Steelhead Frequently Asked Questions
Browse through some of our tips and most frequently asked questions. If you have a question that is not covered here please Contact us.
Purchasing Questions
1. How does Steelhead Marine offer competitive pricing?
2. Who buys Steelhead Marine products?
3. I am located outside of North America, can I still buy a Steelhead Marine davit?
4. Can you help me figure out what size davit or crane I need?
5. How long will it take until I get my davit or crane?
Quality
6. What materials are SM davits made of?
7. What are the benefits of Am Steel rope?
Customizing
8. Will my davit match my yacht color?
9. What if I need a davit different than the ones shown here?
10. Can you build me a custom mount for my crane?
11. Can I get a wireless control instead of a pendant control with my crane?
Shipping
12. Where can Steelhead Marine ship to?
Installation
13. How do I figure out where to install my yacht crane or davit?
Maintenance
14. How often do I need to grease the main bearing on my yacht crane and how do I do it?
Service
15. Do you have recommended service yards?
16. I lost my owners manual, - OR -
17. I was not given an owners manual at the yard where my crane was installed, can I get a new one?
Parts
18. How can I get a replacement part?
19. What happens if I need a part for my crane and I am travelling overseas?
20. The warranty is up on my crane, what if I need a part?
Warranty
21. How long of a warranty does a davit or yacht crane come with?
Operating the Crane
22. How do I operate my yacht crane?
23. How do I work the retraction feature on my SM crane?
24. How do I secure my Whisper Davit in the stowed position?
25. How do I program my proportional pendant control?
26. How noisy is a yacht crane when it is running?
27. Can I run your products off of my yacht's hydraulic system?
28. Why does the hook lower when I retract my crane?
29. How much can my davit lift?
Safety
30. How safe are your products?
Other Questions
31. What is the difference between a yacht crane and a davit?
Purchasing Questions
1. How does Steelhead Marine offer competitive pricing?
Our vision is to produce products that have more features and benefits than the minimum requirements and yet are produced in a streamlined fashion that allows us to sell a higher quality product for pricing that is competitive to less advanced products.
We deliver a higher value product at a competitive price.
- Steelhead prices on "standard" models are lower than our competitors despite the fact that we offer improved features as standard or at a considerably lower added cost.
- In an "apples-to-apples" comparison of features, buyers actually save money on a Steelhead.
- Some examples of Steelhead standards that cost extra elsewhere...
- i. 2-year warranty
- ii. 10-micron Stainless Filter - standard on SM1500 & up
- iii. AMSteel Composite Rope - 40% stronger than standard steel cable
- iv. Silent linear winch system
- v. Custom colors
- No up-charges are required for engineering costs.
2. Who buys Steelhead Marine products?
3. I am located outside of North America, can I still buy a Steelhead Marine davit?
Yes, please see our Distributor list for the contact nearest you.
4. Can you help me figure out what size davit or crane I need?
Yes, if you go to our Product page you will see a brief description of each of our yacht cranes and davits. If you can't find what you are looking for there please CLICK HERE to fill out a simple questionnaire which will help us determine which size and style tender lifting equipment you need and we will also provide you with a quote.
5. How long will it take until I get my davit or crane?
- Steelhead has a proven build & delivery time in about HALF the time or better of the industry standard.
- "STOCK & BUILD 2-STEP PROGRAM": Generally our lead times are 30-50% shorter than other builders because of our time-saving "Stock & Build Program". We're able to provide short lead times because we...
- 1) STOCK: Immediate delivery is available on some standard models we keep in stock. We also inventory all the components needed to be ready to build and...
- 2) BUILD: we manufacture all our yacht cranes in a very skilled & efficient production process. This unique "Stock & Build Program" gives us complete control of scheduling and on-time crane order delivery that gets cranes to you 30-50% quicker.
Quality
6. What materials are SM davits made of?
- High-Grade Materials: Steelhead materials are meticulously selected to the highest standards to maximize durability, strength, performance and on-board weight reductions.
- Steelhead uses state-of-the-art marine grade materials to provide the lightest and strongest cranes in the industry (also used in our standpipes and custom bases):
- - 17-4 PH Stainless Steel Truck Assemblies (equivalent strength to Aquamet 17; 4.2X stronger than 5086 aluminum or stainless)
- - 6061 - T6 Aluminum Main Boom Bodies (27% stronger than 5086 aluminum)
- - 2205 Duplex Stainless Boom Extensions (2.2X stronger than 316 stainless)
7. What are the benefits of Am Steel rope?
AM Steel Composite Rope has many benefits. Is 40% stronger than standard steel cable, it is non rotating, has no memory and doesn't splinter as it ages, and can track on smaller sheaves than cable can (8:1 ratio for rope, 20:1 ratio for cable). Rope can be easily shortened while still installed in the crane whereas cable has to be removed and swaged by a rigger.
Customizing
8. Will my davit match my yacht color?
Yes, every Steelhead davit or yacht crane is finished to match the color you request at the time of ordering.
9. What if I need a davit different than the ones shown here?
- Steelhead is a one-stop resource for nearly any kind of customizing you may need.
- Our full line of standard cranes can meet a wide range of requirements and may avoid the need to customize. They can lift loads from 600-5500 lbs with reaches ranging from 8'-22'.
- Do you need something different? We have 30+ options including changes in boom reach, lifting capacity, paint colors, hydraulic power units and optional controls. We also build custom bases and modify crane profiles to suit your needs.
- Steelhead will custom engineer and design for uncommon load requirements and special reach needs.
10. Can you build me a custom mount for my crane?
Yes, we build custom bases, vary standpipe heights or create custom applications depending on your requirements.
11. Can I get a wireless control instead of a pendant control with my crane?
Yes, wireless controls are optional, just make this request at the time of placing your order.
Shipping
12. Where can Steelhead Marine ship to?
Yes, we can ship to any major port worldwide via sea, land or air as requested.
Installation
13. How do I figure out where to install my yacht crane or davit?
These are basic guidelines for determining location of your yacht crane or davit. However, we recommend that you have a professional yacht service center do the actual installation. Here is a list of our recommended service centers.
- Choose the best storage location for your tender considering the following factors:
- Clearance needs to allow for rotation and storage of crane (check walk around space, hatch, railing, and other clearances)
- Deck strength
- Standpipe base location on lower deck
- Accessibility for easy operation and maintenance
- Determine the balance point of the tender, and mark this balance spot on the deck. The reach requirement of the crane is a horizontal measurement from the optimum crane location to the balance point of the tender.
- To ensure the tender does not hit the side of the vessel during a launch and retrieval, allow 9" more than the tender's half beam measurement for clearance (ie. Half the width of the tender)
- Check crane hook height vs. reach table at various luffing angles (reach tables are in each installation manual or the same dimensions can be found as a link on the product pages) to ensure at least 8" of clearance between the tender and vessel (railings) during operation.
- E. Double-check the reach and height requirements against the specification of the crane to ensure the crane will meet your installation requirements.
Maintenance
14. How often do I need to grease the main bearing on my yacht crane and how do I do it?
The main bearing (on SM1500 and larger models) must be greased thoroughly every 3 months, insert waterproof, high pressure grease to fully pack the bearing race, 5 shots of grease at 90deg intervals. Exercise the crane after greasing through the full rotation to distribute the grease evenly. View detailed instructions.
Service
15. Do you have recommended service yards?
Yes, please visit our Service Center page for contact information.
16. I lost my owners manual, - OR -
17. I was not given an owners manual at the yard where my crane was installed, can I get a new one?
We have manuals available in pdf format that we can email to you.
Go to the Contact page to request.
Parts
18. How can I get a replacement part?
Contact the Distributor nearest you to make a request.
19. What happens if I need a part for my crane and I am travelling overseas?
Contact the Distributor nearest you.
20. The warranty is up on my crane, what if I need a part?
Steelhead Marine is committed to keeping your davit or yacht crane running at its best whether the warranty is up or not, however once the warranty is up the cost of needed parts is the responsibility of the davit or crane owner. Contact your nearest Distributor to order.
Warranty
21. How long of a warranty does a davit or yacht crane come with?
Every Steelhead Marine davit or yacht crane is covered by our Steelhead 2-year Platinum Warranty.
Operating the Crane
22. How do I operate my yacht crane?
Operating instructions vary depending on whether you have an SM, CT or WD series crane. Please go to our downloads and view the instruction sheet for your particular series of crane.
23. How do I work the retraction feature on my SM crane?
Click here to view directions.
24. How do I secure my Whisper Davit in the stowed position?
A Whisper Davit must be tied down, using the eye provided, in the stowed position to prevent unwanted movement of the boom.
25. How do I program my proportional pendant control?
Click here to view directions.
26. How noisy is a yacht crane when it is running?
Steelhead Marine davits and yacht cranes run on hydraulic systems that are very quiet when compared with electric models.
27. Can I run your products off of my yacht's hydraulic system?
Yes, our products can be run off of ships hydraulics at 2500 psi with varied flow rates, depending on the model. (1 gal/min - 6 gal/min) Contact us for specific information.
28. Why does the hook lower when I retract my crane?
The hook lowers because it was not hooked onto the hook storage eye before retracting.
29. How much can my davit lift?
Your tender lifting davit or crane is rated to lift the poundage indicated, at maximum reach, by the model name, eg. WD600 is rated to lift 600 lbs.
Safety
30. How safe are your products?
All of Steelhead Marine's products are built with a 3 to 1 safety factor and are tested to 125% of their rated capacity before leaving the factory.
Other Questions
31. What is the difference between a yacht crane and a davit?
To yachting professionals a davit is tender lifting equipment rated for 1000lbs or less and a yacht crane is tender lifting equipment rated for more than 1000lbs. However, you will find that many people refer to any sort of tender lift as a davit. We have used the term interchangeably in our materials.
Here are some definitions just for fun.
Main Entry: da·vit
A crane that projects over the side of a ship or a hatchway and is used especially for boats, anchors, or cargo
Main Entry: crane
An often horizontal projection swinging about a vertical axis: as a : a machine for raising, shifting, and lowering heavy weights by means of a projecting swinging arm or with the hoisting apparatus supported on an overhead track
"davit", "crane" Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary (9 May. 2006).