Hull support

[dianamay]

Will railway sleepers be satisfactory for sitting the hull on whilst fitting out please? If so recommended spacing and will levelling on sand work. Thank you in anticipation

[lesanne]

I recommend you use well seasoned old ones.

New 'railway sleepers' from timber merchants can in some cases split after a while.

To be sure of the spacing, have a look round other boats in the yard and that will give you a good idea of where to place them.

Best to keep them away from any skin fittings and the areas that you want to work on.

Depending on the type of ground, sand may not be the best thing. A good deep layer of shingle would be better and wont wash away so readily.

Hope that helps.

[BEngo]

Railway sleepers, levelled on sand, are fine. Sit them about a quarter of the way in from each end.

 

If they turn out to be in the way a 15 Ton jack under the very point of the swim or the bow, if it is horizontal there, will lift the boat enough to re-position the sleepers nearest the jack.

Try to get the bow slightly higher than the stern, so that any rainwater flows in the usual direction.

N

[Neil Smith]

Railway sleepers will be fine with one each end and one in the middle.

 

Neil

[blackrose]

Surely the spacing depends to some extent on the length of the boat? On a 70ft boat if you put the sleepers a quarter of the way in from each end you will have an unsupported length of 35ft in the middle!

 

I was in a drydock once where a 25ft length of my boat was unsupported and it was fine, but personally i would want the boat supported about every 15ft.

Edited November 28, 2015 by blackrose

[NickF]

Is it a steel boat?

[blackrose]

Is it a steel boat?

Yes I think the OP needs to give us a bit more information about their boat.