Securing the Dinghy in the Davits

[simons]

Thank you all very much for the feedback. It is great to profit from others experience and that you all are willing to share it.

Best regards

Simon

[James S]

It's not Profit Simon, it's a loan.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by James S

It's not Profit Simon, it's a loan.

Well said!!!

[Captain Bill]

I don't have a picture so I'll try to describe it. The dink is a RIB with three lifting eyes, two in the stern and one in the bow and they are inboard. I also have towing eyes in the bow and stern outboard. I have a painter attached to the bow and about a 10 foot line attached to the outboard stern eye. The stern is to to starboard. There is a Y yolk to the stern eyes and a single line from the bow eyes lifing vertically to the davits. There is a diagonal line running from the inboard stern eye on the port side of the dink to a cleat on the port davit and a diagonal line running from the bow lifting eye on the dink to the starboard davit. This locks the dink in place for pretty much anything the pamlico sound can throw at us. If we go offshore or it gets really rough we attach the painter to the port aft cleat of the boat and that 10 foot line to the starboard aft cleat. This takes out any motion that's left. It also Gives us a bit of a safety line across the back steps. When we lift the dink we leave the stern about 6 inches lower than the bow. On occasion in rough water the foot of the outboard dips in the water but it doesn't seem to have caused a problem yet. We've never taken a wave over the top of the dink (knock wood).

[Vasco]

I have found that using lines to secure the dink simply does not work well. You just cannot get the lines tight enough. There is always a bit of slack. In addition a RIB will get a bit soft at night or if the temperature drops. With lines it's a chore to keep them taut. The only sure way to secure a dink in davits is with ratchet straps. You can usually get a set of four from Costco for under $20. I get a new set every second year. They're not stainless and without some attention they will rust fairly fast.

[AnchorageGuy]

We used the ratchet straps crossed under the dinghy for years in all kinds of conditions and it worked just fine. The best photo I could find is here,
Picasa Web Albums - Chuck and Susan - Carrabelle to...
and this one was taken at the dock immediately after we had just struggled in from offshore in 50 knot sustained winds and driving rains. As you can see, the dinghy survived just fine. Chuck

[Captain Bill]

I don't want to get into a Monohullers versus Multihullers fight here, but the OP is on a Cat and the geometry problems of tying up a dink on a cat are not the same as on a monohull. My dink is tied in a stable position and does not even come into contact with the hull. All of my lines are attached to the fiberglass piece of the RIB. It doesn't matter at all if the tubes go soft or even if their inflated at all. If I had a monohull and had to hang the dink out like you guys do I would probably use the same method you do. The OP didn't actually say what kind of dink he had. My method would work with hard dink or RIB but not an inflatable since the attachment points would not be stable. I'm not saying my dink does not move at all, it does, but only a couple of inches and it doesn't come into contact with anything or bounce around out of control, threaten to flip or anything like that. The lines have a bit of stretch in them and that absorbs the shock loads.

[hummingway]

Originally Posted by Saucy Sailoress

We just rigged up davits for our optimist, which we've decided to use as a dink for now (better than nothing) - which is great, cos it fits perfect, and I can raise it alone. BUT - it's attached with just the one rope.... [Stage right: alarm bells ring]

I favour towing optimists ... introduces them to a bit of healthy pessimism in no time

[jglauds]

I've got as KATO arch that sits higher than the factory-installed davits. I use the low davits for day sailing, and, after stripping the dink completely of oars, engine, etc., use the KATO arch davits for passages. I lift 90% to blocks, and then use diagonal ropes. If bow of dink is on port side, I run line from bow to starboard stern railing, and then stern of dink to port stern railing.

I also run 2 lines from the sternward-facing edge of the sideways dink over the arch and then secure to stern railing. This tips the dink so that following seas hit its bottom, and not fill it.

Then I lift up the remaining 10% and snug it against the s/s arch. It rides about 6 feet above the water at its lowest point, and so far, with 20 foot following seas and 35 knots of wind, no issues.

I might also be tempted, if facing contrary winds or currents, to just deflate the darn thing and store in the cockpit.