Many dry -storage systems have had a poor experience record because of a relatively long 

 launching cycle. A system using certain proprietary equipment will increase the storage 

 capacity and at the same time speed up the launching cycle (Fig. 146). The system requires 

 a storage building extending about 40 feet into the basin on piUng and lined with boat racks 

 up to 8 tiers high. A swiveling stacker crane, suspended from a traveUng gantry frame, moves 

 between the tiers. The operator, riding with the stacker, guides the forks under a boat on 

 either side of the building, Ufts the boat from a rack, and launches directly into the water. 

 An associate can then move the boat to an unused part of the boarding dock or to a holding 

 sUp. This process is reversed when the owner returns the boat. 



In saltwater areas the huUs of dry -stored boats should be hosed with freshwater before 

 storage; these provisions should be incorporated in the system. A special method can be 

 used with the system described in the preceding paragraph. The retrieved boat is placed on a 

 dolly, attached to a moving endless chain that pulls the boat through a washdown area 

 outside the building and then back into the building. At a certain point, the doUy is 

 automatically disengaged from the chain and remains on the floor of the building until the 

 stacker has an opportunity to pick up the boat and place it in a rack. 



Many yacht clubs use dry storage extensively to accommodate increases in membership. 

 Figure 147 shows a typical sailboat stored on a trailer on the concrete apron adjoining a pair 

 of jib hoists (Fig. 148). Trailered boats are moved to and from the hoist area by a special 

 powered trailer-puller (Fig. 149). Where no handling equipment or hardstand storage space 

 is available, boats may be rolled up on a beach for dry storage on a sand dolly (Fig. 150). 



A novel but very practical system of launching small boats from dry storage is the hinged 

 floating ramp (Fig. 151). The boat is placed on a two-wheeled dolly (Fig. 152), and then 

 moved down the ramp until the wheels rest against the bottom stop curb. The boat is then 

 pushed off into the water. This device can be used for dinghys, small sailboats, and small 

 outboards. 



Many small craft larger than 25 feet carry or tow dinghys when cruising, so they can go 

 ashore in areas or at destinations that have no landing docks. In home port these Uttle craft 

 must be dry -stored. The owners usually prefer racks on the headwalks near the slips, but the 

 use of space over the water for this purpose is frequently unjustified. Dry -storage racks for 

 dinghys, similar to the sailboat racks shown in Figure 143 but smaller, should then be 

 provided on shore near the slips they serve. The number of racks required will vary from one 

 marina to another and from region to region. The requirement is so variable that no 

 universally applicable formula can be given for predetermining the number needed in a 

 marina. It is recommended that the designer of a new faciUty check the experience records 

 of several nearby harbors before establishing the number of dinghy racks to be installed. 



h. Parking Lots. After the required number of parking spaces has been determined and 

 the sites of the parking lots delineated, they must be designed for optimum functional use 

 and pleasing appearance. Rectangular lots are the easiest to design, but other shapes are 

 often imposed by terrain limitations and space availability. Some of the criteria normally 



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