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["Dave Brezina" <dbrezina@P_V06vurV_NiIFF_kSeCu6U62Dgqcr5y7fn1T8gDXiOkN_71v8jwwtYzRTqZhoV3Lzm6xvHp.yahoo.invalid>]

Q: I'd like to know more about lifting slings for
the keel bolts. I figure a forged eye on each of
the keel bolts that are used to lift would be
a good way to go, but would they be low enough
to leave in place and still fit the bilge cover?
A: No.  Not if they are off-the-shelf "eye-nuts."

Q: How many holes through the deck are required?
A: One, in the right place.  See one of the owners' manuals.

Q: What does the sling look like?
A: Engineer Gil has tested what looks to me to be some good rope. 
Non-engineer, overbuilder Dave has actually followed the specs on
chain and it is probably way more than I need.  There isn't a fair
lead, though, you'll need to lift from two points, and the 'pennant'
portion adjusts the lead to be fair and over the CG.  I wouldn't think
of it as a 'sling' as it lifts from a single rope/cable/chain.  

Q: What is the "Slider" you mentioned?
A: The sliding hatch over the companionway.

Q: Where would the deck penetrations best be located?
(what did you do, and why didn't it work perfectly)?
A: Following the owners' manual 16" forward of the companionway hatch
when closed.  But I fitted a 4" screw in 'inspection plate' mounting.
It sticks up about 1/4".  A flush fitting would not bump the sliding
companionway hatch.  The Clark manual describes it as a fuel fill type
deckplate -- which I expect to be flush. 

I cut a 5" hole, dammed it, put in a foam spacer so as to not waste
epoxy, filled a 'ring' with epoxy and filler, redrilled and fitted the
4" inspection plate (I bought two). Then I fitted one of the removable
twist in plates with a 3" cowl I bought on closeout (it didn't have
the mounting hardware) so now I have a 3" cowl that fits in the 4"
hole, and it is replaceable with a plain old inspection plate.  
If the manufacturers made a cheap screw in or twist mount, that had a
screw in or twist in cowl, I would have bought one, but I could only
find them in bronze.  The plastic ones only have snap-in and pry-out
deck plates, and I didn't expect it to last very long.  I have one on
my "backup" boat.  

Q: Can the boat be lifted w/o taking down the mast?
A: I'd expect so.  You might have some concern about clearing the
backstay.  But don't do anything dumb like driving the boat, on the
trailer, past overhead power lines. You'd be amazed at what people do.

Q: How do you avoid damage to the headfoil and the standing rigging
when unstepping the mast?
A: I've unstepped and stepped the mast myself (with one to three crew)
for years and haven't broken anything because of that procedure, yet.
 Just be careful.  Frankly, using a crane always bends my Windex, so
there's an advantage in the hassle of dropping the mast manually.  

It also will depend on the facilities available.  Frankly, you can
probably buy fore and aft straps for a sling if you have to use it,
easier and cheaper than the single hoist arrangement.  A boatyard will
have hoisting gear anyway, at least around here they do.  

The boatyard Scorpion had been at closed, so I wanted to have more
options, depending on the crane I might find. It turns out the harbor
wasn't permitting use of the cranes to their posted capacity, so I
made other arrangements when I found a new boatyard.  

Dave Brezina
Scorpion
Chicago