Diving the 1715 Fleet in 2019?

This saddens me, I lived on the Conquistador for two years when I first moved to Florida. She's been through a few hands since then, but I have lots of great memories on her. I'm glad there were no injuries and that I still have all the friends I made via that boat.
 

This is me on the stern of the Conq getting ready to dive. I rebuilt the port engine after Jason accidentally got water down the carb and bent a rod.

DCP01051.JPG
 

Well....I was just reading about all this before work yesterday. Went to the marina to work on our own boat. Just finished up on the port shaft and headed over to my wood shop for some friday afternoon beers. All of a sudden over the radio I hear my wife shouting at me. She never comes to the shop unless it's an emergency. She says you need to go back to the marina....your boat has fallen off the Jack stands !!! What a disaster...the mechanic almost died but was able to jump off the ladder as the boat fell !! He was very shaken but uninjured !! All of us had been under the boat most of the day....you can see the fresh cote of bottom paint. The painters had just finished up and walked away. they too were only saved by the timing of the fall !! I actually was sick to my stomach last night and threw up from anxiety. I hate to think how long this repair process will take....got a feeling I'll be in this marina for months....or I'll be fired and have a bunch of free time !! Dang....what a day for me !! Rained for 2 days....saturated ground gave way and she was up on stands and had no rail ties under the keel. At 77000 pounds they should have used the railroad ties and I dont think this would have happened !!
 

Well.... At 77000 pounds they should have used the railroad ties and I dont think this would have happened !!

I'm guessing they will from now on.

Man o man that is scary. Glad everyone was ok.

Question about the ties. I'm in construction and very cognizant of weight and spreading out any loads. I understand the jacks and ties are placed at strategic points to carry the weight of the boat but when you consider each only spreads the weight out over a 6"-8" area, is there any advantage to placing a longer piece (1'-2') parallel to the hull to help distribute the weight better? (Like the rails on a trailer do.)
 

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Hind sight is always 2020.
Those jack stands should probably have been sitting on sheets of 3/4" outdoor plywood.

I have to put plywood under my jack stands to keep them from sinking into the hot asphalt in my driveway.

Just like anything else being supported, it's only as good as the foundation.

I wonder why the other vessels did not have a problem :icon_scratch:
 

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Well....I was just reading about all this before work yesterday. Went to the marina to work on our own boat. Just finished up on the port shaft and headed over to my wood shop for some friday afternoon beers. All of a sudden over the radio I hear my wife shouting at me. She never comes to the shop unless it's an emergency. She says you need to go back to the marina....your boat has fallen off the Jack stands !!! What a disaster...the mechanic almost died but was able to jump off the ladder as the boat fell !! He was very shaken but uninjured !! All of us had been under the boat most of the day....you can see the fresh cote of bottom paint. The painters had just finished up and walked away. they too were only saved by the timing of the fall !! I actually was sick to my stomach last night and threw up from anxiety. I hate to think how long this repair process will take....got a feeling I'll be in this marina for months....or I'll be fired and have a bunch of free time !! Dang....what a day for me !! Rained for 2 days....saturated ground gave way and she was up on stands and had no rail ties under the keel. At 77000 pounds they should have used the railroad ties and I dont think this would have happened !!


Wow Bart, just saw this. Hope you got her back on solid ground. Scary event, nobody hurt fortunately
 

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