Robb's Ensign Lifting Ring

Post by **Tim** » Wed Sep 01, 2004 7:11 am

(This post copied from another thread)

robbh wrote:I sent you the pictures of the ring used to lift the boat. Would you trust it? The reason I ask is that I found out that i have a friend that has a shop with 25 foot ceilings, and a 4ton engine lift hanging from it. He will be out of town for a while serving in a place I will be sooner than later.....=(. In the mean time I have full access to his shop, welder, and tools. Would you trust that ring to lift the baot, or should I fashion a frame and some straps? Just figurted I would shoot it past you, and see what you guys think. This seems like a likely solution to something I have been struggling with. I only need the silly thing to last long enough to lift it, pull the trailor out, set it on stands, and then reverse the process when the time comes. O'ell, just something I figured I would shoot past you. Thanks again.

Here is the photo of the lifting ring:

Post by **Tim** » Wed Sep 01, 2004 7:18 am

That ring isn't exactly confidence-inspiring, but it might be a lot stronger than it looks. I would chip away the surface corrosion and see what remains. If it seems relatively solid at that point, if it were me, I would consider hooking the lift up to the ring and tentatively lifting to see what happens. I expect that the ring would begin to deform before actually failing, if indeed it were to fail.

But I'd have to see it in person and judge for myself. Since I can't do that, and it's your boat, I guess you need to decide what you're comfortable with. There is no way to guarantee the strength (or refute it) of that ring before using it, so if it seems too dicey, just build the frame and straps.

As you said, you don't need to lift the boat for long. You also don't have to lift it far (only a few inches), and could probably help support the boat even while lifting with some external jackstands and blocking as you move the trailer, just in case anything happened. I wouldn't choose to have the boat blithely hanging by that ring in midair without having some means of supplemental support.

Good luck, whatever you do! Take pictures!

Post by **dasein668** » Wed Sep 01, 2004 8:50 am

For what its worth, I have a friend who took his Ensign off a trailer and got stands and blocking under it just using a couple of bottle jacks. I don't know the exact details of how it was accomplished, and I don't know if your trailer is such that it could be done easily, but it is something to consider. The boat isn't that heavy, after all.

Onrust1368 · Post by **Onrust1368** » Mon Apr 28, 2008 11:27 am

reviving an old thread - but...
in case anyone is looking at this -
this ring is what was used to put the lead in the bottom of the boat -
it should never be used to lift the boat -
no matter what condition it appears to be in -
Pearson would have done everyone a favor if they had removed the ring after the boats were finished, would have saved a fair amount of grief over the years...

bcooke · Post by **bcooke** » Mon Apr 28, 2008 11:45 am

4 year old dredge... nice!

Rachel · Post by **Rachel** » Mon Apr 28, 2008 12:33 pm

So, is that the "raw" top of the ballast we can see? That is, it's not glassed and tabbed over, like in the Ariels and Tritons...?

R.

Onrust1368 · Post by **Onrust1368** » Mon Apr 28, 2008 1:42 pm

yes, that's the raw top of the lead -
some owners have glassed it over -
but most boats look more-or-less like the photo -