The problem launching dinghies from yachts with transom platforms, or steeply raked transoms

Rear view of yacht deck drop-down bathing platform

With the exception of a few centre cockpit cruisers, most of the new cruising yacht designs being released are moving towards fitting a drop down transom platform.

The decks either side are taken by lockers or pushpit mounts, so there is neither space nor structure for conventional deck mounted davits. And if there were, the 2.5-3 metre separation is too wide for most dinghy lifting points of 1.6 to 1.9 metres.

There are manual telescopic davits available for some new yachts but they are severely compromised in function and very onerous to retro fit to an existing yacht. And even if you could reinforce the hull for these, or hang davits on a specially reinforced transom, you could not use them to drop a dinghy on top of a bathing platform, or vice versa.

And the dinghy, only able to be carried in one position would then block any use of the platform,  any attempt at stern-to docking, or even a man overboard routine.

Designs with steeply raked (say 30° or more) require davits of such arm reach that the base footprint usually cannot take the bending moment, so effectively suffer the same problem even if the deck space was present.

Ark-Marine have the solution.    Dinghy Derrick can launch your dinghy from yachts with fold down transom platforms,  extremely raked sterns 

-  AND most conventional modern yachts as well!


Find out more about how Dinghy Derrick works >>