Where to Locate Dinghy

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by Alecadi

Tks. I was thinking to put it on the fore-deck just before the mast. My real problem is how difficult it will be for us to handle it from there to put it in the water and back.

This is where ours sits and it is very easy to hoist and lower. But I think since your dink is way heavier you may run into issues trying to turn it upside down once it is on the foredeck.

b.

[smurphny]

I've towed a dink many miles in many conditions... It was always there when things improved! I like the option of having a "lifeboat" already inflated and ready to go too. If the winds are real heavy and I fear the dink getting capsized, I just flood it with water... kinda makes a good drogue then as well!

Have often wondered about that Cap. Are the bow eyes on a rubber ducky strong enough for extended towing? Have often wanted to just leave the thing in the water (dinghy) but am always hesitant, wondering if the glued-on rings will hold.

[osirissail]

With a pure inflatable dinghy, SailFastTri suggests the best way of getting the dinghy onto the foredeck. Haul it straight up into the air with a halyard, etc.
- - With a RIB you can make a 3-point harness and haul the dinghy up horizontally with the halyard and put it on the foredeck. This doesn't work too well with pure inflatables as they tend to "fold in half" if hauled up while horizontally - same problem with pure inflatables and davits.
- - What has not been mentioned is tying down the dinghy on the foredeck.
- - Using lines laced through hand-rails on the cabin top is not too good an idea as you might end up ripping them loose. What I did was drilled and installed 4 eye-bolts with backing pads through the cabin top positioned to allow easy tie down of the dinghy with a long line in a X-crossing pattern.
- - When I had a pure inflatable the dinghy was stored on deck upside down since it was easier to invert the pure inflatable dinghy. With a RIB I store is upright on the foredeck.
- - So with a pure inflatable dinghy, Davits really don't work unless you construct a support system for the center portion of the dinghy. That leave towing or storing it on the foredeck. Problem with towing is you must very carefully examine your boat's insurance policy - if you have one. It is common now that the company will put an exclusion somewhere in the policy or addendums that removes coverage for a towed dinghy.

[Alecadi]

WOAW... Now I'll have matter on the subject to think about !! ;-)
Thanks to all of you !!

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by osirissail

- Using lines laced through hand-rails on the cabin top is not too good an idea as you might end up ripping them loose. What I did was drilled and installed 4 eye-bolts with backing pads through the cabin top positioned to allow easy tie down of the dinghy with a long line in a X-crossing pattern.

The truck type strap down webbing straps with a built-in winch mechanism are very good but you have to find ones with SS mechanism.

b.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by smurphny

Have often wondered about that Cap. Are the bow eyes on a rubber ducky strong enough for extended towing? Have often wanted to just leave the thing in the water (dinghy) but am always hesitant, wondering if the glued-on rings will hold.

Some are; some aren't.

Ours were.
In fact, when a quartering sea swamped our dink, it stopped the boat dead in it's tracks. This was the only time I reached for the knife, intending to cut her free. As it turned out, all was well, after hauling the dink close, raising it's bow up to ship's pushpit (to drain dink).

[barnakiel]

It is as Gord said above.

Our Bombard cheapo seems very strong. But a friend lost his yoyo last year in Norway and it was not too windy at all that night (at anchor, not towing!).

b.

[capnorv]

We ran our dinghy on davits for the last eight years on a 34' canoe stern boat, never got wet, except the one time I forgot the plug, but that's anotrher story. Liked it so much, took them off and put them on new boat 2 weeks ago. Only change has been from 8' to 10' loa. To clarify, we have never had a motor hanging off the dinghy transom, that may disrupt balance, I do not have that experience. Another thing to think of is that the easier it is to get the dinghy out of the water the more apt you are to do so, enabling more restful nights at anchor...ours are Forespar and we've always had hard dinghies.

[NDH]

+ 1 for hauling aboard with the main halyard.

[chris_gee]

Various weights are reported for the dinghy. According to the manufacturer it is 101 lb if it has floorboards. 97 say + 55 = 152.
Mine is a bit smaller, roughly 63 + 30. Even so getting it on and off the foredeck using a halyard is not my favourite activity singlehanded. With your wife on a winch it shouldn't be too bad, without the motor on. Without a swimming platform, I think lowering the motor into the boat with a lanyard and vv is probably the best. It is awkward and heavy to do from a relatively unstable dinghy. Davits are convenient but without them for day trips leave it on the dock. Short trips tow it. Long trips on the deck.
I think there is a loss of strength with age. Lifting bags of cement or their equivalent used to be fine, but is a bit of a strain now. However an extra pair of hands to hold the dinghy off the side would be a big help.

[Alecadi]

Chris gee: "Various weights are reported for the dinghy. According to the manufacturer it is 101 lb if it has floorboards. 97 say + 55 = 152."

Total weight would be 147 lbs....
As indicated at the start mine is the Mercury 270 with air-floor, and the weight is what I have posted: 92 lbs...
that's the weight we would have to haul in with the lanyard and winch for the dinghy without the engine on. And we have an electric handle to help.
I think it's manageable , we are still strong enough both of us

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by Alecadi

The hardest part would be probably to haul up the engine to put it on the stern post? Due to the distance from the halyard to the stern? The angle would be quite open?
Just thinking aloud. Have to try it anyway.

This isn't really all that hard. We have a 15 hp Yamaha 2-stroke and have lifted it off and on for years using the main halyard. We have a home made webbing harness permanently on the motor. Hook the halyard onto this with the dinghy alongside near the mast. Hoist the motor off the dinghy and up a couple of feet. The exact distance should be determined by experiment and the halyard marked. Walk the motor back along the side deck -- this raises it the remaining distance to the mounting bracket on the pushpit. Settle it in place, tighten the clamp screws, slack halyard. This can be done single handed.

Putting it back on the dinghy is just the reverse process, except that it is much easier with two people - one in the dinghy to guide the motor onto the transom, one at the winch to lower it. I have done it single handed, but it can be tricky.

We stow our 3.5 metre RIB on the foredeck thusly: hoist by the bow (spinnaker halyard) until it clears the lifelines. Set the tips of the tubes just in front of the mast, lower until at about 45 degress. Deflate, sucking out the last bits of air with an electric inflator pump. Tuck the rubber under the hull and lower to the deck. Strap down with webbing and lashings to u-bolts in the deck and at the bow to the baby stay chain plate.

This whole process takes 15-20 minutes and can be done single handed.

Davits are indeed easier, but I won't have them on my boat for various reasons: they are ugly, they put considerable weight too far astern and too high up, the dinghy blocks access from the sugar scoop and visibility astern, they are a serious risk if used at sea and unless the dinghy is really stabilized can lead to chafe damage.

We do tow the RIB (an its soft hulled predecessors) for short inshore trips. IF you are going to tow downwind in any sort of rough conditions, I recommend using a small drogue on the dinghy to prevent its surfing up on a wave. This puts lots of slack in the painter, and can lead to flopping the dinghy when the slack gets pulled out suddenly.

Incidentally, FWIW, I'm 73 and the Admiral is 71, so decrepitude does not preclude this approach to dinghy management!

Cheers,

Jim and Ann s/v Insatiable II lying Morning Cove, NSW, Oz

[Alecadi]

Thanks a lot Jim and Ann!! I'm reassured about the capacity of the crew (we still have some years to go!!)... and seriously thanks for the tips about hauling in the engine... My Admiral understood it, with help of some shoes (the boat) small box (the dinghy) and some bits of cord (the halyard)...
And if the Admiral is convinced and happy so does the whole crew and we have a happy ship...

[Alecadi]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

This isn't really all that hard. [................ ] Hoist the motor off the dinghy and up a couple of feet. The exact distance should be determined by experiment and the halyard marked. Walk the motor back along the side deck -- this raises it the remaining distance to the mounting bracket on the pushpit. Settle it in place, tighten the clamp screws, slack halyard. This can be done single handed [..............]
Cheers,

Jim and Ann s/v Insatiable II lying Morning Cove, NSW, Oz

Just to keep you posted:

Well today we did install the engine onboard on the stand on the stern rail.. exactly as you said... No problem at all.
Very easy .
The Admiral was quite happy, and so was I....

Thank you for the advice.

[James Baines]

f we don't plan on using our inflatable that much, we stow it upside down on the foredeck and use a 28 Volt power drill to winch it up (And Off) with the halyard. If we plan on using it regularly, I built a platform to fit the aft dinghy mounts that were already installed on the boat. The total cost of the platform was about $20 and 5 hours work. With the 5 HP motor off, it's a one handed lift to get one side on the platform, then hoist the far side up with the 28V winch to get it up to the vertical. Like many others, I also made a canvas harness for lifting the motor on and off and although I do that by hand, having the harness strapped my shoulders makes it an easy lift. My harness was made from two old rucksacks, 'aint pretty but it works for me.