A minimum of four boat stands should be used with powerboats and a minimum of five boat stands should be used with sailboats. Use a pair of boat stands, one placed port and one placed starboard, for approximately each 10 ft. of boat's length. If in extreme windy areas or leaving sailboat masts stepped, extra boat stands should be used in addition to our minimum requirements. Because the performance and safety of boat stands is dependent on the way they are used, we assume no liability for this advice concerning boat stands. Boat stands should be placed outboard on the hull for stability.
Most sailboats require a bow stand with a vee top to prevent the bow from dropping forward.
Any excessive overhang in the stern requires two additional boat stands port and starboard on the after portion of the boat. Once snug in the chain notch, pull the starboard boat stand outboard until the chain is snug. Use safety chains and repeat this procedure for all side sailboat stands to prevent the boat stands from sliding up a boat's hull. This method has proven to reduce sinking of the blocks. Higher or lower blocking piles can be used depending on how the boat drains, however, the lower to the ground, the better 5 .