Davits for GB 36 to carry 11' Whaler

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Wbarnh

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Jan 24, 2017
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I am looking for recommendations for a Davit system to carry my 11' Boston Whaler Tender w/ a 9hp Mercury outboard. Total weight about 350 lbs. Weaver has a set that mounts on the swim platform and the dingy tips up on its side. I am thinking traditional arms off the transom may be a better choice.

Any Recommendations or experience to share?
 
I have been very impressed with the Sea Wise system. I am not sure how it would work with the Whaler.
 

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I'd look closely at the weight of that pairing. My hunch is that it will weigh closer to 450# without fuel and contents.
 
Our boat came with an 11’6” Zodia RIB and 25 hp 4 stroke Yamaha. We had a Seawise David that worked great for this heavy setup. There was also 1000lbs of lead pigs in the bilge to offset the weight of this setup. We decided to do a different setup and when we sold the Davis and rib, the boat needed the lead removed to balance and adjust the trim of the waterline. We ended up towing a 15’ Aluminum Klamath boat for fishing, crabbing etc. worked out much better for us and our needs.
 
We have the weaver davits on our 8’ Boss “Hard Inflatable" and we’re looking for transom mounted davits. Our dink weighs only 180lbs, and it’s difficult to lower and raise. An 11’ Whaler would develope real muscles for you and crew, because you can’t do it alone. With traditional davits, you can store the engine on the dink for traveling.

PS. Anyone interested in Weaver davits for your dink?
 
There are a couple of boats in our marina with 11 Whalers on stern davits. Both are pretty heavy duty looking, not the typical St. Croix or Forespar tube davits. I'll try to remember to take a picture tomorrow.
 
On a friend's GB36, with traditional davits, the lift of a 9 ft Whaler with a 6hp outboard was at about the limit. A heavier whaler like the 11 would require a better designed davit system.

I don't know the make of the davits, but their scantlings were considerably less than those of my own davits, that lift a 750 lb 12' RIB with a 40 Honda, but in order to do so, needed an extra brace added, to eliminate flexing of the bulwarks they were attached to.

I have also closely observed the use of Nick Jackson transom mount davits for heavier loads, and so long as you can find a location for the lift cable that is strong enough, they work well for loads up to 750 lb.

Having seen several collapsed swimgrids on GBs, both 36 and 42, I would never trust them to carry much dinghy weight, so the installation of a Seawise or Weaver system will require considerable strengthening of the swimgrid.
 
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Info on Swim Platform

Keith;
Thanks for this info. Especially useful regarding the strength of the swim platform.
 
There are a couple of boats in our marina with 11 Whalers on stern davits. Both are pretty heavy duty looking, not the typical St. Croix or Forespar tube davits. I'll try to remember to take a picture tomorrow.

Arggg! I was just there and forgot again. Tomorrow morning! :D
 
Okay, here you go. They are Simpson Davits brand. There is usually an eleven foot Boston Whaler hanging from them. He usually doesn't have the motor on, FWIW. But, when it's hanging from them, they don't look strained by the weight at all.

This in on a Hatteras, about 55 feet, give or take a foot.


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This is what i have to lift my 11 ft boston whaler with a 20hp yamaha.
 
Anyone have a Hurley, Trick or Nautley system on a Grand Banks? 10' West Marine RIB with 9.9 HP 4 stroke (300lbs).

Really like the idea of Horizontal storage vs vertical like Seawise and Weaver but wondering if clearance from waterline is sufficient to avoid "swamping" dinghy in foul weather.

Thanks!
 
I am looking for recommendations for a Davit system to carry my 11' Boston Whaler Tender w/ a 9hp Mercury outboard. Total weight about 350 lbs. Weaver has a set that mounts on the swim platform and the dingy tips up on its side. I am thinking traditional arms off the transom may be a better choice.

Any Recommendations or experience to share?

We put a Seawise davit on a previous boat and loved it. It is a very fast launch and recovery. And you still have access to the swim platform when the dinghy is stored. Also the dinghy won’t fill up when it rains like a horizontal system. The company was very responsive and great to work with. No affiliation.
 
We put a Seawise davit on a previous boat and loved it. It is a very fast launch and recovery. And you still have access to the swim platform when the dinghy is stored. Also the dinghy won’t fill up when it rains like a horizontal system. The company was very responsive and great to work with. No affiliation.

Dave:

I can't agree with a heavy dinghy like a whaler 11. My Caribe 12 is only a little heavier, at a total weight, including the engine, fuel, battery and a few things in the lockers, of around 750#. (The BW website says 555# without fuel and extras for the 110 sport).

My Caribe lived on Seawise for a few years before I got it, and suffered structural damage that is continuing to show up, where the Seawise attachments put far more stress on the hull layup than it was ever designed for.

Also, on a traditional, horizontal hoist, it is a very simple matter to pull the external plug when the dinghy is up on the davits, so I never get an accumulation of water. If I did, a float switch on the bilge pump would solve that issue.
 
We are just starting the process of installing a davit to lift our yet to be acquired RIB.

We currently have a SeaWise system, just don't want to tip RIB on its side.

We will be installing a system from:
https://www.thedinghybutler.com/

RIB will be similar to:
 

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