getting the outboard on the dinghy

[KayZee]

Hi We're new cruisers and we're about to embark on our first overnight where we will need the dinghy with the outboard. The outboard is a 4.0 which isn't huge but it does weigh over 40 lbs and we're in our late 50's and (very) early 60's. What strategies are suggested for getting the outboard safely onto the dingy (inflatable floor "sport" boat)? I've already got a REALLY crowded stern rail and a stern rail crane seems like overkill for a 4hp and 30 foot boat. Of course a halyard comes to mind but doesn't it make the outboard want to pendulum into the topsides? I was thinking of rigging a truckers hitch to the stern rail and using that 2 part purchase to allow the wife to slowly lower it to me in the dinghy? Sound good?


Of course no matter how we do it there'll be a safety line for retrieval when it goes wrong.



Any ideas appreciated.


Kurt

[rbk]

Use your boom and main sheet, if your main is a pain to disconnect buy a cheap block and tackle or use your vang or something easier to remove/reinstall.

[Tayana42]

My boat has high topsides and I didn’t want to have to man handle my 3.5 hp motor on or off the boat so I used the main halyard for a while. I did find that the motor tried at times to swing like a pendulum. So I switched to lifting from my boom end (supported with a topping lift) with a block and tackle I have anyway for a preventer. That worked better but was still inconvenient to set up each time. Eventually I fitted an outboard davit from Garhauer. That made a great difference in simplicity and ease.

[Bill O]

+1 for the Garhauer outboard davit.

I'll assume your OB storage will be on the stern rail, so having the davit near the rail mount makes it super easy and safe way to deploy/retrieve the OB.

If you use the boom, then you need to lift the OB off the rail and move it to the end of the boom to then lift it. With the OB davit, one can clip the davit line to the OB while still on the rail, lift it and drop it down to the dink stern, all while attached. Much safer when you are trying to get the dink ready in a rolly anchorage.

Bill O.

[hpeer]

Pluses and minus. Going over he stern is OK as long as the boat isn’t pitching too much. Going over the side, closer to the center of pitch is easier. Except when you are rolling, then the stern works better.

Arrrgh!

[rbk]

Originally Posted by Bill O

+1 for the Garhauer outboard davit.

Bill O.

+1 as well

[Kenomac]

Three words:

USE A HALYARD

[Wyamba]

How we do this, is the outboard lives on a mount on the pushpit rail. We take the dinghy to a set point midships (with someone inside). We use the main halyard cleated at a marked point. We then pendulum the outboard (pushing the halyard out so the outboard doesn’t hit the side). As it goes forward along the side it drops (because Pythagoras) down to exactly the right height to pop onto the transom.

This was horrid to work out, and needs 2 people. But it works now. We have ambitions of stern davits.

[JPA Cate]

Hi, Kay Zee,

I see you have a 30 ft. boat, and I agree with your sense of it that a lifting crane would be out of place there.

How we do it is the same in principle as Wyamba. Jim hand sewed a sling for our current 15 horse o/b. The first one was of 3/8" flag halyard rope, just tied, to support the motor. Like Wyamba, we position the dinghy amidships, with the transom in line with the cap shroud. Our dinghy is a rib, and we secure it fore and aft, so it stays in place. We have a boarding step that we suspend from the toe rail, so Jim can step down into the dinghy.

When it is time to put the motor on the dinghy, we use the main halyard to lift it off the motor mount (which is on the stern rail), just enough so Jim can walk it forward. On our boat, it stops with the cover about 2" below the rail, and Jim leans it against the topsides, then descends via the step into the dinghy. When he is ready, I finish lowering it to him. It is definitely a two person job for us, but, even with the heavier 15 horse motor, he is able to control it, and we've been doing it by this method for many years now.

There may be some days when it is too bouncy to get the dinghy running with the motor on it, and those days are good days for a book, a movie, or baking cookies. Mostly, you'll be able to do it, as planned.

Sometimes, we enjoy "rowing" the rib. It is silent, and a nice way to explore up creeks. For short journeys, you guys might find you like it too, even though they really don't row very well.

Ann

[LeeV]

Another item that will help is an outboard caddy (harness) that straps to the outboard for secure hoisting.

https://www.amazon.com/Davis-Motor-C.../dp/B001447NTC

Good luck,

[Cpt Mark]

Something you may not have thought about yet which is what do you do after it goes in the water. A retrieval line brings up a motor that has been under (salt) water for a brief time. There will be other times that the motor is on the bottom and you have to go get it. Stuff happens.

1. Get out your emergency kit. Kit contains spark plug wrench for your engine and a can (medium size minimum) of WD 40

2. Remove the spark plug as soon as you can after bringing it up out of the water.

3. Pull the starter rope repeatedly until no water comes out.

4. Put the spark plug back in and immediately start the engine and run it for 5 minutes at fast enough speed to get the engine up to normal operating temperature.

[Rough Magic]

+1 Garhauer. We rigged ours as an emergency lift for an injury as well.. which we never used for that purpose, but added a sense of security.

[yalnud]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

Three words:

USE A HALYARD

Probably the worst method one could use. Hey let's lift 40 pound over the side of the boat with or work point on the center line..... good way to jump a sheeve

[tarian]

Originally Posted by rbk

Use your boom and main sheet, if your main is a pain to disconnect buy a cheap block and tackle or use your vang or something easier to remove/reinstall.

this is pretty obvious , and good advice.

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by Bill O

+1 for the Garhauer outboard davit.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

+1,000


I do this singlehanded. Use the lift to get the engine off the stern rail, tie the line off to the aft boat cleat, hop in the dinghy, lower away. One person job.