Size recomendation for '05 340 dinghy

S

sarbog

Member
Aug 22, 2008
135
Emerald Isle NC
Boat Info
'05 340 Sundancer
Garmin 7610xsv
1951 Penn Yan 9' Aerodinghy/2018 AB 9vl w/ 15 hp Evinrude 2-strk
Engines
Twin 8.1 Horizons v-drives
Going dinghy shopping over the fall/early winter. Looking for a RIB for use on a '05 340 Sundancer. Any 340 owners of the post 03.5 model years have a recomendation for a size. The listed beam may be 12' but that is at the widest point. At the platform it is 10' and a few inches at the widest point. I don't want the outboard (when kicked up in stowed position) extending outboard of the edge of the platform. Wind and current can be problematic at times when backing into my slip.
 
I have the 320 which is smaller of course, but to give you perspective I have a Zodiac Cadet 285 (9ft 6inches) with a 15hp Yamaha 2stroke and it is the limit in size for the 320 but works great. You can see it in my signature.
 
This set up is probably as large as you can go: 10'2" Zodiac RIB with a Yamaha F9.9 on Hurley davits. I only have it on when cruising. It does not stick out from the swim platform on either side but does over hang from the stern almost 3 feet. This includes the motor kicked up. So for docking it's not an issue for the width of the slip just the length. I have not noticed any windage issues when docking or at speed and it doesn't seem to block my view when backing into a slip.

photo.jpg

The negatives are only about 6 inches between the dinghy and the transom which makes it difficult to handle lines from the swim platform or run the shore power cord. Also because of this limited space, if I am boarding from the swim platform I have to be sure I am docked to port. It also blocks my transom nav light but there would not be a circumstance that I would travel at night while cruising. Last, it's heavy and awkward to load. You need two people to haul it up on davits or I use a strap winch from Harbor Freight to winch it up.

The positives after two seasons is I can get two adults and two kids up on a plane and go about 12-14 mph. One adult can go about 20 mph. It's also pretty sturdy set up. I had it out in 6-8' on Lake Ontario for a crossing and it didn't budge.

In retrospect I should have considered the extra expense and gone with Hurley's H2O or H30 davits. Another guys has one and he can get his larger RIB up much easier by himself. Very slick.
 
I bought a Hurley H30 this season and havent gotten it on yet, so that's on my winter list. I have a Walker Bay Genesis that I plan on using on it. But it seems like it will be really tight against the transom locker.
 
We have a Mercury Hypalon Rib which is about 9' with a 6 HP on Nautley davits. It gives us space port side to step on and off and is rated for 600 lbs capacity. Have recently installed a pulley to help getting it back onto the davits which has helped a lot.
Also, if you are like us and like to flush your O/B after each use to prolong life, if you have a biggish engine to have to lift off to do it that is can be a real PITA. That's why we just bought a new Tohatsu because it has an in situ flush attachment which is just wonderful.


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I struggled with this decision over the winter and finally decided on a Highfield Aluminum bottom. My wife would have nothing to do with a high pressure floor so we had to go with a RIB. I have to say that I’m extremely happy with our setup. We paired it with a Tohatsu 6 and we went with Dom’s Davits with the aid of Materfab. Our 320 is pretty similar to your beam (11.5’). The highfiled is 9.6 and weighs in about 130lbs with the motor. If you combine overall weight, the davits and my platform's height from the water, it’s a piece of cake for me to load and unload by myself. I generally keep the motor down when underway and backing in because in the up position it extends beyond the rear of the dinghy. We wanted to get the largest RIB our beam would allow. Being that your platform is much higher off the water overall, the weight of the dinghy would be my concern.
 
Last edited:
Dean,

You spelled Masterfab wrong......

But I am happy to know you like the setup - it solves the access problem that others have with off-the-shelf systems.

Dale
 
Hehe...thanks for catching that Dale. Love it so much I'm taking it if and when we sell the boat!
 
Thanks for the help. I have narrowed my search based upon the input. I am likely to go with the Hurley H2O Davit system. A question I have is in regard to how the plates attach to the platform. Have read their website and literature. The boat is 3 1/2 hours away so can't really check in the near future. The '05 340 has the integrated swim platform. Do they bolt on with bolts and toggler anchors if the integrated platform is "hollow" or screws if not? Bolt all the way through the platform with a backing plate? Installation (i.e., drilling holes) makes me nervous
 
sarbog said:
Thanks for the help. I have narrowed my search based upon the input. I am likely to go with the Hurley H2O Davit system. A question I have is in regard to how the plates attach to the platform. Have read their website and literature. The boat is 3 1/2 hours away so can't really check in the near future. The '05 340 has the integrated swim platform. Do they bolt on with bolts and toggler anchors if the integrated platform is "hollow" or screws if not? Bolt all the way through the platform with a backing plate? Installation (i.e., drilling holes) makes me nervous
Click to expand...

I know this thread is from a couple years ago, but what did you end up doing? Do you have any pictures to share? Lessons learned? I'm struggling to figure out what size, davit, and if my transom will be completely useless. We rely on this due to the rising tides. Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
 
BritLady said:
We have a Mercury Hypalon Rib which is about 9' with a 6 HP on Nautley davits. It gives us space port side to step on and off and is rated for 600 lbs capacity. Have recently installed a pulley to help getting it back onto the davits which has helped a lot.
Also, if you are like us and like to flush your O/B after each use to prolong life, if you have a biggish engine to have to lift off to do it that is can be a real PITA. That's why we just bought a new Tohatsu because it has an in situ flush attachment which is just wonderful.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
BritLady, do you have any pics of your dinghy on your 340 that shoes the room between the dinghy and the back of the boat? I'm curious to see if I could walk to the locker, shorepower etc. Also how did you do your lines? Thanks
 
I have a 10' zodiac with a 15hp johnson 2 stroke which I built a swivel / tilt style davit. Similar to a H3O. Very pleased with the setup. I can walk between dinghy and transom. but it is tight.....
004.jpg
 
Has anyone fitted a Hurley H20 to a searay 340? any recommendations what size hurley arms to go for?
 
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