Swim step bumper solution for dingy protection

I have been searching for a solution to this issue for quite some time, and never really found a good result. I assume this is either because (a) it is super simple and I am overthinking things [happens a lot] or (b) because there aren't good solutions.....

I have a fiberglass swim step that is the perfect height most of the time to trap my nice Highfield dinghy tube underneath it when approaching the boat. It also tends to eat the dinghy when said dinghy is tied off to cleats on the swim step unless the lines are super tight, or I insert a full sized boat fender and release the dinghy off a bit.

I've searched for half-fenders, stern swim step fenders, and other things like that, but haven't found a solution. Some swim step fenders look promising, but require being roped in, and have large protrusions on either side, which would make exiting the dinghy difficult.

What would be ideal is a round fender that has a 1/4 of it cut out of it with screw eyes/holes along the long edge. I could attach that to the back face of the swim step, and the fender could face outwards and also reach around under the step, preventing the sharp edge of the swim step from scraping the dinghy, and probably, given a large enough size, prevent the dinghy from ever going under.

For now I use a full size boat fender, which is much too large, and tie it off the flag staff on the stern rail, and let it float between the dinghy and step. This has a disadvantage as there is a line crossing the step that you have to navigate around, and it generally just gets in the way.

Has anyone found a more elegant way?

Just trying to think of different profiles that you may be able to adapt...

RT Firefly said:

Just trying to think of different profiles that you may be able to adapt...

Click to expand...

Thanks!

I actually tried the first one, and it didn't work out. The flat portion at the top is at the wrong angle, so the bumper sticks out like a spear which ends up just going into the dinghy

The second one is similar, if not longer, to the one I tried as well. It was OK and held the boat off the step, but it would still sneak under it. I didn't have one quite as long as this one, but I am hoping to permanently install it. One that long would flap around in the water while underway if it was permanent.

3rd one is interesting, haven't seen that shape before. Might be too tall below the step, but a smaller version might work. I will check that one out a bit more.

Last one might not prevent it from going under the step.

I know it would be a bit more of a PITA but how about tying the dinghy alongside except when you want to get in and out, at which time you would pull it back to the swim platform?

GFC said:

I know it would be a bit more of a PITA but how about tying the dinghy alongside except when you want to get in and out, at which time you would pull it back to the swim platform?

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That definitely would work for storing it, but it would not be that convenient for sure. I still would like something that prevents the dinghy from scraping on the swim step even while we are getting in and out, etc.

Maybe this will work for you

A more permanent fix: A pair of teak stand off boards, vertically from the bottom of the swim grid to the waterline (at rest) spaced to wherever the dinghy dictates. I have seen several boats set up this way, mostly with teak swim grids, but there is no reason the same wont work for you.

I'm guessing the edge is not tube?
Our duckboard is a s/s tube frame with teak slats.
The tube allows a continual length of old 1inch mooring rope to be wrapped around it.

Why not put a permanent ss bar on the underside of the swim step? It would probably only need to hang down 6 or 8 inches to keep it from getting under it.

Mooring whips mounted on the swim platform. Only the mounting brackets remain when not in use.

They keep the dinghy from hitting the platform even with decent swells/wakes. An no laying in the aft cabin listening to the dinghy bounce off the hull all night like it would if side tied. Plus once adjusted there is no fine tuning needed. Both my wife and my kids can unclip, go for a ride, and come back and re-secure the rib without having to worry about adjusting lines.

This setup works great for our Highfield CL360 with 20hp tiller Suzuki.

We tie up at the back corner of the boat and step onto the side of the swim step, this allows a grab spot at the corner of the boat to allow more stable ingress/egress, the damn dog likes it too as she steps almost level from the tube to the swim step.



We have a loop in the painter that is set so the transom of the dink is about 6" behind the platform. much easier as the side of the boat keeps the dinghy from getting under the platform.. run up next to the boat, drop the loop over the cleat get out. easy


HOLLYWOOD

tiltrider1 said:

Maybe this will work for you

Click to expand...

That's a pretty slick fender. Might work, but I think I'd have to remove it while underway, as it would catch the water and flop around/come off.

koliver said:

A more permanent fix: A pair of teak stand off boards, vertically from the bottom of the swim grid to the waterline (at rest) spaced to wherever the dinghy dictates. I have seen several boats set up this way, mostly with teak swim grids, but there is no reason the same wont work for you.

Click to expand...

That could work to keep the dinghy from going under, but it could still rub on the edge of the platform, unless I added some anti-chafe.

Simi 60 said:

I'm guessing the edge is not tube?
Our duckboard is a s/s tube frame with teak slats.
The tube allows a continual length of old 1inch mooring rope to be wrapped around it.

Click to expand...

Correct, the edge is not a tube, just a fiberglass edge.

BIG CAT said:

Why not put a permanent ss bar on the underside of the swim step? It would probably only need to hang down 6 or 8 inches to keep it from getting under it.

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This could work potentially, and provide another way to tie off on too. Similar to the other suggestion of teak stand off boards, but I like SS better.

Commander Nomad said:

Mooring whips mounted on the swim platform. Only the mounting brackets remain when not in use.

They keep the dinghy from hitting the platform even with decent swells/wakes. An no laying in the aft cabin listening to the dinghy bounce off the hull all night like it would if side tied. Plus once adjusted there is no fine tuning needed. Both my wife and my kids can unclip, go for a ride, and come back and re-secure the rib without having to worry about adjusting lines.

This setup works great for our Highfield CL360 with 20hp tiller Suzuki.

Click to expand...

That would work for storing it, but there is still the chance of sliding under the step or catching on it while docking. I have the Highfield CL310 with a 15HP Mercury EFI and love it!

hollywood8118 said:

We tie up at the back corner of the boat and step onto the side of the swim step, this allows a grab spot at the corner of the boat to allow more stable ingress/egress, the damn dog likes it too as she steps almost level from the tube to the swim step.



We have a loop in the painter that is set so the transom of the dink is about 6" behind the platform. much easier as the side of the boat keeps the dinghy from getting under the platform.. run up next to the boat, drop the loop over the cleat get out. easy


HOLLYWOOD

Click to expand...

Hmmm interesting idea, that could potentially work.

Commander Nomad said:

This setup works great for our Highfield CL360 with 20hp tiller Suzuki.

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How does your Highfield perform with the 20 hp? I’ve ordered a 310 Classic and am trying to decide between 9.9, 15 and 20. The 15 and 20 I’m looking at are the same weight.

Thanks.

BIG CAT said:

Why not put a permanent ss bar on the underside of the swim step? It would probably only need to hang down 6 or 8 inches to keep it from getting under it.

Click to expand...

You might very well snag more than the dingy.

mncruiser said:

How does your Highfield perform with the 20 hp? I’ve ordered a 310 Classic and am trying to decide between 9.9, 15 and 20. The 15 and 20 I’m looking at are the same weight.

Thanks.

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I know you were asking the other poster, but just since I have the data...

I have the 310 Classic and a 15HP EFI Mercury outboard. On flat water, with one person (me) I can get to about 21 knots flat out. Two people and we only get to about 18 knots depending on how we shift around.

I love how mine performs.

OldDan1943 said:

You might very well snag more than the dingy.

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Good point.

I think the idea of some sort of bumper that sticks out from the end of the platform, and also goes under a bit would probably be best. Wouldn't really stick down that much...

stevemitchell said:

I know you were asking the other poster, but just since I have the data...



I have the 310 Classic and a 15HP EFI Mercury outboard. On flat water, with one person (me) I can get to about 21 knots flat out. Two people and we only get to about 18 knots depending on how we shift around.



I love how mine performs.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply! I feel like the 15 is the sweet spot. But also since the 20 is the same weight, just extra unicorn magic, why not? I’m planning on tiller only to start, but they have that FCT console you can add.

How do you feel about fuel? My dealer told me some have complained about the small 3 gallon tank you can fit in the locker, and with the bigger engines it’s an issue. Easy fix, just buy a 6 gallon tank and use it outside of the locker, but I did like the idea of the can in that locker. But I can also see using the locker for “stuff” and being ok with the larger can on the deck.

Thanks again for the reply!

My 360 runs 18kts flat out with just me in flat water. Electric start with battery, full gas can, anchor with chain, etc so there's some additional weight. But I also have a hydrofoil on it to stay on plane at slow cruise so I lose a little top end. 4 adults onboard and we run 15-16 kts and can stay on plane down to 10kts.

Regarding 3 gallon can, if your engine is fuel injected you'll sip fuel at partial throttle. I can run a very long time on 3 gallons at cruising speed (1/2-3/4 throttle).

For Suzuki at least the 15 and 20hp engines are identical- just a different ecu. Zero reason not to go for the 20.

Something like this ??

Paramedic62 said:

Something like this ??

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Cant post the image ... Taylor made #56090

mncruiser said:

Thanks for the reply! I feel like the 15 is the sweet spot. But also since the 20 is the same weight, just extra unicorn magic, why not? I’m planning on tiller only to start, but they have that FCT console you can add.

How do you feel about fuel? My dealer told me some have complained about the small 3 gallon tank you can fit in the locker, and with the bigger engines it’s an issue. Easy fix, just buy a 6 gallon tank and use it outside of the locker, but I did like the idea of the can in that locker. But I can also see using the locker for “stuff” and being ok with the larger can on the deck.

Thanks again for the reply!

Click to expand...

If the 20 is the same weight I would definitely go for the 20. The FCT console is fantastic. A close friend of mine just bought the slightly larger 360 and had the FCT console installed. I played with it a bit and loved it. It does take up a bit more room, but well worth it if you are driving a lot.

As another poster mentioned, because the newer engines are EFI, they sip fuel. I can go for long distances/time on a single 5 gallon can without concern.

Can you not just drop the boarding ladder to stop the dinghy slipping under the swim platform.

I picked up a heavy duty SS tubing ex-dive boat ladder for a carton of beer, and it works as a great rear bumper for the boat when fold down.

Paramedic62 said:

Cant post the image ... Taylor made #56090

Click to expand...

Ah yes this is one of the ones I had originally been excited about, and still have it on my short list. It is almost exactly what I want, with a bumper facing outwards to stop the dinghy if the boat is lower in the water, and something to prevent it from going under as well.

The only issues are that these are quite big, meant for sterns of sailboats, and they have rope mounting holes. I saw one in a store, and it would be sort of hard to get it to stay on a transom without some modification.

Right now, this is the best solution I've seen, but I would like to find some different sizes....

AusCan said:

Can you not just drop the boarding ladder to stop the dinghy slipping under the swim platform.

I picked up a heavy duty SS tubing ex-dive boat ladder for a carton of beer, and it works as a great rear bumper for the boat when fold down.

Click to expand...

Yes, the boarding ladder could be used for this, but it is stainless steel with teak, and the edges of the teak would probably rub on the dinghy. I'd have to add some sort of strips to it. And it is at one extreme edge of the swim step, so I'd have to do something with tying the dinghy off the other side.

mncruiser said:

Thanks for the reply! I feel like the 15 is the sweet spot. But also since the 20 is the same weight, just extra unicorn magic, why not? I’m planning on tiller only to start, but they have that FCT console you can add.

How do you feel about fuel? My dealer told me some have complained about the small 3 gallon tank you can fit in the locker, and with the bigger engines it’s an issue. Easy fix, just buy a 6 gallon tank and use it outside of the locker, but I did like the idea of the can in that locker. But I can also see using the locker for “stuff” and being ok with the larger can on the deck.

Thanks again for the reply!

Click to expand...

Fit in a locker? IMO, storing it in a locker is a bad idea. Strap it down inside the boat.

OldDan1943 said:

Fit in a locker? IMO, storing it in a locker is a bad idea. Strap it down inside the boat.

Click to expand...

Highfields have a dedicated locker in the bow of the boat for the gas tank that has a gas line to the stern for the motor. Plenty of circulation in mine as well.

stevemitchell said:

Highfields have a dedicated locker in the bow of the boat for the gas tank that has a gas line to the stern for the motor. Plenty of circulation in mine as well.

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Ah, I have other stuff in the small dedicated locker forward, anchor, rhode, etc.
I strapped mine down under the bench seat.

OldDan1943 said:

Ah, I have other stuff in the small dedicated locker forward, anchor, rhode, etc.
I strapped mine down under the bench seat.

Click to expand...

Ah gotcha. Did yours not come with a fuel line from the bow to the stern? I thought that was one of the main features of these things.

stevemitchell said:

Ah gotcha. Did yours not come with a fuel line from the bow to the stern? I thought that was one of the main features of these things.

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Highfields don't come with that at all, unless your dealer supplied it.

Locker for 3 gallon can, yes. Double floor in the CL series to run fuel line through, yes.

Pre-run fuel line- not unless your dealer was really hurting to make a sale

stevemitchell said:

Ah gotcha. Did yours not come with a fuel line from the bow to the stern? I thought that was one of the main features of these things.

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My RIB is fairly small. I know I have a more than gas line to reach from the locker to the motor. My RIB is only 10 ft long with a 6hp motor.
The object of my RIB is to get back and forth to the shore for supplies and and and, even if it takes me many trips. It will hold 2 people or if sitting on the sides, 4 people.

Commander Nomad said:

Highfields don't come with that at all, unless your dealer supplied it.

Locker for 3 gallon can, yes. Double floor in the CL series to run fuel line through, yes.

Pre-run fuel line- not unless your dealer was really hurting to make a sale

Click to expand...

Interesting. Mine came with it, and three other people I know (different dealers for two of them) all got it as well. Maybe their dealers were just being nice