There's a few things to unpack here, so I will address them in order:
jlodolce wrote: ↑Wed May 18, 2022 10:43 am
1. A stabilizer bar is critical. Josh apparently did not install the stabilizer bar. I would caution Josh to add this. Kato recommends that you measure for and order the stabilizer bar
after the davits are mounted.
The reason I did not install a stabilizer bar on my davits is because they are not Kato davits. The manufacturer does not make a horizontal stabilizer bar for these davits because it's not necessary. They are made entirely of 1-1/2" diameter heavy wall tubing, whereas Kato davits are a mix of 1-1/4" and 1" tubing. They're built stronger, and thus they don't flex. This includes side loads. It's very obvious when you can handle them in person.
I had considered Kato davits, because it initially seemed like an easier installation. However, as soon as I saw that they require a horizontal bar I was out. I didn't want to have to duck underneath a bar whenever I wanted to use the sugar scoop to swim or board my dinghy. To me, Freedom means freestanding masts
and freestanding davits.
3. There are two bolts on each end of the stabilizer bar, which have to be extremely tight, otherwise the ends of the davits move, resulting in sway. I took my stabilizer bar home and tightened them with an air impact wrench, because I could not get them tight enough using a manual wrench.
That sounds sketchy as hell. I can't imagine a bolt on something like a davit needing anything more than a regular 9" socket wrench to tighten it. If it really does need to be impact tight, I'd say there's probably a better solution that the engineers didn't bother to figure out.
4. Josh's installation shows that the davits are mounted very close together, which will also make the davits less stable and increase sway. Perhaps that is as far apart as Josh was able to mount them due to his Freedom layout. I recommend mounting the davits as wide apart as possible.
I don't think that's a good recommendation. The distance between the heads of a pair of davits should be approximately equal to the distance between the lifting points of the dinghy. The idea is to lift straight up. This is how the Kato davits are set up in all the pictures on their site.
My dinghy is 9.5', and the lifting points are 58" apart. I installed my davits 58" apart, so that the lines are parallel and 90º to the water when the dinghy is up. You are correct that their location on my transom was limited, unless I was willing to move the factory installed radar mast. However, by a sheer stroke of luck, I had exactly 29" from the centerline available on either side. Without the radar mast, I could have probably gotten another 5" on each side, though the starboard base would have probably interfered with the shore power cable, as the inlet is right there.
Even with all the above there is some sway, but it is controlled.
I never have any sway in my dinghy when underway. If I do, it's because I wasn't paying attention when I secured it, and I just tighten whatever's loose and it's solid again. I still wouldn't cross an ocean with my dinghy in the davits—a boarding wave from astern would easily overwhelm the boat's 1" drain hole, among other concerns—but I have total confidence in my setup when things get rough. I have been tossed around in 12' seas and I have never seen my dinghy move an inch. Once secured, it feels like it's solidly a part of the boat.
For reference: my dinghy weighs 108lb, the outboard weighs 103lb, the battery is 24lb, and a full tank of gas is 19lb, for a total of 254lb. My davits are rated for 500lb, though that seems slightly conservative.