I have decided on Hurley Davits. My inclination is the H2O (pull up onto the Davits/platform myself). Dingy and outboard is about 190 lbs. videos make it look easy, but is it really!? I am fairly fit and capable, but not getting younger. For those that have the H2O Davits, or similar, how easy/manageable are they to load a dink onto? I could go to the H3O but significantly more cost. Thoughts/advice.
I find that you really need two people to do it. Not that hard with two. But in pulling it up by the rope that is secured by pads around the dinghy, I have torn a couple off of the dinghy, so now have a winter project of gluing them back on.
It can be done alone but is soooo much easier with 2 people. I’ll typically ask the wife for a hand and with her it’s no big deal at all
H20 System works well. How high is your platform off the water? I currently used the H20 with a 200 lb Dinghy and it cannot be done safely by 1 person. I purchased and installed their electric Winch. It makes it much easier and can be done with one person.
I went with the H30. Yes...expensive, but I can get my 8’-6” with 10HP 2-stroke up by myself without the winch. I do it with one hand on the dink and the other on the transom door handle. The 340 platform sits high off the water so it takes considerable effor. I might break down and try the winch next season. If you have a smaller engine you shouldn’t need to use the winch. Overall, I’m very happy with it. I still have room to cross to the starboard rear cleat, and access the transom locker for water and EL hook ups.
I have an '05 340, so,yes, the platform is pretty high above the waterline. The dinghy is 9'6" with a 9.8 4 strk. Truly can not imagine a time I would be single handling the boat so I would always have a second person to help. But your responses brought up something I hadn't thought about. With the H2O, how much, if any, clearance is there to access the transom locker, electric hook up, as well as room to move when backing into the slip and tying up? Any room at all to move between the dinghy and the transom? With the H3O it seems there is at least some room/access between the transom and dinghy.
If your platform is more than a few inches off the water get the H30. I started with the H20 and replaced it with the H30 - SOOO much easier. With the H20 I had a 75lb air floor dinghy and a 6HP four stroke and could barely do it alone. I now have a RIB with 9.9 HP 4S, could barely get it on the H20 with two people. Hurley now makes an offset mount for the H30. I suggest you take pictures and good measurements of the platform and email Hurley. Todd Hurley is a great guy - he will give you honest opinions about what is needed and what will work.
I made my own davit with a worm winch that I run with a battery drill (a worm drive winch will not unspool by its self )
Have you considered Seawise hydraulic davits? I've got one on my 340 ...raises, lowers, and keeps engine vertical automatically ...all at the touch of a button. http://seawisemarine.com Here's a photo of mine ...it's also not very intrusive as davit systems go.
I bought the Hurley h3 last year and freakin love it! 10’ Hard bottom dink with 9.9 hp merc. Even the 110 pound Admiral can load it by herself. I added the extensions so that I can walk between the transom and the dink. I went with the hand crank version. In hind site I might have gone with the electric. It’s not mandatory but would have made it even easier yet.
I installed a pair of Naughtly Davits with rollers, even with the rollers it was tough lifting the RIB onto the swim platform. Every time I would get the stern up I would try to help my wife lift her end of the dinghy. As I helped her the stern always went back into the water. The total weight with a 6 hp Yamaha is 140lbs. After a few try’s and needing assistance from other boaters I decided to install a winch in the lazarette, now I can pull the Dinghy out of the water by myself. I thru bolted it to the floor of the lazarette and installed a roller high enough to get the correct angle. I also changed the steel cable to polypropylene rope and made a harness to lift it. The winch also has a tethered remote. Everything was less than $200. Bow Tie
