New Highfield - how to hang it?

[derfy]

Yippee, just got a new Highfield dink - a first for us, 2.9 meter (9 ft 6 inches), the UL290. I need to hang it on my aft davits.

I am interested in what works and does not work from Highfield owners. I see four tabs welded to the corners of the aluminum bottom. These are aluminum with slits.

Looks like a bad idea to clip on a stainless steel shackle - would create a sharp wear point on the aluminum, as well as between dissimilar metals. Has anyone had this issue? These tabs look like future failure points, maybe? Need to treat them carefully?

I am thinking of using Dyneema soft shackles and making some Dyneema harnesses. Has anyone done that? Does the Dyneema chafe in the slits? I seems like it might.

Or maybe use some tough nylon or polyester web loops thru the tabs, with no metal. Then clip on an off-the-shelf harness using shackles.

Not sure which might work out best. Please advise Thanks in advance.

[s/v Jedi]

I use Amsteel Blue 6mm spliced loops, one loop for each of the four eyes and I cow-hitch them to the eye. Tune the length of each loop for positioning. My hoist has a soft shackle that I attach two loops to. Very easy and effective.

No chafing after many years.

[pcmm]

We just purchased a UL290SS this summer also! Its agreat little boat, gets my wife and I up on plan and scooting along nicely with a 9.9. We hang ours from our Arch when under way. I made some Dyneema strops to attach to the 2 lower eyes in the transom and a single one for the internal bow eye. The strops primarially keep the lifting lines and blocks away from the fabric of the tubes and make lifting a bit easier. We have 5:1 tackles to lift the boat with and its really easy. I can lift the boat myself even with the engine on. With 2 of us its a piece of cake to lift the boat! We add some padding and ratchet straps to secure the dinghy and stop it from swaying

[GreenWave]

could also try webbing loops and attach shackle to the loop.

[derfy]

Originally Posted by GreenWave

could also try webbing loops and attach shackle to the loop.

I have used web as a temporary solution. 1" tubular nylon climbers web. I will eventually make a Dyneema harness. The dealer tells me these attach points have a stainless steel insert to prevent wear and chafe and that I can attach using stainless shackles. I still think Dyneema or web is appropriate.

[pcmm]

Originally Posted by derfy

I have used web as a temporary solution. 1" tubular nylon climbers web. I will eventually make a Dyneema harness. The dealer tells me these attach points have a stainless steel insert to prevent wear and chafe and that I can attach using stainless shackles. I still think Dyneema or web is appropriate.

Your dealer is incorrect. There are no stainless inserts. That would actually be a bad design as it would cause corrosion and I can telly you my UL290 does not have any inserts. I'm just using dyneema for my harness. Works very well.

[derfy]

Originally Posted by pcmm

Your dealer is incorrect. There are no stainless inserts. That would actually be a bad design as it would cause corrosion and I can telly you my UL290 does not have any inserts. I'm just using dyneema for my harness. Works very well.

I suspected it was BS, and yes, stainless on aluminum would corrode. It's why I mentioned it. Most of us have never had an aluminum boat, but we all have aluminum masts, and should know never to sink a stainless screw into the mast with a protective coating material.

[JPA Cate]

Hi, derfy,

IMO, if there's space for it, I like Jedi's idea of the cowhitch:
1) it will spread the ldoad
2) it will be really easy to take off and stick in your dinghy bag, so the clutter is lessened.

Ann

[nmccubbin]

We have lifted our aluminium dinghy with 4 Wichard SS snap hooks for 5+ years. No issues. Corrosion is not a problem with that kind of open air contact. Nothing wrong with Dyneema, but the snap hooks are fast. We lift the dinghy every night

[HeywoodJ]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

I use Amsteel Blue 6mm spliced loops, one loop for each of the four eyes and I cow-hitch them to the eye. Tune the length of each loop for positioning. My hoist has a soft shackle that I attach two loops to. Very easy and effective.

No chafing after many years.

+1. Our 310 has been hanging this way since 2017 without any chafe and without ever having to change out the lifting strops.