Snap Davits

[goochie]

Hi there, need to get some snap davits fitted to my boat (Antares 9.80) and wondered if anybody had any recommendations as to who could fit them in the Brighton area? Dickies have quoted but rather expensive (not surprising really as it's not their usual sort of work). Is it the sort of thing that could be done by myself? I'm fairly handy with DIY but boat is still only 18 months old, so don't want to stuff up the value by bodging it. Also is it easy enough to do the bits on the dinghy? That's only a cheapish one so don't mind if that's a bit of a bodge.

 

[jimmy_the_builder]

If your snap davits will fit straight on to the bathing platform without any kind of intermediate pad or fixing, then these are easy enough to do yourself, provided you can get to the underneath of the bathing platform easily. If your bathing platform is shaped in such a way that the davits won't bolt straight on, then you'll need a wedge making up - Terry Pachol in the marine trade centre did mine. Glueing the pads on to the dinghy is easy enough.

There are a couple of boats on pontoon 8 with snap davits - it always helps to have a nosey at what others have done before plunging in.

Cheers
Jimmy

 

[David2452]

Asked on here a month ago about fitting some to my Beneteau Serie 9. Got some good advice and did it myself in the end and provided you follow the instructions and use the proper cleaner & glue it is a fairly easy DIY. Hardest bit is doing as you are told and not touching the pads for a week after you have glued them on.

David

 

[harveymae]

have a look a www.boatdavits.co.uk veryeasy to use

 

[David_J]

Never done the job myself but a word of caution. A few years ago someone in Brighton with a new series 9 had snap davits fitted on the bathing platform and installed his dingy. Maybe on the series 9 the bathing platform is lower than the 9.80 but they found that in a heavy sea down in the west country the whole installation just got mangled with the force of water. Just not a success. Not sure if it was a heavy following sea or wake or what but they were really dissapointed with it. Not so much the davits on the bathing platform but flimsy rods that tried to hold the dingy in an upright attitude, probably better if the design hauls it in firmly to the boat. Have you seen any other 9.80's with them fitted? or I wonder if anyone on here has a such a set up. Maybe ask Dickies if they have fitted them and get first hand feedback from those owners. Just a thought. A bit of extra homework might be better before you start fitting it up! On our 9 if we are at anchor in a bit of a sea while fishing its not uncommon to get a lot of water across the bathing platform, in fact a number of times we have been ankle deep in the cockpit, self draining and its gone almost as fast as it came but that amount of water across the bathing platform must have considerable force, especially over the area of a dingy hanging on what seem to be rather flimsy fittings.

 

[discovery2]

Fitted snap davits to my Series 9 a few years ago, although entrusted the fixings to the inflatable to a local boat yard as they need to be positioned correctly the first time and I did not have the confidence to do it myself!

I waited until the boat and dinghy were afloat before lining up fittings on platform and dinghy (an extra pair of hands is invaluable), and also took the precaution of attaching the components with sime string to make them easily recoverable if dropped into the drink! I then drew around the pads to mark the dinghy and stuck the patches on first.

The next stage was simply a matter of clipping the hooks in place and offering the dinghy/hooks to the bathing platform for marking the holes before drilling. This once again done whilst afloat. I also used large 'penny' washers on the underside of the platform.

I also use two stand off arms to keep the dinghy vertical, but I also tie both bow & stern to the parent vessel to make the dinghy more rigid on the mountings.

I am happy to e-mail an image if necessary (I have yet to master the art of including an image in a posting).

It certainly is an easy method of stowing and launching the dinghy!
Good luck.

 

[whisper]

Snap davits were already fitted to our boat when we bought it. Unfortunately the appropriate dinghy wasn't, so I had to buy a set of dinghy pads.
Have asked around locally and have been told that the glueing on of the pads is critical - you only have one shot at it and it has to be done in warm and dry conditions, preferably indoors. This has put me off doing it myself so I'm currently procrastinating - again.
I'm not going to bother with the "stand off" bars as I'll tie the dinghy firmly against the rear cockpit rail.

 

[Strake]

Different boat but may be of some assistance..

http://www.ybw.com/forums/showflat.php?C...rue#Post1039545

 

[goochie]

Thanks to all. Will check out the options at SIBS and buy the bits, then if I lose my nerve I'll get someone to do them.

 

[duncan]

don't think we are talking football sized bathing platforms here!

 

[duncan]

Some great advice and observations but I would highlight a couple of 'issues' (not problems!)

The relationship between the height of the BP and the tubes of your tender is quite critical to functionality -

1. A high BP will keep everything clear of the water nicely, tends to suit longer BPs and fixing via the extesion bars etc. Tender will have to be launched and tethered for loading (inc OB) as when initially deployed only the outer edge will be in the water! /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif This can be mitigated with ofset arms which are available.

2. A mid height arrangement gives some additional benefits if the pads are mounted carefully. Here you will be able to leave the boat attached to the arms when getting in and out with the OB /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif then swap the arms for the ropes along the tender side and it's rigged for boarding - release the ropes from the hooks and you are off!

3. Low BP suffers as DavidJ outlines. Also the weight of the boat will play against the buoyancy of the tender when deployed but attached. However if the pads are carefully positioned right on the sides - or even lower - it will sit higher on the BP out of the water and well in the water for loading etc

Finally do not be lured by the aesthetics of having the 2 arms equidistant on the BP. Find the centre of gravity for the tender and position them around that - for many this will mean that they are offset towards the stern of the tender. This will result in it sitting more evenly when stowed. The actual position of the asms will of course be dictated by the pads need to avoid all the junk fittings on many tenders! Do not however have the tender set up to stick out of one side of the transom - it will catch a wave and get ripped of eventually! By al means have it offset within the transom domain to aid swim ladders and or boarding from the stern if you have that much beam (and that small a tender).

Wouldn't be without mine!

 

[amf]

Methinks harveymae may have a vested interest. Have a look at his 10 posts and see if you can spot the pattern /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[duncan]

yep - wouldn't mind if he bothered to see if it suited - in this instance it would be less than useless!

if he really wants to progress the case for the product he should get GC1 to fit it to his new boat - perfect for those acres of teak boarded platform but without the davit arms or passerelle to hoist a small rib onto chocks; and if it's good - boy will he shout about it!