Two dinghy questions….
One of the things that Steve Elliot of NW Inflatables mentioned to me when I told him that I wanted to store the dinghy both on my Seawise davits as well as up on the boat deck via crane, was that aluminum RIBs can develop problems when stored on their side like with the SeaWise or Weaver Davit systems. He said that water will collect inside the boat and pool on the down side of the boat at the tube/hull interface. Over time the aluminum can corrode and the tub and hull can separate.
He said this may take 6 years to happen, if it does, and that it is repairable if it does but is about a $1,000 repair job to fix. For this reason, he doesn’t recommend AL hulled ribs for those types of davits.
I had not heard of this before and I was hoping for the lighter weight of a AL hull. Anyone else hear of this? I certainly have no reason not to trust his opinion. He can get either type of boat in the same time frame and I’d assume his margins are the same either way. However, if I can avoid a potential issue, I’d rather do that and stick with a FGP hull.
Second question: Given my weight concerns, he offered the suggestion of putting a Weaver Helm Seat in an open rib. He has done a number of these and he sent me photos of a variety of boats that he has rigged this way. The weight and cost savings is pretty significant.
What experiences have any of you had with the Weaver Helm Seat or its clones? Do they drive well, stand up well, etc….
Dave
Dave
You may have already seen my posts on this subject, but I will say it again:
My Caribe 12DL with a Honda 40, console, steering wheel, steering connections, shifter connections, battery connections, tachometer, fuel gauge, full fuel, horn, switches navigation lights, paddle, tube pump, bilge pump, fender, anchor, anchor line, gps, antennas, sounder/plotter, sounder transducer, radio, battery, flares, heaving line, cushions, prawn puller, puller mount, bait, beer holder, sponge, ladder, and whatever else I have forgotten to list, weighs in at 750# or more.
When I bought it, from a TF seller, 10 years ago, it had spent a few years on a Seawise davit system. Now, 10 years in, I am facing a significant repair of the Fibreglass at the stern where the Seawise attached, as the total weight of the dinghy was far too much for the side mounting.
My conclusion: Don't go with Sidewise mounting on any dinghy exceeding the maximum weight published by Seawise,
after you add in all of the extras that the dinghy will inevitably acquire.