New-ish Ocean Alexander Cruiser

[Aussie Doug]

Should we start another thread which would open my search up to a greater audience? I have searched older treads but have found technology and options available have moved on. This is a big ticket item.
Doug

 

[Peter B]

Pete, I'm taking it all onboard. My first choice is to have a cradle built extending out from the old boat deck with a davit to deploy the tender. This is the ideal..... I'm open to everything.
Doug

Doug, the issue with that approach, and many are now using it for sheltered waters or short coastal work, but if one had to abandon ship in some real nasty stuff, the issues of swinging out an upper deck dink and lowering it without mishap and in a shape one could board it could be problematic.
I also question the need for a large heavy dinghy. with correspondingly heavier outboard, when in practice all most folk do is ferry two or three people to shore and back or between other anchored craft. Our 9 footer does all we ever need, and I can power it with a simple air-cooled 4 stroke 2.5hp Honda. Never felt the need for bigger or faster, although I know some do go that way. We explore creeks and rivers with ours no trouble.
Horses for courses I guess. But I have witnessed the skipper of a larger vessel anchored nearby manage to drop and swamp two upper deck mounted dinks, with a powered swing davit, one after another, and in a flat calm anchorage. Now he might well have been a bit of a dummy, but...in rough water...?

 

[Aussie Doug]

Pete, I agree ... But my boat was designed with a boat deck. You never had to worry about a following sea. The tender was 12 foot above sea level. I only want. to come up with a safe easy to deploy system in the greatest range of conditions I can. I have been in 2m+ Morton Bay. Who knows what I 'll end up with. I'm open to all suggestions.
Doug

 

[Aussie Doug]

Pete,I might add we often have 6 people on board and ferrying to them too the beach, or what ever becomes a TASK.

 

[Aussie Doug]

Doug, the issue with that approach, and many are now using it for sheltered waters or short coastal work, but if one had to abandon ship in some real nasty stuff, the issues of swinging out an upper deck dink and lowering it without mishap and in a shape one could board it could be problematic.
I also question the need for a large heavy dinghy. with correspondingly heavier outboard, when in practice all most folk do is ferry two or three people to shore and back or between other anchored craft. Our 9 footer does all we ever need, and I can power it with a simple air-cooled 4 stroke 2.5hp Honda. Never felt the need for bigger or faster, although I know some do go that way. We explore creeks and rivers with ours no trouble.
Horses for courses I guess. But I have witnessed the skipper of a larger vessel anchored nearby manage to drop and swamp two upper deck mounted dinks, with a powered swing davit, one after another, and in a flat calm anchorage. Now he might well have been a bit of a dummy, but...in rough water...?

Pete, I received a quote today for a davit and cradle attached to the upper deck!!!! After carefully consideration (about 10 seconds) I have decided to go with a smaller RIB attached to my swim platform. Something like the Hurley Dinghy Davits I think will work. You can check it out here.

Another TF member suggested them.
Doug

 

[Insequent]

I'm late to this, but have a good excuse! No phone or internet in the Broughton's other than slow connections when we moored at some of the fabulous little family run marina's.

First is a pic earlier in the cruise - anchored under Chatterbox Falls in Princess Louisa Inlet.

Congrats to Aussie Doug on his purchase, and also to Robert. You will continue to love Poseidon I'm sure.

Yes, a stand-up engine room would be nice. I ended up with a slide-in one. I have 62 sq ft of carpet in it, some shown in pic.

I am using a Nick Jackson davit winch, 12V hydraulic arm and swivel rated to 1500lb. The aluminium AB is 14 ft, all up with outboard it is under 900lb. It is rated for 8 people. Does 28.6 knots with just me, but is overpropped with more than 2 people so I'll reduce the prop pitch a bit.

The RIB sits on chocks that are removeable. leaving a low profile base plate. So RIB is up on deck, but can be put into the water to gain a great space up top. When doing that I swing the davit crane around to provide a 'safety rail' across the opening. It works pretty well.

 

[Aquabelle]

Doug: I'd go with the Hurley system's 2 x girls...let them worry about it !

Seriously, while carrying the tender on the boarding platform that way is fine and convenient for inshore waters like around the Gold Coast or Pittwater, you just couldn't consider that when offshore on boats like ours.

I understand your reluctance to use your (former) boat deck area. That leaves just the foredeck: are you sure you have fully analyzed this option? Foredecks are often not much used relative to other areas when at anchor or underway. Is it really the case that your lower helm outlook would be obstructed? Plenty of Rivs have foredeck folding davits and you can use fixed Weaver chocks like Insequent (great photos Brian..thanks) or the near-identical removable Weaver chocks that leave your foredeck clear once the tender is launched.

 

[Aussie Doug]

Hi Guys, I think how to carry the tender has become a bigger item than purchasing the boat. I'm investigating the Hurley system which with my 11' tinnie would have the tender about 2'6" off the water. This should give me enough clearance for most of my travels. We'll see how it goes once I get pricing.
Doug

 

[Aquabelle]

Doug: it is not just height off the water, but beam. What is the beam at the aft end of the boarding platform...and would the tinnie project beyond this? In a big following sea, the danger also comes from one or the other end of tinnie getting 'dunked' as the vessel rolls....

 

[Aussie Doug]

The beam on the swim platform is 14'9" the tinnie is 11' + OB. I'll investigate costing's for putting it up on the bow.
Doug