Weaver davit system - decommission?

[Deb2021]

Just wondering if anyone has decommissioned their weaver davit system…my 14 year old Ranger Tug dinghy has been deemed time exed and I’m looking at different options. I’m only 5’6” on a good day and I can never see anything behind me when my dinghy is on the davits. Since I need a new dinghy I’m looking for opinions on options - is a roll up on the swim grid a better option? TIA for your input!
Deb

 

[mlanger]

I recently upgraded to an Ollson davit. It brings my RIB out of the water on an angle that is suitable to keep the engine mounted. I can launch the dinghy in about three minutes and retrieve it in about five. I never have to remove the engine. And, best of all, I can see over the top of it when I’m driving from inside the cabin.

To install it, they removed the connection points for the Weaver davit and my swim platform rails. They installed a vertical post through one of the cupholders beside the back seat. A pulley system that doesn’t require any kind of special ratchet quickly lifts the boat out of the water when I tug on the rope.

here’s the page where you can learn more: https://www.boatdavit.com/Home/Details/2

This is not an inexpensive solution. Parts and installation cost roughly $4500. But I am far more likely to anchor out now with an easy way to bring my pups to shore than to stay at expensive and crowded marinas. With the long-term cruising I’ve been doing on the Great Loop, it has probably paid for itself in savings.

 

[Deb2021]

I recently upgraded to an Ollson davit. It brings my RIB out of the water on an angle that is suitable to keep the engine mounted. I can launch the dinghy in about three minutes and retrieve it in about five. I never have to remove the engine. And, best of all, I can see over the top of it when I’m driving from inside the cabin.

To install it, they removed the connection points for the Weaver davit and my swim platform rails. They installed a vertical post through one of the cupholders beside the back seat. A pulley system that doesn’t require any kind of special ratchet quickly lifts the boat out of the water when I tug on the rope.

here’s the page where you can learn more: https://www.boatdavit.com/Home/Details/2

This is not an inexpensive solution. Parts and installation cost roughly $4500. But I am far more likely to anchor out now with an easy way to bring my pups to shore than to stay at expensive and crowded marinas. With the long-term cruising I’ve been doing on the Great Loop, it has probably paid for itself in savings.

Wow - sounds good, looks good but unfortunately doesn’t fit my budget. Didn’t have this planned as an expense this year so looking for what might be an interim fix for this season just so I can have shore access when anchoring out.
I only have a 4HP outboard and was even thinking of making the move to an electric motor after trying out a friend’s this week. I have a Garhauer lifting davit hoist on the swim grid (easily removed and stored) which I got to manage my outboard on and off but have also had to use it to lift the RT tug back into the upright position. Just providing all this info because I don’t know if I want anything hanging off the back of the boat.
Thanks for your reply! Happy Looping…D.

 

[AGLyme]

I recently upgraded to an Ollson davit. It brings my RIB out of the water on an angle that is suitable to keep the engine mounted. I can launch the dinghy in about three minutes and retrieve it in about five. I never have to remove the engine. And, best of all, I can see over the top of it when I’m driving from inside the cabin.

To install it, they removed the connection points for the Weaver davit and my swim platform rails. They installed a vertical post through one of the cupholders beside the back seat. A pulley system that doesn’t require any kind of special ratchet quickly lifts the boat out of the water when I tug on the rope.

here’s the page where you can learn more: https://www.boatdavit.com/Home/Details/2

This is not an inexpensive solution. Parts and installation cost roughly $4500. But I am far more likely to anchor out now with an easy way to bring my pups to shore than to stay at expensive and crowded marinas. With the long-term cruising I’ve been doing on the Great Loop, it has probably paid for itself in savings.

I am looking into this for my CT based Ranger 31… appreciate the information. Looks like an excellent system.

 

[Cutwater28GG]

for what its worth I have the weaver davits and changed out my dinghy twice now. First I had a Takacat sport (closed bow) 260 that was super light weight. I could raise this vertical with one hand onto the davits.
This was a PVC boat and after 5 years the seams failed as it was in the UV continuously. I considered replacing it with a hypalon version but they stopped making the closed bow version and the price was equivalent to other manufactures at that point.

I replaced it with a Highfield ultralight aluminium RIB in Hypalon. this is surprisingly light and I can still raise this by hand onto the weaver davits. The highfield has two hard points for the stanchions to connect to - rather than glued on pads. its super stable underway.

in both cases I carry my suzuki 2.5 from the stern rail top the dinghy to mount.

i considered rollup options but I knew that I would never make the effort to inflate it and it wouldnt get much use. a light weight dinghy on the davit is an easy solution.

in terms of looking behind I dont need to see behind me that close while underway and if we are anchored it takes like 40 seconds to lower the dinghy into the water so the cockpit has a better view.

If rear visibility is a big issue you could install a rear facing camera on the tower for a better view on the garmin MFD

 

[Martin610]

I'm a six footer and I can't see over my dinghy when upright on the weaver davit. I looked around quite a bit but I don't see anything that works better than weaver on my Cutwater 28.

What I did was rig a pulley. See attached picture. This way I can raise and lower the dingy so I can see over it at anchor or at the marina. I tie it off at a cleat. The pulley gives me a little mechanical advantage. Pulley must be at the dinghy side. Works well for me and was a cheap solution.

-martin

 

[Deb2021]

for what its worth I have the weaver davits and changed out my dinghy twice now. First I had a Takacat sport (closed bow) 260 that was super light weight. I could raise this vertical with one hand onto the davits.
This was a PVC boat and after 5 years the seams failed as it was in the UV continuously. I considered replacing it with a hypalon version but they stopped making the closed bow version and the price was equivalent to other manufactures at that point.

I replaced it with a Highfield ultralight aluminium RIB in Hypalon. this is surprisingly light and I can still raise this by hand onto the weaver davits. The highfield has two hard points for the stanchions to connect to - rather than glued on pads. its super stable underway.

in both cases I carry my suzuki 2.5 from the stern rail top the dinghy to mount.

i considered rollup options but I knew that I would never make the effort to inflate it and it wouldnt get much use. a light weight dinghy on the davit is an easy solution.

in terms of looking behind I dont need to see behind me that close while underway and if we are anchored it takes like 40 seconds to lower the dinghy into the water so the cockpit has a better view.

If rear visibility is a big issue you could install a rear facing camera on the tower for a better view on the garmin MFD

Thanks for your response. The Highfield is what I am currently looking at but was considering the rollup which would be similar to what I had when I had a sailboat. Just trying to get my head around inflate, deflate and periods in between when I could just tow between anchorages. It’s the strait and gate transits where I would have to figure out what to do with the dinghy…D.

 

[Deb2021]

I'm a six footer and I can't see over my dinghy when upright on the weaver davit. I looked around quite a bit but I don't see anything that works better than weaver on my Cutwater 28.

What I did was rig a pulley. See attached picture. This way I can raise and lower the dingy so I can see over it at anchor or at the marina. I tie it off at a cleat. The pulley gives me a little mechanical advantage. Pulley must be at the dinghy side. Works well for me and was a cheap solution.

View attachment 23266

-martin

Now that is something I didn’t think of - thank you! I do have the Garhauer hoist on the swim grid and use it to lift the dinghy back to upright to attach to the stand-offs. I could lower dinghy to half-mast for viewing out the back while exiting slip and then lift the dinghy and put the stand-offs back on when I stow fenders and lines for departure.
That’s why I love this forum - all the its and bits that we can gather from the sharing. Thanks for your input!

 

[scross]

Now that is something I didn’t think of - thank you! I do have the Garhauer hoist on the swim grid and use it to lift the dinghy back to upright to attach to the stand-offs. I could lower dinghy to half-mast for viewing out the back while exiting slip and then lift the dinghy and put the stand-offs back on when I stow fenders and lines for departure.
That’s why I love this forum - all the its and bits that we can gather from the sharing. Thanks for your input!

We had a rollup that came with our R-25 Classic and hated it. Was not very stable in anything but glassy seas due to the flat floor. Took a long time to inflate and deflate. But the worst part was that it offered the tubes no protection when coming ashore on a rocky oyster shell infested landing. I was always afraid of ripping the dinghy tubes and being stranded. We are in the PNW. If you are in Florida with sandy beaches I guess a rollup would be ok.
Went to a light weight aluminum hulled RIB and never looked back. Our Zodiac Alu Cadet weights in at 72 pounds. Yes, that’s 20 pounds heavier than the rollup dinghy but better in every other regard.

 

[Deb2021]

We had a rollup that came with our R-25 Classic and hated it. Was not very stable in anything but glassy seas due to the flat floor. Took a long time to inflate and deflate. But the worst part was that it offered the tubes no protection when coming ashore on a rocky oyster shell infested landing. I was always afraid of ripping the dinghy tubes and being stranded. We are in the PNW. If you are in Florida with sandy beaches I guess a rollup would be ok.
Went to a light weight aluminum hulled RIB and never looked back. Our Zodiac Alu Cadet weights in at 72 pounds. Yes, that’s 20 pounds heavier than the rollup dinghy but better in every other regard.

Thanks for your response! I’m in the PNW, as well, so, always on the lookout for those rocky, razor-sharp oyster shell landings