Catalina 350 International Association

We upgraded our dinghy to Highfield classic with a new 10hp Tohatsu at 84lbs. The previous outboard was a 4hp at 54lbs. I need a very simple design that I can DYI. Looks like most are offset to the port perch seat. I would love to see photos of some solutions that others have. thx in advance..

Hello

I also bought a Tohatsu 9.8hp a couple of years ago. It is the lightest one on the market but still much to heavy to man-handle up and down from the bracket.

I had a custom designed hoist built which is mounted on the port side. Its mounted on the transom using an angled flange and is also fixed to the perch seat/pushpit rail. It allows the dinghy to be place either along the port side or across the transom lift the engine on and off.

I didn't like the off the shelf units that are available because they didn't have enough reach to swing the motor all the way over to an "along side" position. The OTS units also come with a 3:1, or 4:1 tackle. Ours has a 5:1 tackle so is easy to manage the weight by me or by my wife.

I'll try to find a picture and will send it along.

Here's a pic. Its constructed of high grade thick wall 1 1/4" SS tubing. It easily carries the weight of the motor.

BTW, last year I sold the old Zodiac and bought a Highfield, its much lighter and rides much better than the heavy fiberglass Zodiac which also had a very flat bottom. The Highfield has a deeper hull and handles choppy water without as much spray.

I have posted some pics of my solution to this somewhere else on the forum, but essentially I killed two birds with one stone, I wanted a radar and also was finding a one handed motor lift while bobbing up and down at Catalina island was getting a bit much. So I bought the garhauer solution of a rear pole plus hoist and cut and raised the arm angle so it passes over the pushpit seat

…..and here is one more that cheered me up looking at it now that’s it’s winter.

What was the source of the attachment Blocks?
Thx... beautiful pics... it is exactly what i was looking for and Sandollar...

The tackle including the blocks was provided by the rigger at Blackline Rigging; he also fabricated the hoist itself. The blocks as I recall are Harken. They are both fiddle blocks with a swivel, shackled at the hoist end and with snap shackle to clip onto the top of the "motor caddy" on the other end.

The tackle can be used either from the cockpit or from inside the dinghy.