Dealing With Dinghy Davits Boat.US Magazine. To Magazine Home Page.By Bill Parlatore.If dinghy storage is lacking on your boat, the wide range of davits now available can offer a solution.Photo Bill Parlatore.When a boat is large enough for even the occasional overnight, the need for a dinghy becomes almost mandatory.But where do you put that all important link to shore for lunch, dinner, shopping for supplies, walking the dog, seeing the sights, exploring the shoreline, or visiting neighboring boats Fortunately, when it comes to davits, we have many choices to suit needs and budgets.Considering the variables when comparing davit systems, and finding the best system may take some research, but there are solutions to fit every boat.The goal is to find the one that works best for your boat and makes your day on the water easy and fun.Dont already have a dinghyThank you for visiting Please remember to bookmark us.Many new items still to come If you need it, ask us, we may have it.We carry Navionics, New England Ropes.Seaward 35 E18 Motor Cruiser.The new Seaward 35 E18 is an updated design based on the wellproven Nelson 35 pilot boat hull.Seaward commissioned the Nelson designer.Tahoe Boats Model 215 IO Price 16,990.Located in Chapin,South Carolina.How To Install Weaver Davits SystemExperts advise choosing the best davit system that fits your boat and letting that dictate your choice of dinghy.Whether you have an express cruiser, trawler, sport cruiser, picnic boat, or other style of craft, before you jump in, make a realistic assessment of your dinghy because its size, weight, and that of its outboard will have a significant impact on davit choices.While a large rigid inflatable boat RIB with a 5.Dinghy size and weight may impact trim, performance, and the structural integrity of your mother ship.While some boat owners get around this by towing their large dinghy, its not a safe or practical solution for anything more than a short hop from one anchorage to another.Tow. Boat. US and the Boat.Solutionone Maritime is the largest privately owned ship supply and service station on The West Coast of Florida.US Marine Insurance Program get dozens of calls each year after a towed dinghy has done damage to itself or the boat towing it.Keith Olver of davit manufacturer KATO Marine says the question of what dinghy you want comes with an important caveat.Its harder for us to design for what owners want, rather than selecting a dinghy for what is possible.If youve already got a dinghy, you may be able to build a system to fit it.If not, the next step is to find a system that works for your boat type, knowing that the system you choose will box in the size and weight of the dinghy.Traditional Davit Arms.Davit arms work best on boats with vertical transoms or sterns with railings strong enough to be the basis of support for the davit arms, such as a lobster boat or trawler style cruiser.The arms mount onto the top of the transom and extend out behind the boat, clearing the swim platform, if there is one.Additional bracing of the transom area is sometimes required to reinforce the hull from the shock loading of a bouncing dinghy in rough weather.Traditional davit arms offer a reliable solution, but the dinghy does block access to the swim platform.Photo Joe MarinWeight is important when planning a traditional davit hanging system.Selecting a pair of davit arms each rated for a maximum of 3.Up to 7. 5 percent of the total weight of the dinghy and outboard is in the stern.So one davit arm will always be loaded much more heavily than the other and may need to be reinforced if theres any question of its ultimate integrity.Other configurations attach the davit arms directly to the stern rail with additional bracing to strengthen the railing support.Olver says its essential to strengthen the stern rail to handle the increased weight of the dinghy hanging from the davit.Its also important to stabilize the davit arms so they cant move from side to side as the boat moves.This lateral support is often done by connecting the davit arms with rigid support between the two.The dinghy must be stabilized to prevent motion when stored.The weight of gravity pulling the dinghy down becomes a compound set of forces when the boat is moving, and every effort must be made to steady and eliminate all movement.Most davit systems that fail do so because the dinghy was allowed to swing underway, or it comes loose, and the combination of side to side and up and down movements creates complex loads beyond the engineered capacity of the davit system.The twin davit arm system is a proven approach for handling the dinghy and has much to recommend it.Some companies offer removable arms that can be taken off and stowed when necessary, such as those from St.Croix Marine. Swing UpSnap Davits.Another system thats been around for a long time was pioneered by Weaver Industries.Called the Weaver Snap Davits, the system involves attaching connecting hardware to both the dinghy and swim platform.The dinghy fittings snap into those on the swim platform and you pull the dinghy up vertically onto the swim platform, either manually or electrically, and secure it in a near vertical position with standoff brackets or ties.St. Croix Marine Products and Sea Wise Marine are manufacturers of similar systems, and an optional hydraulic operation is even offered.Swing up or snap davits are easy to install yourself, and work best with light inflatables powered by small outboards.Most dinghy installations require the removal of the outboard engine from the dinghy, although these companies have optional equipment that can be added to allow the outboard to remain on the dinghy and swivel as the dinghy swings up.Using a smaller and lighter outboard might make sense for this system if you intend to remove the engine each time the dinghy is secured.Snap davits are popular with owners of smaller boats that have a swim platform, or on boats with large cockpits, such as the picnic style powerboat or express cruiser, where its about the only way to carry a dinghy.These are generally good do it yourself install projects and relatively inexpensive.As popular as these swing up systems are, I find it frustrating to overtake a boat when its dinghy is carried vertically on the swim platform, covering the boats name and hailing port and making that VHF call for a portside pass challenging.Some boat owners paint the boats name on the bottom of the dinghy for this reason.Rear visibility from some helms can be an issue when the dinghy is vertical on the swim platform, and, of course, using the swim platform is harder when a dinghy is stored on it.If you choose one of these systems, make sure the dinghy will not obscure your stern light when stowed.Pull Up, Slide Up Davits.These davit systems offer a low tech approach to handling the dinghy.The pull or slide up davits have two hinged cradle arms mounted onto the swim platform.When you want to get the dinghy aboard, the hinged arms tilt out to the water from the swim platform, and you pull the dinghy sideways onto the cradle arms.Pull or slide up davits work best on boats with wider swim platforms, and allow you to leave the outboard in place.As the center of weight comes aboard, the hinged arms come back to rest on the swim platform and the dinghy is then secured with straps on the swim platform.The outboard doesnt have to be removed.These davits can be used on most swim platforms wider than 1.If the platform is too high, it can be difficult to manually pull a dinghy aboard.An electric winch can be used to accomplish this on some vessels.Lifting Platforms.I recently spoke with Steve Wallace, manager of Zimmerman Marine at Southport Marina n North Carolina.His facility is located along the Intracoastal Waterway in a town that is a safe haven from the ocean, giving Steve the opportunity to talk to many hundreds of cruisers passing through Southport.The key to happiness is ease of use, Steve said.Boaters want to push a button and just go.Hydraulic lifting arms and platforms are convenient but expensive.Hydraulic and electric platforms with cradles have really come into their own in the last decade, especially with electronic controls and refined engineering.The concept of a lifting swim platform or cradle really resonates with powerboat owners no longer wanting traditional block and tackle systems.These hydraulic lifts can handle much greater weight, and you can opt for some form of sport boat instead of a traditional inflatable dinghy, while retaining easy launch and retrieve capability using a remote.As you might imagine, installing a lifting swim platform is best done during construction.One can be added as an aftermarket project, but it depends on the boat.That is perhaps why more builders offer a lifting swim platform as an option on a new boat when access is best before steering, exhaust, and machinery systems go in.Seaward 3. 5 E1. 8 Motor Cruiser Seaward.The new Seaward 3.E1. 8 is an updated design based on the well proven Nelson 3.Seaward commissioned the Nelson designer TT Boat Designs to create a completely new superstructure layout that would enable the interior of the hull to be utilised for the needs of the cruising yachtsman.The end result is a vessel that not only provides sleeping accommodation for up to six, but she is also amazingly easy to manoeuvre and moor with only two people on board.After testing the Seaward 3.Guernsey, the Motorboats Monthly boat test confirmed the seakeeping qualities when they wrote The sea conditions through which we pushed the Seaward 3.Worse, their occupants would have been turning green with seasickness or white with fright.For us these are perfect test conditions.Perfect that is if you are in a boat built for the job.This specification describes the standard layout and items of standard equipment for the two new versions of the craft.The main difference between the two is that the Cockpit version has a single helm position inside, whereas the Aft Deck version has dual control with helm positions both inside and outside.As with all Seaward boats, these vessels are also available custom built with other layout possibilities and different equipment fitted according to the owners wishes, within the design limitation of the craft. Book And Software For Electronic Circuit . This craft can be supplied semi custom built or to the following standard specifications Dimensions.Length Overall Mtrs.Beam Mtrs. 3. 5. Draft Mtrs.Air Draft Mtrs. excl.Mast2. 6. 2Approx Displacement.Cruising Speed largest engines2.Top Speed largest engines2.Fuel tanks litres1.Water Tanks. 34. 0Range Normal cruising speed2.Design Category. AHull.Round bilge semi displacement type with flared bow.Varnished teak or rubber spray rails and all around 4 rubber D fendering compliment the purposeful looks of the craft and provide extra protection when going alongside.Standard colour is Blue.DeckSuperstructure.This is a G. R. P.The superstructure has a large vertical flange that overlaps with a similar flange on the hull before being through bolted and laminated to the hull.Standard colour is White.Engines. Engines.The Seaward 3. 5 has a proper engine room that is self contained below the wheelhouse sole.Easy access for routine checks and service is through a hinged hatch in the sole.The whole of the compartment is well insulated including under the engines.This compartment also contains the vessels batteries and seawater filters.Ventilation for the engines is by a series of large GRP shell type vents fitted to the sides of the structure.Three engine room lights are provided these are switched onoff from the helm switch panel.In the unlikely event an engine has to be removed the whole of the wheelhouse sole can be removed and then taken out via the rear door.Engine installation.The Seaward 3. 5 is available with a choice of twin screw diesel engine options from Yanmar or Cummins in the power range 2.Each engine is independently installed with its own separate fuel tank and start battery.There are emergency back up connections built in these are described elsewhere.Everything about the engine installation is designed with safety and security in mind.The large size seacocks are fitted with external gratings to prevent things like plastic bags blocking the water flow.The seacocks are connected to the engines via large filter pots with see through lids.Smaller items of debris and weed that pass through the gratings can be spotted and removed from the pots before they are able to build up and cause a blockage.The engine cooling water is discharged through the exhaust systems.The exhausts comprise of 5 flexible hoses connected to Vetus silencers and then up under the side decks before going down to the exhaust outlet pipes.The exhaust outlet pipes exit in the waterline area on the hull side near the transom.The design of the exhaust layout ensures that the transom and boarding platform areas are kept free of exhaust residue and the exhaust gases are not drawn back into the cockpit area when the craft is under way.Engine controls. Electronic single lever engine controls are standard.Outside helmaft deck version.The outside standing helm position is offset to port and raised above the deck level with room for a second person or navigator to stand alongside the helmsman.Standard equipment fitted to the outside helm console includes Helm pump with stainless wheel Electronic engine controls Engine makers flybridge panel Start and stop switches Horn switch Compass Windscreen There is ample room on the console to install repeaters for chart plotterradar, autopilot and Tridata as required.The arrangement includes a stainless steel tubular retainer rail with hinge up section.The rail provides something for the occupants to lean against when under way.There is the option of having this rail and the rail surrounding the aft deck, to be made in teak with varnish finish.The gantry mast is part of the windscreen on this version.The standard cover supplied with the craft fits over the windscreen and wraps around the legs of the mast before encompassing the whole of the rear end of the wheelhouse.A zip up rear entrance, offset to port, is included to give access to and from the wheelhouse with the cover in place.Other designs of cover or canopyawning arrangements are available on a custom design basis.Electrical. Two independent banks of twin deep cycle 1.One battery bank is reserved for the port engine starting and some electrical items that are only used when under way, whilst the other battery bank is reserved for the starboard engine and also provides power for all the lighting and domestic equipment that will be used when the craft is in port.This arrangement makes best use of the power available from the engine alternators for recharging.In the event one battery bank is flat when you come to start the engines, the whole system can be instantly put in parallel by a push button switch at the helm console.Immediately both engines are running the push button is released and the battery banks are returned to being independent.A Victron 1. 60. 0watt7.The system will provide 2.Electrical equipment includes Horn Navigation lights Anchor light Cockpit floodlight 1.LED overhead interior lights 4 readingbulkhead lights 2 Red lights for night vision Chart light 1.Fresh water pressure pump Shower discharge pump 6 Automatic bilge pumps Bilge water alarm lights Twin pantograph wipers Screen washers Electric windlass Two hull anodes Shore power ring main Microwave cooker Shore power lead 1.Interior. The standard interior layouts are shown on the enclosed drawings these show some items that are on the optional extras list and includes the following Galley dinette.The no gas galley is in the mid section of the craft.Fittings for the galley include a ceramic diesel fired hob, microwave cooker, double sinkdrainer with single lever mixer tap and a built in 4.There is also a cutlery drawer and generous stowage for plates and cups outboard.All remaining space in the galley area is utilised for cupboard space.The main dining table is situated opposite the galley with ample seating for four persons on a pair of forward and aft facing double seats.Stowage lockers are fitted outboard of each seat for general items and there is an open fronted locker outboard of the table for books or general stowage.The area below the table is on a raised plinth.The lower part of the plinth includes a chart drawer suitable for full size admiralty charts.When required, the dining area will convert to form a double berth.Lowering the table and placing the backrest cushions on top make this up.The table can be utilised for chart work when planning those far off voyages.Standard lighting includes four overhead lights plus two bulkhead reading lights along with a central red light for use on night passages.Ventilation is by four opening port lights and a Bomar hatch in the deckhead.The sole area in this section is in traditional teak and holly that is both attractive and practical.Chain locker. A watertight bulkhead in the forward section of the craft forms the chain locker.Access is through a Bomar watertight deck hatch in the bulkhead.
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