Haul up dinghy with halyard

[amoret]

Hi there,
Probably a stupid question. But, would there be a problem if I was to haul my inflatable dinghy up on to the foredeck using the winch and spinnaker halyard or Jib halyard. The dinghy ways 34 kg, and would be hauled from ground level. The boat is a 25 ft trailer sailer.
I'm worried about the amount of stress placed on the mast and the exit blocks in the mast. The dinghy is just a bit too big and cumbersome to manhandle
Thanks in advance, hoping to avoid costly accident.

[sailingharry]

The spinnaker halyard is designed to take off-axis loads sufficient to pull the boat horizontal (90-degree heel). Your little chump dinghy (no offense meant!) is no more than a mosquito bite, even on your trailer sailor. Go for it.


You might find it easier to hoist a 3 to 4 part tackle on the halyard, and then use that for the actual hoisting. That would allow you to do the hoisting while standing on the foredeck and guiding the dinghy.


On our 43', we routinely hoist ours (we have to store it on the foredeck in our home slip) using the spinnaker halyard and a power winch. That's an entirely different story with a dinghy twice as heavy as yours, but it still works nicely.


Good luck!

[tkeithlu]

A skipper I sailed with a very long time ago told me that Bristol Channel fishermen, not having enough crew to lift their very heavy dinghies on board, would just tie them to the boom and jibe......

Happy hauling, amoret.

[bensolomon]

It's what I do on my boat, as well.

[wsmurdoch]

On our Tanzer 22 we avoid using the main or jib halyards when pulled to the side because they rub against the sheave box at the top of the mast. We have used the spinnaker halyard to lift an Achilles LT-2 (17 kg dry) without a problem. Remember the mast is more than strong enough to lever the boat's mast down to the water. A little heel won't hurt anything. If it does, you have learned something under the best of conditions.

On our Pacific Seacraft 34 we do not have a spinnaker halyard. We use the staysail halyard and suffer a little wear on the halyard when lifting a load on the side of the boat. In that case it is an Achilles LSI-290 (35 kg).

[Jim Cate]

A rule of thumb I use: if you can physically raise the load with the original design winch and a normal amount of effort on the winch it will not overstress anything. In fact, this is likely a very conservative approach!

And FWIW I hoist our 47 kg (empty) RIB with a full fuel tank, anchor and chain and a 15 hp outboard using our spinny halyard most every night. It tests my theory to the limit (ie it requires some straining on my part with an Arco 40 winch).

Jim

Jim

[amoret]

Thanks, That's a great idea using the tackle

[amoret]

Thanks to all for the replies, and suggestions. Great to be able to do stuff with a bit of confidence and advice from others. Merry Christmas!

[Tetepare]

Originally Posted by amoret

Thanks, That's a great idea using the tackle

Sure is.

[MJH]

Originally Posted by amoret

Hi there,
Probably a stupid question. But, would there be a problem if I was to haul my inflatable dinghy up on to the foredeck using the winch and spinnaker halyard or Jib halyard. The dinghy ways 34 kg, and would be hauled from ground level. The boat is a 25 ft trailer sailer.
I'm worried about the amount of stress placed on the mast and the exit blocks in the mast. The dinghy is just a bit too big and cumbersome to manhandle
Thanks in advance, hoping to avoid costly accident.

Yes, you can load a reasonable dinghy onto your deck with a spinnaker halyard. I lifted an 8.5' hard dinghy onto my previous 28' San Juan 28 using the spinnaker winch. I now load my 8' rubber dinghy aboard my present boat with the spinnaker line and windlass; makes it even easier.

For lifting a hard dinghy it would be best if you setup a three-string lifting harness for the dinghy and connect the halyard to it, thats what I did. For the basic inflatable I just hual it up by the dock line.

~ ~ _/) ~ ~ MJH

[Tayana42]

MJH, how do you run the spinnaker halyard past the bowed jumper struts on your Tayana 42? I use the staysail halyard to lift the dinghy onto the foredeck to avoid pulling the spin halyard over the jumper strut.

[meirriba]

Originally Posted by amoret

Hi there,
Probably a stupid question. But, would there be a problem if I was to haul my inflatable dinghy up on to the foredeck using the winch and spinnaker halyard or Jib halyard. The dinghy ways 34 kg, and would be hauled from ground level. The boat is a 25 ft trailer sailer.
I'm worried about the amount of stress placed on the mast and the exit blocks in the mast. The dinghy is just a bit too big and cumbersome to manhandle
Thanks in advance, hoping to avoid costly accident.

No problem at all.
I am sure that your spinnaker exerts much higher forces on your mast than 34kg and in 'worse' directions.

[Popcorn]

Originally Posted by Tayana42

MJH, how do you run the spinnaker halyard past the bowed jumper struts on your Tayana 42? I use the staysail halyard to lift the dinghy onto the foredeck to avoid pulling the spin halyard over the jumper strut.

I have a 42cc, and run my halyard into the cockpit then to my large winch.
I man handle (winching) it lifting the dingy (10.5) about 105 pounds, to the rub rail level.
I pull the dingy towards the bow and lay the hull over the top rail. I have a v-hull, so with a flat bottom dingy it may be easier.
While the dingy is on the rail I dance the dingy by pulling it over to the deck on its side which makes it easy to flip it over, and then place the forward tube over the dorade stainless protecting tube and forward hatch.
It's easier with an electric winch, but I haven't got one yet, on the bucket list way down.
As was recommended earlier, a block set up, mid way could make it even easier. I am setting up something like that but haven't tried it.
I've been doing this since 1995, and no damage to the wire rail rubber coating, other than some seaweed on deck and the dingy bottom is now facing upwards making it easy to clean.

If you are refering to the halo on the mast, the halyard rubs against it. No problems so far.

[kryg]

Good question it is important to get the setup right In my case - I use the fore deck with a fixed cradle to store my Aluminium tender. I run a stay sail halyard to the toe rail, starboard side. Reason being -. It acts as a dinghy guild when my tender is above the safety line in windy conditions to just forward of the mast. . Also, I have a block at the bow to also control the tender with its painter that leads back to the mast and is secured at the mast - I use the mast winch and spinnaker halyard to winch up the tender. It weighs about 65 kilos plus the 4 hp outboard the outboard is off set to the starboard side of the tender, so the prop leg misses the mast when the tender is sitting in the cradle.

Out of interest after having experienced 3 failed inflatables I have a tender looks like an inflatable, however the tubes are also aluminium. See photos of my setup.

I had the baby stays moved to either side of the mast with new chain plates, so I could still use the flying stay sail. It takes some fiddling to set up, as every fore deck is different, I hope this information is of some help.

No question is stupid, not asking one, could be.

Originally Posted by amoret

Hi there,
Probably a stupid question. But, would there be a problem if I was to haul my inflatable dinghy up on to the foredeck using the winch and spinnaker halyard or Jib halyard. The dinghy ways 34 kg, and would be hauled from ground level. The boat is a 25 ft trailer sailer.
I'm worried about the amount of stress placed on the mast and the exit blocks in the mast. The dinghy is just a bit too big and cumbersome to manhandle
Thanks in advance, hoping to avoid costly accident.

[Popcorn]

Hi kryg.
I like your cradle, seems to work well and secure.
I also like your idea of a block somewhere on the bow connecting to the painter. I manually pull the dingy but sometimes it gets away from me so I may do that crosswise and block it fast and then I may have some leverage to pull it over the rail, especially on breezy days.
Also the cradle allows the forward hatch to open, now for me is only a fraction of an inch, and hardly any light. Another great feature.
Thanks.