Who has davits?

[viking69]

Just wondering those of you that have davits and been blue water cruising are you happy with them? have you had any troubles with them and if you bought another boat that did not have them would you fit them again?

[Vasco]

I have davits on my CS36 (Ocean Marine). Towed the dink or kept it on the foredeck for 10 years and then I got smart. Made a lot of difference but it took a year to get used to not looking back to see if the dink was alright. Davits should only be used for short hops. Coastal cruising and the Caribbean .

[ssullivan]

The davits are convenient when you are not doing long offshore passages. I would have preferred a crane and deck-mounted tender along with the wind vane I can't install if I want to use my davits.

[AnchorageGuy]

We have carried our dinghy on the back of Sea Trek for 14 years and done many offshore passages. We have had it hanging back there in Gale force conditions with sustained 50 knots winds and seas that buried the boat up to the cabin top and there was never an issue or damage. we do secure the whole thing with heavy strap webbing that criss crosses under the dinghy and secures everything tight so it is not swinging around. Our feeling are that if we did not feel secure carrying the dinghy in offshore passages then we would get rid of the davits since they would serve little purpose.

[SkiprJohn]

I can't use stern davits because it interferes with the Monitor windvane.

JohnL

[ssullivan]

Chuck, since davits don't allow you to use a windvane, what do you do on the long passages?

[Jon D]

We have Kato Voager davits and are very happy with them No question they will hold the dink untill the sterm tears off the boat. However as noted above we do take the dink off the davits for long passages and store upside down on the foredeck.

Although we do not have a windvane [not crossing any oceans at the moment] the Hydrovane will work with davits at least on our boat and design.

[ssullivan]

Wow! The Hydrovane looks like it might just work for us too. Thanks for enlightening me, Jon!

[AnchorageGuy]

Sean, We have the greatest below decks autopilot on the planet made by WH Autopilots that runs our hydraulic steering. Wind generator and solar panels keep the batteries up.

[AnchorageGuy]

This is the best photo I could find that shows the dinghy on the davits.

[gonesail]

hey Chuck is that a Downeast 38 in the picture? nice boat.

[northerncat]

who wouldnt have davits? or a targa bar, makes dinghy handling a cinch
sean

[SkiprJohn]

Stern dinghy davits and a dinghy also add quite a bit of weight way aft. Is anyone concerned about performance slowed by hobby horsing with lots of big anchors on bow rollers and dinghy davits and dinghy on the stern?

When I plan a long passage (over 24 hours) I take all the heavy gear and stow it low in the boat. Anyone else do that?

JohnL

[Jon D]

Originally Posted by SkiprJohn

Stern dinghy davits and a dinghy also add quite a bit of weight way aft. Is anyone concerned about performance slowed by hobby horsing with lots of big anchors on bow rollers and dinghy davits and dinghy on the stern?

When I plan a long passage (over 24 hours) I take all the heavy gear and stow it low in the boat. Anyone else do that?

JohnL

John

Actually our boat sits on it lines fore and aft with the anchor on the bow roller, dink on davits etc. Only reason I take the dink off is the chance that it would get pooped offshore and fill with water and really load the transom.

On the 47 the boat has enough waterline etc that it does not appear to hobbyhorse at all. [at least in anything I've been in]

[AnchorageGuy]

gonesail, It is a Mariner 40. Thanks