Davits - pros & cons

[Storyline]

Recently posted a thread seeking advice about what type of davits are best but am now having second thoughts about them.

I would really like to hear peoples opinions about how useful they really are and more importantly the potential downsides.

 

[jonjo]

They add to your effective LOA in tight maneuvering situations and impose a similar headache for marina neighbours if applicable to your situation.

 

[prv]

I'd like to have davits, or some other way to carry a dinghy ready for use, but they're just not practical on our boat and the way we use her. The closest I can get is an electric inflation pump, which is still far from ideal.

Pete

 

[RupertW]

We have a heavy rib (3m) and an outboard a little too heavy too for easy moving (5hp) so were willing to invest a bit to mitigate the problems. In the longer term we will replace our old 3m secondhand rib with a 2.3m one.

Obvious options:
1) Tow more often - we don't tow if doing more than a 4 or 5 hour sail. Even then we would have to lift the outboard off which is the more risky manouvre.
2) Davits - very very tempting. A simple robust solution to allow us to have a fully laden dinghy out of the water and secure. If in the UK I think we'd have davits straight away but with mostly either swimming at anchor, or stern to to quays or pontoons then having a davit is like hanging your car across your front door. Small issue also is that upside down on the foredeck feels a lot more secure than hanging off the stern, even with bunghole open to drain water.
3) Make it easier to lift engine to cockpit and rib to foredeck.

We've gone for option 3 - firstly rigging a couple of lines to the spinnaker pole so at 45 degrees it's a davit which swings a couple of meters over the water at the side to lift the dinghy by halyard and permanent harness, then swings over the foredeck to land it. Could be attached easily to the electric windlass rope drum but my wife seems to like the exercise on the cockpit winch. Takes just a few minutes to get it on board and secure.
Secondly we investigated engine hoisting davit but for the novelty we bought a Torqueedo 1003 last week (it was raining so we couldn't sail), which weighs a third of our existing outboard and detaches into 3 bits, so even lighter.

 

[Cardo]

Our relatively small boat (33ft hull) came with davits, and they are the best thing since sliced bread. The davits, although not the beefiest in the world, are able to take the weight of the dinghy with the outboard fitted, which has been great whilst we've been travelling through the Med. The ability to anchor then drop the dinghy and be away is great, even if there's some swell. We've travelled with friends who don't have davits and unless the weather is reasonably calm, they can't fit the outboard to the dinghy, limiting their adventures.

With more money, and a bigger boat, probably, we would have a big arch on the back, with built-in davits. Bit of an eyesore, but I've seen a number of examples that have looked the business.

 

[[2574]]

We've a pair of (easily removeable) Simpson davits from which we hang an Avon 2.8m airdeck. We rig the davits for the summer season then remove in winter when we deflate and pack away the dinghy. The convenience of davits is unbeatable - three mins to drop the dinghy and be away; I really don't think we'd do as many trips ashore if we had to inflate or lift up on foredeck. We've never crossed an ocean but our plans for more adventurous sailing is to deflate dinghy, pack away and remove davits. The davits are removed by removing one bolt and sliding the foot of the davit out of the mounting shoe, takes 1 minute for each davit, simplicity itself. We wouldn't be without davits but do spend money on a professionally designed, made and specified equipment - we've seen some properly bodged home made jobs which really do detract from the look of the boat.

 

[Storyline]

Our relatively small boat (33ft hull) came with davits, and they are the best thing since sliced bread. .....
.....

it is a changing world, when we first started sailing 33' was seen as a big boat and now yours and ours (36') are seen as smallish !

It goes to show how lightweight these modern larger (38' +) must be as our old (heavyish) 36 footer is about the largest size just two of us can handle safely. Even now as age becomes a bit of an issue for the future we are considering larger winches (maybe even electric !) ... and davits.

 

[GrahamM376]

Instead of davits, we went for a gantry. Advantages - dinghy can be hung up with engine at anchor, solar panels and Aerogen mounted on it and an engine crane.

 

[Kelpie]

I would presume that davits would rule out a transom-mounted windvane, therefore it's a no from us...
(Although given we seem to get away just fine with a Redcrest and oars, plus an electric pump, it would seem overkill anyway!)

 

[Storyline]

Instead of davits, we went for a gantry. Advantages - dinghy can be hung up with engine at anchor, solar panels and Aerogen mounted on it and an engine crane.

Yes, a lot to say for a gantry, especially as a mounting point for solar panels. Considered it when refitting Storyline but having come from 20 years with an ugly duckling (Westerly Pentland) we did not want to spoil the lines of our relatively pretty new boat (well, not pretty but at least in proportion). Now I know how efficient solar is I think I might have done it differently.

 

[snowleopard]

It really depends on the relative sizes of boat and dinghy. If the length of the dinghy is greater than the beam of the boat it becomes difficult.

If you use marinas it's a good idea to have folding davits so you aren't adding a metre or more to your LOA.

I love mine but the fact that I can fit an 11 ft dinghy on them without it projecting beyond the length or beam of the boat makes it much easier.

 

[Philiz]

We fitted davits last year as we were getting fed up of heaving the dinghy on and off the aft deck. We also bought a 2.6m RIB to hang off them.

Life is now so much easier for trips to the beach etc.

 

[Elessar]

Have them, but love them and hate them.

First thing i did when I bought the boat was take them off.
As I did on my last boat.

I bought a 10hp 2 stroke which on my little RIB is a hoot. So i refitted the davits.

Pros. So easy to use the RIB i am anchoring more.

Cons. Fugly. Possible marina costs.

I dont find it a manoeuvring problem.

I think on yachts the fugly is even more of an issue, the arse of my boat was hardly photogenic to start with.

If I want to leave the RIB behind i can fold mine up (needs a spanner but 2 mins max ) can do that when being measured too.

 

[Elessar]

It really depends on the relative sizes of boat and dinghy. If the length of the dinghy is greater than the beam of the boat it becomes difficult.

If you use marinas it's a good idea to have folding davits so you aren't adding a metre or more to your LOA.

I love mine but the fact that I can fit an 11 ft dinghy on them without it projecting beyond the length or beam of the boat makes it much easier.

Yeah they look right on cats. The only boat they really do.