Dinghy. Davits or foredeck on ocean crossing

[skipmac]

Just installed new, stronger davits that should bear the weight just fine but coastal and near shore trips it's still pretty difficult to secure the dinghy so it doesn't swing around in a seaway.

Also davits are high enough that I have about zero concerns of taking a wave into the dinghy.

Last trip I did manage to brace the dinghy well enough in the davits that it just barely swayed a bit but this was in max 4-5' seas or in some long 6-8' swells.

But crossing the ocean where bigger stuff might happen?

My conservative soul says foredeck better than davits but am I being too conservative? Obviously if it does get nasty offshore and I find the dinghy isn't doing well on the davits it will be too late to change.

[Tetepare]

Foredeck is great. Done it many times. Flip upside down, cushions under bow and stern. Plenty of tie downs available. Depending on where it sets you may still open the forward hatch under it.

[rslifkin]

It really depends on the boat and the davit setup. If the dinghy can be braced well enough and is in a position that it won't get dunked by waves while fully heeled, I see no reason it can't stay in the davits. The decision will also depend on how easily you can get it onto the foredeck, secure it there, and whether having it there blocks any hatches for egress or has other downsides.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by Tetepare

Foredeck is great. Done it many times. Flip upside down, cushions under bow and stern. Plenty of tie downs available. Depending on where it sets you may still open the forward hatch under it.

Forgot to add on this thread (see second thread on staysail booms https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...in-244513.html).

One problem with the foredeck. Boat is a cutter staysail rig with a club boom that is a deck sweeper so will have to change the setup for the dinghy to fit. This is why I'm considering the davits instead of the foredeck which was always my go to in the past.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by rslifkin

It really depends on the boat and the davit setup. If the dinghy can be braced well enough and is in a position that it won't get dunked by waves while fully heeled, I see no reason it can't stay in the davits. The decision will also depend on how easily you can get it onto the foredeck, secure it there, and whether having it there blocks any hatches for egress or has other downsides.

Blocks and hatches I think are good. It's the club boom (see comments above) that's the problem.

Davits and dinghy are high enough that if the dinghy is pooped I've got bigger problems than where to put the dinghy.

And have been able to secure the dinghy in moderate seas but not sure how well it would hold if I hit some 8-10' stuff. Don't plan on that but do want to plan for just in case.

[Ded reckoner]

We have davits but can't stop dinghy movement when underway. So, we make all offshore passages with the dinghy on the deck. We flip the dinghy on the deck and strap it down to the toe rails. The dinghy has a locker and we position a large fender ball to push up there. We have a winch on the mast to handle the halyard to raise and lower the dinghy. The time it takes to secure the dinghy on the deck or in the davits is about the same.

[donradcliffe]

Eight to ten foot seas are pretty common in the tradewinds. I always used the foredeck, but had RTW friends who used the davits offshore. They might not have started with strong davits, but they were strong when they finished. Some modified the davits to capture the tubes when the dinghy was pulled up all the way so there was no movement. They also took the motor off for passages. Not having done it, I might also pull the plug for drainage and put a canvas cover on the dinghy to keep a wave from filling it.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by donradcliffe

Eight to ten foot seas are pretty common in the tradewinds. I always used the foredeck, but had RTW friends who used the davits offshore. They might not have started with strong davits, but they were strong when they finished. Some modified the davits to capture the tubes when the dinghy was pulled up all the way so there was no movement. They also took the motor off for passages. Not having done it, I might also pull the plug for drainage and put a canvas cover on the dinghy to keep a wave from filling it.

Always pull the plug, even in port to keep the dink from filling with rain. Only leave the motor on when anchored in a protected harbor in settled weather.

So seems like at least some do cross oceans with the dink in the davits.

[rslifkin]

Do you have a picture of the dinghy hoisted in the davits? That might give some ideas on how to prevent movement.

[GreenWave]

Originally Posted by donradcliffe

Eight to ten foot seas are pretty common in the tradewinds. I always used the foredeck, but had RTW friends who used the davits offshore. They might not have started with strong davits, but they were strong when they finished. Some modified the davits to capture the tubes when the dinghy was pulled up all the way so there was no movement. They also took the motor off for passages. Not having done it, I might also pull the plug for drainage and put a canvas cover on the dinghy to keep a wave from filling it.

It is a absolute must to pull the plug on the dinghy when on davits. The canvas cover is more likely to just keep bird poop off than to keep water out. Note: we put our large trash bags in our dinghy on davits during long passages.

[Don C L]

What kind of boat and what kind of dinghy? Is neither an option? As you say when things get rough it’s too late to change. 99% of the time you’ll probably be fine with either if the boat is big enough. I go to the trouble of packing everything up and I only have 20 or 30 miles to go! I have learned from my mistakes.

[JPA Cate]

We disinflate the RIB and it does upside down on the foredeck, with the tubes tucked under it so there's room to go forward. Jim bought the biggest dinghy that would fit there, and no one knew how big the RIB would be, so we bought it on contingency that it would fit on the foredeck. But, we didn't have to deal with a clubfooted staysail.

Like Don, we have seen modifications made to davits to secure the tubes, and they also add chafing gear, because a bouncy tradewinds trip can make holes in the tubes. Given that you would have to do fairly extensive modifications to be able to store on deck, maybe start your journey using the davits at sea, and if you decide it really IS un-seaman-like to travel that way, do your modifications in Papeete, NZ or Australia... While one wants to be "ready" when one leaves the US, in fact, there are places around the world that you will visit where boats are very well understood.

[thinwater]

Curiously, on a cat the davits are safer than the foredeck (tramp) and the cabin top won't have any lashing possibilities. I had my cat out in gale conditions, and I doubt the dinghy was even slapped. Not sayin' I enjoyed the experience--it was kicking. I also would have been more concerned with windage on deck than snuggled in as it was. No movement.

[Jim Cate]

You should perhaps consider the effect of the considerable weight of the dink hoisted high above the WL plus the considerable windage added. Neither will be favorable changes in terms of stability or performance.

Another reason that I don't like boomed foresails!

Jim

[mikeo16]

Use ratcheting straps like these when dinghy is on Davits. Also snug the dinghy into a couple of fenders strapped to rear stanchions
https://www.defender.com/product3.js...744&id=6837521