SeaRM
New Member
- Feb 21, 2007
- 96
Re: SeaLift Ordered -status??
Whoops! Sorry guys just got busy and neglected following up on this post. Here is an update:
Once the boat was in the water we did have one leak where one of the hydraulic fittings passed through the bulkhead. It leaked pretty steady so we had to immediately haul out and they resealed the fitting and all was fine thereafter.
Eager to try out the lift, I brought my Polaris Virage I waverunner as well as the Avon DL360 RIB tender to try them out. So we extended the chocks, lowered the platform and the waverunner slid on like a glove. It raised up beautifully and looked great in place. We strapped it down and took it for a ride. I found the straps difficult to hook onto the D-rings in the platform as they are in a tight place directly under the hull. Not so much a problem in warm water/weather - but definitely cool laying in cold water on the platform trying to reach under the w.runner. Anyway - that's a minor thing and something I'm sure I can figure out.
Anyway - underway with the ~680lb. load I found the handling to be noticably more sluggish. Turning in tight quarters takes a bit more effort. The 420DA normally needs no tabs for a 5-star level ride. I found that with the load on the back there is now some bow rise - but nothing like my old 340DA. Regardless - a flick of the tabs and all is pretty normal....with the diesels there is still no lag and no shortage of power or torque by any means.
Anyway - back to the SeaLift. We rode that day and really was happy with the setup. We got back, unloaded the Polaris and glided the Avon into place. At this point I should note that the Avon DL340 is basically a pint-sized mini-yacht inflatable. Its loaded with features including a full gauge package, 10 gallon fuel tank, cup holders, 3 seats, storage compartments, electric extending nav-light, and a whopping Yamaha 40hp 4-stroke motor. Yet, even with all of this it weighs just about the same as the Polaris waverunner at about 680 lbs. wet - and is just under 12' long...less than the beam of the 420DA at its widest point (though not at the transom).
Upon sliding the Avon into place, we started to run into some problems. With the big outboard, the Avon sets fairly stern low in the water and it wanted to catch on the chocks before it was far enough into place. Again not a huge problem - with 2 solutions...either put some weight up front (including a small person) to balance out the load, or lift up on the transom using a boat-hook. Either way gets the Avon where it needs to be.
However, our first lift found the Avon much too far aft on the chocks and it immediately tipped backwards off the chocks. While it appeared to be no big deal, it was to have ramifications later on. We simply repositioned the dinghy further toward the bow this time and wallah...a push of a button and up came the Avon looking substantial but solid on the platform.
Here is where we ran into major problems. The chocks on the SeaLift platform are actually a pretty cool design. They simply conform to the bottom of the tender and are mounted on what look like 4 roller skate wheels down in a recess of the platform. When loading - you be sure to have the chocks rolled all the way aft. Then after lifted and in place, the chocks are pulled forward to bring the load further forward. In concept its a great idea.
However, apparently on our first failed attempt to bring the Avon up...we loaded the stern side chock too heavily and it bent the "axle" of the roller skate wheels. This bottomed out the chock and made fore/aft movement a no-go situation. It was clear what had happened and needless to say we were disappointed. So we unloaded everything and called it a weekend.
The next Monday I sent SeaLift an email describing the issue and was surprised to find that they had experienced similar issues on previous installations and already had a fix with a larger Axle (3/4" instead of 1/2" aluminum) in the works. WTF...I'm thinking - why did they install mine with the smaller to begin with. Well - this does go to show you how new this item is...but also how responsive they are to issues that crop up.
Fortunately, they had installers in the area and a complete new set of chocks and related equipment were installed within a week. Now, the Avon loads and slides as intended and the load is very stable.
I should say however that my choice of a 340 sized RIB is really on the maximum size. Despite being well within the weight range, the 340 leaves little room on the sides of the boat when docking...no rubbing the rails on dock posts during entry or departure or the lower end of the Yamaha will do some awful unthinkable damage to itself, the tender, the lift, or the DA (can you imagine hooking that thing on a post with a good head of steam?) I'm sharp with my piloting skills so I don't really worry about it...but something definitely to consider.
As far as stability...the SeaLift is well built and there is no swaying of the platform from side to side as asked. However there is a bit of deflection under the uneven load of the Avon...perhaps an inch or less lower on the stern side of the platform and the fit and finish of the platform is so good that you'd have to be looking for it... but like I said probably 80% of the tender's load is on that end. With the waverunner there was no deflection whatsover as the load is pretty balanced with that thing.
Tying it down makes a difference as well - I use the supplied ratchet straps though the bow-eye and through the transom hooks to keep the load down and stable laterally. There's no movement when I'm done and all is well.
Overall I think SeaLift has a winner here. The axle issue was the only weakpoint I have found and that has been permanently solved. The platform looks good, performs well, and is the least heavy and invasive of the platform options available. There were some installation pains but the company was very good about addressing them quickly and adequately. To be completely fair to SeaLift - they were quite clear that I was on the upper end of their targeted load range. More from a size standpoint over weight. They expressed real concern about the size of the 340 hanging over and the ramifications of it catching on something. In any case - I chose what I have and am very pleased with it.
I think if asked, they are marketing this thing for smaller dinghies and waverunner which I think it will handle with flying colors. So as always - do your research before you hook one of these things up!
I'll give updates as they warrant in the future and the pictures I have are on another computer - I'll post those in the near future as well.
Whoops! Sorry guys just got busy and neglected following up on this post. Here is an update:
Once the boat was in the water we did have one leak where one of the hydraulic fittings passed through the bulkhead. It leaked pretty steady so we had to immediately haul out and they resealed the fitting and all was fine thereafter.
Eager to try out the lift, I brought my Polaris Virage I waverunner as well as the Avon DL360 RIB tender to try them out. So we extended the chocks, lowered the platform and the waverunner slid on like a glove. It raised up beautifully and looked great in place. We strapped it down and took it for a ride. I found the straps difficult to hook onto the D-rings in the platform as they are in a tight place directly under the hull. Not so much a problem in warm water/weather - but definitely cool laying in cold water on the platform trying to reach under the w.runner. Anyway - that's a minor thing and something I'm sure I can figure out.
Anyway - underway with the ~680lb. load I found the handling to be noticably more sluggish. Turning in tight quarters takes a bit more effort. The 420DA normally needs no tabs for a 5-star level ride. I found that with the load on the back there is now some bow rise - but nothing like my old 340DA. Regardless - a flick of the tabs and all is pretty normal....with the diesels there is still no lag and no shortage of power or torque by any means.
Anyway - back to the SeaLift. We rode that day and really was happy with the setup. We got back, unloaded the Polaris and glided the Avon into place. At this point I should note that the Avon DL340 is basically a pint-sized mini-yacht inflatable. Its loaded with features including a full gauge package, 10 gallon fuel tank, cup holders, 3 seats, storage compartments, electric extending nav-light, and a whopping Yamaha 40hp 4-stroke motor. Yet, even with all of this it weighs just about the same as the Polaris waverunner at about 680 lbs. wet - and is just under 12' long...less than the beam of the 420DA at its widest point (though not at the transom).
Upon sliding the Avon into place, we started to run into some problems. With the big outboard, the Avon sets fairly stern low in the water and it wanted to catch on the chocks before it was far enough into place. Again not a huge problem - with 2 solutions...either put some weight up front (including a small person) to balance out the load, or lift up on the transom using a boat-hook. Either way gets the Avon where it needs to be.
However, our first lift found the Avon much too far aft on the chocks and it immediately tipped backwards off the chocks. While it appeared to be no big deal, it was to have ramifications later on. We simply repositioned the dinghy further toward the bow this time and wallah...a push of a button and up came the Avon looking substantial but solid on the platform.
Here is where we ran into major problems. The chocks on the SeaLift platform are actually a pretty cool design. They simply conform to the bottom of the tender and are mounted on what look like 4 roller skate wheels down in a recess of the platform. When loading - you be sure to have the chocks rolled all the way aft. Then after lifted and in place, the chocks are pulled forward to bring the load further forward. In concept its a great idea.
However, apparently on our first failed attempt to bring the Avon up...we loaded the stern side chock too heavily and it bent the "axle" of the roller skate wheels. This bottomed out the chock and made fore/aft movement a no-go situation. It was clear what had happened and needless to say we were disappointed. So we unloaded everything and called it a weekend.
The next Monday I sent SeaLift an email describing the issue and was surprised to find that they had experienced similar issues on previous installations and already had a fix with a larger Axle (3/4" instead of 1/2" aluminum) in the works. WTF...I'm thinking - why did they install mine with the smaller to begin with. Well - this does go to show you how new this item is...but also how responsive they are to issues that crop up.
Fortunately, they had installers in the area and a complete new set of chocks and related equipment were installed within a week. Now, the Avon loads and slides as intended and the load is very stable.
I should say however that my choice of a 340 sized RIB is really on the maximum size. Despite being well within the weight range, the 340 leaves little room on the sides of the boat when docking...no rubbing the rails on dock posts during entry or departure or the lower end of the Yamaha will do some awful unthinkable damage to itself, the tender, the lift, or the DA (can you imagine hooking that thing on a post with a good head of steam?) I'm sharp with my piloting skills so I don't really worry about it...but something definitely to consider.
As far as stability...the SeaLift is well built and there is no swaying of the platform from side to side as asked. However there is a bit of deflection under the uneven load of the Avon...perhaps an inch or less lower on the stern side of the platform and the fit and finish of the platform is so good that you'd have to be looking for it... but like I said probably 80% of the tender's load is on that end. With the waverunner there was no deflection whatsover as the load is pretty balanced with that thing.
Tying it down makes a difference as well - I use the supplied ratchet straps though the bow-eye and through the transom hooks to keep the load down and stable laterally. There's no movement when I'm done and all is well.
Overall I think SeaLift has a winner here. The axle issue was the only weakpoint I have found and that has been permanently solved. The platform looks good, performs well, and is the least heavy and invasive of the platform options available. There were some installation pains but the company was very good about addressing them quickly and adequately. To be completely fair to SeaLift - they were quite clear that I was on the upper end of their targeted load range. More from a size standpoint over weight. They expressed real concern about the size of the 340 hanging over and the ramifications of it catching on something. In any case - I chose what I have and am very pleased with it.
I think if asked, they are marketing this thing for smaller dinghies and waverunner which I think it will handle with flying colors. So as always - do your research before you hook one of these things up!
I'll give updates as they warrant in the future and the pictures I have are on another computer - I'll post those in the near future as well.
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