Preview: The Marine Railway at Seal Cove Boatyard

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At Seal Cove Boatyard there’s no school like the old school — and when it comes to launching a boatyard full of boats for the season — a good ol’ marine railway can be the right tool for the job.

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12 Responses So Far to “The Marine Railway at Seal Cove Boatyard

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    patrick marks says:

    It seem a little fast for the car getting into the water.

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    Don Bruce says:

    I like the couple who built the outboard cruiser. That’s my idea someday.

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    Nathan Bayreuther says:

    Wow – really something to watch. What’s that beautiful gaff-rigged cutter on her mooring in the background?

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    George Carmichael says:

    Launch cradle seems like its moving a bit fast into the water? All that mass ($$$$) would want to keep moving if the rails got hung up on something on the way down…

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    Donald Holmes says:

    nicely done, Bob. Just another example of why we trust our boats to your care year after year.

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    Jerry Stavola says:

    Nice job! We use a similar railway system at our yacht club, only the car travels about 300′ down (about 30′ drop) to the water. We use the wood skids that rest on a set of “gigs” that we can steer up into our boat yard as we haul boats. A model “A” engine is our power along with block and tackle. Years prior to the gigs, we used 6″ rollers, just like they did 2000 years ago!

  • David Tew

    David Tew says:

    Beautiful boats. Was ANNIE built by Frank or Junior Day perhaps?

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    ramon rodriguez says:

    Nice. There is no better spokesperson then our narrator. The logic of the marine railway is certain but he is a man of his place and time. An attorney who chose to operate gears and see the product of his labor instead of using paper and “motions” to make a living. My hero.

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    Todd Griner says:

    Okay, launching a boat seems easy but what about taking one out of the water. That has to be more difficult. Getting the boat on the cradle just right must be a chore.

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      Ben Mendlowitz says:

      It is more difficult to haul in a cradle on a railway, though it was done all the time before travellifts came along, As Bob explains, Seal Cove uses a hybrid system – hauling by travellift, storing in cradles and launching on the railway.

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