Davit Systems

[James Grant]

Good Afternoon:

Ok want to pose a question about davit systems - I have a 36 DC with a swim platform and I have acquired a 310 Zodiac with 9.9 4 stroke.

I want to lift this thing off the back horizontal - and with luck still have access to use the swim platform to some extent

I have looked at a few solutions at a recent boat show and what I've seen and priced are as much as I paid for the tender.

So I'm looking for a cheap solution and would like to see and hear from folks as to what they did and ball park, if I can be so bold as to what it cost.

thanks in advance

Grant

[jleonard]

My platform is not usable with the dinghy hanging.

IMG_8262.JPG

[meridian]

grant, after some consideration I'm using weaver davits (already on) and a weaver Leaver I got from Craig's list. I just saw one for $275.

[mudskipper]

I have puzzled long and hard about the dingy thingy. Last year I bought a used hard floor Zodiak type dingy that is too heavy to man handle I have used a weaver on a rental Grand Banks and it was better then a sharp thorn in my long johns and seen many other systems. Most of the good solid systems require holes in the boat and the related reinforcement and sealing of the holes, in my boat that is above my beloved bed. The most reliable and cheapest system is the Egyptian one. A piece of rope and slaves to move the dingy to and fro as you dock. Seriously a rope and bridle work ok with my boat as we do not travel on plane[ too fast] Next boat I get with big old crane factory installed. Jay the crane man aka Mudskipper,

[Chester B]

We're still working on other projects but next up is davits and a good dinghy. I plan on installing Garhauer SS davits that will be mounted on the swim platform (near the support brackets) and then secured into the stern. Garhauer will make up any custom parts needed and their quality and workmanship is outstanding. That will support a 9' RIB, possibly an AB if I can afford it, with a 8 or 9.9 hp motor attached. We cruised for many years on a 40' sailboat with a similar setup but then my davits weren't strong enough for the motor and dinghy so we used a Garhauer motor lift. Yes the swim platform will be basically unusable with the dinghy up but that's the price. This kind of arrangement allows us to launch and retrieve the dinghy in all kinds of conditions yet it is pretty secure when traveling.

[James Grant]

Thanks all - there doesn't seem to be much choice regarding the loss of platform use, so that will be something we'll have to live with. I still don't understand why they are so expensive , one of those things.

thanks for the input

Grant

[Despacio]

I've posted this before, but here it is again:

I just put mine on my swim step. Horse the aft corner on the step, then I lift t with the mast and boom with an added self tailing winch.

Weaver davits seem to do the same thing but require a bunch of "stuff" to do it. Stuff you really don't need.

That's a Caribe 12 foot runabout, no small dinghy. I usually leave the outboard on it, it works very well.

[bccanucker]

Here's what we chose some time ago for our 11' hard bottom inflatable with a 15HP honda.
It's not cheap but they are a great, great solution
http://www.davitsystem.com/

[lancoulson21]

HI James Grant,
I know a davits provider who provide all the best davits and boat accessories at very cheap rates. Recently I have purchased a custom davit for my personal yacht. The davits provider is UMT International, Have anybody used their products?
Hey james you may once consult with them, hope you will get your required Davit System at cheaper rate.

[psneeld]

We're still working on other projects but next up is davits and a good dinghy. I plan on installing Garhauer SS davits that will be mounted on the swim platform (near the support brackets) and then secured into the stern. Garhauer will make up any custom parts needed and their quality and workmanship is outstanding. That will support a 9' RIB, possibly an AB if I can afford it, with a 8 or 9.9 hp motor attached. We cruised for many years on a 40' sailboat with a similar setup but then my davits weren't strong enough for the motor and dinghy so we used a Garhauer motor lift. Yes the swim platform will be basically unusable with the dinghy up but that's the price. This kind of arrangement allows us to launch and retrieve the dinghy in all kinds of conditions yet it is pretty secure when traveling.

I certainly am NOT a Gaurauer fan.

My friends entire Garhauer system of Radar arch. motor lift, dingy davits were all so Mickey Mouse I laughed at him and the materials. None of them were compatable with the other to make a nice, strong, build-on system.

The davit system broke the first real trip we took on his boat and he almost lost the whole mess including the dingy/outboard while underway in relatively calm conditions.

I'm personally a fan of the lift systems on cats where a long, upside down "u" is pivoting on the platform and the whole bar is lifted at a time to evenly raise the dingy in one motion. Some one else (probably many more) that looks beefy and does a great job bt the price tag is out of sight...the ones I'm thinking of used to be an option on Nordic Tugs.

[Nepidae]

To all;

I just checked the Sea Wise site. Are they still in business. Their last entry on a Boat Show presence was in 2013 and looking at/for boats with the product didn't yield any hits looking for trawler type boats.

UMT has a lift system but not what I would call a davit and would work well if you were thinking of the top of a roof somewhere for your dingy.

Currently we have a "Sling Davit" which has worked well. This is inexpensive, webbing, which holds the dingy against the stern in an upright position. This system won't hold the motor on the dingy therefore the difficult thing is that the motor which is stored on the sundeck, needs to be humped to the dock then then dingy. It's getting old doing that.

I am now considering St.Croix davits from Atlantic Towers in Bayville, NJ. They have a davit system, SS manufactured, at around $1,600.00. This attaches to the swim platform and will block it when the dingy is up.

The way I figured it is that since it will be a lot easier raising & lowering the dingy with the St. Croix system, that if we want to use the swim platform then we'll lower the dingy and pull it to the side.

If you are in the Chesapeake Bay area Atlantic Towers will be at both Annapolis Shows in October and at the Atlantic City Boat show in February.

Hope this helps.

[mike66]

I have a St Croix system. Works great. I ran into a problem where the lower ball joint on one side corroded and sheared off...they sent me two n/c. I didn't install them and they were set up wrong (like a lot of things on this boat) but it was a great move on the company's part. FWIW. The dingy does block the swim platform so we just lower it at our destination.

[mike66]

I have a St Croix system. Works great. I ran into a problem where the lower ball joint on one side corroded and sheared off...they sent me two n/c. I didn't install the davitts originally and they were set up wrong (like a lot of things on this boat) but it was a great move on the company's part. FWIW. The dingy does block the swim platform so we just lower it at our destination.

[Chester B]

Dinghy-2.JPG

This is picture of Garhauer davits we had made. The swim platform is basically unusable when the dinghy is up but that's OK. What I like about this type of arrangement is that you can launch and retrieve the dinghy even in rough water. After many years of cruising we've learned that not all anchorages remain placid all the time; sometimes you'll find your stern heaving up and down 2 feet or more - difficult to attach a dinghy to the platform in that case. In response to the post about the 'mickey-mouse' set up by Garhauer, I can only say that perhaps the system was 'designed' by the owner and not the manufacturer.

[Nepidae]

This is sometime later after my last post on this subject;

I had a very difficult time trying to deal with the St. Croix davit people. The company was bought by people from NJ and it took a while before I was able to get pricing and some discussion about the product.

At the last Annapolis Boat Show last year there was a Canadian company, Atkins & Hoyle, who were selling davits. They have an on-line site.

They are a cast product which attaches to a swim platform (St. Croix was hard to convince that a sundeck doesn't want thru-hull bolts to attach their davits) which is what I needed so I wouldn't hit my head (berth is opposite) on the thru bolts.

The company was great to work with. Since I wanted to wait to purchase the davits so my warranty wouldn't cover 5 months of sitting in a box waiting to be attached, and also to get the boat show pricing, they are holding them and taking no interest payments over the winter.

They slide into a 'shoe' so they are easy to remove if necessary.

If you are looking for davits I can't recommend them strongly enough.