Geoff Schultz wrote:
....
The reason that I replaced my original set of A&H davits was because they
were too small and deforming. Static loading rates mean nothing when
you're in rough seas and pounding away.

I agree completely. In my case, the davit failed in the slip; in fact I
think it was before it had ever left the slip. The replacement served
3-4 years before we sold the boat, including some severe conditions,
though not off-shore storm conditions.


My dinghy weighs about 110 lbs. My old set of davits had a rating of 120
lbs per davit. The new set is rated for 300 lbs per davit. You probably
need at least that 5x safety factor.

Does that mean that the "120 lb davits" can only handle a dinghy that
weighs 24 pounds? Or is it 48 pounds? In either case, there aren't too
many that light. Frankly, I'm glad my current boat has a massively
overbuilt bench/davit system.

And you definately need to have the
dinghy securely attached to the davits so that it doesn't swing/sway/etc.
It's taken me years to get my bridle system correct.

I think that davit companies do a dis-service to themselves by their load
ratings.

Yes. The picture of the 1200 (which I think is what I had) shows a soft
dink with a 6 hp engine. The "safe lifting load" for the pair is listed
as 180 lbs. My dink is about 100 lbs, perhaps a bit more with the oars,
etc, but I don't carry an engine.

One problem is that the price escalates quickly for even a small
increase in the "safe" load: $950 for 180 lbs, $1590 for 200 lbs, $1990
for 275lbs. For a proper offshore boat, heavier is definitely better,
but for a 30 foot coastal cruiser, the small set should be enough.