Davits

[Benjamaphone]

Hey Everybody,

I was wondering how many people have davits and why or why not? I find that they add a level of convenience to using the dinghy but I also understand the issues surrounding ocean crossings. Please post any feelings about davits, thanks!

[ssullivan]

You can always stow the inflatable on the deck for ocean crossings. Davits would be hard to live without once you have had them.

[Benjamaphone]

That would mean that the davits would need to be removeable and easily stored, or at least be able to fold out of the way.

[Pblais]

Davits would be hard to live without once you have had them.

Sully gets a few right now and again. In a storm they rip off and maybe not so clean, but for everyday work it's the best. J

ust because they can't do everything does not mean they are not worth having.

[Pblais]

That would mean that the davits would need to be removable and easily stored, or at least be able to fold out of the way.

No, it means you need to be able to reel in the dink when it matters. With nothing attached davits don't present much of a problem.

[Nauticatarcher]

Coastal our tender lives on the davits, offshore its upside down on the foredeck

[Sunspot Baby]

Toby the wonder dog (wonder why we take him with us) needs shore patrol duty often. Davits allow a good compromise between towing the dink and stowing aboard. Depending on the voyage leg we occasionally use all three options with davits being the most frequent.

George

[Pelagic]

Strong Davits have so many uses that I wouldn’t want to be without them. They should be strong enough to be an integral part of the boat and if you can, be designed to pivot in or outboard in case you need to go stern to a high commercial pier

Great for landing heavy gear or big fish, davits also have their uses when you need to hoist back on board some guests that have been enjoying a few too many drinks. (lol)

[Hud3]

I keep the dinghy on davits when sailing between islands here in the Caribbean, but stow it, deflated and rolled up, on deck during long offshore passages. Towing a dink in the waves that can develop in the channels between islands can be a problem, although the charter boats do it.

The davits make it easy to lift and lock the dinghy at night for security reasons in the questionable anchorages.

[irwinsailor]

I have Atkins Hoyle davits.
I talked to the Atkins guy at the Chicago boat show a couple of years ago about how the lines were to be run and he had no time to talk to me once he found out that I would not be buying anything. He went back and sat down in his chair.
Atkins products are anything but inexpensive and they may be worth the extra money. I very much like my davits and they are very well built, but the lack of support that day has not set well with me.

[Pelagic]

Originally Posted by Hud3

The davits make it easy to lift and lock the dinghy at night for security reasons in the questionable anchorages.

I think that is the nmbr 1 reason Hud. The boat is up and secure every night before we go to bed.

[ssullivan]

Hey guys, I was thinking about the davits on this new boat, which are attached to a strong aluminum arch... in fact a welded component of the arch.

If I raise my dinghy all the way up, it is 7' up from the waterline. If I had a breaking wave hitting me from the stern at 7' above the water, which is basically eye-level to me standing in the cockpit, I'd probably not be living to tell the tale anyway.

So thinking about that, and given that I'm on a cat and don't heel, wouldn't it actually be safe to store my dinghy up there in the davits even in rough conditions?

[Tellie]

My current boat (Athena) came standard with two S/S pipes stuck out the back. One arm had been bent then repaired with an awful weld. After checking how they where connected inside the transom I came to the opinion that they were just two fiberglass eating torque wrenches. I contacted a local fabricator guy and for about 1K he took them off and welded angled supporting brackets and created a home for two 120 Watt solar panels on top. I can now raise a 11'.6" Avon with a 18hp outboard attached and jump in the dingy and work on the solar wiring. Like the others I would never offshore with any dingy attached, but coastal and good weather hops it's better than towing it from behind which comes with it's own set of problems. Like Sully said living without them could be done but not worth the hassle in my mind.

[Benjamaphone]

Originally Posted by irwinsailor

I have Atkins Hoyle davits.
I talked to the Atkins guy at the Chicago boat show a couple of years ago about how the lines were to be run and he had no time to talk to me once he found out that I would not be buying anything. He went back and sat down in his chair.
Atkins products are anything but inexpensive and they may be worth the extra money. I very much like my davits and they are very well built, but the lack of support that day has not set well with me.

Dear IrwinSailor,

We appreciate you taking the time to come see us the Chicago show. All that I can offer you today is my sincerest apology and the knowledge that the service you received at Atkins & Hoyle that day was not a true representation of how we do business. We want all of our customers to be happy with our products and service and we do back that up with a 2 year warranty. If you have any further rigging problems please contact me.

I took a look at your beautiful boat and can confirm that those are a set of our 5000 model davits. They look great and I am happy that you chose them. The only problem that I might see is the set up of the bridle. It could be the angle of the photo but the dinghy's stern seems to be closer to the transom than it's bow. This could be that the bridle is a little off. If this is the case and you need some help with reconfiguring the bridle, please contact me and I can send you some detailed information. We are also available on the phone and would love another chance to talk to you.

Sincerely,
Benjamin Atkins

[Hud3]

Originally Posted by ssullivan

Hey guys, I was thinking about the davits on this new boat, which are attached to a strong aluminum arch... in fact a welded component of the arch.

If I raise my dinghy all the way up, it is 7' up from the waterline. If I had a breaking wave hitting me from the stern at 7' above the water, which is basically eye-level to me standing in the cockpit, I'd probably not be living to tell the tale anyway.

So thinking about that, and given that I'm on a cat and don't heel, wouldn't it actually be safe to store my dinghy up there in the davits even in rough conditions?

You'd probably be safe from waves at that height, unless you got into really severe weather.

Two other considerations are wind and rain.

If you get powerful, gusty winds, they can tear at the dinghy, and perhaps rip it's attachment points. Lashing it carefully with additional lines can reduce risk.

Torrential rains can fill the dinghy faster than the drain hole can empty it, especially if you have the inevitable crud floating around in it. I've never tried it, but I've seen a cruiser hoist his dinghy in the davits upside down when sailing offshore.