Help, Boat Crane Load?!...

J@mes · 08 April 2014, 22:40

Hi there,

First of all hope this forum is the right one, if not sorry!

Our Spanish apartment block has a boat crane which is about 20 years old. It looks very strong and I would guess it could safely lift 1 ton easy but that is a guess! As it goes the hook on the end of the wire cable says 2 ton max on it, but of course that does not mean the other components can take that load.

Anyway, when I was last over I used my large step ladder to look closer at the motor and gear box on it, wondering if there was any grease nipples I could see as the crane has not been greased/serviced for a couple of years now and I seem to be the only person who really uses it nowadays and that is not often at all!! I did find one grease nipple on the gear box, wonder if I should put some grease in it?!

I would love to know what maximum weight the crane can work at, I cant find any plaques on it which is obviously very annoying but I have taken some pictures of the plaques on the motor and gear box and have also attached 2 pictures of the crane in question.

Can anyone tell by looking at them roughly what sort of weight the crane can manage? My current rib is about 275kg which is definitely well within it's limits and I am not worried about it whatsoever, however I plan to upgrade to a slightly bigger rib next summer and I guess I may well be around the 400kg + mark.

Thanks for your help.

James

Silverfox · 08 April 2014, 23:08

I have no idea on the crane question, sorry - but where is Spain is that. Looks lovely?

spartacus · 08 April 2014, 23:41

I'd have thought you'd want to get an engineer to have a look at it and get it serviced before you start increasing loads. The integrity of the cable and safety side in terms of gearbox would be my main concern.

Barrowboy · 09 April 2014, 00:47

As someone who spends my working life in offshore construction projects and many hours ensuring compliance with LOLER and a multitude of related H&S regulations your post made me smile.

Methinks the 'community' that manages the property and crane should be able to produce a certificate confirming the date of the last inspection of the crane's structure, it's sheaves, wire and associated rigging. You may even be so bold as to enquire when it was last load-tested and ask to see the certificated results? All the answers to your questions should then be answered.

But then again, as you said, it's Spain

J@mes · 09 April 2014, 23:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by Silverfox

I have no idea on the crane question, sorry - but where is Spain is that. Looks lovely?

Thanks, its Mallorca in the Balearic Islands!

Quote:

Originally Posted by spartacus

I'd have thought you'd want to get an engineer to have a look at it and get it serviced before you start increasing loads. The integrity of the cable and safety side in terms of gearbox would be my main concern.

I do agree, so I need to either learn Spanish or ask a friend to help!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Barrowboy

As someone who spends my working life in offshore construction projects and many hours ensuring compliance with LOLER and a multitude of related H&S regulations your post made me smile.

Methinks the 'community' that manages the property and crane should be able to produce a certificate confirming the date of the last inspection of the crane's structure, it's sheaves, wire and associated rigging. You may even be so bold as to enquire when it was last load-tested and ask to see the certificated results? All the answers to your questions should then be answered.

But then again, as you said, it's Spain

Yeah I can imagine you laughed! lol. I am somewhat glad you appreciate what Spain is like; in a nut shell our community is a joke!! No one cares or is willing to pay out for certain jobs, when you complain nothing happens etc etc and in many peoples eyes the crane is well at the bottom of the list! A perfect example is we had a substantial leak into our boat garage from a communal pipe for 3 years and it was only fixed a few months ago after I screamed and shouted. I asked a couple of weeks ago when they were planning on painting all the GREEN/BROWN walls inside my boat garage and mañana mañana is basically the reply! So I went to a DIY store and spent a day doing it all myself! Maybe I should go get an engineering degree for the crane?!

From what you say you sound experienced in this kind of thing, have you seen many boat cranes? If so, purely out of "interest" would you like to hazard a guess of the cranes capabilities?

Barrowboy · 10 April 2014, 00:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by J@mes

From what you say you sound experienced in this kind of thing, have you seen many boat cranes? If so, purely out of "interest" would you like to hazard a guess of the cranes capabilities?

Nope. Absolutely not. Without certification, it might just as well be a chocolate fireguard to be honest and I certainly wouldn't entrust anything I valued to it's 'capabilities', or those of any operator who was foolhardy enough to operate it without said documents.

Neither would I wish to be stood within 25 metres of it when it was under load.

Failed welds, corroded sheaves and/or pins, kinked wire, broken strands in the hoist wire, etc, etc. are all possible defects that can more than ruin your day...

J@mes · 10 April 2014, 12:29

Good point!! Thinking about it I know a couple of brothers out there, who are both marine mechanics and speak the lingo, so may be worth speaking to them for help! Will definitely have to do something before going out and upgrading boat that's for sure!

Trailer Guy · 10 April 2014, 12:54

Agree with Barrowboy - prob best left to someone who knows what they're up to!

The picture of plate only refers to the gearbox, I think? Something like, "this gearbox is fitted with...", along with gearing ratio and input/outputs etc, so not pertaining to weight capacities.

Think you've made the right decision there... hate to see you being interviewed by Angela Rippon, in a Spanish A&E...

"well, what happened was..."

SeaSkills · 10 April 2014, 13:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by J@mes

Hi there,

I seem to be the only person who really uses it nowadays and that is not often at all!!

James

Rather you than me James. I wouldn't consider using it until it had been load tested and certified. We have more than 40 boat cranes in the fleet here, and the routine for their ongoing inspection and certification is pretty onerous (daily user inspection and expert "Thorough Examination" every six months) but at least we have the confidence that comes from knowing that an expert regularly telling us that they are still safe to use

J@mes · 10 April 2014, 20:35

Yeah I know what your saying! I do know it was last serviced 2 years ago this summer, and unfortunately the guy who organised it has now sold up and left so I cant even approach him to ask who did it!

I will have to ask my ex-pat friends who are marine mechanics for help I think! Hopefully they can recommend a company to help!