We assume you will be storing your slide in the garage. In case you keep it on the deck, next to the deployment area, the procedure is even easier as there is no lifting needed. Simply roll out the slide, bring it over the rail and inflate half way. Then follow step 3 and continue.
The use of a yacht crane for lifting the slide out of the water is a nice-to-have feature, but not essential. If using crew man power – It is important to tie the lifting ropes to D-rings on the slide’s body while simultaneously lifting the slide over the rail. Develop your own technique suited for your yacht and deployment area and use the below steps as a guidance. Practice makes perfect – like with most things in life.
1. Unroll the slide out of the garage and onto the swim platform. A fair amount of the slide can be rolled out into the water as long as 1/3 is onboard. Make sure the top section of the slide is onboard and the end is in water. To save time, you can use multiple pumps to inflate the body.
2. Inflate the slide body to operation pressure (1psi). Keep arm tubes deflated.
3. If using a crane – attach lifting harness onto specified lifting points on the head of the slide (top section of slide)
4. Maneuver the slide off the platform, into water and float it around to the deployment side.
5. Lower the davit cable and attach to lifting harness
6. Lift the slide up onto the railing.
7. Inflate the side arm tubes
8. Inflate the separate stair piece and secure it to deck. Some yacht slide will come without separate stair piece.
9. Attach the slide body to the stair piece
Yacht slide set-up time may vary depending on the design and size of the slide. It also depends on the desired yacht’s set-up location – main deck, upper deck, sun-deck or bow area. General set-up time is 30 – 45 min. Developing techniques through practice will allow for a faster, more efficient process. Using a yacht crane can be helpful sometimes, but is not essential. Get the technique ready, brief your crew and practice.
1. Tie the ropes to the inflatable rings provided for future lashing back to the ship. These ropes will be easier to reach during inflation. Refer to the anchoring instructions for clarification.
2. The body will weigh about 150 kg, so some strong crew members should handle it. Use a crane if available. Otherwise, use the lifting rings that are provided on the front and back of the slide.
3. Try to straighten out the body on board as much as possible prior to putting it over the side of the ship.
4. The end of the body with the steps (entry) on it will stay on the deck and will sit on the railing, or other pre-determined location in the design phase of the slide. The other end (exit) should be fed over the side of the ship. Tie ropes to the lifting rings on the front of the slide to assist in lowering the slide down to the water.
5. Attach ropes on right and left side of the bottom of the transition that you’re lowering into the water. Use the closest ring to the slide body to make the connection. The other ring is used to lash back to the ship.
6. Always make sure that the carabiners are screwed closed at all times. When packing away, keep them closed to prevent loss. lash back to the ship.
7. Inflate the body. Never let the air pump run unsupervised. Continue to check air pressure with provided digital pressure gauge until it reads .08 psi. There is a PRV that activates when the pressure exceeds 0.8 psi. lash back to the ship.
8. Inflate the side arms. Each side arm has an inflation valve on the end of the arm located at the entry of the slide. The arms DO NOT have PRVs, so be careful not to over inflate them. They should be inflated to 1.0 psi and should feel very firm when full.
9. After the body is fully inflated and lashed back to the ship, it is time to inflate the stairs. The front of each step has a valve on it. Unscrew the valve cap where you will find a flap inside. Please do not play with the flap. Turn on one of the air pumps and direct the flow of air from the nozzle towards the flap in the valve. It is not recommended to place the hose top against the flap, just hold the hose end about 5 cm away from the opening. That will be sufficient to blow the air bladder up firm enough to step on. Repeat this process on all steps.
10. Close the hose chase around a hose connected to the ships water supply, and turn it on.
Lashing the slide back to the ship should be accomplished by following the image below and bringing the ropes back to secure cleats or some other solid lashing points.
A) – (2) lines should be lashed to cleats on the Sun Deck or, if the hand rail is strong enough, to the hand railing.
B) – (2) lines should be lashed to secure points on the owners deck, or 2nd level in most instances.
C) – (2) lines should be lashed back to the main deck cleats or capstan.
*Note: Lashing the slide back to the ship is required for safe operation. Be sure ropes are of good marine quality and all knots are tied securely. DO NOT operate inflatable in winds above 15 mph. If winds exceed 15 mph during operation, evacuate and deflate immediately. This is a calm waters toy.
