Patent ID: 8631752

Claim:
An apparatus for the stowing and retrieving of a small craft with a support structure of a host vessel, said apparatus comprising: a pair of elongated rigid lift arm members, each arm of said pair of elongated rigid lift arm members having one end and an opposite end; a pair of pivot connections for coupling said one end of each arm of said pair of elongated rigid lift arm members to the stern of said host vessel; a second pair of pivot connections for releasably coupling said opposite end of each arm of said pair of elongated rigid lift arm members to the stern of said small craft; a lift harness for attaching at one end to the bow of said small yacht craft and having a bifurcated opposite end, each branch of said bifurcated opposite end for attaching to a respective one of said pair of elongated rigid lift arm members; a cross brace attached at each end to a respective arm of said pair of elongated rigid lift arm members, said cross brace coupling said pair of elongated rigid lift arm members such that each of said arms of said pair of elongated rigid lift arm members pivot concurrently as a single frame unit; a lift apparatus for attachment to said small yacht craft to pivot said small yacht craft about said second pair of pivot connections to raise said small yacht craft out of the water and rest said bow thereof against said support structure of said host vessel, said lift apparatus further lifting said small yacht craft and simultaneously pivoting said pair of elongated rigid lift arm members about said pair of pivot connections mounted to said stern of said host vessel whereby said small yacht craft is at least partially mounted on said support structure and said pair of elongated rigid lift arm members have pivoted to a position substantially parallel to said stern of said host vessel; and a securing strap to be mounted to said support structure to secure said small yacht craft to said support structure when said small yacht craft is at least partially stored on said support structure.