advice on getting into my dinghy please

[Burnham Bob]

bits of me aren't as flexible as the used to be although getting into the dinghy from the boat is okay - I'm getting in from above almost straight down - since the last knee operation I've found getting in off the pontoon is not as easy as it used to be.

From the pontoon I need to get into the middle of the dinghy and it's all too easy for it to tilt sideways when I transfer my weight from the pontoon to the dinghy itself. If anyone has any advice I'd be grateful - maybe securing both ends hard against the pontoon would help? I can't be the only one who no longer bends in all the places I used to.

 

[ianj99]

bits of me aren't as flexible as the used to be although getting into the dinghy from the boat is okay - I'm getting in from above almost straight down - since the last knee operation I've found getting in off the pontoon is not as easy as it used to be.

From the pontoon I need to get into the middle of the dinghy and it's all too easy for it to tilt sideways when I transfer my weight from the pontoon to the dinghy itself. If anyone has any advice I'd be grateful - maybe securing both ends hard against the pontoon would help? I can't be the only one who no longer bends in all the places I used to.

Slide down a greasy plank straight into the middle!

 

[Burnham Bob]

does anyone have a serious suggestion please?

 

[chasroberts]

You could try a version of how kayakers get in if you have oars in the dinghy. Tie up tight fore and aft as you suggested and then lay an oar across the dinghy from the pontoon to the outside of the dinghy. Use this to transfer the majority of your weight from the pontoon. This will also help the outside from tipping up as much as your weight will be transferred to that side of the dinghy. Also gives you a useful handhold.

Chas

 

[Burnham Bob]

thnaks chas - will try that

 

[mcanderson]

Might you better off with an inflatable dinghy for stability?

Also what about getting in near a solid object on the pontoon, such as a power box or such like?

 

[fireball]

Fore and Aft tie up is essential - but make sure you can get to the ends to untie!!
Also - you may find that a mid line will help take some of the vertical load when you get in to start with - that way you don't have to get into the middle of the boat straight away.

 

[KINGFISHER 8]

You're sitting down, presumably, when getting in from a pontoon? ... From the boat, have you thought about one of those folding aluminium ladders, with 2,3 or 4 rungs, which hook on over the gunwale? ... Also handy for me I've had a gate wire put between 2 stanchions amidships with pelican hooks - this makes gatting on and off much easier.

 

[LadyInBed]

I have a similar problem.
I have put some 8 or 10mm cord through the rowlock holes so I can tie the dingy midship to a cleat on the pontoon.
This allows me to sit on the pontoon, put legs into the pontoon side of the dingy and transfer my weight without the dingy tipping as the side is supported by the pontoon.

 

[LadyInBed]

Fore and Aft tie up is essential - but make sure you can get to the ends to untie!!

Without wishing to be rude and not to put too fine a point on it - BOW LOCKS
Fore and Aft tie are of secondary importance and if tied up as per my advice above the Fore and Aft ties can also be tied to the centre cleat on the pontoon.

 

[Burnham Bob]

thaks Lady - and everyone - i'll try what you suggest

 

[fireball]

Without wishing to be rude and not to put too fine a point on it - BOW LOCKS
Fore and Aft tie are of secondary importance and if tied up as per my advice above the Fore and Aft ties can also be tied to the centre cleat on the pontoon.

Depends on the wind and current dunnit - fore aft keeps it alongside - mid ships on a cured side could av it all over the plaice.

 

[William_H]

geetting in to dinghy

I have always had tippy fibreglass or now Ali dinghy for use with a swing mooring. Getting in to the dinghy from the boat is a bit traumatic especially if as sometimes happens there are 4 others already in the dinghy.
The most important part is to land in the middle of the dinghy and to let go the big boat which makes it all a bit of a jump. Provided you land in the middle the dinghy will take the shock of landing. The real trap is to try to do it slowly keeping some weight on the big boat and slowly transfer weight o dinghy. This results in the dinghy moving away leaving you stretched between the 2.
All good fun especially trying to explain to newbe sailing students. I always like to give them plenty of time to do it their own way. After instruction. good luck olewill

 

[bromleybysea]

Knees

Same problem. Knackered knees! Some advice here: http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?t=318982

A LOOSE line tied between the rowlocks. Have the dinghy secured alongside the pontoon. Get down on the pontoon by whatever means seems best; I have one of those telescopic walking poles or I use a jerrycan for support. Sit with your legs in the dinghy and use the aforementioned line to pull yourself across so that your weight is in the middle of the dinghy. Life has become easier since I aquired a Zodiac with large tubes and an inflatble floor. Alternatively, get a marina berth!

 

[Billjratt]

Is it always the same pontoon?
I fitted a bumper/gunwhale to our hard dinghy. It sits securely over a plank down the side of our landing pontoon (the planks had been added by the club to stop dinghies from going underneath)
That way, it is almost latched to the pontoon and doesn't need any additional ropes. (Perhaps you could modify to suit)
Slightly different situation over on the island pontoon, where we tuck the dinghy under a bit,(away from a float) and step into the middle.
The only reason we have a hard dink is because I can't carry a rubber one from the store and down the ramp (old peoples medical things). We have a floating carousel for those in need!

 

[reginaldon]

+1, but I am an octogenarian. I have to access my inflatable from the side of a slipway; I have a fairy big (and cheap) one, in which I have put a ply floor; still a prob, but working on it - never give up! I'm too tight to consider a marina.

 

[Burnham Bob]

Lady's solutions worked fine. Drop the dinghy in alongside the pontoon with a line under the seat amidships. tie on tight to cleat on pontoon and boat does not tip when you get in. still do it on hands and knees but if the midships line is tight, front and back look after themselves.

 

[jwilson]

bits of me aren't as flexible as the used to be although getting into the dinghy from the boat is okay - I'm getting in from above almost straight down - since the last knee operation I've found getting in off the pontoon is not as easy as it used to be.

From the pontoon I need to get into the middle of the dinghy and it's all too easy for it to tilt sideways when I transfer my weight from the pontoon to the dinghy itself. If anyone has any advice I'd be grateful - maybe securing both ends hard against the pontoon would help? I can't be the only one who no longer bends in all the places I used to.

Just don't do what I did once very long ago, and JUMP down into the bottom of a tired old dinghy. On a mid-stream mooring - both feet right through the dinghy bottom. Fortunately what was left of the dinghy had just enough built-in buoyancy to let me get back to the slipway with about an inch of freeboard all round.

 

[eagleswing]

getting 2 people 1 dog into hardside pram..

after tying the 8' pram style dinghy firmly to the pier or boat transom, we place our 2 dinghy oars from the boat or pier extending at a right angle to the long axis of the dinghy. oars are about 2 ft apart with blades about 6 inches over the furthest side coaming. with both oars extending over the furthest side of the dinghy, we then place one hand on each oar and slide ourselves onto the center dinghy seat , using firm pressure down on the oars.

then to get the dog in we lure her with cheese and the threat of being left behind.

NB . cheese does not work on most humans.

to get into the boat, stepping up to it from our dock we have a stepladder attached to the dock. at a foreign dock we use a step that attaches to the top of an inflatable fender and 2 short lengths of wood extending from the cabin top handrails down past the coaming.we have a hard wood handrail not lifelines on our nauticat so there is a lot to hold onto.

eagleswing NC 321 port of erie..

 

[sarabande]

if the dinghy has a proper transom (i.e. squared off) you might try bringing the transom round so that is abutts the pontoon, and making fast from each rowlock so that the boat is held firmly against the pontoon.

The boat is now triangulated , and you shoull be able to sit / slide / step onto the centreline at the stern. The bow will rise to compensate for your mass, but the leverage of the woodwork at the sharp end will be enough to balance your arrival in the stern.