Dinghy davits and lifts?

We have a 2007 Mariner 40 Sedan that is similar to many of the Mainships. I am looking for options for dinghy placement. Currently, I lift our 10' Mercury light weight dinghy and 15hp Yamaha motor (separately) to the top deck with a Garhauer lift.
That works good, but I would like to be able to launch the dinghy more quickly when we are cruising with daily stops.
I've looked at davits like Forespar, and Kato as well as swim platform mounted like Trick or Hurley.

What is the preferred method used my you Mainship owners?

Thanks,

Wm Mayberry
OPTIMYSTIQUE
Mariner 40

Ft Myers Beach, FL

Weaver davits work well for me. See my avatar at the left. The Weaver davits are a pair of heavy clips, brackets (can't figure the right word, but I wouldn't call them davits) that attach to the back of the swim platform and mate up to a clip/bracket that is glued to the dinghy. They snap in and then you flip the dinghy up.


A real advantage is that when flipped down in the water, they keep the dinghy stable for loading/boarding. Then you just raise the catch lock and you are free.

They also make a device, the Weaver Lever, that the outboard mounts to which lets the outboard swivel and stay vertical as the dinghy swings. Haven't used one myself and I suspect that you need a light outboard and room for everything to clear as it swings up.

See https://www.weaverindustries.com/ for more info.

David

Another vote for weaver. They will work with you on the phone if you have questions.

Old deckhand said:

Another vote for weaver. They will work with you on the phone if you have questions.

Click to expand...

Weavers are the best for simplicity and ease of use as long as you don't need access to the platform while the dink is up. Also need to make sure your dinks length does not approach the beam of the boat otherwise you can have issues with wave action against the dink.
They are also not recommended for hard bottom dinks IIRC.

Agree - Weaver works well for me - had them on 2 boats now.

Our system is Jatco's Trillogy, side-loading, 125-lb dinghy and 106-lb outboard (+ starting battery), hand winch, no heavy lifting.


Not really visible in avatar, since we take most of the top parts off the swim platform during our fishing month.

-Chris

I hated my weaver....it made the boat look well...like OCDiver likes to say...

I also didn't like the way it utilized the swim platform.

I didn't like that I couldn't store my engine on the boat and didn't want to fund the goofy engine tilt mechanism.

So I made my own for $300...will never look back. Still needs about $200 in mods to raise it a bit and make it even stronger (though it was great on this last 2000 mile trip).

I use the mast/boom with a power winch to raise & lower it...but other methods would be easy to rig too.

Scott, that looks awesome. If you added another cross member could it be used as a swim ladder as well or is it to far off the swim platform?

dimer2 said:

Scott, that looks awesome. If you added another cross member could it be used as a swim ladder as well or is it to far off the swim platform?

Click to expand...

Too far off...but I have a nice pull down ladder.

What is cool is ...no matter how I approach by dingy...the bow person or just me can grab any portion of it and easily lift it so the dingy with all on board is now surrounded by the tubing...no more trying to snap the weavers when it is less than perfect conditions.

The nice thing is...in an emergency...anyone can cut the lifting rope and it falls a few feet into the water (it is on a pelican...but in an emergency why care)...it stays firmly attached until you release the pelicans holding the dingy to the bar, when ready just push away. Literally seconds if necessary.

There are pins that hold the bar to the transom so the mast/boom can be used elsewhere like lifting the motor on and off, or other things...but I keep it attached to help keep some weight off the total system and it keeps the side to side motion to a minimum.

I have an Roskelly/Olssen which very similar to transom models now made by Nick Jackson. Mounts to the transom instead of the swim platform. The hardest part of the launch/retrieve is getting in and out while hooked up because my dinghy is only 8'6". Easy to use and robust construction.

Scott: Can't quite tell how high the dinghy bottom might be off the water....have a guess? Are the hinge points directly over a support? What material type and diameter? I hate the look of a dinghy bottom for a stern (as on Weaver snap davits) and your approach is still convenient without blocking a waterview from the aft deck.

healhustler said:

Scott: Can't quite tell how high the dinghy bottom might be off the water....have a guess? Are the hinge points directly over a support? What material type and diameter? I hate the look of a dinghy bottom for a stern (as on Weaver snap davits) and your approach is still convenient without blocking a waterview from the aft deck.

Click to expand...

The bottom is about 2 feet off the water...good enough except for breaking waves astern...but no issues so far in any conditions most loopers would do.

The engine needs to have the lifting bridle changed a bit so I can tilt it...in the down position, some waves do hit it.

I should have told my buddy to bend it to 120 degrees, he just assumed 90 degrees and it does droop a few inches with the weight of the motor on the dingy.

It is 2 inch aluminum tubing and I am not sure what schedule...but small gussets will be perfect. The arms seem strong enough...it is the bends that worry me a bit long term. I am going to have him remove 20 degrees from the bends or just bend the tubing a few inches past the 90 bend . This will raise the dingy nearly a foot which will be perfect. 3 inch tubing would be the ticket for crossing an ocean...or go stainless...but for me the 2 inch will do.

The trick with the angle is having the dingy at a good height to put stuff in and out yet when lowered...be close enough to the swim platform to easilt reach and clip on without having to undo the hanging drops.


The supports are not directly over swim platform supports but with a dingy/motor combo under 200 pounds...didn't see it as an issue...of course the swim platform is critical if through bolting and strength aren't there.

Wmiii said:

We have a 2007 Mariner 40 Sedan that is similar to many of the Mainships. I am looking for options for dinghy placement. Currently, I lift our 10' Mercury light weight dinghy and 15hp Yamaha motor (separately) to the top deck with a Garhauer lift.
That works good, but I would like to be able to launch the dinghy more quickly when we are cruising with daily stops.
I've looked at davits like Forespar, and Kato as well as swim platform mounted like Trick or Hurley.

What is the preferred method used my you Mainship owners?

Thanks,

Wm Mayberry
OPTIMYSTIQUE
Mariner 40

Ft Myers Beach, FL

Click to expand...

Why dont you like the Kato (island) davits? They will fit your needs exactly.

Thanks for the ideas.
I have the Weaver brackets already on my swim platform, but with the weight of my outboard (135lb), I would still need to remove it before hoisting the dink.
I would prefer something that I could leave the motor on and be able to splash and retrieve quickly and easily. We use our swim platform for boarding when at the dock, especially a floating dock. So I would like to be able to remove whatever lift/davit I come up with.

Wm Mayberry
OPTIMYSTIQUE
Mariner 40

Ft Myers Beach, FL

I traveled with a Monk 36 that had a Sea Wise Davit System | Innovative and stylish yacht and boat davits system. You could still use the swim platform. Looks pricey.

I also owned one of these on my previous boat.
Very easy to use . WWW.dinghycaddy.com

fryedaze said:

I traveled with a Monk 36 that had a Sea Wise Davit System | Innovative and stylish yacht and boat davits system. You could still use the swim platform. Looks pricey.

Click to expand...

I am in the process of purchasing a boat with this installed. As such, I haven't used it yet myself. The current owner likes it a lot, although as he has the manual version, he says it is a bit of a workout to crack it up. I am considering modifying my Winchrite to use on it.

I liked it because it intrudes very little on the swim step and the outboard is left on, yet is stored vertically.

I had these custom built out of heavy wall tubing and bolted them to the transom . They're not the prettiest but they work . I need to add more blocks to make the lift easier . I think I have around $700 on them .

We use the Weaver davits and love them, doesn't get any simpler. when were under way we pull the dingy all the way up against the transom. at the dock back her off a couple feet and you have full use of the swim platform. my wife loves it because with the dingy there she does not have the feeling of falling in the water. when down and clamped in boarding and loading is very stable. And works just fine with are hard bottom dingy'

Here they are on the boat . I've added better rigging since this pic but still not quite right .

I love the dinghy Marty.

dhays said:

I love the dinghy Marty.

Click to expand...

Thanks Dave .I shopped for a long time for one of these . I bought it in CT. I have a customer that hauls lumber down here to TN and hauls our hardwood flooring back . He threw this dinghy on with a load of lumber .

We had a Sea Wise on a 46' trawler we used to own. Absolutely loved it. It was the manual version and was very easy to launch or retrieve the dinghy. It took about 2 minutes to launch and about 3 or 4 minutes to recover the dinghy. We had a 10' RHI with a 15hp 4 stroke. You have easy access to one side of the swim platform. It was great not having to remove the outboard from the dinghy each time. The company was very helpful during the install. It took me about a day to install it.

More home-made davits.

I thought I'd share this davit design with you all; it is really simple, cheap (<200$ in materials), and easy to make with standard wood-working tools. We have a 10ft Titan with an aluminum hull and a 5hp Lehr. One person can slide the dinghy up and onto the cradles, with two its really easy. The cradles (1-1/2" thk HDPE) are attached to the aluminum channels with one push-pin each, so can be removed in seconds if desired. Because the cradles sit upright when empty, we have found them to be useful as hand-holds when using the boarding ladder and also getting in-out of the dinghy onto the platform. The 1/4" thk aluminum channels were made from a rectangular extrusion, cut on a bandsaw, then finished with a beltsander. The cradles are a bandsaw-beltsander-router operation. I realized early on how critical the geometry would be, especially the positioning of the hinge point and the non-adjustable stops, so built a wooden version first to get it right. The channels are of course designed to fit our 390, but could actually be simpler on a more standard swim platform (with better access underneath). Their positioning on our boat was partly determined by how far I could reach into the platform through the access ports to hold the back-up plates (with embedded nuts). The two main tie-downs are bow and stern of the dinghy to the edge of the platform (which is fwd of the pivot point), and I have two lines attached to the dinghy handles on the fwd tube that connect to the transom. It is very secure underway, and launches in seconds.
The last photo shows the inspiration behind the cradle profile!

That is super cool!

Blue...I was going to make those for my boat but depending on transom shape and platform width..the channels can stick out pretty far.

Those are nice...wish I could have.

lifting harness

My soon to be new boat has SeaWise Davits on the stern, which I think is great. However, I am also going to want to be able to lift the dinghy up onto the boat deck with the crane. I think the dinghy already has factory eyebolts but I will need to create a lifting harness.

Anyone have any good suggestions on how to design a lifting harness or suggested materials?

We have a Nick Jackson davit on our stern. Electric wench and does a great job. Fast up and down. We carry a 12' Boston Whaler on it with a 40 HP merc. Personally I think the boat (too big for a dinghy) and motor are over kill, but it came with our trawler when we purchased her last summer.

The plus to this davit:
Very strong.
Lifts a heavy load securely and fast
Keeps the dinghy weight off the top of the aft deck cover

Disadvantages:
Takes up the swim platform with or without the boat on it.
Expensive to buy and mount

My last boat had a 9 ft Livingston Dinghy on a Weaver davit system.
It worked great!

psneeld said:

The bottom is about 2 feet off the water...good enough except for breaking waves astern...but no issues so far in any conditions most loopers would do.

The engine needs to have the lifting bridle changed a bit so I can tilt it...in the down position, some waves do hit it.

I should have told my buddy to bend it to 120 degrees, he just assumed 90 degrees and it does droop a few inches with the weight of the motor on the dingy.

It is 2 inch aluminum tubing and I am not sure what schedule...but small gussets will be perfect. The arms seem strong enough...it is the bends that worry me a bit long term. I am going to have him remove 20 degrees from the bends or just bend the tubing a few inches past the 90 bend . This will raise the dingy nearly a foot which will be perfect. 3 inch tubing would be the ticket for crossing an ocean...or go stainless...but for me the 2 inch will do.

The trick with the angle is having the dingy at a good height to put stuff in and out yet when lowered...be close enough to the swim platform to easilt reach and clip on without having to undo the hanging drops.


The supports are not directly over swim platform supports but with a dingy/motor combo under 200 pounds...didn't see it as an issue...of course the swim platform is critical if through bolting and strength aren't there.

Click to expand...

Are the upper clevis pins going through the tubing? If so, that would weaken the tubing somewhat. By making the clevis pins go outside the vertical tubing, it would still be full strength right to the curve.

Also, a brace would add more strength than a gusset.

Still, pretty good solution for carrying the dink!

Stu

We also have Nick Jackson davit system on our new boat but we haven't decided if we like it or not. As S41 says, the weight is not on the lid which we do like. Our last boat (a sundeck trawler) had Roskelly Olson ST-275 transom davits and we really liked the system but it was tough for my wife to use. I thought it was pretty easy to deploy and retrieve.