Chesapeake Bay Haul Out Season Continues at Dickerson Harbor Boatyard

Heavy lift time for our crew at the Dickerson Harbor Boatyard in Trappe MD. This is the time of year when boats all over the Chesapeake Bay are being hauled out and winterized for storage. This week we hauled out the 74 ft Pacific Mariner yacht “Good Graycious”. This 74,000 lb lift with a 17.3 ft beam put our crew and equipment to the test. It went great all the way into our covered storage,  http://oxfordyachtagency.com//boat-storage/indoor-boat-storage/, with no problems. For this big lift, we added brand new slings and fully inspected our travel lift. Having a lift in perfectly maintained condition and a hydraulic trailer, we were able to lift and move Good Graycious into our covered storage easily. For more information on our Winter Storage Tips for Grand Banks, Eastbay, and other high-quality yachts go here http://oxfordyachtagency.com//boat-storage/boat-winterization-tips/. Some quick tips on safety for your boat as it’s being hauled out:
  • Be sure the lift has some safety margin. A 75 Ton lift should not be lifting 75 tons unless in perfect shape and you are 100% sure it is maintained perfectly. We recommend at least a 15% safety margin
  • Slings are an obvious area to check when your boat is being hauled. If the slings look bad, they are. Go somewhere else to haul and store your boat.
  • Cables are the hidden high-failure rate component on travel lifts. Excessive chafe of cables caused by poor sheave alignment, mismatched diameters, or tangled drum winding are a problem on many travel lifts. It’s hard to inspect every inch of these so if the lift looks poorly maintained overall, so elsewhere.
  • Once your boat is hauled and blocked, inspect to see that it’s safe for the winter. Be sure there are no gaps on the blocks. If there are, have the yard re-block it. Make sure jack stands are tight and chained together. Check the boats around yours to be sure they won’t topple over onto yours when loaded up with snow or in a big blow.
We are almost full for the 2019/2020 winter storage season. Our covered storage will be 100% full this winter, so if you need a spot please call now (410) 822-8556!