ALL Crane of Canada Participates in Sailboat Rollover Test

June 28, 2007 • Ontario, Canada-based ALL Canada Cranes & Aerials last week assisted Spirit of Canada Ocean Challenges in conducting a mandatory 180-degree rollover test on the 60-foot high-performance sailboat. The Spirit of Canada, which is to be raced by Derek Hatfield in the non-stop Vendée Globe around-the-world race in 2008, was first flipped over with the assistance of a mobile crane. Hatfield then had to upright the boat to comply with race qualifying regulations.

 

The carbon fibre/Nomex® vessel is extremely lightweight and could be easily damaged during a lift. To perform the lift, special nylon belts were attached to an adjustable spreader beam for ease in maneuvering the craft, which was put to the test as the Spirit, with its skipper onboard, was overturned in the Mississauga (Toronto) Harbour's Port Credit Yacht Club during one of five planned lifts. The belts were wrapped around the boat's keel to help hoist it up and flip it over

 

For such a specialized lift, a mobile crane offers more versatility than a typical boat lift, said Aaron Hanna of ALL Canada Cranes & Aerials, who supervises the lifting of approximately 600 boats in Toronto marinas every spring and fall. Overturning a boat is not business as usual, which is why a highly experienced crane operator from ALL Canada was on the job.

 

Watch the YouTube video of the rollover test and interview with ALL Crane and Hatfield by visiting http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIplsOf_DBQ.