When Staying in One Place for Awhile

[off-the-grid]

Do you just tie...or chain the dinghy to a rail/cleat?

Or do you pull it up on the davits every night?

Why?

I'd assume to prevent theft, but I'd think on the davits or not, the chain is what's really going to prevent that.

The only other reason to pull I can think of is bottom grow, but if it's being run a lot, and you scrub it every no and then, is that really going to be an issue?

[fishwife]

The more ways you can secure your dinghy the better. The Caribbean and some of South America, the thieves come equipped with big heavy bolt cutters, there's nothing easier to steal than a dinghy afloat behind the boat. One snip and they tow it away, swimming on to the next target. Don't make it easy for them, on the davits it's more of a hassle and more likely the thieves will be discovered.

P.

[shipofools]

depends on place . . .

[Vasco]

Most of the time I leave the dink in the water, with a line and a section of wire lifeline made fast to the boat. The painter and the wire lifeline are attached to different points on the dink. When in harbours where theft is common like Miami and Nassau I haul the dink up on the arch every night. I also haul the dink if a front is about to come through.

[Troubadour52993]

I haul the dink up on the davits most nights, for security, and I don't like to hear the waves slapping against it. If I'm in a really calm harbor I've left it in the water, with the cable locking it. I also like having it up so when the sudden fronts come through the rain can drain out, and I'm not out in the downpour bailing the dink. Of course, gotta get used to putting the plug in before lowering it!

[imagine2frolic]

Get the dink out of the water. Even if it means on the halyard alongside the beam.......i2f

[rebel heart]

If you're using it every day leave it in the water. Caveats:

- High theft area. You'll use a chain at a dock then anyway, so chain it to your boat as well. Lock the outboard on nice and tight.

- *Lots* of rain, like 20" a day kind of rain. Unless you're a glutton for punishment you won't be using the dinghy that day anyway so keeping it up on a halyard or on deck is nice.

I keep mine flipped up on top of the cabin top if not in use to minimize growth, and as a side benefit it covers the notoriously leaky butterfly hatch.

[Healer52]

Out of the water at the end of each day. I also have a security cable and lock the motor, dinghy and boat together.

Then, I scatter broken glass and sharpened toy jacks on the deck, and annoy the dog. Just in case

[Hudson Force]

Locking to prevent theft seems wise, but even when we are in the most secure area, we lift our dinghy upon our davits every third day to prevent any collection of bottom growth. Take care and joy, Aythya crew

[anglooff]

99% of the time I raise on davits as its a very simple process and offers a little exercise. In addition I padlock it and two OMs to stanchion.

Regards

Alan

[off-the-grid]

Originally Posted by Healer52

Then, I scatter broken glass and sharpened toy jacks on the deck, and annoy the dog. Just in case

So your dink isn't an inflatable, right?

[off-the-grid]

Originally Posted by anglooff

99% of the time I raise on davits as its a very simple process and offers a little exercise.

Yeah, maybe I'm just being lazy. On the other hand it is a little more work for me. I have a single I/O and I keep the drive out of the water for obvious reasons, so to raise/lower the dink, I also have to lower and then raise the drive.

[Entlie]

It depends on the locale. Rarely do we lock ours to a cable or lift it on the davits if we are in one place for a while. However, if there is a penchant for dinghy thefts, motor thefts, etc., the extra labor makes it worthwhile.

Weather is also a factor. If you are in a blow, and there is a strong reversing current, by all means haul it up on the davits.

Entlie
Sailing Catamaran Sunspot Baby

[capt_douglas]

I "lost" my Zodiac in the Dominican Republic. I had it chained to the stern cleat but the thieves cut the chain. I got the tender back minus the 15hp Mariner.

Inflatables are very hard to row.

Replacement outboards are very expensive in the Caribbean.

Now I raise my inflatable every night. I use the topping lift on the boom and lay it on deck. It tends to send the thieves elsewhere, prevents disgruntled wanna be thieves from slitting the tubes in protest, and keeps the bottom a bit cleaner.

[onestepcsy37]

i use a hard dinghy which seems to be less often stolen than inflatables. i do have an eight foot long cable permanently attached to the bow eye which i can lock to a cleat on the boat or at a dock. at 3 hp the motor is small enough to be taken off every night and chained to the stern rail - when on the dinghy it's chained through a small hole in the transom.

as for taking the dinghy up on deck for rainstorms i say NO. let the dinghy fill with good clean rainwater and then use it for laundry or hull cleaning or whatever... wish i had a picture of the admiral sitting naked in the dinghy one morning doing the laundry after a rainstorm the previous night.