Crane vs Davits

[Wiggo]

I might be getting a new boat. I was going to have davits put on, but the man has suggested a small crane instead. Apparently, he's talking about a new, small swim platform mounted carbon fibre electric crane thingy. Never seen such a beast myself. What does the team think?

Object is to get a small (3m-ish RIB with maybe a 15hp) on and off the swim platform.



<hr width=100% size=1><-- insert witty sig file here -->

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.fairlinetarga29.info>Buy my boat!</A>

 

[tcm]

Um, depends on the boat, and on what the crane looks like, but I'm not keen.

Ordinary davits with winding bits are nice and lowtech so you can always retrieve the dinghy.

Alternatively the usual option instead of davits would be a passarelle (gangplank to normal folk) which doubles as a crane - hook the dinghy under that and hoik it on to chocks on the rear platform.

The crane won't be a big plus (in fact, a negative) to anyone looking to take the boat to the med - nor to you if you shd ever do the same - cos the crane will have to be chucked (leaving a mess?) and instead put a passarelle on.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Wiggo]

Sealine (I know, I know) F37, so quite a wide platform. Lots of reaching out with conventional davits. We'll never take it to the med, so that's not an issue. Seemed like a reasonable idea - electric lift off the chocks, manual swing outboard and lower away...

<hr width=100% size=1><-- insert witty sig file here -->

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.fairlinetarga29.info>Buy my boat!</A>

 

[duncan]

pm Planty - he has a crane on his F43

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

For me, I would choose the system which gives you most freedom of movement around the bathing platform particularly for boarding from an alongside pontoon. If the cockpit access door is on the starboard side and you are moored port side to, how easy will it be to get past the dinghy - davits can often get in the way
The other consideration is which system is going to give you most street cred in Yarmouth harbour. Poncing about with a fancy electric crane is going to wow the great unwashed gawping at you from the quayside far more than windy up davits

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[SmoothNBlue]

We've had both davits and passarelle - The passerelle is a great option on the right boat, but of course this is the expensive way to go. Davits being the cheaper option, but can give you a nasty headache if you stand up without thinking!! Also davits can overhang if you have to Med moor in a marina or adversely with a boat that has a large platform extended davits give the same problem and standard davits make it difficult to retrieve the tender. The best option is a boat with a tender garage!

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Jim44]

I saw a really nice stainless steel crane on an F37, it was made by Whittall, www.whittall-marine.co.uk. They had the chocks folding into the wet locker, think it is called that, on the bathing platform. Really smart job. When the tender is not there you have a clear bathing platform.

Have just order my crane from them, only problem I can't have the folding chocks on my F44, not enough strength/room appartenly. Instead I have to unscrew the chocks, with speed nuts, but i think it will still look good, but not quite as nice.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Wiggo]

Thanks for that, Jim. The boat we're looking at has the folding chocks you describe. Mind me asking what the damage is for one of their cranes (pm me if you prefer)?

<hr width=100% size=1><-- insert witty sig file here -->

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.fairlinetarga29.info>Buy my boat!</A>

 

[Jim44]

The crane itself is about £2250+vat +fitting total bill all in will be about 3.5k and this will lift 150kg. I had a look at the fibreglass crane that you can move around but I personally was not impressed and it was more money than the whittal, i think


<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Wiggo]

thanks for that - you're right about it being cheaper - I was quoted around 4k fitted for the carbon fibre thingy. BTW - do you know anything about this GRP/carbon thing? I can find out nothing...

<hr width=100% size=1><-- insert witty sig file here -->

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.fairlinetarga29.info>Buy my boat!</A>

 

[tcm]

Passarelles - the truth

ok, look, the passarelles aren't for gangplank duties - they are diving boards. You run off the end whilst saying "John Smith - a running bomb" and afterwards you you say "Top Bombing".

I do like the way that sealine have managed to incorporate the passarelle in some new models which turn and lie across the transom, so there's no stupid retracting into the stern.


<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[djefabs]

Try www.superyachtdocs.com (sorry I cant do the clever thing with posting websites). Saw them at LBS, nice bits of kit but expensive. maybe the website name gives the game away?

<hr width=100% size=1>Rules are for the strict adherance of fools, and the guidance of wise men

 

[Wiggo]

Re: Already there

Kids spotted that ages ago. But clever swinging, parking passarelle much more loot than shiny stainless steel crane, surely?

Anyway, SWMBO now talking about diving from flybridge. This, after she figured out you can wakeboard behind a 2.7m tender with an 8hp motor and <A target="_blank" HREF=http://arweb.co.uk/aralbums/Boaters2/DSCF0065.jpg>Hagrid</A> at the controls.



<hr width=100% size=1><-- insert witty sig file here -->

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.fairlinetarga29.info>Buy my boat!</A>

 

[Wiggo]

Thank you, they're the ones, by the looks... The name's right, anyway.
<hr width=100% size=1><-- insert witty sig file here -->

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.fairlinetarga29.info>Buy my boat!</A>

 

[tcm]

Re: jumping with both feet

jumping from flybridge is good, or more freaky is running across the foredeck in front of windrscreen and leaping over the guardrails.

Um, passarelle 4ish grand but wd need reinforcing bits in the back already hence probly a non-starter. So, it's a carbon fibre crane for you. Unless of course you can get one in chipboard to nicely match in with - OOPS! - i was nearly going to be a bit horrid then...

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[tico]

Re: jumping with both feet

more freaky is running across the foredeck in front of windrscreen and leaping over the guardrails

yup.... remember that!!

<hr width=100% size=1>Been there, done that, got the oily T shirt

 

[Wiggo]

Re: horrid

Found some lovely fake tiger fur to re-upholster with. I'm told animal prints are the height of fashion in Mallorca.

<hr width=100% size=1><-- insert witty sig file here -->

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.fairlinetarga29.info>Buy my boat!</A>

 

[tcm]

Re: Mallorca

ummm fair cop.

Can you please confirm for the benefit of medreamer that it is prounced "mallorca" as in "Malcolm". He's sounding very foreign all of a sudden.



<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Wiggo]

Re: Mallorca

Err, well. AFAIK, if you're in Spain, then 'j' is pronounced 'y', so 'Majorca' is pronounced 'maYorca'. Quirkily, in the local dialect, 'll' is pronounced 'j', so the locals spell it 'Mallorca', and pronounce it 'maJorca', just like they do in Essex.

<hr width=100% size=1><-- insert witty sig file here -->

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.fairlinetarga29.info>Buy my boat!</A>