ONBOARD Magazine summer 2019

GOING
UP
Inflatable toys for superyachts continue
to be popular amongst owners and
charter guests but the man-handling
can take the joy out of the toy for the
crew setting them up. Luke Porter of
Shipyard Supply Co looks at a new davit
crane to assist with inflatable toy set up
Superyacht deck equipment specialist
Shipyard Supply Co (SSCo) has
revealed details of its new davit crane
as a solution for yachts needing support
with inflatable toy installation. Designed for
superyachts of all sizes, the davit crane has
been developed in response to an increase
in demand for large format inflatables.
SSCo commercial manager Luke Porter
explained, “Inflatables come in all shapes
and sizes, and many, especially slides and
climbing walls, have to be secured to the
top deck of a superyacht. If the yacht
doesn’t have a tender or heli-deck crane,
then the large inflatable needs to be manhandled
up there by the deck crew, which
can be time-consuming.
“The new davit crane is designed to be fitted
into a socket on the top deck, so the crew
can winch the inflatable up there, saving
time and man-power. Once finished with, the
crane can be removed and stowed away.”
Luke added, “As a former bosun on a 72m
Feadship, I know how physically demanding
working on deck can be. The davit crane
will help prevent superyacht crew lifting
overly heavy items, reduce the risk of wear
and tear and increase efficiency on deck.”
SSCo works closely with leading superyacht
inflatables specialist FunAir to deliver the
complete package needed for inflatables
installation.
John Courtney, MD of Yachting at FunAir
commented, “The new removable davit crane
is the perfect solution for yachts that
don’t have toy storage on the top deck.
We love that the socket can be added to
the top deck with minimal disruption, and
yachts can now enjoy the benefits of a crane
without having to have one permanently
installed. For our largest yacht slides and
climbing walls this makes deployment even
quicker and easier for crew.”
The carbon crane can also be used to
bring cargo onto the foredeck of a yacht,
or to winch heavy toys such as jet skis
or Seabobs onto the transom. The crane
design has been refined using the latest
geometry and full structural analysis has
been undertaken.
The lightweight crane comes in two parts
for easy storage and assembly; it can also
be painted to complement the mothership
colour scheme. The deck sockets have
been designed to fit any make or model of
superyacht, whether it is GRP, steel or
aluminium. With up to a 3m reach, the
crane comes with a Dyneema purchase
system as long as is required for the
height of the yacht. The crane is able to
lift up to 500kg and comes with quality
Spinlock deck fittings and a Harken manual
or electric winch.
Whether it’s stainless steel, composite,
aluminium or wood, SSCo has the
experience and infrastructure to work
on any custom deck equipment project.
For more details Tel: +44 (0)1473 598 091
or visit www.shipyardsupply.co
©FunAir
ONBOARD | SUMMER 2019 | 39