Gunwale mini crane B28

[Yannis]

My good welder made for me this mini crane that will help loading the motorcycle from the pier of one island and unloadind it at the dock of the next one.
This way I will have to wait no more for the bus, or be dependent on the few taxis available.
In the end, the motorcycle stays at the house in Syros so I don't have to bring it back to Athens which is a much longer way.

It's composed of 4 SS tube elements and has been tested for more that 100 kg. The bottom piece enters through this gunwale fixture (pic 1) and rests on this little stud bolted on the deck (pic 2). The bottom tube has a teflon inner sleeve, so that it fits snugly around the bottom fixture. The rest is pretty straight forward. All pieces interconnect with SS self-securing pins. The distance of the overhang is measured so that the crane can reach over the gunwale to the dock and grab the moto. When disassembled, it fits under the gunwales' port and stbd storage spaces. What else can one need in life!!



https://imgur.com/a/Q1ZpgbN

[Carl]

Looks great...

I do think however we have a very different viewpoint as to what a motorcycle is.



...at least I hope so.

[Yannis]

Well, Carl, yes, you’re right.

A motorcycle is for us anything which is rather substantial. Anything, say, above 125 or perhaps 250 cc.
There are also those ugly scooters, scooters being those that you put both your legs on that flat surface in front of you, which when they are substantial they fall under the motorcycle category.

And then there are all others, from small (50-150 cc) scooters, to mopeds, to small motorcycles up to 125 cc that WE call them (the equivalent of) ...little machines, or little motorcycles. You usually call them mopeds. Used mainly within cities for parking ease and economy.
Mine is like that, 100cc, like the Honda cub of some sort, a hybrid between a scooter (because it has this protective apron) but without that surface you put your legs on.
In european cities especially in the south with the good weather, there are millions of them circulating. When I want to go to the sm to buy little stuff I hop on this one. In the islands everybody uses these, they are rather inexpensive to buy and they are very practical, also if they are under 50 cc you don't even need a license.
I have a Yamaha 125XT in Athens with a rear box for shopping, so that I can easily go over sidewalks and stuff, and I have this little 100 in one island, but now, with the little crane, I hope to carry it wherever I go. As soon as I arrive I take it out and leave it on the pier until my next departure. Distances between islands are max one hour, so no big deal.

So, I should have said “moped” instead of motorcycle, but then again, the word moped is wrong. It means MOtorcycle with PEDals, which originated after the war when the first little motos were having pedals...which nowadays is no more the case!

So, you tell me, its not a motorcycle, its not a moped although you call it so, what is it?

[Yannis]

Irrelevant: In the last pic you can see a B33 sportfish. The guy bought it today. He was there with his mechanic trying to figure out what is what...I envy him, because of the pleasure one gets from a new boat, but, I also pity him a bit...who knows what’s in there and how he’s gonna cope with it.
Anyway, it’s an ‘80 model and has Cats 3208 260hp. Can anyone tell me what his cruising speed will be and with what fuel burn? Thanks.

[Carl]

So, you tell me, its not a motorcycle, its not a moped although you call it so, what is it?

I'm not sure...but glad its that and not the picture I have in my head when I think motorcycle.
Cause the bike I had in mind is not going to be lifted with the mini crane B28
Then again the bike I had in mind would be an interesting fit in the cockpit.

Makes sence to bring a motorized 2 wheel vehicle along.

My bud took bikes along on a trip we made.
Only he took them off the boat and they forgot about them till they got home and stared at the empty spot in the garage.
Then it clicked "Hey...the bikes"

[mike ohlstein]

Here, scooters are 49cc, but many people install 70cc kits. Honda used to make a Rebel 250 (mostly for women). Yamaha used to make a pretty cool XS400 (my second bike). Today in the US, 500cc is pretty much the smallest bike you'll find in great numbers. There are many many 600's because there's a 600cc race class. The 750 has all but disappeared. There are plenty of 1 liter bikes, and the big touring bikes are 1600 to 1800cc's. There are still plenty of 125 to 600 cc dirt bikes.

The Bertram 33 is the 'weakest' of the 31-33-35 class Berts. Not really considered a blue water boat, and I've never seen one out on the tuna grounds. Maybe with those big heave Cats it will sit a little better in the water. I would guess it's a 17 or 18 knot boat, but that's just a wild guess.

[Yannis]

Mike,

If a bike is a motorcycle, then what do you call bicycles? Don't you call them bikes?

The young people somehow turned away from bikes. There is no scooter frenzy anymore. My son (20) and most of his ex schoolmates were literally begged by the parents to go get a car drivers license so they could eventually get off our backs. They all say they prefer to take uber...go figure. They still borrow our cars, but for many there is no real need for a car of their own...

So bikes are now selling to those who commute within the city. From 100cc to 200/300/400 or even larger scooters, the ones with the apron and the flat foot rest. It’s more practical when it’s wet and you're in a business outfit. Also bigger 600-1000 real motorcycles. And the big BMW’s. Mostly enduro.
The motorcycle’s role is to squeeze between cars and evade traffic. There is very little, if any, cruising use for bikes, except for the very few who are into clubs like the KTM club, or the BMW club, but they are very few and I haven’t seen any. The motorcycle of any shape and size has one main role...speed to perform a task by evading traffic and gas economy. The less experienced or less affluent buy scooters, big or small, the others buy big motorcycles. The 50cc’s died out.

If you do island hopping you certainly need one, because the ferry tickets for cars is crazy expensive, so millions of tourists rent scooters directly at their destination. They go all over the place on them and then they turn them back, only to arrive to the next destination and rent another one in place.

[Tony Meola]

Mike

Don't think he is around anymore but the guy that used to own the 33 named "Shot and a Beer" used to run offshore with her all the time.

[Tony Meola]

Yannis

You never cease to amaze me. But I am troubled. Are you in prison with the boat in Prison with you? I see a fence with Razor wire across the top.

[Yannis]

Ha, ha Tony...yes, I have been condemned to life to live in a yard on a boat!

I don't have an expensive slot in a marina at all...what I do is splash around early June and leave almost immediately south to the islands. When I come back, usually late September (the reason being the cold after dusk, and the fact that everyone has returned so you’re almost left alone), I get trailered to this yard at 500m from the sea ramp. This year they placed me right against this fence...the barbed wire is so that you always find in your boat what you left on it ...you can never be too sure.

[Yannis]

Tony, Mike,

You destroyed my dream...I always thought the 33 to be my upgrade one day...what’s wrong with it and it doesn't qualify as a blue water boat! I thought all Bertrams were fit for bertram weather...

[Tony Meola]

Yannis

The guy I am referring too used to take it offshore all the time. He never complained about it. So, I will let Mike tell us.

[mike ohlstein]

If you look at the two boats side by side, you would think that the 31 looks small for a 31 and the 33 looks large for a 33. That's because the 31 has more boat under water than above. The 33 has more boat above the water than below. It makes a difference... It's the same with every clorox bottle boat out there.

Almost all of the 33's have gas engines. The added weight of diesels will lower the center of gravity somewhat. But they're still a little tender. They roll. They were also not particularly well braced, and if you look closely, you'll find stress fractures all over the boat.

It's still a Bertram. If repowered and cared for, it will live a lot longer than most boats that are made today. Here in Nassau County NY, the police boats are all Bertram 31's and 35's (mostly 35's). They need to be able to go out in any weather.

[Yannis]

Thanks Mike,

Its true, the taller they are the more they roll...but then again, talk about rolling to an 28 owner!

[Rawleigh]

Yannis: you need to use that crane to load up some big girls for ballast! Then it won't roll so much! LOL!

[Tony Meola]

Yannis: you need to use that crane to load up some big girls for ballast! Then it won't roll so much! LOL!

Don't give him any ideas.

[Yannis]

Hmmmmm, good idea Rawleigh!
Tony, let him express himself! He seems to have a natural tendency to provide practical solutions to most problems LOL!!