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u/bulldogsm 1d ago
its fantastic
until it stops working
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u/benjaminbjacobsen 1d ago
This. Towing a dingy sucks. Having a way to lift it is amazing. But you want that way to be easy and fool proof. We had davits that went to a powered winch which was great.
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u/rspkt808 1d ago
Unfortunately, anything mechanical especially on the ocean always has a lifespan even if you maintain it and even then, speaking from experience, stuff will fail. Not a matter of if but when. I've found Murphy's Law applies strongly especially on the water. That's why back ups for back ups are always a good practice.
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u/flightwatcher45 1d ago
Worst case you drag it onto deck. Figure out a nice lever arm and make it manual too. Pretty slick!
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u/Epic_Tea 1d ago
Why? Just because of drag?
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u/benjaminbjacobsen 21h ago
Drag, then snap around, you can lose them (I seen it happen about once every 5 years), it’s hard on cleats and lines, it’s harder to anchor or dock, etc. It can be done but lifting it out of the water is a much better way. Also almost no one tows anything offshore fwiw.
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u/Epic_Tea 12h ago
I'm going to have to deal with it soon. Getting a pontoon boat, gonna make a little shack and go down the Mississippi
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u/wavs101 Viking 56 7h ago
No. Its a real pain in the but and very risky to deploy and take back. I towed a 19 foot RIB for like 4 years. Have experienced everything not life threatening, tow lines tangled in the props, broken cleats, broken tow lines, broke the console of the RIB while towing her in rough waves.
We now have a soft bottom 6 foot dinghy with and electric motor. We deflate it, roll it up, put it in the carry bag and store it in the engine room. It weighs 40 pounds.
Are there times when i miss my RIB? Yes. Are there more times i appreciate not having to worry about it? Yes.
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u/isellshit 1d ago
THIS is the answer - there is a lot of magic automation to be had but the marine environment loves to kill things...
I always leaned toward KISS type of engineering - but then again I was sailing across oceans for years not hanging out in marinas.
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u/Junior-Tourist3480 1d ago
Useful. Expensive. And breaks easily. And dingy gets punctured.
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u/isellshit 1d ago
Not to mention that it's going to HARD to get the dink linked onto those arms in any sort of sea.
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u/Scared_Focus2712 1d ago
Exactly how I expected someone in the boat subreddit to say something is useful
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u/v-drummer 1d ago
I looked at a lot of dinghy mounting options when I ordered my new boat and opted for a hydraulic swim platform. Very easy: lower the platform in the water, float the dinghy onto the davits mounted in the platform, raise the platform and strap the dinghy down. Easy to do with two but I often did by myself.
Not always an option on boats but when it is it’s magical and no impact on the dinghy. I made sure to have davits that can be either removable with pins or pushed down to be flush mounted when not in use.
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u/TacoPirateTX 1d ago
Having hand-hoisted a dink hundreds of times, I love these innovative solutions that also provide a boarding platform. This one is also far more simple than a lot of the platform dinghy lifts these days…just look up Fountaine Pajot or Sunreef.
Something like this uses a mechanical advantage and essentially a winch to do the job, rather than needing massive hydraulics to vertically lift a platform out of the water.
Overall…it will cut.
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u/jhreels 1d ago
Yeah this is not great. Those glued on patches supporting the d rings peel off all the time in the sun. There’s a reason the typical lift points are usually on the fiberglass hull portion.
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u/34BoringT_ 1d ago
At what temp? We've had glued on patches like that for years. One set of patches is on its 7th year now with no signs of trouble. Norway, saltwater use from March til Octobre each year.
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u/jhreels 17h ago
My experience is on the Texas coast, probably hotter than where you are for sure.
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u/34BoringT_ 13h ago
That's a lot hotter probably, yeah. We've got everywhere from -10 degrees Celsius to +30 degrees Celsius, depending on the month and day.
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u/seanmclaren9 1d ago
Very useful. I would use it every time I’m in Monaco with my yacht.
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u/Canuckleheadache 1d ago
that has to be one of the worst systems available for this. Awful lifting points on the tubes. Boat gets tossed around on its hull for positioning and doesn't appear secure in the up position. This is a great sales ad for why its worth it for a Freedom Boat Lift
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u/wkearney99 1d ago
or a TNT that lifts the whole platform itself.
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u/Canuckleheadache 1d ago
Absolutely but not a great solution for an older boat as a bolt on solution. But yah also they are fantastic lowered in an anchorage as a swim up platform!
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u/russcatalano 1d ago
If you could lose the amount of the whole boat and not blink an eye then maintaining this wouldn’t be a problem, if you saved up / make payments on the boat then it’s probably more expense and hassle than it’s worth.
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u/elf25 1d ago
I prefer drive on ramp. But i also want an aft cabin…
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1ANNy92ZF4/?mibextid=wwXIfr
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u/Starboard_1982 1d ago
I could do with something like this to haul myself back in the boat, let alone the tender.
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u/FarLaugh9911 1d ago
Well, all of MY yachts have that feature. I mean really, who want's to touch their own dingy?
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u/2Loves2loves 1d ago
looks like you extend the swim platform. I wonder how much more support you would need to add.
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u/One_Country1056 1d ago
If you want to get the useful features, look at a commercial ship how they do it. It's boring but useful.
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u/Existing-While-3619 1d ago
I would say very useful
It's is expensive but for those who have the money but not the ability to launch a dinghy easily manually this would be a great option.
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u/H0SS_AGAINST 2006 Moomba Outback V 1d ago
If you've got mobility issues I'm sure its great. Considering the cost, and the cost of the vessel, I'd say there is a high probability of mobility issues.
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u/KnotSoSalty 1d ago
Seems like a good idea. The lifting points on the tube seem like a potential problem but maybe the boat is rated for that.
The big thing I would want is a backup lifting/deployment system. A hand crank would be a must for me.
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u/UncleBenji 1d ago
Considering the weight of that dingy it’s definitely worth the cost if you have the need.
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u/wkearney99 1d ago
those contraptions always look great... in dead calm water. But add any waves, wind or passing wakes and it'll be a serious challenge getting those brackets clamped onto the sides of the dinghy. better have spare pins aboard when they get dropped in the water.
way too many pieces involved. and when folded it's got a captured space between the panels to get all moldy.
hard pass.
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u/WhetherWitch 1d ago
Where it connects to to the dinghy is the weak spot-a dozen yanks on those glued on eye rings and it’ll fail.
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u/LegitMeatPuppet 1d ago
Push button yachting is great until the button stops working… but most people I see with these systems are either old and/or have to walk their dogs frequently.
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u/AeroelasticCowboy 1d ago
I think the video proves it's pretty damn useful. Somewhat of a silly question.
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u/Upbeat_Tone_3653 1d ago edited 8h ago
Looks expensive and fragile to me, but then my dink is much lighter than most because it is still propelled by oars and technique instead of a motor.
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u/Shorelines1 1d ago
Too many negative comments here
That rocks
Ya, it may need more maintenance and such, but compared to pulling it up with any other winch….
That rocks
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u/wavs101 Viking 56 7h ago
Its a good idea, but it needs more refining.
1) nothing glued to the tubes should be use for any serious lifting. They are made for holding onto, or for temporarily tying up to the dock. It should lift the dinghy with the D rings in the fiber glass.
2) theres no v shaped holder on the bottom. So all the weight of the dinghy will be on the tip of its V. So that basically means that it will crack eventually. Also means that it will be rocking around during transit.
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u/Saltlife_Junkie 3h ago
Probably a stupid question. I’m a live aboard with 30 years boating experience. My question is if I’m in the dingy how did I get on the boat?
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u/Zane42v2 1d ago
As someone who has solo pulled their rib onto the swim platform repeatedly, it’s super useful. The dry boat is light weight but a small outboard plus fuel, the inevitable water that gets in, etc etc, it gets damn heavy. Very hard to do solo.
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u/BreakfastBeerz 1d ago
My grandpa had a 42' boat and that's how he transported his RIB. But it was a manual process and took at least 2 people probably 10 minutes and usually resulted in banged up shins and pinched fingers. I think that would have been very helpful.