoe.....