Portland Pudgy on swim platform

[Retirement Dream]

I am planning on mounting a Portland Pudgy dinghy on the swim platform of my 2014 R27 using Weaver davits. The swim platform currently has the factory installed handrail around it. Weaver makes standoffs that allow the dinghy to stand essentially straight up on the davits leaving the handrails in place. The other option is to remove the handrails and have the dinghy lean forward to the transom.

If I leave the handrails in place, the swim platform is still usable. However, I wonder about the stability of the dinghy; the drag it might produce (it would be sort of a big wind sock...); and, the extra length causing my Harbormaster to move me to a new slip because I would now be too long for the slip I am currently occupying.

On the other hand, removing the handrails might cause issues other than the loss of the use of the swim platform that I haven't anticipated. (Could the fiberglass delaminate in the former through holes?)

Thoughts anyone?
Scott

 

[baz]

IMO... Keep the swim step railings and mount the Pudgy as you've described. I suspect there little to worry about wrt it being a wind sock as you've said. The biggest issue is, the Pudgy is quite heavy and weight on the stern will affect your fuel burn. Boat's are a set of compromises... 😉

Also note... You will need to consider a block and tackle for raising and lowering the Pudgy. Use a 4:1 block to make it easier for you and a 1/4" line that will likely need to be at least 40-feet long..

 

[YukonRon]

We have a Portland Pudgy on Weaver davits on our R25sc. It mostly rides straight up vertical. I did lean it forward against the transom for a long trailering trip to reduce wind drag, but it was a pain to flip it up and down to access the transom gate.
It's definitely a heavy lift to pull it up vertical. I just added a pulley system so I can do it solo. It was a struggle for 2 of us without the pulley advantage.
When cruising fully loaded, the bottom edge of our swim step drags in the water. I'm sure part of it is due to the weight of the Pudgy.
We haven't gone cruising without it to see how much difference it makes, both in wind resistance and water drag, but it came with the boat and we need a dinghy so we just live with it.

 

[Retirement Dream]

Thank you for the information. Two more questions, please.

First, where do you attach the pulley system to the Ranger? A hand rail, or???

Second, Weaver makes a set of standoffs to help hold the boat Pudgy upright. Do you use them and, if so, where did you attach them?

Thanks again,
Scott

 

[baz]

Thank you for the information. Two more questions, please.

First, where do you attach the pulley system to the Ranger? A hand rail, or???

Second, Weaver makes a set of standoffs to help hold the boat Pudgy upright. Do you use them and, if so, where did you attach them?

Thanks again,
Scott

I dragged out my Portland Pudgy photo/video archives for you.

General photos: https://www.icloud.com/sharedalbum/#B1AGQD2D7GkhajK

Raising and lowering the Pudgy video: https://www.icloud.com/sharedalbum/#B1AGtue8VGuXAKc

 

[Red Raven]

Thank you for the information. Two more questions, please.

First, where do you attach the pulley system to the Ranger? A hand rail, or???

Second, Weaver makes a set of standoffs to help hold the boat Pudgy upright. Do you use them and, if so, where did you attach them?

Thanks again,
Scott

The factory ratchet system is mounted to the ceiling of the small cockpit roof over the cabin entry door. Our boat came with the ratcheting lever. I don’t use it though and took it off the boat. It is very slow and the ratchet arm takes up storage space. Others I know attach a multiple pulley system to the same ceiling location (or close to) as Barry has done. Multiple pulleys reduces the effort but increases the amount of line needed.

Personally, for our RIB, I just clip a line (I just move the dink’s bow line) on the D ring of the far side of the dinghy and take the line once through the rail at one of the post locations and pull the line from the mid point as well as the point just past where the line loops around the rail (one hand at each position) this gives just enough leverage to bring the dink up with one strong pull quickly and requires a shorter line and no extra storage. Not sure if the pudgy is heavier than the factory RIB though.

Curt

 

[Retirement Dream]

Thank you both!! The video of raising the Pudgy is the very first one I have ever seen and it completely put all of my fears to rest.

I think I will live the handrails on at first and see how that works. I can always take them off later if I don't like the results.

Thanks again. Tugnuts are awesome!

 

[davecook]

Have had our Pudgy mounted on Weaver davits and standoffs for 4 years . Rail in place , we have 6000 miles of it in place going down the highway on the trailer . Reinforcement pads behind behind tug and Pudgy stand off brackets . I have security lines on for safety . See my photo album for pictures . In big seas ( we shouldn't been out ) the Pudgy will catch some water .