Ratchet Straps..

[KemppiFrog]

There is a practical issue with lifting with ratchet straps and that is the reel/spool becomes full very quickly.

If you are lifting in a basket manner, you have to wind on 200mm strap to lift 100mm vertically.

Using the straps in pairs can help. Wind one up until full. Then secure with the other on minimum wraps and reset the first.

For any non-standard use of kit, the more redundancy you have the better, especially while the object is moving and you are close enough to it to be hurt.

Yes, I was working the advantage on the basis of only lifting a bit at a time, before the reels got too many turns and reduced the advantage.
Likely a combo of the straps and a good jack will get it up enough to slip the trailer under. And, two at each lift so not to tilt the boat by pulling up on one side only. As you say, double up to re-set the wraps.
On the safety angle, I have heaved bigger boats, our company ketch was 35 ton Used a marine railway for that.

 

[James1979]

There is a practical issue with lifting with ratchet straps and that is the reel/spool becomes full very quickly.

If you are lifting in a basket manner, you have to wind on 200mm strap to lift 100mm vertically.

Using the straps in pairs can help. Wind one up until full. Then secure with the other on minimum wraps and reset the first.

For any non-standard use of kit, the more redundancy you have the better, especially while the object is moving and you are close enough to it to be hurt.

Me and my mate did that to get a dead land rover on a trailer. One each side onto a front spring hanger. Just walked it up.

That was not a fun afternoon. But it worked.

Sometimes you’ve just got to use what’s to hand.

 

[Pete.]

Did I miss it or is this boat still in the water, if so there will be a lot of extra suction weight to overcome

There is no 'suction weight' for sitting in water. Only for mud/clay etc. In fact the lifting load is reduced for a floating vessel by the buoyant force which is equal to the weight of water it is displacing at that point in the lift.

 

[James1979]

There is no 'suction weight' for sitting in water. Only for mud/clay etc. In fact the lifting load is reduced for a floating vessel by the buoyant force which is equal to the weight of water it is displacing at that point in the lift.

That’s a big factor in recovery at sea. You have to factor what it’ll be once it’s out of the water.

Was on a job last month and a underwater turbine had gone walkies! We could only get it half out and slung it alongside for a slow precarious tip toe in until a big shoreside crane could relieve us of it.

 

[Dcal]

Who's turbine was that or is it all hush hush.

I spent years in the Falls of Warness installing and working on turbines.
Those were the days.

 

[James1979]

Who's turbine was that or is it all hush hush.

I spent years in the Falls of Warness installing and working on turbines.
Those were the days.

Bit of both. There’s a few off eday where you were. That’s where the new EMEC O2 thing is. There’s still the test site there though.

The one that got free was between scrabster and Hoy. I wouldn’t put who’s it was on here because firstly they’ll get grumpy and secondly I don’t actually know! My customer is the vessel owner. His customer was the turbine people who appointed a local project manager to oversee retrieving the thing!

 

[Screwdriver]

I once used a ratchet strap to help bend some ironwork. For the life of me can't remember what it was. With a big wide lorry strap, I reckon I was easily pulling a ton, possibly more. Wouldn't have been funny if the belt had snapped or slipped though.

It's all about leverage with the long ratchet handle compared to the pivot-strap distance at the reel. The more strap on the reel, the less leverage you get. My seat of the pants guesstimate is circa 10-20:1 for a biggish ratchet. The "big ones" are getting on for a foot long in my book, with an internal spindle say 1" dia or half inch radius.

That's why I assume a 20:1 ratio. So if you can pull with say 25kg at the lever, you'll generate half a tonne output. Seems low to me now I look at it. I would expect at least 1-2 tons pulling force. Maybe that's wrong

With the smaller say 4 inch long ratchets, you'll be relying on the strength of the mechanism and I wouldn't want to trust my luck with it. They can splay, twist and ping open if they're overstressed. If the ratchet "lets go", you could be in a world of pain.

 

[KemppiFrog]

On a handy one the handle was 190mm and the radius of the 'pulley'13mm, so about 14:1, that reduces with a few wraps, so I was thinking 10:1 ish.
The ones in question are 5 ton, so the mechanism should at least be good for that before it breaks/distorts. I am only looking to lift 500kg each. In fact, if using four, then only 250kg...
Any way, I will keep y'all informed, that is, if you don't read about in the papers

 

[premmington]

I have when desparate winched a vehicle onto a recovery truck with a broken winch - with two ratchet straps.

Few inches with one strap then tension the other one winch it a few inches then swap over - release retension the other - slow job but it can be done.

This method makes a tirfor look quick - but all recover trucks have wheel ratchet straps.

 

[fizzy]

Get a Tirfor - I love them!

 

[Migmac]

Get a Tirfor - I love them!

Used them a lot over the years. Really handy bit of kit. My new toy will be a bit better though, portable battery operated capstan winch

 

[James1979]

Used them a lot over the years. Really handy bit of kit. My new toy will be a bit better though, portable battery operated capstan winch

Have you seen those ones that work off a chainsaw? Lewis I think is the company. Canadian.

Seen them for sale and demo but never actually used one.

 

[fizzy]

Used them a lot over the years. Really handy bit of kit. My new toy will be a bit better though, portable battery operated capstan winch

I bet it won't lift 3.5 tons vertically though will it? Or work underwater. Still it will be far less work.
Best capstan winch I had was on my 110 V8. 155bhp

 

[Migmac]

I bet it won't lift 3.5 tons vertically though will it? Or work underwater. Still it will be far less work.
Best capstan winch I had was on my 110 V8. 155bhp

Being in Argyll, it will be worked in almost under water conditions. Not sure of its spec, still waiting on it coming

 

[Migmac]

Have you seen those ones that work off a chainsaw? Lewis I think is the company. Canadian.

Seen them for sale and demo but never actually used one.

I have, another handy bit of kit. The petrol capstan winches we have suffer from carb issues, hence me getting a battery one

 

[fizzy]

Used them a lot over the years. Really handy bit of kit. My new toy will be a bit better though, portable battery operated capstan winch

Have you got a link?
My brother always says a Tirfor would be great for stealing things - they move so slowly nobody would notice they are going missing
I once dragged a 20' shipping container full of tools and equipment sideways up a very steep slope. Using greased railway sleepers for it to slide on. Fortunately there was a very big oak tree to anchor off.

 

[Migmac]

Have you got a link?
My brother always says a Tirfor would be great for stealing things - they move so slowly nobody would notice they are going missing
I once dragged a 20' shipping container full of tools and equipment sideways up a very steep slope. Using greased railway sleepers for it to slide on. Fortunately there was a very big oak tree to anchor off.

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This isn’t the winch I’m getting, similar though. When I get it I’ll do a quick video

 

[KemppiFrog]

So, last wed we heaved her up and shoved the trailer under, then home for a bit of fettling. In the end, I found we had enough ratchet winches, along with my chain hoist, so the straps were just for lifting, not winching.
Here:

Just realized the lifting shots wezre on an e-mail, will dig them out So the shot above is how she has been parked for several years....

 

[KemppiFrog]

Had a look and found one from a helper..

The cross tubes are 80x40 and the supports are 'akros' with welded on feet. One longitudinal of a metre and a bit sticking out of half that, with braces. Couple of tubes clamped on top to hold the two frames together. One person on each corner on the winches. No drama, just gently clicked her up,the 40cm to get the trailer under. The bow chock had to be removed as we were entering from the rear (no sniggering!) and that is it being refitted. One of the posts was heaved out to allow us to turn the boat and tow her away. Thought it was just us four, but three more fromthe local 'old rigs' sailing mob turned up, so no shortage of hands(or conversation..)
KF

 

[Agrismith]

I once used a ratchet strap to help bend some ironwork. For the life of me can't remember what it was. With a big wide lorry strap, I reckon I was easily pulling a ton, possibly more. Wouldn't have been funny if the belt had snapped or slipped though.

It's all about leverage with the long ratchet handle compared to the pivot-strap distance at the reel. The more strap on the reel, the less leverage you get. My seat of the pants guesstimate is circa 10-20:1 for a biggish ratchet. The "big ones" are getting on for a foot long in my book, with an internal spindle say 1" dia or half inch radius.

That's why I assume a 20:1 ratio. So if you can pull with say 25kg at the lever, you'll generate half a tonne output. Seems low to me now I look at it. I would expect at least 1-2 tons pulling force. Maybe that's wrong

With the smaller say 4 inch long ratchets, you'll be relying on the strength of the mechanism and I wouldn't want to trust my luck with it. They can splay, twist and ping open if they're overstressed. If the ratchet "lets go", you could be in a world of pain.

You can get a lot more pull than that.
I pulled a steel framed barn square with a pair of ratchets the other day
Stuck a 6 ft steel bar in the handle for leverage and hung 15st off it.
Had to use a crow bar toget it undone and made one hell off a bang when the tension was released. But held it quite happily