Lift Hinge / Jetski & Tender Launch

Opening the garage creates the launch platform — no additional steps.

‍The SL86A transom door is designed to serve two purposes simultaneously. In the closed position, it seals the stern garage as a structural door. When the hydraulic system is activated, the door opens downward on its hinge mechanism and settles at the correct angle to serve as a stable launch platform at the waterline.

This eliminates the need for a separate swim platform extension, a secondary lift system, or any manual repositioning of equipment between the garage-open and launch-ready states. The transition from closed garage to operational launch platform is a single hydraulic movement. The platform is stable, load-rated for the tender or jet ski, and positioned at the correct depth for a controlled water entry.

Because the hinge geometry and platform angle are engineered for the specific vessel and transom configuration, the platform is always at the correct position when fully open — not an approximation, not an adjustment, but a precisely defined end position determined during the engineering phase.

The tender moves from garage to platform without manual handling.

‍Inside the garage, a roller track runs from the stowed position of the tender or jet ski to the transom opening. A motorised winch, mounted at the forward end of the track, connects to the vessel via a guided line. When the launch sequence begins, the winch releases and the tender moves along the rollers toward the open platform under controlled tension. No pushing, no crew inside the garage, no manual guidance at the hull.

The roller system uses rubber-tyred rollers on stainless steel brackets. The roller spacing and lateral guide positions are defined for the specific hull profile — RIB, hard-hull tender, or jet ski — so the vessel is supported evenly along its entire travel path. The hull surface is never in contact with metal.

The winch controls the movement in both directions: forward to launch, aft to retrieve. When the tender returns from the water, it is guided back onto the platform, the winch engages, and pulls it back into the garage along the roller track. The complete cycle — launch and retrieval — requires one crew member at the control panel.

Precision-engineered movement — the door opens to the exact platform position every time.‍

The hinge mechanism is the structural and kinematic core of the SL86A. It is a multi-link hydraulic system that controls the arc of the transom door from closed to fully open, ensuring the door reaches the correct platform angle without impact, without manual adjustment, and without relying on mechanical stops that degrade over time.

The hinge geometry is defined during the engineering phase based on the transom angle, the freeboard height at the stern, and the required platform depth. For a vessel where the platform must reach slightly below waterline for buoyant tender entry, the hinge arc is calculated accordingly. For a higher freeboard, the geometry changes. The mechanism is not adapted from a standard design — it is calculated for the installation.

All hinge components are manufactured from electropolished AISI 316L stainless steel. The hydraulic actuators are sized for the door weight and operating conditions. The system is delivered pre-assembled with the hinge geometry pre-set and tested at H+B technics in Münster before shipment.