All Davit Owners Please Post

[Hampton]

Once I hear from my accountant on how much I owe this year, I might order the platform, I'll let you know.
SB

I'll be really jealous. I love the looks of the back of a Sea Ray with a double platform, like my buddy's 420. That's ok. We're almost done upgrading this one, then we'll enjoy it for a couple of years before moving up to a diesel. At that point, I see us getting one of those little hard-bottom dinghies with 25 - 50 HP, center console, bimini, trim tabs, GPS, VHF, stereo, and chartplotter like my buddy Tommy has with his 500 (no kidding - trim tabs).

I'm going to have to modify our marina eventually. Since my slip is the last one inside everyone, next to the breakwater, the manager says I'll be able to add another row of pilings to fit a 420, but we'll have to solicit the environmentalists and wait a year or more for clearance to add 2 pilings and move a third one - on an Air Force installation... If I were to get that done early, I could add a swim platform extension, but at that point, I'm probably better off waiting to upgrade.

Take pictures!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Newbie]

We're almost done upgrading this one, then we'll enjoy it for a couple of years before moving up to a diesel.

You need the platform to carry all that horse chit around on. Theres no such thing as being done upgrading :lol:

I'd start the solicitations now. Thats probably going to take forever and if I get a platform, your gonna want one.....
They've never made one for the 03+ 340 so I get to have some input on the design of it which is nice. Been thinking a lot about it over the last few days.

 

[Hampton]

You need the platform to carry all that horse chit around on. Theres no such thing as being done upgrading :lol:

I'd start the solicitations now. Thats probably going to take forever and if I get a platform, your gonna want one.....
They've never made one for the 03+ 340 so I get to have some input on the design of it which is nice. Been thinking a lot about it over the last few days.

High or low? Make it hydraulic!

I think I would like it low. It's so high up off of the water on the back of the 340 for swimming, dangling your feet, and/or loading a dinghy.

 

[Alex F]

My choice was a different approach.......my platform is about 50 inches wide so we bought a 310 Zodiac with the hi-pressure air floor. It weighs 56 lbs and is easy to slide up on the platform and tie down to stern cleats. I use a 2 hp Honda that weighs 26 lbs so I really don't need a davit system to aid in loading either.

My advice is to carefully consider anything you mount permanently to the platform because you will have to deal with it every single time you or any member of your family gets in the water.

Frank,
Even though we don't have the same luxury on using the boats so much, I still follow similar logic as you're explaning. I'm thinking upgrading my small dinghy (I got it when we still had 240DA and it was great to play with kids and take short trips to the shore) and even with all fency and interesting aproaches I like how my current one works (except that it's too small). Although, the hard bottom dinghies are very nice, I'm not really sure it's all that necessary. So, I'm also watching closely how John's project is developing, b/c sooner or later I'll need to make my decision as well. Here's the pic of how my small dinghy sits on the platform.

 

[CAMELLA]

John,

I added the Nautley Dinghyramp this weekend on my 2008 340DA and it works great. It does require a little manpower to pull the dinghy onto the higher swim platform. I have a 9.5' dinghy with a 6hp 4 stroke motor. I purchased the DinghyRamp HD extended which gives an extra 4 inches on the platform. I tried to take some pictures of the set up but my camera battery was completely dead. I'll try to take some pictures this week.

 

[Sum Escape]

We installed a Hurley system for our hard bottom Zodiac 310 (10'3"") with a 15HP Mercury (two stroke). The swim platform on our boat is quite high off the water so it really takes two people with one little tug and it is loaded. Can do it with one but takes a bit of "muscle" and finesse (not recommended). The best part is the tiny blocks that are left behind if you want to remove the system from the swim platform (which we do often). Haven't had any problems with heavy seas, quartering or following, probably due to the height of our platform. Have access to transom door and to transom storage when dinghy is loaded. A little tight squeezing through when in port but that can be alleviated by letting the dinghy tie downs out a bit and allowing the system to tilt part way. All in all, very happy with the system.

 

[Converse48]

I have the Hurley's on my 44DB. My platform is also high off the water. Once I came up with my "lifting system", a.k.a. Miss Michigan (see below), I am happy with the system for the following reasons:
- to Frank's point, there is minimal hardware left on the swim platform hanging around to maim swimmers and small animals when then system is not in use.
- the davit system is small, light and easy to store when not in use.
- the system holds the dinghy (310 RIB with 2-stroke 9.9) firmly on the platform while allowing access to the swim platform door.
- we have had no problems in any seas.
- the price is right!

So what's with Miss Michigan? She is a 4:1 block and tackle with a cam cleat that I attach to a loop of rope that is attached to a stanchion base on the flying bridge. She gets attached to a three-point harness that is attached to the dinghy. Lifting the dinghy on-board is a one-man operation that takes about 90 seconds (including the deployment and detachment of Miss Michigan). The really nice thing about the cam cleat is that it allows me to easily stop in the middle of lifting to properly position the dinghy on the davits. Also, Miss Michigan will NOT allow the dinghy to flip over and land upside down in the water, which happened to me twice before I invented her. See diagram below (we do leave the engine on the dinghy, but it is not depicted in the diagram):

 

[CAMELLA]

I installed the Nautley Dinghyramp HD and attached a few pictures. This is on a 2008 340, 9' 6" dinghy with a 6 HP 4 Stroke motor. I'm very pleased with the set up and would highly recommend this set up to anyone who is looking to transport a dinghy. The trick to loading the dinghy is to tie the bow of the dinghy to the swim platform with roughly 24" of line. Tie a line to the transom of the dingy and allow the line to go under the tube on the dinghy. This will help pull the dinghy on the swim platform. Get a good grip on the line and pull until it looks like the dinghy is almost vertical, then pull done on the type and the dinghy is on the swim platform. Tie it off from the transom to swim platfrom and the bow to the swim platform and your done. It does take a little pratice but its not too bad.

 

[Pseudomind]

Anyone have this type of dinghy? I was introduced to this type yesterday. Thet ar ea bi tmore expesive, but I like what I see fo rthe price.

I am looking at and thinking about the "Sport 10 Sport Boat"

 

[ditto]

I have a 10 tender, they were called BOSS Boats then, about 5 years ago when :smt038i bought mine... great boat, still have it but it is a bit heavy for my 31 with The Hurly system. 15 HP Honda fits great too! :smt038:smt038

 

[Pseudomind]

That brings up my next question, what is considered the maximum weight one could expect to put on the swim platform without one damaging the platform possibly and to making a noticeably affect on boats performance/

I would guess that with my boat staying under 500 pounds should be OK...but I do not know.

So how about some help out there please?

Thanks

:thumbsup:

 

[gyrospiro]

When we had a 340,the dinghy is a caribe 10x 165lbs, 15 hp 4 stroke johson 97 lbs. DinghyRamp Extended HD+. It took 2 men to pull up on platform,
so I hooked a trailer winch to a u bolt in the transom locker. Then I could crank up by myself.

 

[Hampton]

Great photos and stories for 340 guys - thank you. I think I need a Miss Michigan. I've been practicing. What do you think? "Come on, honey, all of the other guys have a Miss Michigan. Miss Michigan will make boating sooo much easier and more fun for us all." How am I doing? Will it work?

Edit: I can here her response now. "Who's going to take care of Miss Michigan? It won't stay "Miss" Michigan forever. It'll get older and all of the pretty shine will wear off. What then?"

 

[SR400DB]

Here are some photos of my dinghy cradle/davit. I made some "cool mods" to the mounts.

This is how the arms were mounted originally. I did not like the narrow point loads for the weight and the tie down system was not perfect.

As stated earlier, it works pretty well with a block and tackle to assist in loading.

 

[Pseudomind]

That brings up my next question, what is considered the maximum weight one could expect to put on the swim platform without one damaging the platform possibly and to making a noticeably affect on boats performance/

I would guess that with my boat staying under 500 pounds should be OK...but I do not know.

So how about some help out there please?

Thanks

:thumbsup:

No answers for this question(s)

I am thinking/guessing keeping the weight under 400 pounds for underway weight should not matter that much and that the platform should be able to hold at least 1,000 pounds when docked or moored as a maximum.

So who believes the swim platform can hold five grown men?

I am talking about the type of swim platform I have, any constructive comments?

 

[Straykatts]

I wrote to SeaRay before I purchased my dingy and davit, asking about the load rating and if my estimated 250 pounds was going to be OK. Below is what a guy wrote back, and saying that I will be OK.

I don't have the same boat as you, but my swim platform is the same type so maybe this applies.

Interesting to me that they described the stress on the transom, as opposed to the stress on the swim platform. Can't say for sure, but that would indicate the weak link would be the transom where the platform is mounted. If you think about the cantilevered mounting condition, it might make some sense.

Sea Ray said:

The stress that the transom can endure for sustained running is a maximum of 600 lbs applied on the swim platform.

 

[Pseudomind]

Thanks StrayKatts

The current rig I am looking at is probably around 350 pounds

10 1/2 foot rigid dinghy with a 25 horsepower 4 stroke Yamaha

:thumbsup:

 

[Pseudomind]

Here is a reply I received from Sea Ray Florida today, I have removed the senders name. This is from the 35-68 foot division.

Thanks Gary for your assistance, Now get that shoulder better :thumbsup:

Sea Ray: Contact Sea Ray 35-68

Good afternoon,

Yes 600lbs is a correct capacity. Some of our larger boats with hydraulic lifts are higher at 800lbs, but they have transoms with extra material for such weight.


Thank you,

***** *******
Florida Customer Service Group
Sea Ray Sport Yachts and Yachts - Meridian Yachts

 

[Pseudomind]

I have not read anything about this, but what determines the placement of the davits. I am referring to their spacing, for example lets say I have an 8.5 foot dinghy which will only use a motor of less then 5 HP. I install davits, a year from now I decide to upgrade to a 11.5 dinghy which will handle a 25 HP motor, do the current davits now have to be repositioned to change their spacing ?


My swim platform is approximately 3 feet by 11 feet, many dinghy's come with somewhere between a 5 to 6 foot beam. This means I have to use a davit system which would center the keel of the dinghy about one foot past my swim platform in order to have less then one foot to access my transom storage.

How many here have the davit system which centers their keel off their swim platform? Do you notice any performance issues by doing so?

Seems to me with the keel positioned a foot off of the swim platform (Lets say dinghy with fuel and 25 HP engine weights around 400 - 450 pounds) that this would want to create some type of fulcrum affect pressing down on the stern while one was underway?

To me these are all quite serious questions, and finding answers is like pulling teeth.

I am kicking myself today as I had the chance to purchase a 10.5 foot Boss rigid dinghy All fiberglass), yesterday with trailer, sunbrella cover, six gallon fuel tank, and two year old 25 horsepower Yamaha (short shaft) with extended warranty for $4,500.00 and passed on it.

Oh well when I get my questions answered I will find another deal.

Thanks

 

[HavnFunYet?]

Went with the Weaver system on mine...do not like the "toe stubbers" that are on the swim platform...had to add risers of about 3" and the first time out I about broke 4 toes!

That being said, the most ingenious thing I bought with the setup is the Weaver Lever which allows me to swivel the 9.9HP 4 stroke on axis while still attached to the dinghy. I don't have to put the motor on and take it off every time I want to use the dinghy and this contraption is the best! Absolutely love it!