To davit, or not to davit -- a dinghy of course

[Rapanui]

On a cat it's a no brainer, the boat is built for it and you can combine with solar as well. On a mono, it really depends on your stern configuration and whether it is doable and convenient. We built davits for our 32 ft cat crossing the English Channel in bad weather and never had a problem. We now have them on our 38ft cat as factory fitted and these boats are all over the world.

As many have said, the convenience is a game changer. We smugly watch monos either pumping up inflatables, towing with all the problems that gives or else carrying the smallest dinks in the world on deck with a miniscule capacity of 1 or 2 people on a 50ft 10 person boat.

If davits are not feasible, have just read of a rotating davit system that could be useful depending on your stern arrangement. Looks a bit more sailboat friendly than the Weaver snap davits that are more applicable to power boats Start | Dinghy Rings

[wunderluster]

I have 33 foot mono hull has a displacement of 15,600 lbs. I installed davits and tried three dinghys and a few motors before taking it off and selling it. The extra weight on the stern caused the boat to squat down almost and inch, I added a solar panel on the davits also.

The solar is now mounted on the Bimini. I have an inflatable that I keep on the deck and a 5 hp outboard. It takes only a few minutes to drop the boat over the side using a halyard. Then I bring the dinghy to the stern and lower the outboard using an outboard crane.

I do have a large flat deck forward and my boat has a small stern. If your boat has a wide transom and a small fore-deck then it would be different.

My point is: for someone to say they have a 34 foot boat with a dinghy on davits isn't the whole story. You have to consider the transom layout amount of flotation there as well as storage available up front.

[Akka]

We've cruised for 15 years, almost all of it in places where a dinghy was a necessity, and never had davits. When we had the dinghy in the water, we used a long halyard run through a couple of snatch blocks to the windlass and ... Up she comes, in much less time and effort than using 2 falls on davits.

When crossing open water we put her up on the deck, deflated and lashed down. With 2 people, from dinghy on roof to going ashore, 20 minutes max.

A dinghy on davits obstructs vision, puts weight way aft, acme possess a risk of moving around. Lashing the dinghy securely takes a much time as deflating it and stowing it.

We have a little electric pump to do the initial inflation, followed by A West Marine hand pump to get the tubes hard. We removed one of the check valves so it only pumps on the down stroke, saving our backs.

Whatever you decide to do, NEVER leave your dinghy in the water overnight, no matter how secure you think the anchorage is.

[Sailor Nin]

Thanks to everyone for your feedback. Lots to consider. Never thought about hoisting supplies via dinghy. This is a monohull and a swim ladder or platform is a must. Will need to be louvered it seems. Will have to consider the obstacles of davits. Most replies favor them. I've also recently seen the Dinghy-Tow. Seems like an idea if the boat we buy does not have davits. We do plan on a lightweight inflatable dink with a 6 hp engine. We will not be sailing into Canada on this trip around, but will remember 9 hp if we ever get up that far.

[seasick]

As Season said: "If the dingy is easy to access, you'll use it. Otherwise, you won't."

This is particular true on an excursion like the loop when you might need a tug boat option.

Even with a 48' mothership, the dinghy goes on the foredeck for the long passages to free space for the windvane and because the prospect of having a skiff full of water lest it gets clobbered by a breaking wave.

[Dougtiff]

I want to put Davits on my Ketch, but they must look right, have been trying to find a set off a Newporter, because they are curved and tapered, made out of steel, the Newporter was the 40 Ketch mostly, built out of plywood and fibreglassed, designed and built by Ack Ackerman on the West coast and at the end on the East coast, probably the first production cruising boat, if you can call a plywood built boat a production, if anyone comes across a set of these, i would be very interested in purchasing them. Thanks, Doug.

[phydeaux]

Davits are usually a good plan for all the aforementioned reasons. If you're concerned about trim, you can always more something inert to the forepeak. Ease of access, reduce drag, and less brain damage than inflate and horse the dinghy overside. We often use a hard dinghy with a Honda 2hp (that rides the rail), cause the dog prefers the beach for his business - and it rows a lot better than a soft boat.

Davits: Nova Davit

They're also sold thru Defender, West, etc.

[southpaw]

No one has mentioned that if you have a dinghy in davits, you've lost your ability to use a windvane - for a lot of boats anyway.

[Dave22q]

I think it depends upon your plans. Long trips (2 days or more) I store on deck for all of the reasons cited by others. Day sails or anytime I might want the dinghy in the next day or two I use my davits but if going off shore and expecting significant wave action I move my 2.5 outboard to the stern rail and carry the dinghy high.

[OzClipper]

Ensure that the davits/dinghy are sufficiently elevated to avoid following seas. I use a glass 2m dinghy and as following seas increase I can move it to the foredeck with some effort. One of my next projects shall be the re work of the existing davits to provide additional height from the sea and an arch for solar.

[SV Bacchus]

Originally Posted by southpaw

No one has mentioned that if you have a dinghy in davits, you've lost your ability to use a windvane - for a lot of boats anyway.

Seasick did touch on it a few posts above yours but it certainly is something that bears repeating!

Even with a 48' mothership, the dinghy goes on the foredeck for the long passages to free space for the windvane

[Ip485]

I know 54 foot boat so not exactly as the OP specified, but simply could not do without the davits now. Taking up deck space with the dink is a pain, then there is all the lashing down and possibly pumping up never mind man handling into the sea by some means or other. It is all very well but those times you turn up at an achorage late in poor weather who can really be bothered to sort out the dink so you leave it until the morning. On the other hand with davits it is literally a few minutes to drop it into the water and be on your way. Quite simply one of the best inventions yet!

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by Ip485

I know 54 foot boat so not exactly as the OP specified, but simply could not do without the davits now. Taking up deck space with the dink is a pain, then there is all the lashing down and possibly pumping up never mind man handling into the sea by some means or other. It is all very well but those times you turn up at an achorage late in poor weather who can really be bothered to sort out the dink so you leave it until the morning. On the other hand with davits it is literally a few minutes to drop it into the water and be on your way. Quite simply one of the best inventions yet!

Yep. Not to mention that if you have been anchored for a while, the dink bottom will be covered with slime and tiny barnacles. They are like razor blades, you put your dink on deck and they scratch the gel coat everywhere in the process. The brown slime is everywhere also. The alternative is to take the dink to the beach, remove everything including the motor, turn it over, scrape, wash and scrub, reassemble and take it to the boat, remove everything again, put the dink on deck, strap it down etc... No comparison in my book, Davits!

[Pete7]

Originally Posted by sailjumanji

(Although in the pic above, it certainly blocks everything on the stern,

Very true and quite deliberate, we sail at 50N so side dodgers and a dinghy across the stern cuts down the wind in the cockpit. Undo two carabiners and the dinghy is in the water secured across the stern by the other two pieces of rope. Engine is a 3.5hp 2 stoke so light enough to lift up with one hand, anything bigger would be a problem hence why we use a little one, weight being critical on smaller yachts as it soon adds up.

Guess it depends on what suits and how often you are launching.

Pete

[barnakiel]

Except that the davits are a function of the dinghy size not the mothership LOA.

What stops one from having a small light dinghy on a 54' boat?

Davits limit visibility and access aft, and many owners prefer to dock stern to the dock. So, in this scenario davits are a no-no.

Anyways, I am a davits hater, so please divide my 'advice' by 2.

b.