Simple davit for lifting kayak on to flybridge?

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Deleted User YDKXO

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We carry our Eagle inflatable kayak in a convenient position on our flybridge. The problem is that it is quite a struggle usually involving 2-3 people to get the thing up there so I was wondering if there was any kind of simple manual or electric davit that could be fitted, maybe on the aft rail or on the underside of the radar arch, which could be used to launch and retrieve the kayak? I don't want to fit a hydraulic crane because it's overkill and there's no position for it

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I would prefer to launch the kayak over the side of the boat rather than aft over the bathing platform Any ideas?
 
Deleted User said:
We carry our Eagle inflatable kayak in a convenient position on our flybridge. The problem is that it is quite a struggle usually involving 2-3 people to get the thing up there so I was wondering if there was any kind of simple manual or electric davit that could be fitted, maybe on the aft rail or on the underside of the radar arch, which could be used to launch and retrieve the kayak? I don't want to fit a hydraulic crane because it's overkill and there's no position for it

P8251564.jpg


P8251550.jpg


I would prefer to launch the kayak over the side of the boat rather than aft over the bathing platform Any ideas?
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Mike if you pm me your email address I will send you a picture.
 
google image " besenzoni Magic davit 326".

To do it neatly Mike with a custom made s/s davit you need perhaps a vertical post from thr fly deck to underside of radar arch, at one side of boat. Then a horizontal boom that is 1/2 the beam of the boat that parks athwartsships along aft edge of radar arch. Then an electric winch would be nice but the automotive ones want tension kept on them and aren't rust proof. A self tailing sailboat winch would work, but isn't slick. Thing is, with cost of all that, it might be easier to buy the besenzoni 326 davits. For sure it would look better than anything else

You could then upgrade to a solid kayak :)
 
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I expect that you have an electric anchor winch with remote control, at the sharp end.

What about a long line led from the kayak (strap round the middle ?) via a strong block (strap round the arch ?) to the winch. It could be a one man operation, or a one man on the remote, plus a non-exerting volunteer keeping the kayak free of any sharp bits.

No capital expenditure, all the parts can be used for other nautical activities and, when you come to sell, no explaining what the monster eyebolts are doing next to the radar (apart from raising steam by hand, of course...)
 
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jfm said:
google image " besenzoni Magic davit 326".
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Wow, there's a blast from the past. I went looking for the elusive Besenzoni Magic in 2007 when we bought the P42. Couldn't find one in the UK and it was going to be quite expensive. In the end I bought an aluminium hull tender which was light enough to manually lift onto the bathing platform having first removed the 4hp motor.

A neat little crane though by the look of the few photos I saw.

Henry :)
 
KevB said:
What about something simple like this [URL="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3000lb-Portable-12v-Electric-Winch-tow-hitch-mount-great-for-boats-caravans-etc-/281772480137?[/URL]
Install a little eyelet on the radar arch to attach it to and remove when you're done.
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Kev, lifting the kayak is only half the problem. It also needs to be moved sideways to be launched
 
jfm said:
google image " besenzoni Magic davit 326".

To do it neatly Mike with a custom made s/s davit you need perhaps a vertical post from thr fly deck to underside of radar arch, at one side of boat. Then a horizontal boom that is 1/2 the beam of the boat that parks athwartsships along aft edge of radar arch. Then an electric winch would be nice but the automotive ones want tension kept on them and aren't rust proof. A self tailing sailboat winch would work, but isn't slick. Thing is, with cost of all that, it might be easier to buy the besenzoni 326 davits. For sure it would look better than anything else

You could then upgrade to a solid kayak :)
Click to expand...
I've seen the Besenzoni davit already. Its just too physically large to fit in the space available on the flybridge. I am leaning towards some kind of custom s/s structure as you describe with a simple block and tackle arrangement. The problem is not lifting the kayak so much as manouvering it over the side of the boat

Yup I could upgrade to a solid kayak but what we are actually talking about here is SWMBO's kayak and I try very hard not to find myself in the bloody thing as I only like boats with engines. The alternative of course is that it goes the same way as some of her scatter cushions;)
 
Just a bit of lateral thinking - What is the fore/aft offset between the passerelle in the vertical position and the aft end of the flybridge overhang ??

Could a small slot in cradle be made to hook over the end of the passerelle that you could use to sit the kayak onto then use the passerelle raised to the vertical (or nearly) - then up on the flybridge slide the kayak off the now horizontal shelf/cradle onto the rear of the fly ?? Maybe a bungee cord to hold the kayak onto the passerelle while transfering from the horizontal to vertical position.

Maybe completely unworkable - just depends on how near to vertical the passerelle will go and what the offset is to the flybridge overhang !
 
How about mounting a 'posher' one of these inside the upright of the radar arch. Must be someone who does one that disappears totally. But maybe your domes will get in the way

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Deleted User said:
I've seen the Besenzoni davit already. Its just too physically large to fit in the space available on the flybridge. I am leaning towards some kind of custom s/s structure as you describe with a simple block and tackle arrangement. The problem is not lifting the kayak so much as manouvering it over the side of the boat

Yup I could upgrade to a solid kayak but what we are actually talking about here is SWMBO's kayak and I try very hard not to find myself in the bloody thing as I only like boats with engines. The alternative of course is that it goes the same way as some of her scatter cushions;)
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If the problem is getting the kayak over the rail then why not have part of the rail modified with a hinge up and out of the way section on port side for instance so you can simply push the kayak over the side and perhaps have a winch at the starboard end to winch is back up and on to the fly bridge deck and then drop/swing the rail back into place fixed with a pin. Probably €300-400 words of stainless work and a simple manual sailors winch say all in for €1000.
 
mparrish said:
Just a bit of lateral thinking - What is the fore/aft offset between the passerelle in the vertical position and the aft end of the flybridge overhang ??
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Actually thats not far off what we do now in that we put the pasarelle in its lowest position, drag the kayak onto it and lift the pasarelle up as far as it will go until the kayak begins to slide before going on to the flybridge and hauling it up there with the ropes attached to it. The problem is that this is a minimum 2 person operation and better with 3. Ideally I want a system which means that lifting/launching the kayak is a one man operation
 
KevB said:
How about mounting a 'posher' one of these inside the upright of the radar arch. Must be someone who does one that disappears totally. But maybe your domes will get in the way
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Yes this is the kind of thing I was thinking about. Who manufacturers that?
 
wakeup said:
If the problem is getting the kayak over the rail then why not have part of the rail modified with a hinge up and out of the way section on port side for instance so you can simply push the kayak over the side and perhaps have a winch at the starboard end to winch is back up and on to the fly bridge deck and then drop/swing the rail back into place fixed with a pin. Probably €300-400 words of stainless work and a simple manual sailors winch say all in for €1000.
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That actually is not a bad idea. I'm going to have a think about this
 
What about something to hold the kayak across the paserelle with forks which would allow sliding rather than hauling. Really crap sketch attached !
kayak lift.jpg
 
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