Securing the Dinghy in the Davits

[simons]

Hello,

having just moved on to a catamaran, I am trying to solve the issue of how to secure the dinghy hanging on the davits.

I have got three cables holding the dinghy to the arch and solid bar holding the stern and the painter holding the bow in position. But still so, the dinghy moves a lot. What is the best way to secure it, in sea-movement and in case of waves filling the dinghy?

I have seen other cats having eyes attached to the catamaran's hull and a ratchet strapping the dinghy in position.

Simon

[James S]

Can you use that ratchet/strapping idea to secure it to the under side of the davits?
Thats what I've done and it doesent move at all...the kids even sit in it.
I did take car to keep the transom lower so the water will drain out.

[SaucySailoress]

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]

[simonmd]

Originally Posted by simons

..... and in case of waves filling the dinghy?

Always make sure the drain plug is out then any water will drain away.

[swagman]

We found it easiest to haul the davit lines really tight so the dinghy tubes were hard against the davits for regular daily storage. With chafe pads sews into the dinghy canvas cover any minnor movement did not cause damaging wear. Covered most of our miles like this - complete with outboard hanging off the transom.
For longer passages on bumpy seas we had two of the simple 'helicopter' rachet straps to go around the dink and each davit. Cranked up the dinghy definately would not move.
JOHN

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by simons

Hello,

having just moved on to a catamaran, I am trying to solve the issue of how to secure the dinghy hanging on the davits.

I have got three cables holding the dinghy to the arch and solid bar holding the stern and the painter holding the bow in position. But still so, the dinghy moves a lot. What is the best way to secure it, in sea-movement and in case of waves filling the dinghy?

I have seen other cats having eyes attached to the catamaran's hull and a ratchet strapping the dinghy in position.

Simon

Pictures help.

Also, if you list your home port in your avatar area, it gives readers a clue to the climate.

In addition to the good comments given, a few more thoughts:
* To prevent swaying, I tie the carrying handles to the aft rail; that brings the tubes against the transom, where there is a rubber pad.
* Trice it up. Run a rope or strap from the arch, under the dingy cross-wise, and up to the arch again. Particularly for inflatables (which can loose pressure) or where there is snow (heavy) this adds support. It is a very traditional step. I'm sure you can vary the angles to reduce sway. I only do this in the winter, in snow season, when the dingy also has a cover.

[Cormorant]

FWIW, sort of related . . . Last winter in the Exumas, we met a couple who told us this story: They were a couple of miles offshore, sailing downwind. The dinghy was up in davits and one of the lines had worked loose. So the husband leaned back out over the transom to fix it. The wife was at the wheel facing forward not aware of what he was doing. Somehow in the process, he fell overboard. No PFD on. He gave a suitable scream, but wasn't sure if she heard him. She did, but had trouble rounding the boat up. She was losing sight of him. Then she couldn't get the motor started. Luckily they had friends on a buddy boat about a mile behind; she hailed them on the VHF and they came along and fished the husband out.

Just a cautionary tale -- don't let your dinghy davits kill you! Also, not a bad idea to wear a PFD. . . .

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by Cormorant

FWIW, sort of related . . . Last winter in the Exumas, we met a couple who told us this story: They were a couple of miles offshore, sailing downwind. The dinghy was up in davits and one of the lines had worked loose. So the husband leaned back out over the transom to fix it. The wife was at the wheel facing forward not aware of what he was doing. Somehow in the process, he fell overboard. No PFD on. He gave a suitable scream, but wasn't sure if she heard him. She did, but had trouble rounding the boat up. She was losing sight of him. Then she couldn't get the motor started. Luckily they had friends on a buddy boat about a mile behind; she hailed them on the VHF and they came along and fished the husband out.

Just a cautionary tale -- don't let your dinghy davits kill you! Also, not a bad idea to wear a PFD. . . .

Exactly that happened to me a few weeks ago while singlehanding in bumpy 20-knot conditions, dropping one end of the tender in the water and damaging the attachment on the other. I used a harness and tether (which I was wearing anyway). It would have been SO easy to go over. The water was cold and I'ld be dead.

[JamuJoe]

Originally Posted by simons

Hello,

having just moved on to a catamaran, I am trying to solve the issue of how to secure the dinghy hanging on the davits.

I have got three cables holding the dinghy to the arch and solid bar holding the stern and the painter holding the bow in position. But still so, the dinghy moves a lot. What is the best way to secure it, in sea-movement and in case of waves filling the dinghy?

I have seen other cats having eyes attached to the catamaran's hull and a ratchet strapping the dinghy in position.

Simon

This takes some trial and error with your particular configuration. On my Leopard 42 JAMU, I added small cleats on my sugar scoops such that I can run lines UNDER my dingy from bow eye and stern eye to the cleat on the opposite side. With these in place I then tighten my hoisting lines. This restricts lateral movement. I then tie my dinks bow and stern lines to my boat's aft rails, snugging the dink against my davit supports, to restrict fore and aft movement. It sounds complicated, but takes only a minute and can be released very quickly in an emergency.

[JamuJoe]

Originally Posted by thinwater

Exactly that happened to me a few weeks ago while singlehanding in bumpy 20-knot conditions, dropping one end of the tender in the water and damaging the attachment on the other. I used a harness and tether (which I was wearing anyway). It would have been SO easy to go over. The water was cold and I'ld be dead.

Even riskier is using the stern urinal! Like it or not, I'll either stay within the rails or use a harness for stern activities when under sail. It just wouldn't be fair to my spouse to create a situation where she looks back and I'm not there anymore.

[Full Sail]

I have an old hard bottom dink so I abhor the thought of it rubbing on anything, It already has a few patches. My solution is to raise the dink in its davits. I have a padeye in the bow of the dink which I attache two lines to. One to a point ourboard and forward of the bow and one outbard and astern of the bow. Same thing for the stern of the dink. All the stress is absorbed by the fiberglass part of the dink and having a 3 point anchor point at each end keeps it from moving. I finally figured this out halfway down my east coast passage and it worked great

[Vasco]

I use 4 ratchet straps. Two hold the dink in against the arch towards the boat (no up and down movement) and two are diagonal (no lateral movement). You have to ensure that the dink does not move in any way. The worse thing is to have shock loads on it. The ratchet strap points on the dink are "D" rings I installed at the forward end of the floor and on the transom of the dink. The attachment points should be as low as possible.

[boatman61]

My solution was once the boat was hoisted on my solar/davits arch was to tie a line fore and aft of the dinghy from the grab ropes to the post... held her firm... and lets face it there's a lot more movment on a mono than a cat...

[cfarrar]

Our stainless rachet straps came with our Kato davits. We use two, from the bow and stern, angled inboard so the dink is held snug and tight into the davits' "armpit." Just play with different angles and attachment points until you find the sweet spot.

[Roaring Girl]

We have a hard GRP dinghy and a monohull with davits. On any offshore or lengthier passage the dinghy comes apart and is nested on the foredeck but we do use the davits on shorter passages.

We have padded the davits to protect the dinghy, which is then hauled up very tight. The bow and stern painters then go round cleats on the davit arms and over the dinghy and get hauled underneath her and tied off on the pushpit. (This is actually the fiddliest bit.) We also have a big fender (one big tear drop) and this travels off the pushpit hauled tight under the dinghy and securely tied on. There is also a small fender around the neck of our hydrovane to protect it from the dinghy.

This all sounds a bit fiddly but we are now v quick at getting it sorted. Eitehr can do it alone but its much easier with two.