New Tender

Dino

Dino

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Hi,
I'm thinking about buying a new tender. My boat is fitted with Simpson Davits rated at 100kg total load. I'm looking at the Talamex Silverline aluminium rib range and the 2.9M or 3.1M look ideal and 52kg or 60kg respectively.
I'm thinking of fitting a Tohatsu 9.8hp 2 stroke as they are only 27-28kg.
When you include a 12 litre fuel tank the all up weight of the 2.9m is 92kg or the 3.1m is 100kg.
Is anyone running a similar boat and engine to this on 100kg davits?
Any advice appreciated.
 
FWIW I have davits 120 kg total load. I just store my tender on which is ~ 40 kilo. I forgot to take the bung out once. It rained and blew. Certainly nowhere near 80 kilo's worth, nor hurricane forces, but enough to put a small bow in the davit. Easily straightened out with a tie strap ratchet but I think you can take it to town that even a 40 kilo tender swinging about in choppy sea is going to see load forces approaching your max limit.
 
I have a Ribeye TL310 which seems pretty similar on Simpson davits with the same rating.
Used to have a 27kg 6hp yamaha on it until someone did a runner with it.

I was a bit nervous to start but never had any issues, I can't imagine the davits ever having a problem, it was the mounting I was worried about as it's an old boat.

They're rated for a load of 100kg, that takes into account the tender swinging about, if it didn't they wouldn't be fit for purpose (i.e. they're probably design to withstand a 300kg load).

First time I put the dinghy on them I added my own 90kg to the davit to test it, would prefer it to fail on the mooring than in a rough sea, and it didn't even flex.
 
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Do they not spec davits to lift the specified load each? i.e. 100kg rating is 100kg a side, necessary as most of the weight is at the stern due to the engine.
 
Not when I was out shopping, no. However again FWIW mine are not the box style Simpson / Cooney type but the tubular type so I can remove or fold them easily.
 
Ferris said:
Do they not spec davits to lift the specified load each? i.e. 100kg rating is 100kg a side, necessary as most of the weight is at the stern due to the engine.
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I think they spec the davits as a total load, so 100kg total between the 2 davits, however this should take into account that in rough weather all the weight may be taken by one davit and will have momentum so each davit "should" be able to handle multiple times the total rated weight.
I guess how this rated load is calculated may be adapted for marketing reasons etc, but I certainly can't see the simpson davits bending before the cable or mounting hardware fails.
 
Thanks folks,
I checked the Cooney website a few weeks ago and found the measurement for my davits. It appears that mine are 100kg rated per pair. I couldn't find a manufacturers plate on the davits. I think they should be fine with a 90-100kg rib/outboard. I guess it would be important to always remove the bung to prevent rainwater from gathering in the hull and keep the rib as lightly loaded as possible.
A 2.9 or 3.1m rib with a 8-9.9hp outboard is a lot more interesting to me than a small SIB with a 4hp.
 
If you don't mind me asking, where are you looking at getting the Tohatsu 2 stroke from?
I looked in the past and saw one seller advertising them online, but I didn't think it was possible to sell them new within the EU, so I wasn't confident to buy it.
I also think it would be a great engine for that size tender.

(nevermind, I see there are many places advertising them now, and that it's valid to buy them for use as a safety boat, which actually suits me as we were looking to use my little rib as a safety boat for the rowing club, but it wouldn't keep up with the puny engine I currently have on it)
 
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Hurricane said:
IMHO - always go for the biggest RIB with the biggest engine you can.
But I have form in this matter.
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You dont cruise in areas where the tidal range is several floors high and the beach gradient shallow. Many a time Ive seen a fella look glumly at his tender several hundred feet from the nearest water while the wife stalks off to find "a convenience" with his wallet in tow.
 
sorabain said:
You going to use your Princess as a tender for your rib?
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No but joking aside.
Since buying a larger that usual RIB for our Princess, we have used it for journeys that you wouldn't have used a smaller tender.
We think nothing of popping round to the next village in the RIB.

I know that a RIB of our size wouldn't fit the OP's question but the concept is the same.
The bigger the RIB the more useful it is.
Our current RIB is a 4.3m Novurania but that replaced a Walker Bay with a big engine that does get close to the OP's requirements.
We had a lot of fun with the Walker Bay and it was/is a useful tender.
 
Again that's just a bias. Smaller tenders can be capable. Last season my 9 year old daughter took our 280 for a 10 mile jaunt to see " the mermaids" at Mermaids Cove. Seals really. This on a 3hp engine. Ive done similar with an 8hp but at 18 knts its nothing major. Its not unusual to go quite a ways to pick up day visiting guests when at anchor. I fully concurr bigger is nicer but practicality is king. As much as I hanker after an ali hull tender our shoreline would guarantee it a short life and Ive dropped my 8hp more times into the sea trying to get it back onto its stand in choppy water than I care to remember. Ive cone the other way. Dropped the snap davits for propper davits and ditched the 8hp for 3 all to make life easier and safer.
 
OP is on an inland waterway so thankfully no tides, also mainly alongside berthing so a tender on davits shouldn't prove too much of a hindrance getting on and off. Dino, we have a old Zodiac YL with a Honda 8hp, admittedly not on davits, but its a fine size for Shannon usage. Would rather a lighter 2-stroke on it however, the Honda is fine but the boat is a bit stern heavy so you have to lean forward to get her up on the plane. Once up on the plane its good though, no idea of speed, I've done some lengthy trips in it Dromineer to Mountshannon (Across Lough Derg to the unfamiliar - maybe 8 miles) in it in moderate chop, Banagher to Mountshannon (6miles) early one morning to drop a guest to his car, its quite capable, as should your intended purchase.
 
I agree that bigger is better with a tender. I am usually based on a lake and I would like the ability to do 15-20 knots in a tender so I can get to the pub or shops in decent time. I also go to sea most years where a decent rib is important.
I bought a 12ft console rib with a 25hp Yamaha 2 stroke last year but it is two heavy for my davits so I think I will sell it and buy something like I originally mentioned.
 
Ferris, Banagher to Mountshannon is a bit more than 6 miles. Was it early one morning after the pub ;-).
 
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