For various reasons I need a custom engine hoist to handle a not too heavy outboard motor to be mounted on the stern rails of my sailboat. None of the standard units will fit and these suppliers don't seem too interested in making up a custom unit. So I am hoping to find a shop that will cut, bend and TIG weld SS tubing. There is not much to it as far as I can see. Cut to length, bend tube to spec and weld on an eye to attach a pulley block lifting system. I could probably come up with a rail mounting device for the hoist without too much brain storming. However the real challenge, as I see it, is the foot of the hoist post needed for the deck mount. It needs to allow rotation but not allow the post to accidently lift out. Has anyone successfully designed and fabricated a custom outboard engine hoist and solved this design/fabrication problem?
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Rotation and lift can be handled at different
places in the system. First, you get rotation by mounting a pipe on the deck for a base, and sliding your davit (bent pipe with pulley, hopefully with a brace welded in to keep it from bending) down over the base. You will probably have some sort of collar higher up to support the davit, maybe at the top of your stern pulpit. If you put a bolt through the davit, or a clamp around it, under that upper collar, it will keep the davit from lifting. Gravity will probably keep the davit down anyway, but you need the bolt or clamp to be safe and sure. If this description is not sufficiently confusing, I will try harder on request.
places in the system. First, you get rotation by mounting a pipe on the deck for a base, and sliding your davit (bent pipe with pulley, hopefully with a brace welded in to keep it from bending) down over the base. You will probably have some sort of collar higher up to support the davit, maybe at the top of your stern pulpit. If you put a bolt through the davit, or a clamp around it, under that upper collar, it will keep the davit from lifting. Gravity will probably keep the davit down anyway, but you need the bolt or clamp to be safe and sure. If this description is not sufficiently confusing, I will try harder on request.
Neil..
I currently have two motor hoists, one off my old boat that I kept when I sold it and one off my new boat that I took off because I'm not using it. One is the Garhauer and one is the Forespar Nova Lift 153311 (see link here: http://www.forespar.com/onlineCatalog/2007/Sailboat/30sailing_novaDavitNovaLift2007.shtml ) and both units are 316 stainless steel. I had not really decided to sell either one but if you're interested perhaps either one of these units could be modified for less money than a custom unit. The Forespar is basically brand new. I purchased a four stroke motor, hated it, and sold it three weeks later so no longer needed the Forespar and it was installed less than two weeks. The Garhauer is also in very good condition. My e-mail address is mainecruising@yahoo.com if either of these may work for you..
I currently have two motor hoists, one off my old boat that I kept when I sold it and one off my new boat that I took off because I'm not using it. One is the Garhauer and one is the Forespar Nova Lift 153311 (see link here: http://www.forespar.com/onlineCatalog/2007/Sailboat/30sailing_novaDavitNovaLift2007.shtml ) and both units are 316 stainless steel. I had not really decided to sell either one but if you're interested perhaps either one of these units could be modified for less money than a custom unit. The Forespar is basically brand new. I purchased a four stroke motor, hated it, and sold it three weeks later so no longer needed the Forespar and it was installed less than two weeks. The Garhauer is also in very good condition. My e-mail address is mainecruising@yahoo.com if either of these may work for you..
Most custom shops are going to be very expensive
I agree with Stu. You are probably going to find that custom welding is going to be very expensive. The problem with these shops is the polishing. I don't know how Garhauer does it but they semi-custom fabricate items at nearly the same price as their off the shelf items.
I agree with Stu. You are probably going to find that custom welding is going to be very expensive. The problem with these shops is the polishing. I don't know how Garhauer does it but they semi-custom fabricate items at nearly the same price as their off the shelf items.
Motor Lift
Neil: I just installed a Forespar Nova Lift on my 1990 H37.5. It works great. Installation was simple. Jim
Neil: I just installed a Forespar Nova Lift on my 1990 H37.5. It works great. Installation was simple. Jim
Custom Hoist
I have looked at all of the standard hoists and they all have an effective lifting radius of 24' or more. I know exactly where the motor mount must be and this dicates where the hoist must be placed - which happens to be about 10" away. The boat has an early "sugar scoop" stern so the motor must be lowered over the side not the stern. This arrangement will work just fine if I have a hoist with only a 10" reach! Neil
I have looked at all of the standard hoists and they all have an effective lifting radius of 24' or more. I know exactly where the motor mount must be and this dicates where the hoist must be placed - which happens to be about 10" away. The boat has an early "sugar scoop" stern so the motor must be lowered over the side not the stern. This arrangement will work just fine if I have a hoist with only a 10" reach! Neil
Thinking Outside the Box
Ross' idea of a timber substitute is very interesting! Who said that motor hoists have to be stainless steel? The O/B motor is a Yamaha 8HP 2 stroke at only around 58 pounds. The engine hoist is not really intended to handle any heavy weight but more to ensure that I don't drop the awkward to handle thing in the water any time soon!
Ross' idea of a timber substitute is very interesting! Who said that motor hoists have to be stainless steel? The O/B motor is a Yamaha 8HP 2 stroke at only around 58 pounds. The engine hoist is not really intended to handle any heavy weight but more to ensure that I don't drop the awkward to handle thing in the water any time soon!
At a local grist mill they have a system for
lifting the mill stones. It looks like a gallows made from locust and the stones are about 4 feet in diameter and about a foot thick. The lift is done with a screw but in this case a come-a-long would serve well enough.
lifting the mill stones. It looks like a gallows made from locust and the stones are about 4 feet in diameter and about a foot thick. The lift is done with a screw but in this case a come-a-long would serve well enough.
Keep in mind..
Keep in mind that the offset of the motor's bracket will not be at 20" as in the Fore Spar or even 24" like the Garhauer. The center lift point of an outboard motor sling winds up about 8" in front of the motor's bracket so now your really only dealing with a 2" issue if I'm understanding your post correctly..
Keep in mind that the offset of the motor's bracket will not be at 20" as in the Fore Spar or even 24" like the Garhauer. The center lift point of an outboard motor sling winds up about 8" in front of the motor's bracket so now your really only dealing with a 2" issue if I'm understanding your post correctly..
Foot and rail arrangement
U wrote: "However the real challenge, as I see it, is the foot of the hoist post needed for the deck mount. It needs to allow rotation but not allow the post to accidentally lift out." Here's how the Garhauer works: The vertical arm is a tube. At the deck level, there is a one piece plastic ball on a deck pad which screws onto the deck (or coaming top of wherever it works to locate for the proper swing distance). The bottom of the tube slips onto this ball, so the the bottom of the tube can't move sideways in any direction. There is a ring mounted on the pushpit that the tube slides through and then down onto the ball. The weight of the tube/hoist, even without the motor, avoids it lifting out, ever. Simple, ingenious and it works. Check out Garhauer's website for a picture. You could buy it or make one of your own.
U wrote: "However the real challenge, as I see it, is the foot of the hoist post needed for the deck mount. It needs to allow rotation but not allow the post to accidentally lift out." Here's how the Garhauer works: The vertical arm is a tube. At the deck level, there is a one piece plastic ball on a deck pad which screws onto the deck (or coaming top of wherever it works to locate for the proper swing distance). The bottom of the tube slips onto this ball, so the the bottom of the tube can't move sideways in any direction. There is a ring mounted on the pushpit that the tube slides through and then down onto the ball. The weight of the tube/hoist, even without the motor, avoids it lifting out, ever. Simple, ingenious and it works. Check out Garhauer's website for a picture. You could buy it or make one of your own.
There is no shortage of base designs that will
serve the needs. just a little careful work with paper and pencil will solve most of the problems before any material is cut. a four part tackle will work for the lifting and a cleat will hold the line.
serve the needs. just a little careful work with paper and pencil will solve most of the problems before any material is cut. a four part tackle will work for the lifting and a cleat will hold the line.
IMHO It seems to me
that it wouldn't take much to extend the boom using aluminum tube or even PVC. Supported by the topping lift or main halyard, there would be very little stress on the extension of the boom. Then using any block and tackle from something like the boom vang or main sheets should work. Frank
that it wouldn't take much to extend the boom using aluminum tube or even PVC. Supported by the topping lift or main halyard, there would be very little stress on the extension of the boom. Then using any block and tackle from something like the boom vang or main sheets should work. Frank
I'm with Frank
especially if the boom swings over your rail storage bracket and you have a topping lift.
especially if the boom swings over your rail storage bracket and you have a topping lift.
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