Hydraulic Swim Platforms by Florida Bow Thruster

Ummm...

That won't work for the dinghy I carry. Those are too close together especially for the rear of the dinghy....

I want to see a picture with a RIB or Jet Ski sitting on it.
 
Four Suns said:
Ummm...

That won't work for the dinghy I carry. Those are too close together especially for the rear of the dinghy....

I want to see a picture with a RIB or Jet Ski sitting on it.
Click to expand...

How far apart are yours? I was more concerned that the inboard tube of the inflatable may not clear the permanent swim platform when coming up...
 
According the the supplier: "The rolling chocks move aft when deploying the tender/pwc and forward when stowing" thus allowing the beam of the tender to clear the aft edge of the swim platform. I'd want to see how this works!
 
I would still be concerned those chocks for the rear of the dinghy are too close together. The dead rise on a RIB is probably all of 20 degrees and you have to space the chocks apart with about a 10 inches in between them... at least for my dinghy.

That is, of course, if you want the dinghy to firmly sit in the chocks and not tip out or fall out without a tie strap on it.

You north Bay guys probably have smallish dinghies though...
 
Here's a pic of my dinghy on the back of the 480. That platform is just under 4' wide and you can see how the rear of the dinghy sits in the cradle. I just don't see how you can do this with a 2' platform.

dinghy.jpg
 
I hear you.

But, my buddy has a manly dinghy on a Florida Thrusters platform and the chocks are as close together as the ones on the Sea Lift platform. To date, the dinghy has not fallen out of the chocks. True he has never been in the studly part of the bay, but sometimes those two footers up here can have some real bite!

Also the Sea Lift platform is 36" at its widest (where the chocks are)... in your picture I see lots of extra width on either side of the chocks on your just under four feet wide platform. How far apart are your chocks at their furthest?
 
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Flettis said:
Has anyone had Florida Bow Thruster (folks who make them for stock Sea Rays) install a Hydraulic Swim Platform??? If so what did it cost to have it done aftermarket? Or did you get a quote and not do it? Just trying to figure out what the best deal is out there...
Click to expand...

I had the platform added at time of purchase on my 2006 44 Sundancer. The list on the option was 30k, but added 10k to my deal.

After 18 months and 350 hours, my platform is starting to lean to one side and is no longer square to the transom (my dingy well within weight specs).

My SR Dealer tells me FBT has had problems and will repair when hauled for the winter.

Stay tuned for the end result after repair.
 
Guys ,
I was at the NY boat show and the FREEDOM Lift looks like a good product. 20 grand installed . There is wiggle room there. For my 44 they have to cut into the bottom of my swim platform... The brackets are long.

Just figured id throw this in for the guys on the fence . I think he said hold up to 1000 lbs .

Entry and exiting from the stern only is still an issue.


Rob
 
As an FYI, when I was putting together the deal on my 36DB we were going to add a Sea Lift Platform, the Service Manager who previously worked at Sea Ray Merritt Island called down to double check before we finalized everything in the contract. After a few calls Sea Ray said if you have Sea Lift or if you have your Authorized Sea Ray dealer install this lift - your hull warranty will be voided.

In the end, we did not add the lift. You may want to fully investigate what Sea Ray has to say about your hull warranty and what lift you install on your boat. Just wanted to share what happened to us.
 
Not sure if it was a MarQuipt or a QuickLift davit, but there was a shop here that custom installed these things. I saw a few installations on the back of a few mid-forty footers. They run the main support though the platform and tie it into the transom and stringers with a hefty welded aluminum bracket they fabricated. The davit itself is mostly hidden on the platform by the tender. Being low profile, they don't look too bad. Considering that five figures of hardware aren't hanging in saltwater like a platform lift, the crane seems like a good idea.

Best regards,
Frank C
 
To answer the original question on this post, We have hauled out many large Sea Ray's for the Florida Bow thruster guys for both platforms and thrusters. I was very sceptical at first but they finished every single one in two or three days and not one of them has had a problem that I am aware of.

I don't know how price competitive they are, but I can tell you they do a very good job.
 
Reviving an old thread.

I'll likely be in the market for a hyd SP lift soon. My marina seems to lean heavily toward Fl Bow Thruster platforms. What is the latest info from all of you who have been down this road? 44DB
 
Have you seen the thread on with the Sunseeker that caught fire. Do you think his is available???? :smt009:smt009:smt043:smt043
 
There was a "lively" thread a while back started by nationwide bow thrusters (they are florida bow thruster) about an install - several members jumped all over them about not oversizing the holes under the waterline and then using epoxy and re drilling the correct size - it seems they opt for the "5200" route - the thread got a little out of hand if I remember correctly - if you can't find it it may have been locked or deleted

EDIT: found it - search member nationwidebowthruster
 
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John, FW tried to talk me out of a hydraulic platform... but I didn't listen. So I'm going to try and talk you out of one.
 
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