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Captain Bill · 01-07-2014, 19:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by dsteinfeld

I have an Avon Rover 310 (Hypalon) that's 24 years old and has spent its summers on davits. There are 2 forward lifting rings that were glued onto the tubes by the selling dealer. While other things have failed (including a couple of slow leaks somewhere), there has been no separation of the patch from the tube. I know the weight of the HB315-LX is much higher (as I just bought one!), but based on my experience I'd go with the dealer's recommendation. On the other hand, aft I have 2 U-bolts through the transom. I wouldn't trust glued D-rings back there as I hoist with the outboard in place.

As I haven't tried to hoist the Achilles yet, I'm hoping that the geometry is favorable so that the outboard and bow don't collide with the lifting hardware. Does anyone else have experience with the HB315-LX on davits with outboard mounted?

My 315 lx is hanging with the motor mounted. I have a piece of old truck inner tube protecting the bow tube. The weight of the motor causes the transom to settle directly below the stern davit. The bow davit actually sits well behind the bow lifting eye, but not far enough back so that the line does not chafe the bow tube. The davits were originally set up to accommodate a 9' 10" Nautica. The Nautica had a bow locker and the lifting eye was attached to the aft vertical surface of the locker which was well behind the bow. The bow davit is well behind the bow lifting eye but the angle is still not enough to clear the bow tube.

dsteinfeld · 01-07-2014, 20:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by Captain Bill

My 315 lx is hanging with the motor mounted. I have a piece of old truck inner tube protecting the bow tube. The weight of the motor causes the transom to settle directly below the stern davit. The bow davit actually sits well behind the bow lifting eye, but not far enough back so that the line does not chafe the bow tube. The davits were originally set up to accommodate a 9' 10" Nautica. The Nautica had a bow locker and the lifting eye was attached to the aft vertical surface of the locker which was well behind the bow. The bow davit is well behind the bow lifting eye but the angle is still not enough to clear the bow tube.

Thanks for that info. Does the lifting hardware collide with the motor? With the Avon the front face of the motor wanted to be in full contact with one of the blocks on the davit. When I bought the Avon I spec'ed the distance between the transom u-bolts and the d-ring patches to be equal to the davit spacing. I've since heard that it's better that the lift points be further apart than the davits to force an angle on the hoist; in part to help keep side-to-side motion to a minimum, but I suppose it could help with interference issues as well. Thoughts on that?

Captain Bill · 02-07-2014, 06:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by dsteinfeld

Thanks for that info. Does the lifting hardware collide with the motor? With the Avon the front face of the motor wanted to be in full contact with one of the blocks on the davit. When I bought the Avon I spec'ed the distance between the transom u-bolts and the d-ring patches to be equal to the davit spacing. I've since heard that it's better that the lift points be further apart than the davits to force an angle on the hoist; in part to help keep side-to-side motion to a minimum, but I suppose it could help with interference issues as well. Thoughts on that?

If the motor is straight ahead the lifting lines do run, but if I turn the motor about 15 degrees they clear. My stern lift line is a single down line terminating on a shackle and two 18" cables on the shackle running to clips. This puts the shackle a couple of inches above the motor , but the cables will rub the front of the motor if I don't turn it. Remember to tighten the friction lock to keep the motor in position. I also have to fold up the tiller. If I'm reading your description correctly have had glue on D rings glued to the tubes to use for the bow davit lift points rather than using the eye nut on the bow that is the standard lift point. Is that correct? My davits are definitely much closer together than the lift points, but the weight of the motor makes the stern lift line hang almost perfectly vertical while the bow lift line is highly angled. It does not seem to help much with the motion. I have a line to the stern outboard lifting eye and another one to the bow lifting eye which I cross and an tie to cleats mounted on my davits. The stern being tied to the bow davit and the bow line being tied to the stern davit. This takes out 90% of the side to side motion. I further tie a stern line to my outboard stern cleat on the boat and the painter to the one on the opposite side. Since I have a cat this pretty well takes care of all the side to side motion.

Vasco · 02-07-2014, 08:27

I would never haul my dink with glued on rings. With my AB Lite (10'06") I drilled 2 holes in the fiberglass bottom at the bow and installed "D" rings with a backing plate. Ten years and still going strong. I lift the dink with the bow rings and rings on the transom. Don't know why Achilles would say not to put lifting points in the glass hull.

Captain Bill · 02-07-2014, 09:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vasco

I would never haul my dink with glued on rings. With my AB Lite (10'06") I drilled 2 holes in the fiberglass bottom at the bow and installed "D" rings with a backing plate. Ten years and still going strong. I lift the dink with the bow rings and rings on the transom. Don't know why Achilles would say not to put lifting points in the glass hull.

He didn't say not to do it because it wouldn't work, it would be a modification which would void my warranty. I don't know if they're afraid if it's not sealed correctly that it might allow water into the laminate, though it looks like it's just shot chop.

dsteinfeld · 02-07-2014, 11:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by Captain Bill

If the motor is straight ahead the lifting lines do run, but if I turn the motor about 15 degrees they clear. My stern lift line is a single down line terminating on a shackle and two 18" cables on the shackle running to clips. This puts the shackle a couple of inches above the motor , but the cables will rub the front of the motor if I don't turn it. Remember to tighten the friction lock to keep the motor in position. I also have to fold up the tiller. If I'm reading your description correctly have had glue on D rings glued to the tubes to use for the bow davit lift points rather than using the eye nut on the bow that is the standard lift point. Is that correct? My davits are definitely much closer together than the lift points, but the weight of the motor makes the stern lift line hang almost perfectly vertical while the bow lift line is highly angled. It does not seem to help much with the motion. I have a line to the stern outboard lifting eye and another one to the bow lifting eye which I cross and an tie to cleats mounted on my davits. The stern being tied to the bow davit and the bow line being tied to the stern davit. This takes out 90% of the side to side motion. I further tie a stern line to my outboard stern cleat on the boat and the painter to the one on the opposite side. Since I have a cat this pretty well takes care of all the side to side motion.

I should have been a bit clearer in my description: the Avon is *not* a RIB, it has a wood floor (and wood transom). So the transom has 2 u-bolts for lift points, and the bow has glued rings as there's nothing there otherwise. So it all comes down to a question of weight, and how much glued surface area is needed to support it.

Aft I have pretty much the same situation and lifting hardware as you, although with deck mounted davits I hoist the dinghy all the way up so that the fall is two-blocked and the tube is touching the davits. I then run the aft fall around the hull and back to its cleat to keep the dinghy from rolling (on its roll axis), and lash one of the handles to the stern rail. It mostly doesn't move, but I like the ratchet strap idea. However with the new Achilles that's all history. I'll find out tomorrow what I need to do to hoist and secure. I'm thinking of a wire bridle clipped to the transom eye bolts and the forward eye nut, with rings (2 aft, 1 forward) to attach the falls. We'll see, assuming TS/Hurricane Arthur doesn't get in the way.

SVNeko · 02-07-2014, 11:20

And lifting it by glued on rings won't void the warranty?

Sent from my SM-T210R using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

**Jim Cate** · 02-07-2014, 20:20

If you are going cruising, spending much time worrying about warranties is non-productive. IME, we never seem to be in a position to exercise warranties, and have stopped considering them to be a factor.

YMMV

Jim

dsteinfeld · 06-07-2014, 19:27

I got the Achilles hoisted this past weekend. The davit's are probably a foot closer together than the stern rings/bow eye distance which helps keep the lifting lines off the engine and bow tube. I did have to make up new wire rope pendants from the aft block to the lifting rings as the ones for the Avon were too short, however one of the original stern pendants worked fine for the bow.

I do need to work on lines or straps to get rid of the last couple of inches of sway.

Vasco · 07-07-2014, 06:57

Ratchet strap from motor lifting handle to port davit, ratchet strap from forward lifting ring to starboard davit. If the davits toe in when you tighten the straps (there is no spreader panel or bar on your davits) you will have to take the straps to your pushpit instead of to the davits.

Also you will need straps to prevent the dink from up and down motion as the dink is not tight against the davits. Another two straps from the transom and the forward ring straight to the pushpit might do it. If the pushpit is weak you might need stays forward from pushpit to toe rail.

**Jim Cate** · 07-07-2014, 23:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vasco

Ratchet strap from motor lifting handle to port davit, ratchet strap from forward lifting ring to starboard davit. If the davits toe in when you tighten the straps (there is no spreader panel or bar on your davits) you will have to take the straps to your pushpit instead of to the davits.

Also you will need straps to prevent the dink from up and down motion as the dink is not tight against the davits. Another two straps from the transom and the forward ring straight to the pushpit might do it. If the pushpit is weak you might need stays forward from pushpit to toe rail.

And here I thought that davits were supposed to be labour saving devices, and to make life simpler!

Jim