Tender Cranes - What do you have and is it reliable?

[IRENE]

We are exploring the purchase and installation of a tender crane for IRENE. I am using the term “crane” to specify a deck-mounted boom. These appear to include everything from “pipe davits” to elaborate multi-functional hydraulic units.

Our boat is 40 feet long, and the crane will need to have about an 800-pound capacity. Intentions are to mount it on the deck above the salon via standpipe mount. There is ample 12VDC power at the base of the standpipe. This will primarily lift a fully-equipped AB 9.5 tender.

What we hope to achieve with this installation:

1. Simple and safe to launch/recover the tender, such as hauling it aboard for the night to prevent theft or facilitate a hasty departure.

2. Easy to use as we age. I want to reduce the risk of injury as much as possible.

3. Not overly complex. I want to maintain it myself and have spares aboard.

Nick Jackson low profile units are intriguing to me. I am also aware of a significant number of pendant failures from another manufacturer. I have little to no experience with cranes.

What do you have? What have you used? Is it reliable? What do you love about your crane? What do you hate about your crane? What do I need to know?

THANK YOU for your consideration.

 

[porman]

Take a look at Roskelley/Olsson Davits in Seattle. Full discloser, Sam Olsson is a friend of mine.

 

[tiltrider1]

I know both Sam and Nick. Contact them direct and discuss your needs with them. You will get good answers that you can trust.

I have both a 1000# winch style crane and a 1500# hydraulic crane. The winch style only feeds cable in and out. My 1500# crane can raise the boom as well as rotate which makes it much nicer and safer than the winch style crane, also makes it much more expensive.

 

[mvweebles]

2 years ago I purchased a pipe davit for my Willard 36 from Nick Jackson. I think it's rated at 800 lb capacity so much different than what you're looking for. But I can say that I enjoyed meeting him over the phone, he was very responsive, and the product was well made. Zero comings. I forget exactly, but I think it was around $2300 plus shipping.

At the other end of the spectrum is a good friend with a very nice nearly new 52 trawler cat. His tender is a 12 or 14 footer with steering console, so pretty heavy. He wishes his davit crane had power rotate in addition to power in/out, power boom lift, and of course power retrieve. I don't know the cost, but I was probably 35 years old before I spent that much on a car.

Peter

 

[Pau Hana]

Another vote for Nick Jackson- he knows his product, and will work with you on a solution that meets/exceeds your needs.

 

[Insequent]

Nick Jackson. Mine is rated at #1500, more than enough for 14' AB with centre console and 40HP Honda. Get hydraulic rotation - as you get older you do not want a wildly swinging dink due to waves or wakes.

 

[koliver]

Safety note:

I have seen a couple of spectacular failures of the "low profile" crane mounted on the boat deck. One, on a GB 42 Europa, was mounted to the boat deck with a circle of bolts. When lifting a dinghy of 4 or 5 hundred pounds, the deck tore off around that circle and all fell over, putting the dinghy back in the water and embarrassing the owner.
The second was a much heavier duty crane lifting a much heavier dinghy. This crane had lifted that dinghy for many years, but on this occasion the 1.5" diameter boom support collapsed. The whole low profile apparatus jumped off its post, which stood 18" above the deck, and flipped over the side, landing in the dinghy, doing a few boat bucks damage to the dinghy. Luckily, little other damage and no injuries.
Moral of this story, don't overload, or, don't load to anything like advertised capacity.

If you can mount transom davits, they will be much safer. Nick J has some great designs. If you need a dinghy too big for the transom, consider towing.

 

[catalinajack]

We are exploring the purchase and installation of a tender crane for IRENE. I am using the term “crane” to specify a deck-mounted boom. These appear to include everything from “pipe davits” to elaborate multi-functional hydraulic units.

Our boat is 40 feet long, and the crane will need to have about an 800-pound capacity. Intentions are to mount it on the deck above the salon via standpipe mount. There is ample 12VDC power at the base of the standpipe. This will primarily lift a fully-equipped AB 9.5 tender.

What we hope to achieve with this installation:

1. Simple and safe to launch/recover the tender, such as hauling it aboard for the night to prevent theft or facilitate a hasty departure.

2. Easy to use as we age. I want to reduce the risk of injury as much as possible.

3. Not overly complex. I want to maintain it myself and have spares aboard.

Nick Jackson low profile units are intriguing to me. I am also aware of a significant number of pendant failures from another manufacturer. I have little to no experience with cranes.

What do you have? What have you used? Is it reliable? What do you love about your crane? What do you hate about your crane? What do I need to know?

THANK YOU for your consideration.

Simple and safe to launch? Will wind affect safety? With a single lift point, will the dinghy spin around as it is lifted? There is nothing simple about a crane with 800 pounds hanging off the side of the boat swaying in the wind or a rolly anchorage.

Hasty departure? Perhaps with many, many launchings and retrievals you might gain enough proficiency to launch fairly quickly but a crane will never be as easy as a transom davit. A dinghy can be launched from a transom davit in less than five minutes, retrieved in maybe a few more. In an emergency, in a rolling and pitching sea, can you imagine yourself high up on the boat deck rotating 800 pounds over the side and then trying to find a way to get in the dinghy.

Also, forget about launching when you are in a slip. If it were I, and my boat could accommodate a transom davit, I would be calling Nick Jackson.

By the way, our boat came with a crane. We used it once and determined right then and there that we never wanted to use it again. We installed a transom davit and used it a lot on the Great Loop. Having had and used both, I can say that, for us, there is no comparison for ease of use and safety. Get a crane and I'll bet that your dinghy will stay right where it is on the boat deck rarely being launched.

Others will have an opposite opinion. Hopefully, you will get enough of a response for you to make a consensus decision. It's the way of this forum.

We are exploring the purchase and installation of a tender crane for IRENE. I am using the term “crane” to specify a deck-mounted boom. These appear to include everything from “pipe davits” to elaborate multi-functional hydraulic units.

Our boat is 40 feet long, and the crane will need to have about an 800-pound capacity. Intentions are to mount it on the deck above the salon via standpipe mount. There is ample 12VDC power at the base of the standpipe. This will primarily lift a fully-equipped AB 9.5 tender.

What we hope to achieve with this installation:

1. Simple and safe to launch/recover the tender, such as hauling it aboard for the night to prevent theft or facilitate a hasty departure.

2. Easy to use as we age. I want to reduce the risk of injury as much as possible.

3. Not overly complex. I want to maintain it myself and have spares aboard.

Nick Jackson low profile units are intriguing to me. I am also aware of a significant number of pendant failures from another manufacturer. I have little to no experience with cranes.

What do you have? What have you used? Is it reliable? What do you love about your crane? What do you hate about your crane? What do I need to know?

THANK YOU for your consideration.

 

[O C Diver]

Another vote for Nick Jackson. Very happy with my low profile crane.

Ted

 

[Larry M]

Another vote for Nick Jackson. Very happy with my low profile crane.

Ted

One more here for Nick. We have the low profile also. We hoist the dinghy nightly to about three feet out of the water just to keep the growth down and for security. A one person job. We did replace the ss cable with Dyneema and no more meat hooks.

 

[danderer]

One more here for Nick. We have the low profile also. We hoist the dinghy nightly to about three feet out of the water just to keep the growth down and for security. A one person job. We did replace the ss cable with Dyneema and no more meat hooks.

We've got a Nick Jackson low profile too. 1000 lb rating; our tender is about 450 lbs. Works fine. Power rotate would have been nice but not necessary (based on our very limited experience).

What was involved in the Dyneema change? Something I'd like to do if there are no significant downsides.

 

[Pau Hana]

We've got a Nick Jackson low profile too. 1000 lb rating; our tender is about 450 lbs. Works fine. Power rotate would have been nice but not necessary (based on our very limited experience).

What was involved in the Dyneema change? Something I'd like to do if there are no significant downsides.

It’s a simple unspool and respool, with proper securing splices. Amsteel line is super strong - a line the diameter of your current wire (1/4”) can safely handle 7700 lbs.

 

[Retriever]

The current boat came with a 1000lb Nick Jackson. It's ~20 years old and still going strong. Not sure if there have been failures along the way.

I find it easy to launch the ~350lb dinghy by myself in all conditions we've encountered. The whole process (launch or retrieve) takes me about 5 minutes. Much easier than expected. The davit has a power winch and hydraulic tilt/lifting of the arm (luffing?) but no power rotation or extension. If I were buying new I'd look at both—power rotation to increase control and ease rotation (especially when pulling "uphill" if we are listing at all), and extension to launch from either side or aft. I'm not sure I'd be willing to pay a lot extra for either feature, though, given that they add complexity and lacking them hasn't been problematic thus far.

 

[Larry M]

...What was involved in the Dyneema change? Something I'd like to do if there are no significant downsides.

It’s a simple unspool and respool, with proper securing splices. Amsteel line is super strong - a line the diameter of your current wire (1/4”) can safely handle 7700 lbs.

It is easy. As per Nick Jackson, you need a minimum of 4 wraps on the drum because the line is so slippery. We spliced and eye/thimble on first for the headache ball. Dyneema/Amsteel is very easy to splice with lots of guidance on YouTube. 50 feet will do it with some left over.

 

[tiltrider1]

Simple and safe to launch? Will wind affect safety? With a single lift point, will the dinghy spin around as it is lifted? There is nothing simple about a crane with 800 pounds hanging off the side of the boat swaying in the wind or a rolly anchorage.

Hasty departure? Perhaps with many, many launchings and retrievals you might gain enough proficiency to launch fairly quickly but a crane will never be as easy as a transom davit. A dinghy can be launched from a transom davit in less than five minutes, retrieved in maybe a few more. In an emergency, in a rolling and pitching sea, can you imagine yourself high up on the boat deck rotating 800 pounds over the side and then trying to find a way to get in the dinghy.

Also, forget about launching when you are in a slip. If it were I, and my boat could accommodate a transom davit, I would be calling Nick Jackson.

By the way, our boat came with a crane. We used it once and determined right then and there that we never wanted to use it again. We installed a transom davit and used it a lot on the Great Loop. Having had and used both, I can say that, for us, there is no comparison for ease of use and safety. Get a crane and I'll bet that your dinghy will stay right where it is on the boat deck rarely being launched.

Others will have an opposite opinion. Hopefully, you will get enough of a response for you to make a consensus decision. It's the way of this forum.

I have had both systems and they both have pro’s and con’s. Can not say one system is right for everyone. With my last boat I had excess space in my slip so hanging a dingy off the back was no big deal. It also gave me more deck space which I needed. My current boat fills up the entire slip, no room to dangle a dingy off the back. My dingy is much more secure from theft and vandalism now, I don’t need to remove accessories for safe keeping.

 

[Woodland Hills]

If you are concerned at all about aging out of your davit, get power rotation. As you and your davit age and things do not move as easily as they did when new, it will get harder and harder to pull/swing the tender uphill to get it onboard. Power rotation will allow you or your spouse to launch and retrieve your tender into your 80’s.

We have a MarQuipt 1500lb davit with power boom lift and rotation and it is one of the best improvements we ever made to our home.

 

[tozz]

---snip---

...Moral of this story, don't overload, or, don't load to anything like advertised capacity.

If you can mount transom davits, they will be much safer. Nick J has some great designs. If you need a dinghy too big for the transom, consider towing.

Good advice! Also know the angle limits of the system if there are any. Our Marquipt has an inclinometer that shows the ball in the red or the green so I know when I'm not lowering the boom too far towards parallel.

I see a LOT of people out there lowering dinghies with the boom straight out and I cringe waiting for the inevitable failure due to the stresses on the bases.

-tozz

 

[Fletcher500]

We have a Nick Jackson. Heavy load pictured; 22 lbs.

 

[Cruzer]

We went through a similar process when we were on the hunt for a replacement for OLOH's factory installed davit (crane) which only had a power winch, meaning every other function was manual. Particularly because of its location, we found that to be very unsafe and it was our first major upgrade (we went with Steelhead and have been very happy with our choice).

Echoing what has been said, if safety and ease of operation are primary concerns, the more functions that have power, the better off you will be. Best case, find a unit that suits your needs with power rotation, luffing, extension and obviously winching. We detailed our experience of our search and our installation here. While we were in the market for something with at least 1,000 lb capacity, hopefully the bases we covered will be of at least some help.

 

[Stout]

Our boat came with a Steelhead Marine ES1000 hydraulic crane. It is 1000lb rated and works great with our 11.5’ Whaler with 25HP Merchatsu. It has power rotation, luffing and lift with Amsteel rope. The power rotation makes a huge difference if you have a heavy dinghy. Instead of a winch, this crane uses a hydraulic cylinder with 6 pulleys to raise & lower, very smooth. We did slow down the action with the flow valves so there is little to no “jerking”. We do not try to launch/retrieve in heavy seas and winds. Ours is mounted using a pipe that runs from the bilge up through the top deck with a through bolted collar. Seems to be a robust install. We are very happy with it. The only thing I would change is go from the wired remote to a wireless. The new units come with a wireless controller.

 

[Bud]

We are taking delivery on a pipe davit crane from nick jackson next week. To be mounted on trunk cabin deck and overhang of salon house.

Bud

 

[firehoser75]

Safety note:

I have seen a couple of spectacular failures of the "low profile" crane mounted on the boat deck. One, on a GB 42 Europa, was mounted to the boat deck with a circle of bolts. When lifting a dinghy of 4 or 5 hundred pounds, the deck tore off around that circle and all fell over, putting the dinghy back in the water and embarrassing the owner.
The second was a much heavier duty crane lifting a much heavier dinghy. This crane had lifted that dinghy for many years, but on this occasion the 1.5" diameter boom support collapsed. The whole low profile apparatus jumped off its post, which stood 18" above the deck, and flipped over the side, landing in the dinghy, doing a few boat bucks damage to the dinghy. Luckily, little other damage and no injuries.
Moral of this story, don't overload, or, don't load to anything like advertised capacity.

If you can mount transom davits, they will be much safer. Nick J has some great designs. If you need a dinghy too big for the transom, consider towing.

I agree completely with Keith on this one. Look for a transom mount system, there are many types and brands, or if your tender is too heavy or large for that, then tow. At the minimum if you do decide to go with the upper deck crane, ensure it is well oversized (good safety margin) for the expected loading.
We often boat with friends from Seattle who have a much larger boat than ours with their dinghy mounted up top. All summer, on our trip together "buddy boating" on the BC central coast, we used our transom mounted dinghy for crabbing , etc. and theirs never left the top deck. Ours launched and retrieved with no fuss or muss in less than 5 minutes.
Also, (from observation of others only) I don't like to see how much some boats list over when deploying or retrieving their dinghies on smaller boats (40 feet would fall into this category based on my observations), especially in a situation with wind and waves.
All systems have their pros and cons, and only you can decide what will best meet your needs.

 

[Larry M]

We are taking delivery on a pipe davit crane from nick jackson next week. To be mounted on trunk cabin deck and overhang of salon house.

Bud

Let us know how the install goes and how you like it. I haven’t seen one of their pipe davits yet but I’ve heard good reviews.

 

[Simi 60]

Davits for us
No way would I have a crane , rather keep weight down low, not up high.

 

[Fletcher500]

I know a lot of people use Davit/Cranes to lift good size Dinghys up top with no problems, but this also made me a bit uneasy as posted by others. We have a very small Dink and electric motor that I will use the crane for, but I decided to tow our larger Bullfrog for some of the reasons previously posted. I have been through some fairly good size swell on tight intervals including runs that lasted all night and the Bullfrog with its high bow handles it well on the tow. Again, lots of people hoist large tenders up with no issues, just my .02.

 

[Bud]

We are changing from davits in the stern to a crane to put dinghy on trunk cabin. The dinghy on the davits in the stern is in our way when we fish, dive or snorkle. We want it out of the way on the trunk cabin when we are not using it. Lifting it on and off is a process that has to be done carefully. Much can be done with the hook up arrangement to simplify and maintain safety.

Bud

Bud

 

[firehoser75]

Bud,
I hope it works out and meets all of your expectations.
Like I said earlier, there are compromises with any system. You experienced some of the davit on the stern negatives. However, I know many people who have their dinghy "up top" (your boat is not so "up top" as many other makes) and severely curtail their use of the dinghy due to the time and effort it takes them to launch and retrieve. Again, compromises.

 

[jimdavi]

+1, Factory installed Nick Jackson davit.

 

[IRENE]

Thank You

Thank you to everyone that took time to provide input. We are certainly better off as a result!

 

[Bud]

Let us know how the install goes and how you like it. I haven’t seen one of their pipe davits yet but I’ve heard good reviews.

We finally completed the install of the new davit crane from nick jackson. It was quite a bit of back and forth but I am very pleased with the result.