Front pads

A view of the three pads necessary to support the bow of a C&C 27 properly. This is a 5-pad cradle; 7-pad cradles are available but 5 pads are generally considered sufficient to support a C&C 27.

Cradle pads are normally covered with cushioning carpet. The disadvantage of carpet is that it holds water, which is a nuisance when it's time to paint the bottom, and an incentive to rot in the pads' plywood backing. The hard rubber on these pads won't scratch the bottom when the boat is sliding into position and won't hold water.