Basic (probably dumb) question about davits

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Gazza

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I'm hoping that someone can clarify my somewhat muddled thinking about davits & dinghies. We have inherited with our new boat a Honwave 2.7 air floor inflatable; it's a great dinghy but it's rather awkward to handle around the boat and, particularly singlehanding, getting it up out of the water. So, davits seem to be the answer but I'm not sure about the reach necessary for the davits.
Dimensions of the dinghy are:
Exterior beam is 1.53m
Interior beam is 0.67m
My thinking is that I'd need half the exterior beam (ie 0.76) as the minimum reach but this seems to be slightly marginal when looking at some the of smaller davits on the market.
Help please.............................
 
Depends quite a lot on the shape of the transom - and where you will be able to mount the feet of the davits.
We have the smaller size Plastimo davits with a 2.7m dinghy and works fine - but transom drops forward from top edge on our boat, and managed to get feet fairly close to edge

Once lifted having the davits pull the boat firmly against the transom is helpful, rather than swinging free
 
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Gazza said:
I'm hoping that someone can clarify my somewhat muddled thinking about davits & dinghies. We have inherited with our new boat a Honwave 2.7 air floor inflatable; it's a great dinghy but it's rather awkward to handle around the boat and, particularly singlehanding, getting it up out of the water. So, davits seem to be the answer but I'm not sure about the reach necessary for the davits.
Dimensions of the dinghy are:
Exterior beam is 1.53m
Interior beam is 0.67m
My thinking is that I'd need half the exterior beam (ie 0.76) as the minimum reach but this seems to be slightly marginal when looking at some the of smaller davits on the market.
Help please.............................
Click to expand...

Have you seen these?
https://www.watski.dk/Dvert-Dinghy-rings-Flex-112lj
https://seamarknunn.com/acatalog/Dinghy-Rings---Flex-Rotating-Dinghy-Davit-CU45102.html
Vastly overpriced for what they intrinsically are, but cheaper than davits and no hole-drilling/backing plate fixing in a really awkward location on most boats.
I daresay something similar could could be home assembled after the expenditure of a few beer tokens to the right stainless steel fabricator/fitter-turner.
You could also have a look at these;
http://www.snapdavit.co.uk/
Also relatively expensive and these do involve drilling holes and probably glassing-in backing plates.
 
Spirit (of Glenans) said:
Have you seen these?
https://www.watski.dk/Dvert-Dinghy-rings-Flex-112lj
https://seamarknunn.com/acatalog/Dinghy-Rings---Flex-Rotating-Dinghy-Davit-CU45102.html
Vastly overpriced for what they intrinsically are, but cheaper than davits and no hole-drilling/backing plate fixing in a really awkward location on most boats.
I daresay something similar could could be home assembled after the expenditure of a few beer tokens to the right stainless steel fabricator/fitter-turner.
You could also have a look at these;
http://www.snapdavit.co.uk/
Also relatively expensive and these do involve drilling holes and probably glassing-in backing plates.
Click to expand...

Useful alternatives to tieing the dinghy across the stern - but not really a full alternative to davits IMHO. The ability to quickly lift and drop the dinghy, with outboard permanently attached to the stern and oars on board ready to go, is a proper luxury in places where use of a dinghy is a regular necessity
 
We have a sugar scoop and have davits (we have the bigger Plastimo ones, but then we have a RIB).

The standard Plastimo davits will do fine what your dinghy. I just put some scooter wheels on the boarding ladder to help the dinghy past them.

Where are you and what boat do you have?
 
I have a bathing platform and davits. Ideally when you lower the RIB into the water it will just clear the end of the boat, be that the platform, scoop or transom. Mine actually doesnt, and it doesnt matter really, as the side of the RIB slides into the water.

I had an inflatable floored RIB and found it a major problem to work out how to attach the lifting ropes. Any thing attached to the floor or sides tended to lift the floor too much to enable the RIB to be pulled tight to the davit arm and attaching pads with glue isnt very secure. Straps underneath dont work for the same reason that you cant pull the RIB tight to the davits. In the end I changed it for a rigid floored RIB which is so much easier. I also wasnt that impressed with the performance of the inflatable floored RIB and worried about the floor picking up a puncture. The origianl idea was to save weight but a RibEye ended up weighing almost the same. (Someone on here reckoned they were ok lifting with davits, bit I cant recall how they did it, I think it was glue on pads, but if you lift with the engine and it is a reasonable sized RIB and engine you can easily find 80KG or more hanging off the glued on patch).

Some davits come with wire for the lifts. Ditch the wire as soon as you can. I found it a pain, inevitably with it not enjoying the constant curling around the winch. I replaced mine with low stretch rope and have never looked back.

As to davits, i think once you have them, you will never look back. Whenever you arrive somewhere especially after a long sail launching the RIB is the last thing you want to do from the deck. It is always a pain. The luxury of dropping it straight into the water is undeniable. I have quite a large engine (20HP) and with the crane I have designed I can drop the RIB and have the engine on in 10 minutes (even quicker if the engine is already on the RIB, although I take it off when sailing any distance just to reduce the weight hanging on the davits). i cant imagine by choice serious cruising without davits.

As to the Batsystem it looks very good, especially with an air floor and maybe perfect. My only concern would be it looks like the RIB would move around a fair amount in the davits. That may well be fine in good conditions and short passages, but I think for longer passages you want the RIB to be absolutely secure in the davits. With conventional davits the RIB is supported on both arms and both tubes, sitting as it does below the arms. Winched tight against the arms it doesnt move around. You can also put some safety staps underneath just in case. Also ideally you want to be able to adjust the lifting lines so when laying at anchor or in the marina the RIB can be left aft down by a foot so when it rains the water drains. Coming back to a RIB full of water hanging on the davits is a nuisance, and the weight is substantial and might end up exceeding the davits load capacity. I know you can put a cove over, but you will find that is also a real nuisance every time.

It is a lot of work but I have just finished making up some CHAPS which do the job of a cover all the time but without anything to keep taking off and putting back on.
 
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dunedin said:
Useful alternatives to tieing the dinghy across the stern - but not really a full alternative to davits IMHO. The ability to quickly lift and drop the dinghy, with outboard permanently attached to the stern and oars on board ready to go, is a proper luxury in places where use of a dinghy is a regular necessity
Click to expand...

Totally agree. The real benefit of davits is being able to lift and launch the dinghy WITH out board still attached. It transforms life at anchor or on a buoy.
 
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