Hoisting Dingy Motor

[DEAN2140]

We do a lot of bareboat chartering and as we enter our late seventies find it increasingly difficult to remove and install the outboard motor on the dingy. I saw some slings advertised that are reasonably priced and thought I could use the main halyard for this purpose. My problem is that most of these charter boats come with a bimini (necessary) so the halyard will scrape over the back side of the bimini. I suppose I could tie off the dingy to the side of the boat and try to maneuver the motor from there. Has anyone come with a different or more efficient solution? I wish the charter companies would install a hoist on the stern (not that expensive given the charter rates).

[mabowers]

I have a store bought sling, but this is the one I always use. I have a hoist davit but have used the spinnaker halyard quite a few times. I use that halyard to hoist the dinghy up on deck as well.

[DEAN2140]

Your photo shows a line tied to one of the loops with a luggage hitch. What is its purpose? Does the halyard attach to the short portion of the line connecting the two loops?

[SV Bacchus]

I use a small block and tackle that I hang from my davits. Old Leopard so the Davit is quite high, easy to use.

When I bought the boat the outboard already had a strap style sling fastened to it, which stays on the motor, with a shackle on top. Plastic snap style clips to hold the sling together and I'm starting to worry they may be nearing the end of their service life so I will start looking for a replacement.

[mabowers]

Originally Posted by DEAN2140

Your photo shows a line tied to one of the loops with a luggage hitch. What is its purpose? Does the halyard attach to the short portion of the line connecting the two loops?

The line hitched on is to tie the bottoms of the loops together so they can't slide off the motor. ( it was longer than it needed to be ) The short portion between the loops becomes the "handle" on top where I hook a shackle on a halyard for hoisting.

[S/V Adeline]

What would be the negative consequences of using the boom sheet as a hoist over the side?

[JPA Cate]

We do a lot of bareboat chartering and as we enter our late seventies find it increasingly difficult to remove and install the outboard motor on the dingy. I saw some slings advertised that are reasonably priced and thought I could use the main halyard for this purpose. My problem is that most of these charter boats come with a bimini (necessary) so the halyard will scrape over the back side of the bimini. I suppose I could tie off the dingy to the side of the boat and try to maneuver the motor from there. Has anyone come with a different or more efficient solution? I wish the charter companies would install a hoist on the stern (not that expensive given the charter rates).
DEAN2140

Jim has sewn up a sling for our outboard. We used strong 1" tubular webbing for the sling, and it has a strong click buckle, on one side for when/if we want to remove it. We put the dinghy amidships, and hang a step from our toerail. Jim steps down into the dinghy to attach the halyard, then returns to the deck. We use the main halyard for the dinghy motor, and the spinnaker halyard for the dinghy itself. Using the main halyard, amidships, it is easy to remove the motor, then walk it aft. Your wife will, at the same time, take a few turns on the halyard winch, and lift the motor and be prepared to gently lower it. I don't think the method would be practical with a bimini; the chafe would tear the fabric. Our bracket for the o/b. is on the side of the pushpit. You would still have to horse the little motor to where it is normally stowed, but the halyard will help support it while you figure out how to get it where you want it.

Ann

[dougweibel]

Buying or fashioning a sling to secure and hoist an outboard will be easy. Using it on various charter boats seems to me like it will be completely hit or miss. Probably more miss than hit if the boats have biminis. If the outboards are not too heavy maybe you can get away with the chafe of a halyard "bending" around a bimini frame. Then again the strain could damage the bimini frame itself if the angle is great.

[JPA Cate]

You could place something really slippery (like black plastic trash bag) between the line and the bimini, but then you'd have to control it, too.

I wonder if the OP might not be able to charter a different boat with an easy motor to dinghy setup...if the issue might be avoided by careful communications with the charter outfit???

Ann

[DEAN2140]

We are getting a 6 HP motor, which is about as small as we can go. I think we will try placing the dingy alongside instead of the stern and see how it goes. Our next charter is in Antigua in March and there are some fairly long passages to Guadeloupe and Nevis that argue against leaving the motor on the dingy.

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by DEAN2140

We are getting a 6 HP motor, which is about as small as we can go. I think we will try placing the dingy alongside instead of the stern and see how it goes. Our next charter is in Antigua in March and there are some fairly long passages to Guadeloupe and Nevis that argue against leaving the motor on the dingy.

Good points, answers the "Why?" questions.


That said, you can't be the first folks to [want to or need to] do this.


Have you asked the charter company?