Weaver Davits for a hard dinghy on a sailboat?

[jackjb53]

I am thinking of purchasing a hard dinghy. We are trying to decide if it would be best to use the weaver style davits that allow you to attach and then "fold" your dinghy onto the transom or if traditional hoisting dinghy davits are better.We have a walk through transom so either method would be in the way at times. The weaver style davits are less expensive, and would (hopefully) keep water from collecting in the dinghy. However, I am afraid the dinghy might drag in the water at extreme angles of heel. Anybody have any thoughts?

[sparrowhawk1]

If your dinghy is wider than your transom it will drag in the water when you heel. When my 10' dinghy is in its davits and I'm sailing closehauled in big waves they come too close for my comfort( 40 foot boat 7 foot transom)

[jackjb53]

Thanks Sparrowhawk. Sounds like I need to measure my transom to see what size dinghy would possibly work. Or maybe I figure out a way to easily lift and store it on deck.

[Pete7]

Or store the dinghy vertically perhaps? For long passages or when it's rough we deflate the dinghy and store it in front of the mast. However, for 7 years it lived on the stern mounted vertically held in place by 4 ropes and some carabiner clips. It could be deployed in 15 seconds which might be useful for man overboard.

As already stated, Weaver Davits won't work and will just collect waves when hard on the wind or in a big sea.

Pete

[sailm8]

I have stopped using my weaver davits for two reasons. 1. Couls not get the pads to stay on. Had them glued professionally and several times by myself. 2 The dink would drag in about 10 degrees of heel or when going into the chop. This is what probably made the pads come off. MY ws 10.6 foot Mercury 310. Now I just tow the dink.

Weaver site says they work with a hard dink but I would question if a Walker Bay type dink wouldn't really drag if you heeled. My Rib only dragged the "torpedo shaped" tube. An open dink I would guess would scoop in a load of water.

Maybe it would work if you could mount the fastening posts up high.

[psneeld]

I had a 12 foot heavy MFG hard dingy on my swim platform for 3 years with weaver davits.

The boat often took a wave behind the trsnsom, but never an issue.

My dingy did stick out far enough on one side that it caught the dingy one time on a dock cleat and stopped my trawler when departing. No damage other than one weaver was bent a bit...hard to notice when the boat was sitting on the transom, but was bent enough that you can see it when the boat was floating and one pivot dint lock, but one did, no big deal.

I have been searching for a big vise to bend it back, so I could put them on Craigslist (new homemade dingy davit)...was thinking of $100 bucks if I couldn't get the bend out.

Very strong in my estimation..and a good way to go if your dingy is high enough and doesn't stick out too far.

[Minggat]

My boarding ladder folds down and with a ratchet strap I can catch the middle seat of my Walker Bay. The stern arch does the lifting. Nice because I can have the dink at different angles. I did worry about it on the voyage from So Cal to Baja. But not a problem.

It now lives on the foredeck where it nest under my folding transom RIB, since the stern now has a windvane. But I could still store it on with stern. I can launch and retrieve it in under 60 seconds, depending upon conditions.

[h2ojunke]

We had a sumner sailing dink (8' 3" I think) on our Beneteau 393 with walk through transom, was never an issue, but I had a good foot on either side before it stuck out. Loved the set up, just not the dink so I sold her for a planing hull rib!, now have davits.

[aitch]

My experience with Weaver Davits has been outstanding. I swear by them, even in the roughest of seas. Several mates also use them with the same impact.
The secret in my view is to match the dinghy length to the transom, use the sliding mechanism to lift the dinghy after folding (it is then a pontoon diameter off the water) and to use rigid fixtures on the dinghy transom and the dinghy bow. If you fit the dinghy while in the marina and lift the dinghy into position it is easy to see if it would catch water when healing. My never has come even close.
Provided the pads can be attached, I cannot see why they would not work with a "rigid" dinghy.

[jackjb53]

Thanks Aitch. Seems like I need to measure my transom and see how it would fit. The walk through transom has to swim seats next to it that are where the davits would be placed. They are already about 16" off the water. And weaver does have fixtures for a hard dingy. Never having seen (other than pictures) or used the weaver davits I don't know what you mean by the sliding mechanism?

[TxCoastSailor]

Aitch,

How wide is your transom and how long is your dinghy?

[aitch]

My dinghy is 2.4 m , my transom is a walk-through and in total wider than the dinghy length (est. 3 m - not at the boat atm).
The sliding mechanism is a lifting device, developed in Australia but sold since to Weaver)

[TxCoastSailor]

Aitch,

I am planning to use Weaver davits as well. My boat is nearly the same size as yours with sugar scoop stern. I was hoping to go with a 2.6 or 2.7 meter dinghy. What do you think based on your experience?

[jackjb53]

Aitch,
Thanks for the info. It's looking like an 8' hard dingy could be carried on Weaver davits on my transom. By the way, your post reminded me of how irksome it is that the US never went metric. It looks like the metric system is gradually taking over anyway. It makes no sense for Americans. We need to have two tools for almost everything. One metric and one for non metric. Some companies sell 1/4" plywood, some sell 3 MM (4 MM?). Oh well, sooner or later, feet and inches will go the way of the stereo cassette and betamax!

[aitch]

Jackjb53.
Having lived in the US twice in my professional career, I know the frustration of US Imperial vs. metric. I was there when the US considered the change and it was rejected. Condemned them to "measurement isolation" with impacts on engineering design in particular.
For the davit question, there is some latitude in fitting the pads to the transom, including a sugar scoop style. Only the dinghy bow is risk of catching water, since the pontoons on the dinghy extend beyond the dinghy transom. On my boat I also had to consider the ducted hearing exhaust.
So in considering the type and style of dinghy, and the fitting of the pads, take the dinghy to the boat (borrow if necessary) and play with it to satisfy those questions.
Also, it is vital not to fall into the trap of "tying" the dinghy in position. It needs the rigid SS rods included in the kit.