Installing a Portland Pudgy on R-25

I have a mind to buy a Portland Pudgy -- the prices have been reduced some and they have two yellow ones with slight blems at reduced pricing.

No matter, my questions are related to how quickly and easily can a dingy of this type be lowered and launched in case of emergency.

It seems to me that a block and tackle will be required to raise and lower the dingy and then there's the davits that need releasing. Just how easy and how quickly is it to get the dingy from it's stowed position down into the water and ready to launch off?

I would install this dingy in the traditional way -- that is, on the swim platform.

Any advice is most welcomed. Thanks.... 🙂

I know zilch about the Portland Pudgy. I do have a 7.5' Livingston dingy on my R-25 swim grid. I have Weaver Davits. They hook an un-hook quite easily with me in the dingy. I raise and lower it with "armstrong" power -- I have a line affixed to the outside of the dingy, midships, that I pull it up with. I have a small block also available, but find I don't really need it. I also installed "stand off arms" to hold the dingy vertical. I found that when in heavier seas or going fast the wake sometimes bashed into the dingy. My cure is to lean the dingy forward over the back railings. This also lowers the height of the dingy, giving me a bit better sternwise view. I have to stand the dingy vertical on the arms in order to put fuel into the tank.

Hope this is of some use.

Dave
"Lobo"

We have the Pudgy mounted on Island Ranger - and yes, you need either a block and tackle (we use a 5x to ease the effort) or a winch (most people mount a removeable one on the rear bulkhead). Weaver makes a custom davit that fits the Pudgy..

It is easy to release or re-clip. We just load everyone up, and have them lean slightly to one side to attach or release. The dogs don't always listen accurately to my commands however..../


Mac

Dave & Mac:

Thanks for your quick responses to my enquiry. 🙂 Your advice is very helpful -- especially the quick release comments that Mac described.

Is the installation a DIY job or should it be done professionally? I also wonder if my Marina at Edmonds will allow me to install the Pudgy while it's in my slip -- or will they require me to pull the boat out of the water! Edmonds is a stickler for keeping the Marina in pristine condition (and so they should). If they do allow me, then I suppose I would need to stretch some plastic under the swim platform to catch debris as I'm sure I will have to drill some holes in it for attaching davits etc.

Tools? -- Drill, drill bits and some spanners/wrenches -- anything else needed ???

Thanks.

[Edit]
One last thought... I wonder if shipping cost from Portland Pudgy's Maine location to my Edmonds Marina will be less that having it shipped to my home residence. It seems S&H is always more expensive when delivery is made to a non-business location.

Island Ranger":3tgacd4s said:

We have the Pudgy mounted on Island Ranger - and yes, you need either a block and tackle (we use a 5x to ease the effort) or a winch (most people mount a removeable one on the rear bulkhead). Weaver makes a custom davit that fits the Pudgy..

It is easy to release or re-clip. We just load everyone up, and have them lean slightly to one side to attach or release. The dogs don't always listen accurately to my commands however..../


Mac

Click to expand...

Mac: I've been reviewing the Portland Pudgy price sheet Emailed to me and I'm a little confused. It seems they offer the Davit Lifting/Safety Harness Eyes Part #PP-DS that is described as

"Lift boat or secure safety harness. Four stainless steel eyes with backer plates (on interior side wall)."

Is this what I need for attaching the Pudgy to the swim step and does it provide for the quick attach and release features I was enquiring about ?

Also, what additional accessories would you advise for the Pudgy? Thanks... 🙂

[Edit]
OK -- seems I missed reading further down the price list... The Weaver Davits you mentioned are listed as...

Weaver Davits Part #PP-WD.
A removable, rugged stainless steel, davit system to secure dinghy to boats with swim platforms. Includes:
• Two removable heavy duty eye pins and backer plates for Pudgy
• Two snap davit heads for swim platform
• Two stand off arms (not included; price varies with length).

Is the above the correct Davit system for our R-25s ?

Your option, but I would suggest getting the weaver davit hardware direct fron Weaver.

You will get to decide how you would like to mount the standoffs 'cause that is what will determine the length you need. On Island Ranger, it was a little complicated because I wanted to locate them below the full canvas enclosure. If you go direct to the stern, they will be shorter.

They are pretty simple to attach - drill a few holes in the swim step and both 'em in. They attach directly to the Pudgy - there is a molded hole for them.

Mac

Island Ranger":3hjqbkri said:

Your option, but I would suggest getting the weaver davit hardware direct fron Weaver.

You will get to decide how you would like to mount the standoffs 'cause that is what will determine the length you need. On Island Ranger, it was a little complicated because I wanted to locate them below the full canvas enclosure. If you go direct to the stern, they will be shorter.

They are pretty simple to attach - drill a few holes in the swim step and both 'em in. They attach directly to the Pudgy - there is a molded hole for them.

Mac

Click to expand...

OK -- I will take your advice and obtain the Weaver Davit hardware from Weaver directly.

I'm still unsure of the complete setup for securing the Pudgy to the boat.

1. The Weaver davits attach to the trailing edge of the swim step via bolt holes drilled thru the swim step -- correct ?

2. What are "standoffs" ? Are they metal pieces that attach to the davits and standoff the Pudgy's gunwales from the trailing edge of the swim step ?

3. You mention attaching something below the full canvas cockpit enclosure. This confuses me as that seems to imply you're attaching something to the outboard surface of the transom -- help me out on this one. 🙂

4. What actually holds/secures the Pudgy in its stowed position ? Is it the block and tackle or are lines used to simply secure it to the transom rails ?

Maybe I should just chat with you over the phone...

OK -- so I had a long chat with David Halbert at Portland Pudgy in Portland Maine today.

It was very instructive and I do believe I'm ready to order one. They require a 25% deposit and typically can deliver to West coast in about 2 weeks. More importantly for me I also checked with my Edmonds Marina and they will allow me to have the Pudgy shipped to the Marina rather than my home residence. This apparently saves $80 on the shipping costs. 🙂

Currently, the Pudgy is on sale with a nice $300 discount.

I spent some time talking with David about the Davits and how the Pudgy is attached and stowed on my R25's swim platform. It's much much clearer in my mind now how all this is accomplished.

The orange Pudgy is no longer manufactured! People seemed to think it looked too 'dangerous' (not sure I understand that but that is what David said). No matter, our color choice is one related to the Pudgy being easily spotted in open waters and this leans us toward red and sunset yellow. Mind you, the exposure Canopy is always red (I believe) with it being colored blue inside to avoid people getting too nausea.

Our primary requirement for a Dinghy is to cover the emergency situation where a 4-person lifeboat becomes a necessity.

At this point I'm looking to get

-Basic boat (Sunset yellow is our choice at this time)
-Sea anchor
-Exposure canopy
-Boat cover as I want the Exposure Canopy to be in its pre-set position as apposed to being stowed in the Pudgy and therefore being very hard to assemble/erect in an emergency. David said he will figure the boat cover to be easily removed when Pudgy stowed using Davits on R25. In fact as we talked he thought of a new design to make this a whole lot easier.
-Electrical system + solar panel
-Sailing kit (this will not only be useful in the emergency case but fun to just sail about some locally)
-Bow bumper (I simply like the look of it and it does offer some practical benefits)
-Torqeedo Motor - it's light and folds up and goes into a small back pack. I prefer this motor to gasoline and the outboard motor noise, but downside is its limit range. The range really doesn't bother me as it would only be used around port and to/from local islands when moored offshore. The sail kit will get me to where I want to in case of emergency.

Now I need to price this all out and see if my piggy bank will balk at being emptied. I can always buy some of the extras later and over time. However, I'm a person who tends to consider seriously what I want/need and get it all up front and be done with it. We will just have to see. The biggest accessory cost will be the sailing kit -- so may have to leave that out for time being.

Island Ranger":pwgf5pl1 said:

Your option, but I would suggest getting the weaver davit hardware direct fron Weaver.

You will get to decide how you would like to mount the standoffs 'cause that is what will determine the length you need. On Island Ranger, it was a little complicated because I wanted to locate them below the full canvas enclosure. If you go direct to the stern, they will be shorter.

They are pretty simple to attach - drill a few holes in the swim step and both 'em in. They attach directly to the Pudgy - there is a molded hole for them.

Mac

Click to expand...

Why should I get the Weaver davit hardware directly from Weaver?
Is there a price advantage or is there some other reason for doing this?

I spoke with David at Portland Pudgy and when discussing the davits I could not understand why I should not allow David to install the Pudgy's hardware at factory and for me to install the remaining hardware on my R25's swim platform.

I intend to initially lash the Pudgy to stern railing when it's upright on the swim step. Later on I will invest in a block & tackle much like you've done with your Pudgy. David has said lifting the Pudgy from the water into an upright position isn't that difficult. I guess we will see.

At this time here's what I'm ordering...

1. Basic Boat in Sunset Yellow (not sure if seats etc are grey or charcoal black)
2. Bow bumper (installed at factory)
3. Bailing Pump and Access port (any necessary installation to be done at factory)
4. Weaver davits for attaching to my Ranger Tug R25's swim platform (hardware for Pudgy installed at factory)
5. Electrical system (factory installed)
6. Torqeedo Motor Travel 801S 2 hp. Foldable electric outboard incl. LIMA high-performance battery, charger and travel bag, long-shaft version.

Any of the remaining Pudgy accessories I can select later on as the needs arise and I can install all of them myself. This helps keep the initial investment cost reasonable for me. The strategy approach to my order was to get the basic boat plus any accessory that I deemed best be installed by the factory. Other accessories can be considered later on.

I will have the Pudgy shipped and delivered directly to my Port of Edmonds marina as this will save me approx $80 on the S&H. The Marina Ops staff were kind enough to let me do this so long as I could tell them when to expect its delivery. Apparently the Pudgy ships in a bag (not sure what is meant by a bag at this moment -- it does sound weird mind you 😉 )

I am in the market for a Pudgy but would really like to get a look at one in person before ordering direct. I have been in touch with the company and they said they could likely find a person in my area that would be willing to have a quick visitor taking a peek at their Pudgy but they have not been able to set that up so far. We simply want to get a feel for the sizing and seating arrangement and take a close look at the storage areas in the hull. There is a shortage of good detailed photos out there that I can find. We are in the Gig Harbor area but willing to do some driving to take a look. Is there anyone out there with one of these fine little boats that would be willing to have visitors for a few minutes?

Greg ang Cindie Lang
C-Dory 25 owners

We have a Pudgy on Island Ranger - and are up here on Whidbey Island (Clinton). At the moment, the dinghy is here at home - you are welcome to take a look, or I could take more pictures if that would help

Mac

Aurelia":29rt8b6k said:

I am in the market for a Pudgy but would really like to get a look at one in person before ordering direct. I have been in touch with the company and they said they could likely find a person in my area that would be willing to have a quick visitor taking a peek at their Pudgy but they have not been able to set that up so far. We simply want to get a feel for the sizing and seating arrangement and take a close look at the storage areas in the hull. There is a shortage of good detailed photos out there that I can find. We are in the Gig Harbor area but willing to do some driving to take a look. Is there anyone out there with one of these fine little boats that would be willing to have visitors for a few minutes?

Greg ang Cindie Lang
C-Dory 25 owners

Click to expand...

I'll have mine shortly and it will be installed and kept on our R-25 at the Edmonds Marina, WA. I also can take photos of the Pudgy as you wish for and can arrange for you to see it in person at the Marina.

Thank you for the offers and I think Barry and Gill win with an easier trip from Gig Harbor (although we do love to ferry over from PT). I also have a sister in Edmonds so that is an excuse for a visit as well. If you could send me a PM or post an update on this forum I will promise to keep an eye on it and we can find a time that will work best for you. We actually bought our C-dory from Edmonds yacht sales and the boat spent its first few years at the Edmonds marina. There is a chance we will lose control and just order one but we are trying to be thorough.

Greg and Cindie

Guess we won't need the peek after all. I called PP today and took that other blemished yellow model so I will have one on the way soon as well. Thanks so much for the offers but I couldn't pass up the deal on this one. I am pretty sure we will be pleased

Greg

Aurelia":2hmo4n6j said:

Guess we won't need the peek after all. I called PP today and took that other blemished yellow model so I will have one on the way soon as well. Thanks so much for the offers but I couldn't pass up the deal on this one. I am pretty sure we will be pleased

Greg

Click to expand...

Hmmm -- interesting about that "blemished" Sunset Yellow PP. I asked about that several weeks ago and was told they were spoken for -- so I dropped any further enquiries about it. My understanding was that the "blemished" PP would be further discounted beyond the current $300 discount program.

The "blemish" issue is, as told to me by David, simply a manufacturing issue in that the inner and outer shell in a small area was not adhering to the core material and thus one would feel some flexing in the surface when stepping on it. Beyond that, the "blem" PP was structurally sound etc.

The PP folks seem quite slow to communicate and seem to work in a relaxing manner. I sent my order specs in and after not hearing from them for a week I decided to called David to discuss this lack of communication. The next day I received an invoice. The day after this I spoke with David and placed down my deposit via CC to expedite payment to them vs. mailing them a personal check. That was a week ago and my CC has not been charged yet nor have I heard from PP.

I'm not too concerned as I'm in no hurry. I'm still recovering from shoulder surgery which will be a hindrance to me when wanting to install the PP on our R-25. If the PP gets to me in a week or so my shoulder will be in better shape -- so the delay in having the PP delivered is working in my favor at this time.

It seems we both will have the Sunset Yellow PP to show off to each other. 😉 :roll:

It's not a big company and I was getting none too many responses to some of my recent emails with a person there. The other blem unit apparently became available and I did mention your order and willingness to share your experience. David mentioned that they recently outfitted your boat and mentioned that mine would now go through the final assembly process before shipment. I think they sit as bare hulls until an order is made so all options and customizations can be handled effectively and they avoid having to tear boats back into pieces just to add extras. I think the CC deposit is just a good faith thing and don't expect them to charge a dime to it. They prefer to avoid markups and asked for a mailed check for the full amount upon shipment. He said they would contact me a couple of days before the ship date. David seems like a good guy and did answer all of my questions not just today but during two previous conversations. The blemish on my unit is minor enough that he thought a buyer "may" not notice it but he felt it was not as designed and warranted the discount. The wife was keen on a more matching white boat but after talking through the visibility aspect during use of the dinghy, we settled on the bright boat as a smart option. We will keep it upright on the roof and may get one if the covers for it as well. I am excited to start designing my launching system but I need precise measurements to really get started. And so we wait......

Greg

Greg:
I'm interested in your launching mechanism. Let me know more about it as you get into the design phase.

Are you at all worried/concerned about having some 150 to 200 lbs that high up on the boat ? The CG will be moved up some, right ?

I expressed the weight concern to other D-Dory owners and while 200lbs is significant on the 22 model, for the 25 with more beam (same as an R-25) and much more weight, the instability is not as significant. Folks normally carry slightly lighter dinghys up there and even add extra fuel and other supplies as well. I am only asking for the the load to be one unit. The biggest concern from C-Dory owners is getting the boat on and off that roof. The low COG a C-dory already has helps a bunch. When you stand on the cabin floor of a 25 classic. you are standing below the water line in a boat with less than 12 inches of draft.

Greg:

I chatted with David today to get a status on our Pudgy's assembly progress. He told me it's coming along and should be ready to ship to my Marina mid to late next week. I spoke about you with David also, especially about the fact you will be mounting the Pudgy on top of your C-Dory 25. He seemed to think it will be OK but wonders how you will get it up there easily!

They are having big storms on the Maine coast. Yesterday they got 5 inches of rain and winds at around 40 mph. They have another one forecast for today/tonight. David appeared to be excited about the storms.... 🙂

I will endeavor to take photos and a video of my PP installation on our R-25 -- showing davit installation, stowed position, its release technique and attaching PP to swim step via davits while in water. Initially I intend to lash the PP when stowed to rails on the R-25's transom. Later after working with this technique I will figure out if I want stand offs. With the PP in its stowed position I'm wanting the PP to lean forward so as to avoid it being too much of a wind catcher to avoid unwanted aerodynamic drag.

My PP will be shipped on Monday. The Torqeedo Motor Travel 801S will be shipped directly from the manufacturer as it requires special shipping due to the battery shipping rules. I can't wait.... 😀