Garhauer motor lift
Ed,
I think I understand your concerns about the Forespar lift. When I was doing my "research" into the motor lifts back in '98, I checked them all out. Now don't get me wrong, I've heard folks say "What I have is the very best," all the time, even when maybe there are better things out there. That said, if you compare all the motor lifts, I think it will become pretty apparent that the engineering and construction of the Garhauer lift is better than the others simply because the horizontal arm is made out of very, very sturdy material and the upside down "U" shape is simply structurally stronger and is necessary given the weight of your engine. In addition, at least when I did my pricing comparison, there was, well, no comparison. The cost of the Garhauer unit, combined with its strength, was a no-brainer choice for me.
Because of the 6:1 purchase, I have been able to lower the engine onto the dink all by myself, without any outside help. Control is very easy on the way down, and literally effortless on the way back up. In addition, the newer Garhauer lifts have moved the cam cleat from the horizontal arm down to the tube, making "singlehanding" a tad easier. I simply re-reeve the line out of my cam cleat and down through the sheave to lower the motor if I'm doing it myself. With the 6:1 purchase, even if I accidentally let it go, it doesn't go too far too fast. Hasn't happened, though.
That said, if you still "persist" in wanting to mount your engine in front of the mast, here's my take on that:
Your dinghy WILL, I say will, take up all the space on your foredeck. I know, I've done it. There will be little to actually ZERO room to mount anything because of the simple geometry -- the tubes of the dinghy WILL extend behind the mast with the transom just forward or just at the front of the mast. That's a reality based on the size of the foredeck and the size of your dinghy (as I noted, I have the same one). You could deflate it to give you room, but that adds an extra BIG step every time you wanted to use it. We even have a 120V air pump, with our inverter it's easy to use, but blowing up an air floor dinghy on the foredeck is not fun. We still need the foot pump to pressurize the air floor adequately.
Given that, even if you could design and build a "motor-holder" up at the mast, somewhere, there simply isn't room for it with an inflated 10'-2" dinghy, either in front or beside the mast. If you had a shorter dinghy, perhaps it could be done.
But I go back to the issue of getting your motor onto your dinghy from that forward position. It is, indeed, a much more difficult thing to do, even if you have a sound and secure topping lift or a Garhauer rigid vang, even if you could rig some kind of vang arrangement from the end of your boom. Think of the geometry there, too: could you get a "straight lift" from the end of your boom? Hardly, you'd be lifting something at an extreme angle when you took the engine off. And our booms are pretty short to be able to use the boom to get the engine onto the pushpit. The boom stops well before the binnacle. I'm sure that what Danny suggested would be difficult at best on our boats. The geometry simply doesn't work on a C34.
Alternatively, as you suggest, say you used a halyard: you'd have to add extra purchase, so OK, use a 4:1 vang on the end of the halyard, which is a lot less than the 6:1 motor lift. You'd be able to lift straight up, but then someone would have to push the halyard over to the side to lower the engine down. In my mind, that takes two people. I can do it by myself with my lift at the stern.
Laying outboard engines down on their side is not usually good for the engine. I've read all sorts of issues related to doing this and most outboard manuals have clear instructions about the certain position required to avoid damaging the engine. In all my years with outboards, the only times I've laid them on their sides was bringing them to and from the boat in the car. We had a C22 and a C25 with a 7.5 hp Merc, and now this 9.9 hp Evinrude. Outboards since 1983!
I just do not recommend it, for your safety and the security of your engine.
That's why the motor lift works so well, back in the aft end of the cockpit, right where the motor sits on the pushpit.
I still don't understand your desire to do that foredeck motor mount, but hope this discussion of the geometry involved helps you understand my reasons for discouraging you in this regard.
All the best,
Stu
PS - I also think having the engine "inboard" at the stern makes little sense. It takes valuable space away from the cockpit, and you'd bump into it all the time, based on where the vertical stanchions are on our pushpits.
