Will the cleats work as lift points for davit?

[Stumble]

Is the crane just being used to lift the boat into a storage cradle, or is it also going to have to store it on the hoist?

For the first my club rigged our 18' BW with four eyes and G10 backing plates as lift points, then ran a four leg bridle. Work fine, been using it for years with no issues.

If the boat is stored on the crane then it's a substantially different issue.

[Kokanee]

If you have a good quality 8" cleat, it should be sufficient. 3/16" stainless backing plates are strong enough if you have enough surface area. It all depends on how much room you have for the backing plate under each cleat. Many boats come from the factory with nothing but washers under the cleats. I'd put as large of a plate as possible.

Well - actually I'd go with lifting lugs instead of cleats, but either will work if you spread the load with a big backing plate.

[DefinitelyMe]

No the cleats are not designed for this kind of load. I have ripped cleats out of Boston Whalers twice - they were just screwed in. The double hull with foam in the middle makes backing plates impossible. Install eye-bolts through the transom if it doesn't have any already. Use those to lift the stern. The bow should already have a U-bolt through-bolted on the outside. Sometimes one side of this U-bolt has an eye instead of a nut on the back side for attaching the end of the anchor line to. This is also a strong point and can be used for lifting. If there isn't one there, remove one of the nuts and replace it with an eye-nut. Alternatively, if you don't normally use the U-bolt in the bow for anything you can remove it and re-install it with the backing plate on the outside and the 'U' on the inside of the bow for lifting.

[MehmetCan]

Originally Posted by Nagivator

Consider also how your dinghy up in davits will BEHAVE when your vessel maneuvers in bouncy head seas, wallowing following seas. Will the dinghy bounce up and down, try to swing around? Will that motion increase the stress on the cleats? Are you going to launch and hoist your dinghy in an anchorage that has current? Things to consider when you rely on a cleat to do things it wasn't built for.

The boat will be placed on the deck, on it's own sled, tied down securely. That's not an issue. As for the slippage of the straps, I'm thinking of a joint solution as using straps and securing them with both cross tieing as well as securing the straps to cleats as well for horizontal slippage...

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by MehmetCan

The boat will be placed on the deck, on it's own sled, tied down securely ...

Sound like you're GOOD to GO.

From the Boston Whaler Dauntless Manual, Pages 2-20 & 2-21
“... The bow and stern eyes may be used only for short term lifting of the boat ...”
➥ http://www.bostonwhaler.com/boat_gra...01352449PM.pdf

[anchorman]

THIS IS ALL GREAT INFORMATION, BUT WHY NOT TAKE ALL OF THE GUESS WORK OUT AND CALL BOSTON WHALER? I'M SURE THEY HAVE THE ANSWER

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by anchorman

THIS IS ALL GREAT INFORMATION, BUT WHY NOT TAKE ALL OF THE GUESS WORK OUT AND CALL BOSTON WHALER? I'M SURE THEY HAVE THE ANSWER

Boston Whaler published the answer in the Dauntless Owners' Manual, Pages 2-20 & 2-21
“... The bow and stern eyes may be used only for short term lifting of the boat ...”
Here ➥ http://www.bostonwhaler.com/boat_gra...01352449PM.pdf

[MehmetCan]

Originally Posted by anchorman

THIS IS ALL GREAT INFORMATION, BUT WHY NOT TAKE ALL OF THE GUESS WORK OUT AND CALL BOSTON WHALER? I'M SURE THEY HAVE THE ANSWER

I trust user experience more than company statements. Not to mention the possibility of coming across with another user on this forum who had similar experience...

[Stumble]

Since the eyes were designed for it, I would just make up a clip on bridle. After having put larger backing plates on them. I never assume factory installed backing plates are as large as I want them to be.

[tinkrman69]

Originally Posted by GordMay

From the Manual, Pages 2-20 & 2-21

“... The bow and stern eyes may be used only for short term lifting of the boat.
Long term lifting with the bow and stern eyes or lifting with the bow locker eyelet can cause stress on the fiberglass and gel coat and is not recommended.
For long term lifting or storage, use flat, wide belt-type slings and spreaders long enough to keep pressure from gunwales ...

➥ http://www.bostonwhaler.com/boat_gra...01352449PM.pdf

+ 1 to the quote. altho you'll probably be lifting at times with a little sea, hence a jerking effect at the lift points, which may withstand it....for a time. The boat dropping just 6 inches from a one foot sea, would triple the load at a given lift point. A boat of that size and weight should only be lifted with straps and spreaders in your application, adding around 100 lbs to your load.

I assume you'll be cradling it on deck?!!!

[Blue Stocking]

Originally Posted by GordMay

Boston Whaler published the answer in the Dauntless Owners' Manual, Pages 2-20 & 2-21
“... The bow and stern eyes may be used only for short term lifting of the boat ...”
Here ➥ http://www.bostonwhaler.com/boat_gra...01352449PM.pdf

With what engine and gear weight ?

[ryon]

If Boston Whaler says bow and stern eyes, then I'd make sure that my Whaler had bow and stern eyes. The Whalers that I have used have had them, and that's how we lifted them. Then use cradle / chocks / gripes once aboard. Cleats are for other purposes.