First, we need a dinghy
We purchased a 2006 Carver 43 MY to live on and travel the waters of the eastern United States! Next, we need a dinghy to get to shore when anchoring out and exploring. As luck would have it there is a used 10’ BRIG dinghy with a Johnson 6 hp outboard motor for sale at our marina. It is in great condition and perfect for trips to the shore with our rescue dog, Blue as well as fun rides with the grandkids.
Easy on the Back
The dinghy is not exceptionally heavy. I have a weak lower back and I want a davit that does not require bending over or pulling the dinghy up onto the boat. Also, we enjoy the large swim platform and cockpit area and do not want a large davit that would take up space when not in use.
ProDav Swivel System
We are thrilled to find the swivel ProDav from www.ProDavMarine.com.
The ProDav is very low profile, and with the dinghy in the water, it takes very little space. It can even be completely stowed away by simply removing two pins. What makes this davit unique is the winch that is used to retrieve the dinghy from the water.
Strapping it on
I simply hook the strap onto the dinghy and then stand back. In an upright position, I crank up the dinghy. As the dinghy gets closer to the winch, I push down on the front of the dinghy and rotate it into position for storing. Once in place, it is secured with 3 straps: one bow, one stern, and a strap across the center of the swim platform in the middle of the dinghy and attached to a center cleat by the cockpit.
5 Minutes to Launch and Retrieve
With this system, we can launch the dinghy in less than 5 minutes and retrieve it in about the same amount of time. In the last four years, we have traveled over 10K nautical miles. The only thing we’ve had to replace is the center strap, due to the buckle rusting – just a fact of living by the sea!
Check out this video to see how easy it is to use the ProDav Swivel system: