What Are Cradles and Stands?
The blocks and support arrangement that carries a boat ashore — the least talked-about bit of engineering, yet the one that takes the full weight all winter.
Ashore, the boat sits on blocks under the keel and is balanced against overturning with adjustable stands from the sides (steel trestles or timber supports). On a sailing boat the keel carries the weight; the stands only keep her steady.
Over winter, a boat spends months under a load arrangement very different from being afloat: support her in the wrong place and the hull can take a permanent set; a loose stand means a knock-down in a blow. The nightmare on a yard is a row of boats toppling like dominoes.
Winter lay-up checks
After a gale: if the ground has settled or become waterlogged, the stands can work loose; they should be checked by hand after every major blow.
Correct position: if a stand bears on the middle of an unsupported panel, it can leave an inward print on the hull; the support should follow the internal structure’s line.
Do not tie the cover to the stands: tying the winter cover to the stands means the wind can pull on the stand through the sheet; the cover must be secured to the boat itself.
The final photo set of a boat laid up for winter should be taken ashore: block positions, number of stands and the chains. At every winter visit, a 30-second walk-round (feel each stand by hand, check the hull contact points) costs nothing; skipping it can cost you a boat by the end of the season.