Very clever system. I take it the bow can nest in the stern section while on the platform? Nice build, too!

George K

I can't take all the credit for the rack design.  The idea came from the Ranger Tug company.  They offer a rack for their smaller tugs.  It's an $8,000 option.  I built this one for about $1,000 in materials and a cheap hydraulic pipe bander from Harbor Freight.

You can store the bow section of the dink inside the aft but after working with this for awhile I prefer to keep the bow part in the rear cockpit or up on the front deck,  It's small, light and easy to lift so it can go almost anywhere.

The biggest challenge in this whole project wasn't the Pram.  The transom of the boat needed considerable reinforcement in order to take the additional weight.  Lot's of fiberglass, marine ply and Coosa board.  It's done though and solid.

Thanks for looking! 

Lte's see if this works

How to post images

Looks good!

Laszlo

So I can post images but not type :-) Too bad about no editing feature. Just to be clear, the "Looks good" comment was in regard to the clever launch/storage mechanism, not the results of the picture posting.

Laszlo

   Thanks Laszlo,

I have the fat finger thing too.  I think you know how to spell "lets".

Just for the record, you see that sort ot retangular part of the frame on the starboard side?  I'll add a platform to that next spring, I just decided to put the boat in and see how that frame worked and we're running out of summer pretty quickly.

The kit was quite well cut.  I debated getting the plans and making my own parts. When I spread out the hull components on a table I quickly realized that I made the right choice.  With all the rocker that this little pram has the panels would be a challenge for me.

Except for flipping it over I was able to do the build alone.  I found that using two ro three light ratcheting tie down straps allowed me to draw the side panels together, especially as I got closer to the gunnel.

Take it easy and thanks again.

Pearl

   I'm trying to puzzle out the exact process for taking it apart and storing it while out on the water.

You tie up to the back cage and remove the front section while sitting in the dinghy?

But how do you get back to the big boat with that section of the dinghy?

And how to you flip the rear section of the dinghy to 135 degrees?

I'm imagining a bit of awkward climbing on that cage!

Here's how it works.

With the pram in the water, it's attached to the aluminum frame with a pair of Weaver Snapdavits.  It's kind of hard to explain but the davits make securing the pram to the frame easy and quick.

Once attached I can reach under the center seat and begin unscrewing the star knobs that keep the two pram sections attached to each other.

Once the knobs are released the front section is just pushed out and it detaches.  The front section is small and light.  I keep a line on it to keep it from floating away.

With the dighy secured to the frame it's remarkably stable.  You noticed that right now I have to carefully walk on that schedule 40 pipe.  That's true but if you look at the frame carefully, especially the first photo Laszio was good enough to put up for me, you'll see part of the frame where a roughly 1' by 3' platform will be installed.  The frame needs a little more work but summer is getting long in the toooth and I wanted to try this out.

So I can easily get out of the back of the pram and walk onto the swim platform.

Now I attach a line to the oar lock that is on the aft side of the pram.  I pull the pram out of the water.  The pram rotates 135 degrees and comes to rest on the frame at a 45 degree angle.

I hop in the back cockpit and pull the entire frame up and towards the transom of the "mother ship".  This causes the frame to rotate an additional 45 degrees and the pram is now in the storage position, inverted.  135 + 45 = 180 degrees! Upsidedown.

Over the fall/winter I'll install a small winch to make this job a little easier but it can be done by hand and I'm not a weightlifter.

The front of the pran is very light and easy to handle.  I can "nest" it but it fits nicely in the back cockpit and doesn't take up much room or I can put it on the foredeck.

The frame might be a good project for someone in the off season.  You can build it out of PVC until you get the angles right then go to the aluminum schedule 40/80 pipe.  The trickiest part is getting the angles right and the rotation/arcs.

I'll check in here once in a while to see if anyone has any more questions.

Best,

Pearl