Marina wrote:I'd just be worried from a safety aspect, what with the need to position yourself under the amas for doing up the amas bolts. If the rig gave way, with 600lbs swinging down on you, you wouldnt stand much of a chance... Cheers, Harvey.
My thought is that regardless of what system I used I would have a couple of 2X4 wooden supports, ground to ama with boat positioned on trailer, in place prior to getting under amas before installing braces.
Marina wrote:Yes pat, that would seem sensible. Are you planning on constructing yours before launching, or are you getting a team together to haul them up?
Pat
I will construct them myself. I'll need to do it before I launch, I still need to paint the hulls, bottom job.
Marina wrote:Hi Lou. Great to be able to speak to someone who has actualy constructed one of these rigs. In the article it describes the triangular amas raising rig as being made of aluminium, which to me sounds very flimsy for raising a 600lbs weight. You have constructed yours from steel, yes? Im not familiar with the product you have used. Is it a box section/tubular steel? If so, what size? Is it built in sections for compact transportation or are the steels full length? Do you not have another stabilizing arm going back from the rig lower down to the trailer? If not, how stable does it seem. I'd just be worried from a safety aspect, what with the need to position yourself under the amas for doing up the amas bolts. If the rig gave way, with 600lbs swinging down on you, you wouldnt stand much of a chance... Cheers, Harvey.
Now that all of our snow is gone, I can get to the boat again. I will try to lay out the ama system I made, measure it and take a couple of photos. Unistrut is an industrial fabrication system used to construct frames for all kinds of applications like storage systems, racking systems. It consists of a spring nut that goes in a track and is locked by its design so you don't need a wrench on the other side. I think unistrut is a brand name. The steel is a 2.5" square extrusion with a slot in one side where the fasteners slide up and down to make adjustments. Here in the states you can get lengths and the fasteners at any good steel scrap yard. I may have a video of it working. I'll look as soon as I have a moment. Is there anyone that I can send my videos to (vhs) who can digitize them? I have no idea how to do it and don't have a VHS player anymore. Is there a service that does this.
if you are still folowing this topic, raising and lowering the amas is a s!d unless you have two strong persons lifting and another inserting bolts etc. Or buy /make a simple engine crane that you lash to cleat. I have towed mine, no problems. getting the mast up is more intresting!
john
I just joined yesterday. Am a long time owner of an 8M that has unfortunately been neglected for the past 8 years and I am now in the process of resurrecting it. In 25 + years of ownership I have to confess that I have not lowered the amas, but made a rig which I used to lower the mast. If I can find it I will post more info.
Joe Suidzinski also a long time owner had a clever method of raising the amas which I now cannot remember in detail. But, I think I still have a collection of the old Newsletters and if I can find them and the article will post it here. What I think remember correctly is his clever support for the amas which consisted of two rectangular pieces of thick plywood. The long dimension was the distance from ground to ama and the short dimension about 12" or maybe more. Cut into each board was a notch just slightly wider as the board thickness in the middle of the 12" side to half the length of the board. Sliding the two notches together created an X shaped cross section assembly which is inherently very sturdy in compression. The advantages of this idea are: inexpensive, easy assembly, and low volume storage.
Welcome, good to meet a long time owner. Joe S. sent me a VHS tape showing the method he uses now to raise the amas. He uses a reinforced aluminum ladder with a trailer boat winch mounted on the top to crank it up. I intend to use his method but add a 12V winch motor to either the ladder or the trailer to raise and lower them and the mast. I will make some drawings showing the setup he uses. Where are you sailing out of when your boat is up and what is your hull number?
If I remember correctly Joe's technique worked very well for him and the addition of a 12 V winch should make it even easier. Good luck.
Earlier today I did find my rig for lowering the mast which is presently a tangle of cables. To figure out how I used it - it has been 10 years - I will need to take it to my boat. I should have an answer soon.
I will PM you with the boat details
Cheers
Geoffrey
Edit: Whoops, my Telstar is an 8T. I have changed my signature accordingly