Tender stowage advice

[wattsn]

We have a Sealine S38. She has no tender stowage options (snap davits, crane, pasarelle) and owning a Honda Honwave and Honda 5Hp 4 stroke need to urgently come up with a suitable solution for stowage and launching.

On our previous Targa 30 we had an outboard bracket in the engine bay which was a bit of hard work (limited access and heavy four stroke) and snap davits on the transom with stand off arms. Was a bit of work in a chop and limited access on bathing platform but did work overall.

Now, on our new S38 there really is limited places, in fact none really, where I can fix an outboard bracket in the engine bay due to no free bulkhead walls due to electronics etc, and do not want it on show anywhere on the stern, or anywhere else for that matter.

We are desperate to have our tender back and am trying to think of ways to store and launch her. My preferred option is fold out dinghy chocks on the bathing platform but that will mean needing either a crane or pasarelle for lifting. Or does it?

Is there any other way of lifting/launching a hefty tender and outboard from dinghy chocks (could it be pulled/pushed by hand or just too heavy/awkward) or any other way.

All advice gratefully received. If no other way I can see a big bill for crane/pasarelle and then I just know I will want to go bigger engined. Please save my wallet

Thanks

 

[ekkau]

I had an identical question/problem a few weeks back, only my boat to be (arriving in October 2009) is the SC35 and the tender is a 9.9hp 275 RIB.

The SC35 has a tiny Swim Platform and the entrance to the Cockpit is towards the center of the Transom, this mean access would be difficult if I put the tender on the platform. So I had to come up with something that allow me to use the tender with ease and do not use up the on the platform, while I can still go in and out of the cockpit easily.

I went through a lot of options including:-
1. Sling Davit (www.allinflatables.com/shopping/davits/hb/sling1.html)
- this I found a bit flimsy and I had to unload the outboard when I am not using it, which I found not so convenient, so I dropped this option
- it's quite economical though

2. Hurley Davits (www.boatdavits.co.uk)
- this is also not a "very expensive option"
- but it took up my swim platform and I think it may be quite heavy to pull the tender onto the high platform

3. Weaver Davits (www.weaverindustries.com)
- this is not exactly cheap for what you are getting
- however, I really believe this would work just fine if I also get the Weaver Leaver and the Standoffs
- it is also very nice that everything on the platform are removeable when not in use
- but to me, I think it still took up too much space when the tender is on the platform and there are a lot of drilling on the tender and the platfrom involve, plus glueing the Pads onto the Tender seems challenging, so I did not pick this either

So, eventually..... I am about to order this:
4. St. Croix Davits (www.davit.com/removabl.html)
- definitely not cheap, but it looks like it will tick all my boxes
- the Davits will be installed at the end of my platform, which will lift the tender directly in and out of the water and the tender could be strapped directly to the davits when out of the water
- looks like a simple task, plus the Davits are still removeable when not in use (but proabably too heavy to do so often), and I can still have my platform as the davits are each installed onto a 12 x 28 cm base, which is not that bad.
- the down side is this does extend your boat's overall length, so make sure the marina doesn't give you trouble for that

If you wish to see some sketches and layout on how I plan to install them, please mail me your e-mail address to erickkau@gmail.com, I will be happy to send you some of the layout planning I have in mind.

Hope this works for you (and me) and happy boating!!!

KK

 

[Nick_H]

Thorough response Ekkau, but are you really planning to fit the St Croix davits on the end of your swim platform? Apart from it looking quite odd and out of proportion to the size of the boat, surely the tender is going to sit just inches above the water, so will hit the water at planing trim, and certainly in heavier seas, which eventually is going to damage something? Also, you'll have to have the outboard fully tilted, which leaves a protrusion on one side to snag when berthing.

 

[wattsn]

Great response Ekkau but I too have same concerns as posted above. Apart from that I detest the look of davits.

I am 99.9% certain of using fold out dinghy chocks. It is then just a decision on how I will lift the dinghy with outboard onto the chocks. I guess it will have to be either crane or pasarelle, and I will probably lean toward the latter as it could also be used as a diving platform for the kids.

Maybe I should have just purchased the S38 that already had everything fitted and included. Grrr...

 

[Nick_H]

You could get a superlightweight dinghy, and you could then just lift it manually onto the chocks. It would limit you to about 2.4m tender, and you'd have to take the outboard off, but if you got the right outboard you could then store it in the dinghy, put a cover over, and it would be a fairly neat set up without the cost of a passarelle. Something like this with 2 stroke 3.3 hp outboard

http://www.lodestarinflatables.com/Ultra-light.html

I used to manually lift a lightweight inflatable on top of the jetrib, for the frequent times that the jet rib didn't work

 

[ekkau]

Thank you friends for the kind reminder.

For the looks, I am ready to sacrifice in return of convenience.

The davits will be installed on top of an 18" leg so it is a little more above the water line.

I am from Hong Kong and I use it only for local seas and beach hopping on a day cruises, and we not go out on the 'not so good days', so I am not too worried about the Heavy Seas based on the way I used it.

The Sealine folks strongly recommended me to go for the inflatable hull 240 with 5hp so I wouldn't have to install these foul looking davits, but as my family will use the tender each and every time we go out, so I wanted the convenience. So, sorry about the looks to the Sealine designer, but I believe (or hope) I could enjoy my boating days best like this.

Wish me luck and I will post some pics in a few months time.

 

[mainmarine]

PM sent

 

[JohnRob]

I have fold out chocks on my F37. I have a 2.8m quicksilver (airdeck) and a 5 hp two stroke Tohatsu. This lot pulls up and launches from the chocks okay by hand with the outboard on. Of course you still lose most of the platform although in practice this is not a big deal as there is still good access to the transom door. For longer trips the o/b goes in the laz and if just marina hopping the dinghy goes in the laz too - would recommend lv electric pump for frequent in/deflation.

Not sure how any of this might work on the s38.Your Honwave and 5hp Honda 4stroke sound potentially a lot heavier. I would not want to be pulling anything much heavier than my configuration onto the chocks by hand without help!

 

[wattsn]

I have fold out chocks on my F37. I have a 2.8m quicksilver (airdeck) and a 5 hp two stroke Tohatsu. This lot pulls up and launches from the chocks okay by hand with the outboard on. Of course you still lose most of the platform although in practice this is not a big deal as there is still good access to the transom door. For longer trips the o/b goes in the laz and if just marina hopping the dinghy goes in the laz too - would recommend lv electric pump for frequent in/deflation.

Not sure how any of this might work on the s38.Your Honwave and 5hp Honda 4stroke sound potentially a lot heavier. I would not want to be pulling anything much heavier than my configuration onto the chocks by hand without help!

Hmm. Maybe I should install the folding chocks anyway as I reckone that is what I will end up with and then give it a go manually hauling and launching. If a no go then I will likely go for the crane or pasarelle anyway so nothing lost.

The Honwave weighs 38.5kg and the outboard about 17-20kg I reckon. So about 55-58kg in total. That's quite a weight as the bathing platform is a fair bit above sea level. No lazarette locker on ours to store dinghy or outboard

 

[JohnRob]

I'd say its worth a shot - the dinghy sounds about the same and my o/b even a little heavier. As you say if it doesn't work, there's little lost. Good luck!