Davit / Dinghy Added to R29S Swimstep

[Kimberly Dawn]

Hi All,

I'm looking for your opinions and feedback.

We're getting prepared to receive our new R29S with a mid-May delivery... it's very exciting!

We had a 37# inflatable Sea Eagle kayak with our R27-OB, mounted above the cabin lid. Our next dinghy, with Olsson davit, will weigh approximately 450# and mounted on the swimstep. It will ride upright, slightly above the transom, ready for deployment.

Here's my question, especially to R29 / R31 owners: have you added a similar configuration (weight), and how did it impact the operation of the boat.

Thanks!

Bob
Kimberly Dawn

 

[bluestreak]

We have a 2016, R-27 classic with the Olsson davit system.
The dinghy is a 7'10" rib and a Honda 5 HP OB.
I love the set up because I don't have to dismount the OB.
The dinghy hangs level.
I do need to remember to pull the dinghy drain plug, otherwise, the rainwater stays in the boat.
I have added a 12v winch to lift the boat and boat from the water.
Hope this helps.
Bill

 

[Sandro]

450 pounds? Wow. Seems like a lot to carry way back.

 

[Kimberly Dawn]

Thanks, Bill.

Is that you on your 27 Classic highlighting thr Olsson RS-5 on their website?

I was hoping to get more feedback from R29 and R31 owners that have added weight to their swimsteps (davit, dinghy, motor, etc.). What was the impact on the performance and handling of your vessel? How much weight?

Thanks,

Bob
Kimberly Dawn

 

[dbsea]

While I have a Cutwater 30, so not a direct comparison, I can hypothesize that the weight impact would be significant on performance, but there might be a drag coefficient gain with the horizontal placement of the dinghy. I have the 260RIB dinghy on my boat which I believe weighs about 80lbs. Add another 60lbs for the 6hp outboard + gas, so 140lbs altogether. Based on your comments, the Davit you are looking at adds another 300lbs of weight? That sounds like a lot to me, but I'm not math smart enough to run the comparison of improvement of drag coefficient from having the dinghy horizontal vs vertical like I have on my boat. 300lbs is two average people and/or quite a bit of gear, though, or fuel/water. I went the Garhauer crane route (18lbs) to handle my outboard on/off procedure, and I'm still young enough (42) to handle hoisting the dinghy up by hand once its on the weaver davits.

I don't know if i've added any value in this post, but just something else to think about...

 

[Anna]

We have a 2021 31 CB. Prior to getting a dinghy, at fast cruise, about 3300 rpm, fuel economy was averaging 1.5 nm/gal and no problem trimming the bow down. After installing a Highfield 280 with 9.9 Yamaha on a Seawise davit system (approx. 300 lbs) my fuel economy dropped to 1.3 nm/gal and am unable to trim the bow down sufficiently. I am currently having drop fins and trim tab ram extensions installed while she is out of the water for other work. I will post results when we get her back in the water.

 

[Kimberly Dawn]

Thanks for your feedback!

My configuration is as follows: Highfield Cl 290 = 130#, Tohatsu 20hp short-shaft = 95#, Olsson RS5 davit = 81#. Additional items: 6 gallon gas tank, Highfield FCT-7 steering helm, remote motor controls rigging.

I have concerns with the integrity of the swimstep platform and its supports and connections to the transom. These are issues I feel confident I can resolve.

The added weight to the boat's stern and its effect on the balance of the boat overall is a concern. I likewise plan to add drop fins. I currently have 100' chain / 200' line on order with a Rocna 15kg anchor. I have considered increasing the length of chain to 200', and maybe even stow my spare Lewmar anchor in the chain locker to help with overall balance of the boat.

I know the added ballast means reduced fuel economy. This process will be a work in progress... going from our R27-OB (30mph cruise) to our R29S (10-15mph) will also be a work in progress.

Heck, my wife says I'm a work in progress!

Bob
Kimberly Dawn

 

[dbsea]

That is quite the dinghy setup for a 30’ boat! I’m envious!

 

[Sandro]

Hi Bob, I have a 2029 r29 cb. I have noticed that the boats performance is very sensitive to weight in the cockpit / stern. Or I should say sensitive when riding at any speed above displacement speeds. Lower top end, higher fuel burn, higher rise, etc. if you plan on doing a lot of cruising at higher speeds i would suggest keeping the transom weight down. Note though that I have the luxury edition and am dragging around a generator that sits just forward of the transom probably weighs at least 200 pounds. Hope this helps!

 

[Kimberly Dawn]

Thanks... it does help, but I know I'm always "reaching" to justify my selection.

Being you have a R29CB LE, your CB adds 200# +/- plus your generator plus your dinghy configuration. Your weight distribution is balanced, however. I expect to cruise at 10-13 knots and enjoy my wife enjoying the slow cruise.

Drop fins on the trim tabs, plus adding anchor / chain ballast to the chain locker, I believe I can adjust the fore-aft (pitch?) balance of the boat. Or, I'm all wet, completely wrong, and I've acquired a white elephant.

Well, maybe not exactly a white elephant. I think the dinghy configuration will appeal to a multitude of small trawlers... I'll keep the Olsson davit and pursue other lighter dinghy configurations, e.g., Chill Awhile.

Once again, thanks for your feedback!

Bob
Kimberly Dawn

 

[S. Todd]

Dry weight of the Next Gen diesel generator installed on the current model R29 is listed in the owners manual as 160 lbs. It does sit a little forward of the transom which helps.

 

[Sandro]

10-13 knots is actually kind of the dead spot for the r29. You can do it, sure, but the boat really drags and you will feel it. I have found best cruise is at < 9 or greater than 13. In fact once at 13 you get the same MPG all the way up to 18-20.

 

[Kimberly Dawn]

Thanks, Sandro.

Your personal cruise data is invaluable and will be seriously taken under advisement.

Once again, my wife will greatly appreciate slowing down, but I will appreciate the fuel economy and overall boat performance. Adding Rocna 15, drop fins and spare anchor in chain locker will aide in lowering bow underway.

Bob
Kimberly Dawn

 

[sgeary]

We have a friend with a RT31 Sedan who installed the dinghy/motor lift you described, as he had it leftover from a larger boat.

After a year of use, one of his swim step supports broke--the one under the dinghy/motor lift.

But, he also trailered his boat with the dinghy and motor mounted on the swim step. So, the additional stresses from towing may have contributed to the problem.

But this is a lot of weight on the swim step.

When our Fluid Motion dinghy reaches end-of-life, I think a Highfield Ultra Lite 290SS at 86 pounds may be our next dinghy.

My goal is to get weight out of the stern.

 

[SkookumR29]

Another tender option worth considering is one of the small boats from Gig Harbor Boat Works. The Captain's Gig is 9.5 feet long and weighs only 88 pounds. They can be set up with all the normal davit options (Weaver for instance) and would be a good option for an R29 or R31. We currently have a Portland Pudgy - which we love - but if I was in the market, I would definitely consider one from GH Boatworks. The Captain's Gig can be set up for sailing as well. I have a 16.5-foot GH Melonseed for rowing and sailing; it is a very high-quality boat that gets tons of use. The Captain's Gig is also a classic lapstrake style boat which would look nice with the style of our tugs.

 

[Sandro]

Also. I re-read this and you mentions 20hp? What is the purpose of that.. tubing? Lol. 🙂. I have a 2.5. Most have 5hp. Etc. Get you to shore and back. That’s it’s only purpose really as I see it. And maybe a little exploring. Btw is this your first boat? If so, I suggest dipping your tow in. Use the blast and then decide what you need. No rush to go ‘all in’.

 

[Sandro]

Also. I re-read this and you mentions 20hp? What is the purpose of that.. tubing? Lol. 🙂. I have a 2.5. Most have 5hp. Etc. Get you to shore and back. That’s it’s only purpose really as I see it. And maybe a little exploring. Btw is this your first boat? If so, I suggest dipping your tow in. Use the boat and then decide what you need. No rush to go ‘all in’.

 

[Anna]

We got our boat back in the water with drop fins and trim tab ram extenders installed. Had a rare day of calm winds and 0 current to test things out. Duplicating our fast cruise rpm of 3190 prior to the modifications, we went from 1.3 nm/gal to 1.6 nm/gal. The wake is much cleaner with very little spray going up into the dinghy. Visibility is much better with the bow down which is very helpful with all the debris floating in our waters. Another plus is better tracking at idle speeds. At today’s fuel prices they will pay for themselves in no time. Hope this information is helpful for you.

 

[srhawk454]

I have about 200# on the transom/platform: Roskelley/Olsson davit plus Higfield UL290. When going slow, I'm getting ~10mpg at 7kts (1200rpm) and when cruising fast it is 1.5mpg at 15kts (3150rpm). I've seen better and I've seen worth, but this is about an average I'm getting under the normal sea conditions. I have ePropulsion Spirit 1.0 motor for the dinghy and couldn't be happier with it. Also, the dinghy/davit setup hooks up to the transom to reduce the stress on the platform when under way. I feel this setup/weight is not a factor for the boat at all, at least I have no evidence it affects perf in any way.

 

[georgesilverman]

we had the olsson RS 5 on a R31S with a Highfield CL290 dinghy. Worked great. We used an epropulsion Spirit electric engine which we did not keep on the dinghy. the RS 5 weighted about 100 lbs installed and the dinghy about 130.