Has anyone actually load tested their Garhauer davit installation - with a realistic weight for lifting a person with wet clothes from the water and into the cockpit ? Just wondering, I've tested a few "safety" items in the past with some pretty spectacular failures, and when you need it isn't the time to have to go to "plan 'B'", especially if "plan 'B'" hasn't been thought of yet.
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Load Testing
- Thread starter toyman
- Start date
You have remember that the davit is rated at 150 lbs. I have had Marie hoist me (not soaking wet with clothes, but in a bathing suit--weight about 180 lbs)--and no problem with the davit. But it would depend on how the top part of the tube was supported. This was with the 24" arm. the davit we have now on the Tom Cat has the 36" arm, and I think it would hold up to the same load.
Thanks Dr. Bob. I would probably be ~220# soaking wet in my street clothes, and saw the 150# rating. I knew that you had tested, just didn't know the parameters used. I think it would help, but I doubt if SHE could get me on deck with it - but close maybe.
Once tested a life boat installation (200% on a Harding knockoff) when the davit went over center the boat headed down and NOTHING would stop it - then the davit wouldn't retrieve it (but it held structurally). Couldn't figure out the problem till we weighed the boat - it was twice the specified weight. We had a "plan 'B'" - drain the water bags and lift with the crane.
Once tested a life boat installation (200% on a Harding knockoff) when the davit went over center the boat headed down and NOTHING would stop it - then the davit wouldn't retrieve it (but it held structurally). Couldn't figure out the problem till we weighed the boat - it was twice the specified weight. We had a "plan 'B'" - drain the water bags and lift with the crane.
The part most likely to fail would be the arm. I believe that is is rigid enough to be fine. I have done pull ups on it, with no real evidence of flexing. Your wife will be either pulling horizontally or pulling down (depending on the way the davit is mounted and the model. The line is going thru a jam cleat, which will catch if she lets up on the strain. Thus she can "sweat" up the line a little, and then pull it in a a bit. The ratio of lift is at least 4 to 1 (again depending on rigging). When we mount it on the side of the boat, for retrieving a person, Marie would be pulling down, thru the cleat on the post (bearing in mide that the larger 36" arm has two ways of rigging it.
I'll have to get the photos of the side mount on the cabin up in the next few days. The boat will definately heal some, but that is a good factor, since it will bring the person overboard nearer to the cockpt gunnel. When it gets warmer, we will get some " retrieveal photos"--the gulf is 67 now--but I want it to be at least in the mid 70's...
I'll have to get the photos of the side mount on the cabin up in the next few days. The boat will definately heal some, but that is a good factor, since it will bring the person overboard nearer to the cockpt gunnel. When it gets warmer, we will get some " retrieveal photos"--the gulf is 67 now--but I want it to be at least in the mid 70's...