Winter storage/blocking question Ocean 55

look in your owner manual . I have a 38 SS and t is very specific about blocking locations . I don't know about the 55' but the 38 has a foam filled keel and it is easily damaged .

and put 3' 6x6" blocks under your rub rail a little bit where the front slings go. On a 1987 63' Ocean SF that I managed, if we didn't it would crack and pop all of the varnish on the toe rail for 6' on each side because the hull would flex inward so much.

Hi Jet

I have attached the blocking instructions that I got from ocean a few years ago when I had the same question for my 1989 38 ft. This drawing is for a 42, but I see the instructions go for a range of larger sizes.

hope this info is helpful

Take some photos of how it's presently blocked and replicate that at your new yard?

Hey Trinimax , Thanks for the Drawing! That's hard to come by. I have an 81' 42' sunliner. I just printed it out and will put it on my boat.

You want to typically have blocks on the fwd and aft engine room bulkheads, the transom corners on stands, and a few bulkheads or transverse frames ahead of the engine room bulkhead. A couple of stands fwd in chines that are supported by bulkheads.
The worst thing you can do is to put blocks or stands in between bulkheads or transverse frames, as you are pushing up on an unsupported panel.
The travel lift slings should be wider then the beam of the boat so you do not pinch the sheer/rubrail or pop out a port light. You may have to put blocks where the slings meet the chine and the sheer/rub rail to avoid this squeeze. This is an issue with boats that have relatively narrow chine beams versus their rub rail beam or have a a lot of flair.

I leave my 60,000 lbs in the water year around for all the reasons above. IMO, I don't care how well you block a heavier boat, there will be distortion. These things were designed to ride on their whole bottoms, not just points. BTW, if the travel lift doesn't have the width and the slings must be blocked outward, you're at the wrong yard. They used to do that for extruded wood chines, but not much any more. If the boat doesn't fit comfortably in the slings you risk "squeezing" it and causing compression damage. The bottoms may be full glass but most modern hulls are cored. And don't rely on that cored deck for lateral strength either.

I also find that being in the water, moderates the daily temperature change on the inside. Freezing at night, warm sun during the day. During the coldest months I use my engine heaters and can maintain 50+ in the engine room, that warmth weeps up to the living areas.

Ahh...I do miss the good old marine rail way...Johnson Brothers in Bay Head N.J. had around four or five until the 1980s..that's the way to haul a boat. But a big deal to slide the boat off the rail car via wood blocks all greased up and set boat onto a cradle or wood stands if you planned to stay out for a bit. The big railway supported the keel at many locations and did not put the "squeeze" on you hull and rub rail like slings do.
Also many a boat over the years has been dropped by the sling type lift .
My yard dropped a 42' footer just after they put MY 42' footer in a day or two before !....one of the slings broke due to weathered/stress/old age. They looked ok , not frayed or ripped up, but just lost their strength.

Not sure of the not sure how long slings need to be changed out to keep up there ratings, but it always makes me nervous.

Second that, block heaters are a Detroit Diesel’s best friend!

That drawing may not be applicable to your boat? Dunno