Just signed Paperwork for Boat! We're Officially Sailboat Owners!

[tomfl]

Originally Posted by colemj

SNIP

a modest solar array will be 100lbs

SNIP

I am a big fan of solar but even the last generation of solar panels/support system that weighs a hundred pounds may well require additional house batteries. Not sure where that weight will go in the boat.

I do agree the OP may have misunderstood you were not questioning the ability of a well designed and constructed arch to support a some what heavy tender, rather that a boat is designed to sail well with a certain weight distribution and the addition of a significant amount of weight aft of the transom may well alter the weight distribution and the way the boat sails.

Adding some sand bags may not duplicate the change in weight distribution since the tender's weight will not be inside the boat, rather it will be aft of the transom, and high up instead of low where additional weight is best placed.

All boats and boat mods are compromises. And for some reason everything on a boat seems to take longer, be harder to do, and cost more than it seems it should.

[Hudson Force]

There are a good number of RIBs that weigh in at about 100lbs that might do everything that you want to do with a dinghy. The outboard can be on a mount fixed to your arch when offshore and the dinghy, 350lbs lighter, will ride much better.

Since I'm using my dinghy for transporting groceries, laundry, bicycles and crew, I'm not a fan of center consoles that leave little room for cargo, but they are great for sport!

[fishin4bogey]

Nat, congrats on a beautiful boat. If you haven't found anyone yet, Will Garrett Towers does excellent work.

Sent from my SPH-L720 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[natraps116]

Originally Posted by fishin4bogey

Nat, congrats on a beautiful boat. If you haven't found anyone yet, Will Garrett Towers does excellent work.

Sent from my SPH-L720 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

Thanks I will remember that

[bbowers2004]

Welcome to the dig.

[socaldmax]

Congratulations, what a beautiful boat!

[nimblemotors]

That is a very sleek good looking boat! Contrats.
Please don't ruin it by hanging a bunch of tacky junk on the back!

[natraps116]

Oh I don't think it'll look bad. I'm not going to put anything on the boat that goes against the lines of the boat.

[frgeorgeh]

Congrats! Be out there with you soon!

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by natraps116

Oh I don't think it'll look bad. I'm not going to put anything on the boat that goes against the lines of the boat.

Ah-ha! The first known report of invisible davits and dinghies. You are to be congratulated, because all the world wants to hang invisible stuff off the stern of their boats. Please pass on the design details.

Seriously, the brutal facts are that one can't hang all that weight on the stern without adversely affecting sailing performance and aesthetic values.

Wishing will not make it so.

Jim

[Prairie Chicken]

Congrats! Welcome to the club. She looks lovely. Will you keep the name?

[Kenomac]

Very Nice boat!

Induction cooktops are great. We use ours every day, because we need to run the generator anyway, so we just do our cooking while the generator runs. It's much easier than fussing with propane or butane bottles, getting them filled and then worrying about gas, safety etc.

Before you start adding expensive solar panels, see how things work out first using the generator. Our home and business in Massachusetts is 66% solar electric.... and it's not all it's cracked up to be and promised. When you weight the price of a few solar panels and the small amount of electricity they'll produce for your boat against the cost of the few gallons of diesel required to do the same using the genset... it will take many years for you to even out. You need to run the generator anyway in order to keep it healthy. Stick with the generator. you're better off trying to save electricity by switching over to LED light fixtures etc. Solar is great if you don't already have a power source, but you already have what others dream of having... the genset.

One more thing: Spend the money you'll safe by not having solar panels, on some very nice sturdy simple davits... don't spoil the good looks of your boat by attaching a "jungle gym" to the stern. 10ft dinghy with a center console... the davits are going to need to be very strong with a well supported structure.

[Kenomac]

I just finished reading the entire thread.... you're adding way too much weight to the stern of your boat, nothing good will come of this.

Center console dinghy + 10-15hp outboard + solar + the weight of the davits = closer to 1500 pounds or more

All this weight swinging back and forth off the stern of a 46ft sailboat won't work. Remember... the weight is not static, it swings back and forth and torques the base of the davits and hangs out over the stern by 8ft or more applying leverage.

[Kenomac]

Just in case you're skeptical of the weight issue, the Whittall davits on our Oyster 53 are massive compared to most boats and rated for 1000lbs... and we've had problems with the one on the dinghy outboard side crushing down and requiring expensive repairs. We have a center console Avon dinghy with a 15hp two stroke Mercury. Our two stroke is much lighter than a four stroke motor, we don't have any solar panels or the weight of the arch section and our boat weighs in at a hefty 25 tons... and was designed to have the davits and weight associated with them.

[natraps116]

Originally Posted by Prairie Chicken

Congrats! Welcome to the club. She looks lovely. Will you keep the name?

That's prairie, we are not sure if we will keep the name or not..... I have a few ideas but my wife has other thoughts.... I don't like the names she chooses and vice a versa... So we will see plus there is the whole bad luck thing....