RonKMiller wrote:Good for you - I can't believe all of the negative, naysaying nabobs here. Innovation is what Americans do BEST.
Where are the negative comments ? I think what Greg and I posted are legitimate concerns. No way there's not going to be a problem in 15-20 mph winds (much less anything higher than that) without tying off the stern. Where the apparatus for this unit is bolted is all aluminum, a little flexing back and forth is going to be a problem.
It's a good idea and I'd probably buy one, but no way I'm going to leave my boat in my slip without the stern tied up. In fact, our marina recommends 1/2 inch lines plus a spring line, plus crossed bow lines. It's good to temporarily hold the boat while you do tie up or are quickly picking up passengers. I'd like to see a video of this unit during a typical bay squall or a 3-4 ft chop instead of in a fairly calm lake. In the video the operator appears to have trouble lining up and getting the latching mechanism to engage. Again, what works great in a lake won't work everywhere in all conditions. Our normal tidal change alone is 4-5 feet, storm surges can be 7 ft.
Besides, criticism brings about improvements. If we all kissed the guy's ass we'd be no better than Brady and the Tap Fins debacle.