Alternative to Snap Davits

[Overdraught]

I am really struggling with the idea of shelling out £200 plus on snap davits and have been looking at other ways to mount my dinghy to swim platform.

So far, some glue on patches with lifting rings seem cheap but its then a question of attaching to the boat. There is a set which has 2 x eye bolts to fix to the boat which would then need some sort of link.

I have also considered simply lashing some rope permanently to dinghy and installing 2 x pop up cleats to attach to. Or perhaps adding some U Bolts with some sort of link in between.

My question is, has anyone done anything similar? does it work and if so, what bits did you use?

Clearly, I don't want it to look bad, nor be dangerous.

Any thoughts?

 

[landlockedpirate]

IMHO take the plunge and buy the proper thing.

Followed a boat accross the channel once that had jury rigged the tender storage system. Needed to stop 5 or 6 times to re attach. They were using anything and everything to attach the tender including elastic rope, mooring lines, straps etc. Nothing worked it just kept working loose. The day was calm, dont want to think how bad it would be if rough.

If the tender fits nicely on the platform and you have sufficient time you could just strap it on and hope for the best.

On the other hand with the knowledge available on this forum someone will tell you about a system involving 2 coat hangers and wifees old bra, that worked fantastically. (Or is that over on PBO /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif )

Stick another grand on your 'Overdrought' and buy the proper job-50 years of development can't be wrong.

 

[Whitelighter]

I have mucked about not have snap davits for ages. Fitted them last weekend and they make a huge difference.

 

[CaptainMike1970]

When we had the SeaRay 225 Weekender and could not be bothered to deflate and put away our tender we used to sit it on the extended swim deck and just tied it on. We secured it at four points using pre-spliced lines with s/s snap shakles. We secured it using the two rear towing eyes on the transom of the boat and the two aft mooring cleats. The tender had two "D" rings forward on the tubes and I put two "U" bolts onto it's transom. It never moved at all and as it sat flat on the swim deck it added very little to the wind drag.

It was a 8'-6" air deck but with the beam of the main boat being only 8'-6" it was a bit imposing and meant that you could not access via the swim deck.

We have now have proper snap davits on the SeaRay 315 which is easier and looks smarter but with the tender stored virtically it is a bit of an air brake!

 

[laugh9876]

i too really did not want to fork out £200 for the weaver davits, finally took the plunge, however just cannot bear having a dinghy giving so much draft over the back of my mobo. does one really use/ need a dinghy. the boat looks so great without one.

 

[Sultans_Kapitein]

The choice is yours, you do not have to have a dinghy, but if you do have one you need to store it somewhere. I presume that you have a life raft if you do not want a dinghy, or would that spoil the lines as well ?
Mal

 

[whisper]

The other option, of course, is to have a dinghy but don't inflate it until you need it - saves lots of dosh and easier to store. Not much good as an "alternative" to a liferaft though, if done this way.

 

[Nautorius]

OK,

Time to own up. The Idiot strapping his dinghy to a 21ft Chaparral Cuddy and doing the channel was me! In my defence after 7 days cruising I was able to tie it on a lot better....but I would have been Bug@red in an emergency!

Since that boat I have always used snap davits and stand off arms. Yes they are expensive but think of the time saving and the ease of it all. Boating is supposed to be fun. If you want to play with bits of rope then buy a sail boat!

Bite the bullet

Cheears

Paul /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[dpb]

We used the following method on our 25ft searay's bathing platform.
Take engine off dinghy.
Point dinghy away from stern of boat so that rear of tubes rest on the bathing platform.
Pull on dinghy painter to raise front of dinghy up so that it is vertical and tie the painter to a suitable point which in our case was a rear hand rail.
The free end of the painter was then used to connect the transom of the dinghy to the ski hook to stop it bouncing off.
The painter needs to be stronger than usual but this worked for years in a variety of conditions without any problem.

 

[Overdraught]

Thanks for your comments, I'll ponder some more.