I have a 44 ft Trawler, and want to keep my tender on the aft fly bridge deck. I have a crane; how do I lift my Advanced Cat onto deck?
The best way to hoist the boat onto deck is with a harness. Place some bow eyes through the transom near the motor (these are stainless U-bolts available at any marine supply center). Make certain to seal any hole made in the transom with 3M 4200 or other marine sealant. Water migration into the transom plywood is very bad. For the bow one can run a strap through the outer bow eyes and under the bow. I prefer a piece of webbing, though any line will do. Make a harness out of webbing or line that terminates in a loop near the transom. It often takes some adjustment to get the right lifting position above the center of gravity, and it varies depending on what motor is installed. One of the features that make Advanced Inflatables great as deck stowed tenders is their flat bottoms. They sit flat and stable on deck, and are self bailing.
