I am interested in a source or plans for foam cradles. I am talking about the things you stick under the back of your boat to keep the sterns from hitting the ground, not trailer or dolly cradles. They usually are attached with shock cord over the top of the hull.

I couldn't find anything in the store. Mine are held together by electrical tape and are falling apart.

Geoff,

Try the colored floaty things with a hole in the middle from Walmart. I've seen a lot of teams use these on their boats. Cut them to size and they are very inexpensive. Congrats on the A cat!

Bob

Go to www.tcdyc.com. Register for the site and PM member Tomko. His first name is John. He made me mine for $112 with shipping. Uses high density foam.

Doug Snell
Hobie 17

Here is a picture. Be sure to read the caption!
Glenn Brown captures the essence of Cradles

GARY

Noodles!!

Yeah - Tomko makes some nice ones.

Geoff
Is this for an Acat?

If its for an Acat then I recommend you get some epoxy and fiberglass and pink stiff foam from Home depot.

Lay some plastic or 3 or so sheets of way paper on your hulls, add epoxy and fiberglass, let harden. This gives you a nice copy of the hull for your cradle.

Glue up a 3 sheets cut to 12x12 of the pink insulation with a hot glue gun. Cut out the hull shape, it doesnt have to be perfect. Epoxy in your cradles (the ones you made off your hulls ), finish the sides with fiberglass and epoxy, sand and paint same color as your boat.

Air filled monohull fenders work good too.

My cradles are attached, work in progress, not finished. It gives you an idea of what I'm talking about.

Bill

Also note that if you first put carpet (face down) on the hull and then lay your fiberglass and resin on top of that, your cradles will already be carpeted and perfectly fitted to the hull.

And if it is not for an A-cat ?


Wouter

It is an A-class (Boyer Mk IV). I have PMed tomko at TCDY. Thanks. (The home-brewed fiberglass build looks too advanced for my fabrication skills.)

Post deleted by bvining

Wouter,
The reason I said "if its an A cat" is that Bob congratulated Geoff on a new A cat, so I wasnt sure if he was building cradles for the new boat or some old beater. My advice on cradles for an older boat would be different.

The second reason I said "if its an A cat" is that from what I see, most A cats are treated like antique violins, custom covers, custom this, custom that and everything just so. I'd give the same advice to the owner of a new F16, F18, Tornado, etc.

Making custom foam cradles for a 10 year old beater would be overkill.

That was my point.

Bill

Bill:

I don't know. My 20 year old rebuilt beater looks pretty damm GOOD now and I got Tomko to make me some. If you go to all the work to make an old boat look new, why not keep it that way, Those who want to see the progress of this old beater send me an email.

Doug Snell
dsnell4 at houston dot rr dot com
Hobie 17
Soon be be Mystere 4.3
www.tcdyc.com

[color:"blue"]How to make hull cushions:[/color]

You can get some foam Noodles at toys r us or some such place for about $3 each. You may need 4. Get some pvc tube from Home Depot. Hopefully you have some line (maybe around 1/8 inch) around that is not useful for anytbing anymore. about 2 feet of bungee and a couple of plastic hooks. Cut the Noodles to about 1 1/2 feet in length or whatever gets a nice number out of them. You will need 5 to five pieces for each side. Insert the same length pvc into each noodle. Measure line that will be 2 times the length of each tube times the number of tubes and add 2. For example if you are using 6 tubes that are 1 1/2 feet that will be 6 times 2 times 1 1/2 feet plus 1 1/2 doubled. 12 X 1 1/2 = 18 + 3 = 21 feet add a bit to be able to tie it.

You will start with the first tuberun the line through it twice so the tube it trapped and the line ends come out of opposite ends of the tube. Center this all up. Then one by one put each Noodle on. Each end of each line will go opposite ways through the next noodle until you get them all strung. Tie a square knot when finished.

Now you have a rectangle of foam noodles tied together that have a line on the outside of only the outside noodles. Tie the bugee to one, the install the hook to the opposite end of the bungee. You will hook it around the transom of your boat to the line on the other side.

I have been using this kind of stern padding for a long time and really like them. They will be about $15 to put together.

Later,
Dan

I like this setup. I will also fit to any hull as it will form itself to its shape. Cool !

Thanks

Wouter