Dinghy Butler?

[angus99]

Has anyone installed or looked hard at one of these? Small company that’s been in business for about three years, very accommodating and they build to order. Looks like a nicely built, no-frills davit system at a reasonable price. Just interested in some impressions by users.

https://www.thedinghybutler.com/

 

[BigTime]

Following

 

[psneeld]

I had a homemade one of these for years. Loved it till it broke last Fall because it was a cheap prototype a buddy and I came up with.

My cost was less than $300:at the time.

There have been variations like this for decades....not sure his description of thinking it up left out seeing all the other similar ones being used like I did.

 

[O C Diver]

Several companies make them. Saw my boatyard guy install one. Customer seemed pretty happy with it. If you mount it on a swim platform, consider carefully the load where it mounts. Then consider the bounce load in heavy seas. My boatyard guy built new brackets to support the extra shock load from under the platform back to the transom.

Ted

 

[psneeld]

My experience is that swing, therefore racking of this type is the evil as well as side to side bending moments on the lower brackets if not secured up near the top somehow ( I used U channel the pipe fit into with quick release pins. After 3 years there was some elongating of the pin holes because I used pretty thin U channel).

I had dozens of dock walkers comment on it and asked if they could take pictures and duplicate mine....I always allowed and sometimes demo started or explained thoroughly its pros and cons.

I am still torn between that design and my platform mounted slide on/off type now.

 

[bayview]

I would be concerned about what it does with the boat rocking in a in a sea way.

 

[Unclematt]

One came with my boat. One side has the cable the other has a turnbuckle on the rail to hold it tight. I have not installed it yet because the swim platform is shot. This winter I have a retired boat builder making me a new and bigger platform out of the fake teak. I will have him reinforce it and beef up the brackets to handle the extra load.

 

[psneeld]

I would be concerned about what it does with the boat rocking in a in a sea way.

Which boat? Big or little?


Mine affected neither. Weight not high enough to affect big boat.....chains that secured little boat were at angles to prevent just that. Every set of dingy davits I have seen were worse because the falls should be vertical...thus providing max amount of swing unless very tight to top. This setup, the bar moves up and down so the "attachment or set distance" falls on mine at least were almost 45 degrees to eliminate all by a tiny bit of swing.


The coolest thing...when the bar was lowerd to enter the dink...it formeda safety railing around the dink the less than sure footed could grab and sit down....really cool compared to mst dink loading.


Believe me...I spent years thinking mine through. The main disadvantage was I had difficulty hoisting the dink or motor from directly astern using my mast and boom which is what I used to raise and lower the bar...but that was really about it.

 

[firehoser75]

It looks like the davit seen locally on many American Tugs (I think they are called Roskelley Olsson davits). The only negatives that come to mind are: the davit almost completely blocks being able to use the swim grid for entering or exiting the boat; ensuring the dinghy is adequately secured to minimize any motion on a seaway; and the strength of the swim platform if the davit is mounted there. I am sure there are ways around most of those concerns.
I use a Seawise davit and like it alot, but there are compromises with that as well.

 

[rsn48]

I have looked at motors used for pulling boats onto a trailer to work with my Seawise Davits.

 

[angus99]

Thanks for the info.

I had a homemade one of these for years. Loved it till it broke last Fall because it was a cheap prototype a buddy and I came up with.

My cost was less than $300:at the time.

There have been variations like this for decades....not sure his description of thinking it up left out seeing all the other similar ones being used like I did.

Think I remember yours from Ft Pierce a couple years ago. That was a great investment!

Several companies make them. Saw my boatyard guy install one. Customer seemed pretty happy with it. If you mount it on a swim platform, consider carefully the load where it mounts. Then consider the bounce load in heavy seas. My boatyard guy built new brackets to support the extra shock load from under the platform back to the transom.

Ted

I’m thinking extra brackets taking the load under the swim platform could be the answer. Saw a DeFever 48 set up that way and it had been working with no issues for years.

It looks like the davit seen locally on many American Tugs (I think they are called Roskelley Olsson davits). The only negatives that come to mind are: the davit almost completely blocks being able to use the swim grid for entering or exiting the boat; ensuring the dinghy is adequately secured to minimize any motion on a seaway; and the strength of the swim platform if the davit is mounted there. I am sure there are ways around most of those concerns.
I use a Seawise davit and like it alot, but there are compromises with that as well.

I’ve talked with Olsson. They make beautiful equipment—for top dollar— but didn’t have any experience with (or seemingly much interest in) designing something for a tall sundeck with a ladder offset to one side.

My problem—if I want to bolt to the transom—is there’s very little access to the inside of the transom to install backing plates/washers/nuts. The pivot points would have to anchor directly below the port lights in the photo. There is actually access there to the inside transom, but it’s just below the level of the swim platform.