[Fiddlehead]

An upgrade we'd long looked forward to doing was to add davits to the swim platform of our 2002 3500 Open so we could more easily take our dinghy along with us.

After researching several types of davits, I decided on the Nautley XL Roll-On davit system, and am glad I did.  They work like a charm!

Our dinghy is a Zodiac RIB 310 rigid floor 10'6" dual-bottom model (by West Marine) with a Mercury 9.9hp 4-stroke outboard.

I measured & marked the location for the davit arm mounting blocks, then had my boatyard do the actual anchoring to the platform (overdrilling & filling the cored platform with resin, so they'd have a solid surface to anchor into).  I located the blocks using Nautley's instructions.  Note that the bow arm is nearer the center line of the swim platform (next to the boarding ladder), with the stern arm placed appropriately to bear the weight of the dinghy's motor.   


The pics ...

Platform with mounting blocks installed.



Closer shot - note that mounting blocks are offset.  Blocks nearest swim platform are for bow arm.



Davits in place.



Dinghy stowed.



Cover by Taylor Made.



Bow strap secured.



Strap secured to outer davit arm, then through bow eye shackle, and finally to inner location on davit arm. 



Stern strap secured on outer davit arm, then over transom to inner stern eye, finally to inner location on davit arm.




We've taken the rig from Maine to Martha's Vineyard/Nantucket & back, through some pretty rough seas, with no problems at all.  Very easy to launch but needs 2 to retrieve.  Has gotten easier to load with a bit of practice.  Overall I'm very happy with the way it turned out.

[Trainman]

Looks great! I have a 2006 3600 Open that I would like to do the same. I was wondering what the height of your swim platform is off the water? It looks to be slightly higher than mine. For that reason I was considering the Nautley HD+ Roll-On, which looks to give a few inches of lift.  I was also interested if you had any pictures of the boat with dinghy from the back to see if the 310 with outboard tilted ALL stays within the width of the transom? I had been considering purchase of a slightly smaller dinghy to make sure it fits, but would like to have the larger size. If you had a choice would you stick with the 310? Can you sneak through a partially open transom door to lash it down? Lastly, are they any performance concerns with the extra transom weight keeping the bow higher when on plane? Thanks for sharing and Happy Boating! Love the blue hull, looks like you keep it looking new.

[Fiddlehead]

Looks great! I have a 2006 3600 Open that I would like to do the same. I was wondering what the height of your swim platform is off the water? It looks to be slightly higher than mine. For that reason I was considering the Nautley HD+ Roll-On, which looks to give a few inches of lift.  I was also interested if you had any pictures of the boat with dinghy from the back to see if the 310 with outboard tilted ALL stays within the width of the transom? I had been considering purchase of a slightly smaller dinghy to make sure it fits, but would like to have the larger size. If you had a choice would you stick with the 310? Can you sneak through a partially open transom door to lash it down? Lastly, are they any performance concerns with the extra transom weight keeping the bow higher when on plane? Thanks for sharing and Happy Boating! Love the blue hull, looks like you keep it looking new.

If I recall I think our swim platform is around 15-16" off the water.  Sorry I can't measure right now, as the boat is shrink-wrapped and put away for the season, sadly.  These measurements actually indicated Nautley's mid-length XL Roll-on arms, but we purchased the longer arms instead (bought them used as take-offs from someone who'd sold their boat) and I'm glad we have the longer arms, as loading is a bit easier. 

No pics from the rear of the dinghy loaded, but I can tell you the motor does not extend beyond the width of the transom.  I made sure of that so docking on that side wouldn't be a problem.  We measured and bought the 310 as the largest that would work for our use, and would buy it again.  It's perfect.  We don't try to open the transom door when the dinghy is in place, we just climb over the transom - it's a small price to pay for the convenience of the davits.

I haven't noticed any performance difference at all with the dinghy in place.  Really it's no difference weight-wise than having a 200-lb guy sitting on the rear seat. 

Thanks for the comments on the hull, but I cheated and had it Awlgripped in early 2014.  Much easier to maintain than blue gelcoat!

Now if Summer will only hurry up and get here soon!!!

Happy New Year!

[Goodwake]

Looks great! I have a 2006 3600 Open that I would like to do the same. I was wondering what the height of your swim platform is off the water? It looks to be slightly higher than mine. For that reason I was considering the Nautley HD+ Roll-On, which looks to give a few inches of lift.  I was also interested if you had any pictures of the boat with dinghy from the back to see if the 310 with outboard tilted ALL stays within the width of the transom? I had been considering purchase of a slightly smaller dinghy to make sure it fits, but would like to have the larger size. If you had a choice would you stick with the 310? Can you sneak through a partially open transom door to lash it down? Lastly, are they any performance concerns with the extra transom weight keeping the bow higher when on plane? Thanks for sharing and Happy Boating! Love the blue hull, looks like you keep it looking new.

Did you ever do this project?  I have a 2006 3600 Open and would like to do the same thing but the platform is only 122x30 and Tiara wont confirm it will hold any weight.  Please let me know if you have any knowledge....thanks in advance

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How big is the swim platform on the 3500 open?
I have a 3600 express and the platform is 122x30 .  My concern is with the 30" width , no having enought room, any furhter info appreciated.

[hiccup]

Nautley has guidance on their website as far as platform size.  Keep in mind the davit system raises the dinghy up about 4"-6", and then the widest part of the dinghy is up another 12" or so.  This is important because the transom is significantly slanted on the '06 3600 meaning the effective depth of the platform is significantly more than 30" where the side of the dinghy is at its widest--16" or so up from the platform.  I hope that makes sense.

[Trainman]

Looks great! I have a 2006 3600 Open that I would like to do the same. I was wondering what the height of your swim platform is off the water? It looks to be slightly higher than mine. For that reason I was considering the Nautley HD+ Roll-On, which looks to give a few inches of lift.  I was also interested if you had any pictures of the boat with dinghy from the back to see if the 310 with outboard tilted ALL stays within the width of the transom? I had been considering purchase of a slightly smaller dinghy to make sure it fits, but would like to have the larger size. If you had a choice would you stick with the 310? Can you sneak through a partially open transom door to lash it down? Lastly, are they any performance concerns with the extra transom weight keeping the bow higher when on plane? Thanks for sharing and Happy Boating! Love the blue hull, looks like you keep it looking new.

Did you ever do this project?  I have a 2006 3600 Open and would like to do the same thing but the platform is only 122x30 and Tiara wont confirm it will hold any weight.  Please let me know if you have any knowledge....thanks in advance

Yes I did, sorry for the delayed response. I have the same boat, 2006 3600 Open with hardtop, 30" swim platform. I will attach pics. I used the Hurley Marine H2O with 36" mount. It allows a small gap to sneak between the transom and dinghy for tie down and loading. I am very happy with the outcome. I also added a removable swim ladder because the dinghy covers the built-in ladder and its nice to have when you don't launch the dinghy. Great safety feature too. The ladder stows in the floor hatch. For retrieval / loading the dinghy, I use a pair of block and tackle tied to the stern cleats of the main boat with pre-attached lines with snap hooks on the dinghy. I can easily load it by myself, but does still take a few minutes to get it rigged and tied down. They sell the block and tackle at Hurley's site. They work very well and have latches to not retract when you pull. I have a 9.5' Highfield RIB dinghy with aluminum lower hull and a 15HP Merc 2 stroke outboard (Upgraded from the 9.9 Johnson in the photos). I do feel its there when on plane with the weight on the transom, but boat still performs very well, even in rough water without effecting the dinghy. You do have to back off the throttles slowly to avoid the backwash from lifting the dinghy, but the tie downs allow it to hinge if needed (see Hurley site for tie down mounting positions). The brakets are removable when desired and have held up well after 3 seasons. Would do it again, fun to have the dinghy option.

---

How big is the swim platform on the 3500 open?
I have a 3600 express and the platform is 122x30 .  My concern is with the 30" width , no having enought room, any furhter info appreciated.

[Sans Peur]

What are you guys using for tie-down straps? I am mounting my new (to me) dingy and can't find exactly what I feel I need.

[Trainman]

I bought them from Hurley Marine, but I thing Suncor makes a better rachet strap tie down. When time to replace, I will use the Suncor.

[MC1600]

I’ve been very happy with some stainless ratchet straps I found at uscargocontrol.com