New Boat Toy

[ThirdHatt]

I just picked up this little Vespa GTS300 Super to mount on the flybridge. The previous owner told me that he had a Vespa up there next to the dinghy, so that idea has been in the back of my head. I can see right where the chocks were mounted and a friend had given me some aluminum scooter chocks a few years ago that he had used to secure a scooter on his boat. Now I just need to install the chocks and figure out a good way to rig up a sling to lift it with.

 

[Keith]

I have a Vespa also and was thinking about doing the very same thing. What do the scooter chocks look like? How were you going to pick the scooter up -what type of sling, etc?

Taking a scooter along when cruising is a great idea. My wife and I both have one and use them around town all of the time. Great fun

Keith
Lady J

 

[Nonchalant1]

We saw a boat in Florida with one and he just had a single strap for a sling that he put around the steering column from the front and hauled it up with his dinghy davit. It let the back hang way down so he had to grab that to pull it up into the rear chock. It looked like it would pull the handle bars off, but it didn't. Maybe contact the manufacturer and ask what they recommend.

Doug

 

[ThirdHatt]

Keith,

I don't have the chocks with me on the boat right now or I would get you a pic. They are in storage because I had not planned to use them so soon. It just happens that a great deal presented itself on an near new repo 2010 Vespa GTS300 Super that I could buy for about half of MSRP, so I had to grab it while I could.

I just learned that the Vespa dealer down in south Florida deals with other folks such as ourselves who bring their scooters on board and they sell several items that can help. Of course they are in south FL and they serve the big boat market, so the prices on their chocks look quite steep to me. My chocks look absolutely nothing like theirs. Mine are 1" aluminum tubes bent in a hoop with a brace and two baseplates, same for the front wheel and the rear wheel so my davit will just lower the scooter in them for a nice snug fit.

They do have a heavy duty nylon 4-point lifting strap for $59 that I will probably order tomorrow after I ask them a few questions about it. I am very pleased to see that they also offer custom-fit Stamoid scooter covers! Last week I ordered one of the basic $40 covers to hold me over until I can get a good marine canvas guy to make a cover out of Stamoid to match my dinghy cover and all the seat covers but these guys have a pattern that works so I may just go with them for a cover as well.

Check it out. Here is the link:

http://www.varsitycycle.com/acatalog/Vespa_Marine_Accessories.html

 

[Keith]

I went through several so called scooter/motor cycle covers. I finally found the perfect cover for our scooters. I went to Target and purchased two barbecue covers. They have a soft lining and are almost indestructible. We have used them for the last year and they show no wear, are water proof, and are reasonably priced. I believe they were either $29.99 or $39.99. Our yacht club uses them for their designed purpose - covering the barbecues and they have lasted several years.

I'll experiment with picking my scooters up by their handle bars and back rack. Seems kind of scary - the admiral would never forgive me if I dropped hers in the bay! I lift our Whaler with nylon lifting straps. I know they are strong so will probably do the job.

 

[ThirdHatt]

I went through several so called scooter/motor cycle covers. I finally found the perfect cover for our scooters. I went to Target and purchased two barbecue covers. They have a soft lining and are almost indestructible. We have used them for the last year and they show no wear, are water proof, and are reasonably priced. I believe they were either $29.99 or $39.99. Our yacht club uses them for their designed purpose - covering the barbecues and they have lasted several years.

I'll experiment with picking my scooters up by their handle bars and back rack. Seems kind of scary - the admiral would never forgive me if I dropped hers in the bay! I lift our Whaler with nylon lifting straps. I know they are strong so will probably do the job.

I certainly respect the BBQ cover idea! I think I'll just use the $40 scooter cover that I ordered for whenever the scooter is not on the boat. The thing is that when it is strapped down on the flybridge while cruising I want a white cover to match all the other canvas on the boat so that the scooter does not stick out like a sore thumb. Stamoid is not cheap, but it is by far the best material out there for covers and bimini tops. It comes with a 5-yr warranty and some of the pieces that I have are well over 5 years old in the direct sun with no visible aging or UV damage whatsoever.

Remember that these Vespa's only weigh 250-325lbs depending on model and are built very strudy, so a 4-point nylon strap should easily disperse the weight enough to not stress anything. Even the heavy rear end would only have maybe 75lbs on each strap. I have picked up the rear of the scooter by the rear grab bar, and I use it and the handlebars to strap the bike down in the back of a pickup when transporting it so I think it will be fine. Just think, if anyones Vespa ever dropped on some big yacht down in Florida that motorcycle dealership would never live it down for selling those straps!

 

[Keith]

You're right about the straps, that would be an advertising catastrophe!

When I get my scooter up on the boat deck I'll send you a photo.

Keith

 

[YKnot]

Byron,
I bought two of these years ago for my motorcycles. They work wonderfully.
They are called condor motorcycle wheel stands.
You don't even need to tie the bike down, but I do for security and peace of mind. it might be something to consider?
Bill

 

[Dustoff44]

Piaggio MP3
Just roll to storage place, lock forks, set parking brake and tie down

 

[ThirdHatt]

Piaggio MP3
Just roll to storage place, lock forks, set parking brake and tie down

Those just look strange to me! They weigh well over 500lbs too so it is not as easy to move around. Besides, I already bought the two-wheel scooter and it will fit perfectly on the flybridge right where the previous owner kept his. If I wanted anything bigger I would have gotten a real motorcycle. I just think a scooter is the perfect mode of transportation for a boat. I only wish I had room for two scooters side by side up there!

 

[ThirdHatt]

Byron,
I bought two of these years ago for my motorcycles. They work wonderfully.
They are called condor motorcycle wheel stands.
You don't even need to tie the bike down, but I do for security and peace of mind. it might be something to consider?
Bill

Bill,

I have seen those and I think they would be great in a garage or pickup truck, but I don't think they would do so well in a marine environment because of the corrosion, etc. I'm thinking something simple like these powdercoated aluminum chocks:

 

[ThirdHatt]

You're right about the straps, that would be an advertising catastrophe!

When I get my scooter up on the boat deck I'll send you a photo.

Keith

Keith, I had a Stamoid cover made and I got the set of straps too. As it turns out, the lifting strap does not attach to the rear grab rail as I had thought. I was told to remove the plastic tray under the seat and there I would see a tab on each side to hook the straps to. I have not used the strap yet because I do not have any chocks installed at this point. The chocks that I got from a friend a while back will not fit so I have to make get some different chocks.