Davits

[Razgo-]

Doing some research on davits and trying to find a simple system i can use like this http://www.dinghy-tow.com/power.html

Is there anyone here that is familiar with this sort of system? Would i be able to use it on a 3,75 dart tinnie 15HP?

my 3m polly i think is twice the weight of the dart so i figured it might be best to to the dart.

[finga]

Sorry matey but I don't like it.
A set of ordinary davits work simply and the tender doesn't end up upside down.
Here's a few other systems
http://www.allinflatables.com/shopping/davits/index.html
The pull on system is pretty simple and effective.
Cheers then
Scott :0

[Razgo-]

Hi Scott, yes i do like that pull on idea. I think it might suite my swim deck perfectly actually. http://www.allinflatables.com/shopping/davits/hy/index.html

i will look more into that one for sure.

thanks
russ

[finga]

The chicky babe has a nice smile too. :D

[Razgo-]

she sure does :). My only issue is I have chains supporting the swim deck. I used to just use that to help slide the poly up then tie/support the tender from that point. I will figure something out though.

checked your PM? might need your dial gauge again and the man attached to it :)

[Razgo-]

had to drag this old thread up again :)

I now don't have a swim deck and am faced with the same dilemma gain. I did consider going to buy a 33KG inflatable and just throw it on my roof or bow http://www.whitworths.com.au/main_itemdetail.asp?cat=101&item=45471&intAbsolutePage=1

But i tend to keep buying stuff that ends up all wrong :)

I have a 2.75 dart 15HP which i could pull up behind my vessel with fenders on the stern and just tie up leaving the tinnie in water.

However i think the tinnie is an over kill for me to have tied up behind my boat. will have to sell that one i think.

I still have my 3m tuff tender Poly boat 6HP and that might more appropriate but does weigh a lot heavier. about 80KG i think from memory.

I would like to be able to lift it up on my roof/aft but would need a custom davit system to do it. actually it doesn't have to go on roof but just enough to lift the poly out of water.

I was thinking just 2 steel poles coming off the aft roof with some sort of pulleys to lift her up? http://www.ausfish.com.au/vforum/vbpicgallery.php?do=big&p=2191

any inventive ideas out there?

thanks
russ

[Razgo-]

I went and bought another one. grand elf 270 http://www.grandboats.com/elf.htm

only 31KG so i can lift it up on my roof. done ;D

[finga]

Gees mate, your worse then me.
How many boats is that now??
At least you parted with one and he's happy as Larry :D
Cheers then
Scott :)
PS you need to change your picture

[Razgo-]

Hi Scott, yeah it was a hard decision to try and avoid buying yet another boat. i think i must have suffered boat withdrawal symptoms when the f/glass went to a new home :)

I was running out of options. I didn't want to ruin the new stern with ugly davits and i wasn't overly confident in the idea of having my 80KG poly tuff tender tied up to the stern just floating there.

So i thought bugger it just get get a really light but still practical inflatable that i could manage on my own to get on/off roof.

Of course another issue has now come up and that is to be able to use a small motor on it i have to ideally have it already mounted on the inflatable.

That poses my original issue is no winch to lift the while unit up with motor.

I was told Cutting Edge Marine could make me a custom winch to suite my needs. So i have yet to investigate that.

In the meantime if i need to use it, it has oars :)

Of course if i get a manual winch it kind of makes buying the inflatable obsolete because i could have just winched up my Polly. But the Polly would have been twice the weight and slightly longer.

So at the end of the day i think i "might" have got it right this time :)

It's more of a safety backup rather than anything else. These grand inflatable have a 6 year warranty and are hand made too. I pumped it up this morning and you can tell the difference between handmade and mass produced once you handle these babies :)

I am almost ready to start boating and catching all those Brisbane river crabs soon. Just got to get a sounder sorted out now because as you know one sounder i have turns on but the transducer doesnt measure and the other one i have won't power up.

[Chimo]

Hi Razgo

The bloke down the road has a 36ft er with his outboard mounted on some sort of swivelling bracket that he uses to lower it down onto his inflatable.

If you want I could try and get a pic of it and some details if that would be of any help. I'll have to wait until he returns from where ever he is at the moment tho.

Cheers
Chimo

[Razgo-]

Hi chimo, yes that does sound interesting. some pics if you do get a chance will certainly help with ideas.

I even thought of those 2HP honda motors which only weigh 12KG :) but my 6HP suz i think is pretty light too.

[Razgo-]

P.S Finga, just to prove we are both senile i tried the newer sounder that wouldn't power up on the rumrunner.

But the connection wouldn't fit even though we thought since it was the same sounder "eagle" the connections should work.

It wasn't until just now trying to get it to work again on the tinnie but broke the battery connection! and then thought ok i will charge up the other battery as like you know the meter was saying the battery was basically dead even though i charged it up for 3 days.

I think i must have had a lose connection when charging so it never actually charged.

cut a long story short i decided to look up on the net what sort of eagle i actually had. turns out it's a Lowrance x50-DS not an eagle :) http://www.biasboating.com.au/p-1572-lowrance-x50ds.aspx

that would explain why i couldn't get it to connect to the existing wiring on the rumrunner :) lol.

waiting for battery to charge now and see if thats all thats wrong :)

[Razgo-]

slight hiccup on leaving the dock now :(

off to the couch to curl up in a ball and suck my thumb :'(

[Chimo]

Hi Raz

Is that the casting or the thread?

Guess at the end of the day doesn't much matter, still got to come out.

At least you have a decent outboard and tinny to stuff around with with until its fixed!

Old mates still not back so no chance to get a few pics for you.

Cheers
Chimo

[Razgo-]

Hi Chimo, basically that shaft your seeing in the pic should not be lifted up and tilted to one side like that.

the nut on the right side you will note is considerable lower.

I believe the mechanic that did the job had not tightened up the nuts properly.

This then causes the shaft to vibrate at certain speeds/RPM.

Basically i have had this shaft replaced twice now and screwed by 2 different mechanics from horizon shores marina.

If i am very very very lucky the shaft may not be bent. However the gland seal is leaking and may be damaged because the shaft is twisted under pressure and may have damaged the seal.

first time cost me $6,000. 2nd time cost me a bit over $4,000.

I don't have a dial gauge to put it right to see if any damage has been done yet.
Finga has offered but may not be able to take a look for any week or so.

I can't make a proper easement until i get that dial gauge on it and do a little test run.

I don't think i can spend money to keep fixing the same thing anymore.

should have went with pod/outboard in hindsight.

I can't go out in my tinnie or poly because i care for my wife which is why i got the bigger boat.

[Razgo-]

i found a dial gauge here for $55.00 http://www.carbatec.com.au/measurement/calipers-profile-gauges/150mm-dial-caliper

I think thats the type i can use?

or one of these http://www.carbatec.com.au/measurement/dial-indicators-magnetic-bases/lever-type-dial-indicator

[Chimo]

So Raz if the rhs bolt was not done up tight and neither the bolt nor the casting is broken; based on the pic, it seems to show the LHS and RHS bolts both sitting in a very agricultural looking slots.


If no other major damage has been done and you only need to re-straighten and reposition the box perhaps it could be worth instaling some sort of "small, filler, spacer (small length (s) of rod even?) within the slot but below the bolt to limit downward movement even if the bolt is not super tight.

Shame about the hindsight, probably too late for the OB and maybe un-necessary if this is fixable for not too much $s. Big pain in the a tho.

Cheers
Chimo

[Razgo-]

no it's not the v-drive casing thats the worry. it's the prop shaft behind it. They tend to bend easily when missaligned like that. It's the RHS nut that has slipped down under pressure from the v-drive as they twist as pressure is applied.

So i know it's a loose nut or not tight enough that is the cause.

The gland that the prop shaft goes through may be damaged also and if so may be hard to find one to replace.

It's the cost of lifting in/out and hard stand fees plus the $600.00 shaft where it mounts up.

[Razgo-]

no it's not the v-drive casing thats the worry. it's the prop shaft behind it. They tend to bend easily when misaligned like that. It's the RHS nut that has slipped down under pressure from the v-drive as they twist as pressure is applied.

So i know it's a loose nut or not tight enough that is the cause.

The gland that the prop shaft goes through may be damaged also and if so may be hard to find one to replace.

It's the cost of lifting in/out and hard stand fees plus the $600.00 shaft where it mounts up.

Finga modified that bracket and aligned it once before and it never came loose. So the bracket itself is modified already to allow for adjustment thanks to Finga.

I won't know if damage is extensive until i re align it again. If it vibrates badly that will be the first dad sign.

But my guess is its probably bent like a boomerang given how far up and out that v-drive has moved. lesser movement can tear the shaft to shreds. so its all a question mark at this stage.

[Chimo]

So maybe you need to act like a smart farmer in a drought and make this loss your last and sell off the motor the drive and go the pod and outboard and be done with it.

Cheers
Chimo

[Razgo-]

I have thought about it. not sure what the motor is worth though. its a 250cc 6 cyl ford Fairmont 1973 motor. Runs well no worries there. but still, its an old motor.

Then you factor in getting the thing out which will involve paying for it to get lifted and then i have to get the motor home. its just too much for me sometimes.

i think it might be cheaper to dismantle it on the boat and drop it overboard :)

Although i have actually seen people change diesel motors in a marina berth :)

I have a 60HP marina but i don't know if it goes yet. if it does then yeah just need a custom pod made.

I might even get a quote from rivergate marina mob for a custom pod since they are right there. Then save up to get an outboard for it to put on later i guess.

[finga]

Gidday matey,
By the looks the nuts and bolts were not done up and someone has stepped in the box and tilted it a bit.
I reckon it would have just happened as it would have made a hell of a racket if it was like that when she was piloted up.
Can you see if the splined shaft has worked against the blue mounting bracket? There would be marks around the spline.
If there's no marks then I would gamble that the prop shaft would be OK.

Did they put the packers in on the other side?
If you need the dial gauge you can always borrow mine but most of the adjustment can be done with feeler gauges around the perimeter of the two flanges. I think we got the gap around the flanges to be within a few thous.
Chimo...mate, the slots are agricultural. That's the only way we could get adjustment up and down as well as side ways in a fairly restricted space.
Originally the box was over 12-15mm too high and I think it was 8mm to one side and about 10-20 degrees out of square of the line of the prop shaft.
Bloody hell I wished someone would do some work on this boat...and do it properly :(

[Razgo-]

Hi Scott, i have to say i didn't hear any noise when it docked when it came in from coochie and the fella that brought it around said he didn't her any loud noises as such. I drove it into the berth and didn't hear any loud vibration or grating.

But just seeing it like that makes me think its stuffed. and how the gear oil came out i am not sure yet. maybe back out through the shaft being on such an angle.

Yes thats right i forgot about using feeler gauges.

not sure about the packers, will have to take another look. It truly would be a miracle if that shaft isn't stuffed but i will find out. But yeah i would have thought it would have made a noisy racket too. i have heard it before when the shaft was out of plumb and it sounded like a very loud bandsaw cutting up marbles in a tin drum.

[Razgo-]

Scott, do you think the gland leaking water could be due the way the prop shaft is bent to one side forcing he gland to open a little?

It was like a very fast drip, just short of streaming in water. Once i applied grease via the nipple the leak stopped. so i assume the gland seal is either rooted or is pushed open to ones side if that makes sense?

"if" the gland is buggered i think you can only change that out of water.

[finga]

I'd true it all up and see how it is matey.
No need to panic until it's time too.
Undo the 3 bolts on the flange and see if the leak stops and to see just how far out the alignment is.
:)

[Chimo]

Hi Raz and Finga

Maybe its not time to give up on the Ford yet!

Finga, now that you have explained the major imperfections in the original set up its easier to understand the need for the room to move in the vee drive bracket. What the earlier post was trying to raise was whether there could be benefit in placing spacers within the hole around the outside of the bolt that would limit the movement of the bolt. The spacers would be the thickness of the bracket and would be retained by a washer and then the nut tightened to lock it all in place.

I hope the problem is as you postulated Finga and that "being stood on" after the boat got to the berth was the cause. Time and investigation will tell. Cannot think of a better bushy to sort it out, sounds like it may not be the bridge too far..

Heres hoping......

Cheers
Chimo

[finga]

Mate, I actually thought about making a new mount for it but without the boat in the driveway it would be a pain in the proverbial.
I thought about cutting a hole in the original bracket and making up two sets and 2 concentric washers so they could be spun around until the sweet spot was found and they could be locked by the 2 nuts and bolts...and then I thought about a locking plate on the front which had two or four grub screws in it to tighten against the bracket to lock it all up but that went out the window because the grub screws would seize quickly so I left it alone.
The washers were a pressed washer which have a sharp lip and should bite in a bit and in reality there should not be that much torsion stress there as the prop spins around...not the box.
I mean what holds the gear box on on a 60hp outboard?? About 4-6 8 or 10mm bolts.

Mate, I hope the bridge your talking about isn't the gateway. It's too long and just too damn expensive to cross for me :-/

[Chimo]

Why not go rural and stuff fillers (as described earlier) into the slots once the drive is positioned and then use a washer / plate to hold them all in?

WW2 movie "Bridge Too Far" but I know what you mean about the gateway and the rest of the toll setups. Whats with the tag only system, more unemployed persons!

The "Capt" is never going to employ 100,000. Oh Well, one more lie to take to the next election.

C
C

[Razgo-]

The river gate marine is southside next to gateway bridge. http://maps.google.com.au/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=river+gate+marina&sll=-24.926295,135.703125&sspn=35.564394,78.662109&ie=UTF8&ll=-27.412614,153.105125&spn=0.137757,0.307274&z=12&iwloc=A

i dont go anywhere near northside anymore. You simply dont know if your going to get back.

I took some feeler gauges down this morning and to be honest i found NO gap at all. these new couplings are tight/flush together.

When i moved the v-drive back a little the water starts pouring in the gland again until i pump more grease in it.

so stuffed if i know. If i use a dial gauge don't you need a reference point to find center before its of any use to even know if the shaft is aligned?

Might see someone at the marina tomorrow if they can take a look.

[Chimo]

Hi Raz

Did you guys scratch some X reference marks when you set it up last time?

If not probably worth while when it goes back together this time. With a bit of luck you may be OK once things are back where they should be given the grease rectified the gland, we hope.

Might even pay to drop a tack weld in too as long as its in a spot you can grind away if you ever need too! (Disconect the battery first tho)

Cheers
Chimo

[Razgo-]

I spoke to David Baddiley from http://www.lexmarine.com.au/

They have a shed at rivergate marina. so he came down and had a look. He was too busy to do it but they have another shed at bulimba and a fella who does this sort of thing all the time will come down and do it.

They use feeler gauges to. They slip/slide the coupling/shaft back a little then square rule it with the coupling it will adjoin then bring it up and then feeler gauge and adjust accordingly. Thats pretty much what i saw Finga do.

I have undone the bolts to the couplings so its just sitting there for them now.

I could stuff around and eventually get it right but i felt more confident to get someone who does this all the time.

I guess it will only be then I will know if the shaft is bent. god a i hope not!

[Razgo-]

Miracles do happen! the prop shaft is not bent! there is a slight wobble but not much altogether.

The mechanic go tit down to 3 thou. would have had to lift the v-drive higher to get it better but it would have widen the gap bottom of flange so i reckon its good at 3 thou.

sounded perfect to me at the dock under 900RPM tied to the dock.

So water test tomorrow :). after i figure out why my electric anchor doesnt work :(

almost there :)

[Chimo]

Great news. Mark the plates so you can put it back in position if it moves again!

36 Fairways with OB swing bracket is still missing so no pics yet.

Cheers
Chimo

[Razgo-]

Thats ok, they guy who did it is bringing in his 2HP 4stroke Honda tomorrow. I reckon $200-50 and will be perfect for my rubber duckie.

He used it recently on his 18' cruise craft to get him home from green island. so has about 4 hrs on it. He is upgrading to a bit more HP for an auxiliary motor.

for me that saves spending $1,000 on a new one.

[Chimo]

Hi Razgo

Just checked and hes back so took some pics.

From a distance it looked like the setup lifted the motor but up close its a different deal. He has a duck board / set up like you used to and has a couple of clips that grab the side of the tender that is then hauled up on its side. All that pretty standard but what I thought was a gismo to lift the outboard is actually a unit bolted on to the transom of the tender that allows the motor to rotate so its upright after the tender is tilted. Neat setup but different to what you were after.:o

Heres pic anyhow fyi

Cheers
Chimo

[finga]

Well isn't that good that it really is not much of a problem.
Mate, your luck has to change soon and I reckon the luck of the good variety is just starting to happen.
You might even be able to sleep a bit better tonight knowing RumRunner isn't going to be an outboard :)

[Razgo-]

Thanks for the pics Chimo, that does look interesting. Yes i really do need a duckboard :(

For now though the rubber duckie on the roof and if i get this 2HP Honda that should do the trick for now i think.

Scott, yeah no outboards needed for now :)

I do seem to have what appears to be noisy uni joints though at idles. hopefully they don't let go.

Just need to sell her now and get a slightly more appropriate boat for wheelchair access.

will let you know how the water test goes tomorrow :)

P.S
Scott did you know i had 2 wipers? only one works :(

[finga]

Well I'll be..I only saw one but I wasn't looking real hard either.
Lucky the one I saw is on your side :)
As for the anchor...did you get that multi-meter going so you can check to see if there is power at the circuit breaker and switch at your helm

[Razgo-]

yeah i never noticed at first either ;D . the circuit breaker light for the anchor does come on so i assume there is power there. I might try giving the muir a bash/jigle the chaing a bit at t bow as i think it has done this before from memory.

[Razgo-]

all went well. went down to comslie and back. coming back with tide i got 12-knots out of her :) it felt like she planed too or at least semi planed? no leaky gland and no vibrations.

[Chimo]

Hi Razgo

Good to hear the boats a goer.;D

Went for a run in the tinny and got a few shots of old mates tender now up on the boat so you can see how he spins the motor, locks it and is able to travel with tender up and motor rotated.

Motor would be upside down were it not for the nifty rotating bracket. ::)

Looks to be a good bit of gear!

Cheers
Chimo

[Razgo-]

wow, that is a good setup. i will get this 2HP tomorow and probably just have it on the tender ont the roof. i took a little bit of a video underway today so i will upload that soon.

[tin can marlin]

Looking foward to watching it should be a hoot

[Razgo-]

its not the best video but i just grabbed it when the bow lifted up unexpectedly :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vsw86CoLfhQ

[Chimo]

Seems to go well. Not too much gear noise from what could be heard on the vid.

Did it have as much get up and go before the troubles began?

Cheers
Chimo

[Razgo-]

I felt it was a little sluggish before. So i put a K&N air filter on and a Hiclone filter which is patented product that works like a mini turbo that sucks the air down the carb much faster. http://www.hicloneqld.com/products.html

There was a significant difference in performance after that. That smoke looking stuff out the back seems to be condensation vapors as i cant smell any oil and no smoke seems to stream/hang in the air.

It does seem to have some dead spots under acceleration so not 100% what that is. Perhaps the fuel bowl that sits between fuel tank and engine needs cleaning as thats one thing i haven't tended to yet. thats probably wrong description. fuel air trap? you know what i mean? like i don't think fuel sits in it but collects any moisture i think.

Also i did some fuel calculations from when i had the boat brought around to rivergate for me from coochie. It uses approx 7ltr/hr at approx 1100RPM doing 7knots/hr towing a 16foot heinz hunter. They towed it around so they could get back to Russell Island after hey delivered my boat. That is some awesome stats :)