Dinghy Davits for Prairie 36?

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island_dancer

Member
Joined
Sep 6, 2013
Messages
7
Location
USA
Vessel Name
Island Dancer
Vessel Make
Prairie Trawler
I will be starting the Loop in January on my 36 foot Prairie trawler and have a 9 foot Boston Whaler as my dinghy. However, I do not have dinghy davits on the Prairie to hold the whaler. My two questions are: 1) What suggestions can be provided as to the most cost effective davits and 2) is the 9 foot Boston Whaler an appropriate dinghy.
Thanks,
Gary
 
Look up Nick Jackson davits. Yes the 9 ft whaler will be a fine dinghy. The Prairie has a wide beam so the whaler will fit no problem across the transom.
 
We put SeaWise davits on a previous boat. It wasn’t cheap but they are a quality davit. Also the quickest and easiest davits to launch and recover the dinghy. If you are going to be doing a lot of anchoring on the loop then ease of launch and recovery is critical IMO. If they are tough to use you won’t want to use the dinghy.
 
The 9 foot whaler has a posted dry weight of 160 Lbs. The outboard motor is a 5 HP Mercury that weighs about 30 Lbs.
Thanks for your reply.
Gary
 
I'd be curious to see what you end up with. I've thought about davits on my Prairie 36 but never really got serious about it. I used the clips on my last dinghy (a RIB) when we did the Down East loop but ended up just towing it most of the time.

Anyway, keep us posted on your trip! Is the Prairie new to you? What hull number?
 
Google “Dinghy Butler” , I really like their product
 
Google “Dinghy Butler” , I really like their product
Thanks for the advice. I have never heard of them. I just visited their website and they have some nice products. Thank you very much.
 
I'd be curious to see what you end up with. I've thought about davits on my Prairie 36 but never really got serious about it. I used the clips on my last dinghy (a RIB) when we did the Down East loop but ended up just towing it most of the time.

Anyway, keep us posted on your trip! Is the Prairie new to you? What hull number?
Capt Tom,
Thanks for your reply. I appreciate your response. My boat is hull number 011. We have owned her for almost 20 years. She was in Panama City when hurricane Michael destroyed the marina she was moored in and she survived with minor damage. Tough ole gal!
 
You might investigate Weaver Industries. I have their snap davits for my 9' hard dinhy and they work fine.
 
What do you think of 'pull on davits' versus the lift up davits?
 
I'll second Dinghy Butler. Dick is easy to work with and bent on getting it right. Our high lift model has been great. I love that it keeps our swim platform free for boarding and our sightlines unobstructed from the cockpit.

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In case you haven't already looked into it, be careful about relying posted weights of Boston Whaler models. Especially older boats can weigh a lot more than they did when new as water intrudes into the foam between the inner and outer hull. Find a way to have your boat weighed and use that figure when deciding about davit systems.
 
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