Dinghy option for my '06 340

E

eauty

New Member
Jan 10, 2007
111
Grosse Pointe Park, MI
Boat Info
340 SDA '06
Raymarine C80
Engines
8.1" V-Drives
I want to get a dinghy for our '06 340 SDA and need some input from what works and what doesn't especially with the intergrated swim platform. Please share your thoughts as they relate to size/style of boat, hard or soft bottom, minimum & maximum hp ratings, length of inflatable, etc. Also any pics you can share showing your set up would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
 
eauty said:
I want to get a dinghy for our '06 340 SDA and need some input from what works and what doesn't especially with the intergrated swim platform. Please share your thoughts as they relate to size/style of boat, hard or soft bottom, minimum & maximum hp ratings, length of inflatable, etc. Also any pics you can share showing your set up would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
Click to expand...

I had friends with the same boat and they ordered the longest offset davits they could from Weaver and that worked pretty good for them.
Here's a link to what they ordered.

http://www.weaverindustries.com/ind...-heads-that-are-lowered-down-to-6-inches.html
 
Have you tried the search function? We have lots of good threads on this. In short, you'll have to get some kind of davits and in order to get the right dink for you it's necessary to know how you plan to use it (e.g. just as a tender to get to shore or do you plan to pull a tube to keep kids entertained)? An answer to this will lead you to the size/type of dinghy and the motor size.
 
eauty said:
I want to get a dinghy for our '06 340 SDA and need some input from what works and what doesn't especially with the intergrated swim platform. Please share your thoughts as they relate to size/style of boat, hard or soft bottom, minimum & maximum hp ratings, length of inflatable, etc. Also any pics you can share showing your set up would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
Click to expand...

gwkiwi may chime in here - if he doesn't, PM him. We had a nice discussion about the Nautley davits he installed on his 340...he's got pics of the installation on his blog.
 
If you're planning to go with a davit system that lets the boat sit horizontally on your swimplatform, the dinghy should be 2' shorter than the beam of your boat.
 
blorincz said:
... the dinghy should be 2' shorter than the beam of your boat.
Click to expand...

Is there a reason for 2' or is this just an approximate number?

Based on my experience I would get the dinghy just a bit smaller than your swim platform. The reason being to help with docking. My current dinghy is just about making it, but when I dock I try not to touch anything (pilings for the most part) with any part of my platform and it's much harder with the side winds. Anytime the dinghy is off docking is way much easier regardless if it's blowing 25-30mph.
 
Last edited:
I just put a new 9'5" Baltik wood floor inflatable with a new Yamaha 9.9 on my 2005 340 using the Nautley Davit system

You can view the picture at blog.takestwo.us The system worked well although I just ordered and received a 7 to 1 pulley system to help bring the stern up on the davit if I am by myself as that 18" at the angle is a lift for 2 people.

The dingy travelled well and we brought it from Charleston SC to Jacksonville FL earlier this month.

I am also adding the stainless eyes so that I can cinch the dingy directly down on the davit as opposed to using the standard sea ray eyes which pull it towards the helm.

All in all I am happy although any tender less than 12' can get a little rocky, we went with the wood floor because of our dog who has nails the size of my fingers.

Price wise the Baltik tender was around $800 on ebay with a boat cover delivered to the marina and engine was $2,300 with a 6 year transferable warranty. Yamaha has a deal going on with a free 3 year extension on warranty over standard.

The only other issue is our LOA has grown to just over 40' for dock fees so we take the dingy and engine off when leaving the boat for an extended time and the davit also removes and tucks up in front of the seats on the floor taking us back to 37'6"

I pasted a link below for a couple of photos.

Gerald :smt024

www.takestwo.us
blog.takestwo.us
 
We us a 9'6" inflatable with a hard-inflatable floor by Achilles. We have a 8HP 2-stroke which I can lift up without too much trouble. We tow the dinghy with one end or the other on the SP. With the engine off, we tow it backwards. With the engine on, we tow it forward, but not for longer than a few miles. We don't have davits.

The dinghy runs really, really fast with 2 adults or 2 adults and one teen. 3 full sized adults, and it's not getting up on plane very easily. Works great for 2 and some gear or just 3 people. If idling around, works great with 4.
 
I have a 10.2ft Zodiac with a 9.9 2-stroke Johnson. I purchase the Hurley davits for my 300 SunDancer. It is as big as I'd want to go given the beam of our boat is 10.5 ft. Keep in mind that the Weaver system tips the boat on its side and this may create problems with a 4-stroke outboard since they can't be tipped on certain angles. I've heard of people installing a seperate outboard bracket that tips the motor as the dingy is pulled onto its side but success is questionable. If your buying a 4-stroke, look at Hurley or Nautuils. Our dingy will plane 500lbs or approx 3 adults working full out. Size and power all depend on how you plan to use the dingy but higher HP won't necessarily mean faster planing speed due to the short lenght of the boat. I hope this helps
 
After much research and debate, I installed a sealift hydraulic platform on a 330 (now a 350). What sealed the deal was seeing it installed on a 340. Very pricey but VERY convienient! If you plan on keeping your boat for a while, this might be an option. Launch / retrieve dingy in 10 secs.

I had a 8' 6" Caribe hard bottom with a 6 hp mercury outboard. As soon as I can afford it, I'll be adding one again. In the images below, the chocks for the dinghy laydown so you can use it as a swim platform (great for sitting down in the water), and the straps are stainless.
 
I agree I also looked at various hydraulic platforms but it was too price prohibitive for us as we are probably going to upgrade within 2 years.

But if you don't mind my asking how much did your hydraulic platform cost mounted ?

Thanks
 
We use a West Marine 9' Zodiac with a two stroke 5HP Mariner. We live on the water and cruise the Chesapeake Bay. We only take the dink when we know we will need it, such as anchoring out over night. If we plan to stay in a marina we leave it at our dock. We haul it on the bow and strap it down with bungies to the rails where the sun pad goes. I'm 65 and have now problem getting it up there. If you use a 4 stroke motor you must store it upright or the oil will come out. I am looking for a 2-4hp motor that will fit in my 04 340DA garage. This works for us but may not be the ticket for all. Good luck and safe boating.
George
 
gwkiwi said:
I agree I also looked at various hydraulic platforms but it was too price prohibitive for us as we are probably going to upgrade within 2 years.

But if you don't mind my asking how much did your hydraulic platform cost mounted ?

Thanks
Click to expand...

I had to have a special bracket made because of the stern thruster. Parts / Labor was about 18K.
 
Thanks everyone for your ideas, I really appreciate this input. It has been a great help in getting the info I need to make the decision on boat and storage.
 
I have read a few post on this but was wondering about towing a waverunner behind the 340? Is this easy or a huge pain? This would be more in line with the desires of the 10 and 7 year old children. :smt101
 
WIPlayDate said:
I have read a few post on this but was wondering about towing a waverunner behind the 340? Is this easy or a huge pain? This would be more in line with the desires of the 10 and 7 year old children. :smt101
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Playdate - Here's a good thread on towing PWC's:

http://clubsearay.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8087&highlight=towing+pwc

In Georgia, you have to be 12 and pass an online course to operate one. We got ours when Grant was 12, so he usually rides it out and back to meet us at the anchorage. I have a towdster for any "problems", but so far haven't used it. the water shutoff valve is important if you plan on towing above idle...
 
Thanks Carter! The thread answered my questions perfectly. Looks like the towdster is a nice option. Something I will be looking into further for the kids. And for the record, the two youngins' would be passengers, thank god. :grin:
 
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