The Schmidt family has been boating on the Great Lakes for over three generations. Like many other boaters, they desired a secure and easy way to transport their yacht’s tender. Unsatisfied with the available davit systems, William T. Schmidt, an engineer by trade, conceived and built the first DinghyRamp™ in 1994. The original ramp was a tilting cradle manufactured from aluminum bars, stainless steel tubing, and teak lumber. The ramp offered many benefits including the ability to pull the tender out of the water without removing the motor and featured easy removal for storage.
Interest in the product quickly grew and led to the formation of Nautley, Inc. Thanks to ongoing research and development, Nautley now offers a range of product lines including the DinghyRamp™, DinghyRamp™ HD, and the DinghyRamp™ XL as well as numerous accessories and mounting kits. Although Nautley products are shipped around the world, the company continues to be headquartered in St. Clair Shores, Michigan – appropriately known by the locals as “Boat Town.”
