Dinghy davits - advice and recommendations pls

[West Coast]

I have a jeanneau SO439 and am thinking of fitting dinghy davits. Dinghy is a 2.6m inflatable, say around 30kgs, with 27kg outboard.

Looking for ideas and advice - . Any product recommendations? Thanks all!

 

[ashtead]

Personally I would try to find some telescopic davits -I belief there are some by an Italian maker but I’ve only seem them on another boat- would be interested to learn what others have beyond plastismo or say Simpson davits. I guess a lot turns on your budget -I guess £2k for Simpson ones. Some have a steel arch constructed to hold solar etc (around 5k I was told) and use the arch to act as davits.

 

[Graham376]

Personally I would try to find some telescopic davits -I belief there are some by an Italian maker but I’ve only seem them on another boat- would be interested to learn what others have beyond plastismo or say Simpson davits. I guess a lot turns on your budget -I guess £2k for Simpson ones. Some have a steel arch constructed to hold solar etc (around 5k I was told) and use the arch to act as davits.

Yes, we went for gantry for solar and dinghy. We don't leave the engine on when hoisted underway though unless flat calm.

 

[girlofwight]

I spent a long time researching davits, around price, aesthetics and requirement to be removable - I didn’t warm to traditional Simpson style davits, too bulky.

I found these in a corner of Southampton show 2019, and they ticked every box for me. I have the 2 x 100kg ones, with a 170kg tender, and not been disappointed.

Davit Kit - Davits - Davits & Cranes - Deck Equipment

UK dealer Onward Marine - Cranes & Davits Archives | Onward Marine Company

 

[KompetentKrew]

When I bought my boat it was already fitted with a pair of Simpson swivelling davits, the LSD75. I like them, and I think they have a simple, elegant style, but Plastimo's very similar ones seem to have a higher load rating for the same diameter. I had to contact Cooney Marine to find out what model mine were, but they ignored me when I asked about this.

The outside diameter of my LSD75 davits is 50mm, and they are rated for 75kg. From my notes, Plastimo's 40mm diameter ones are rated at 100kg and their 60mm ones at 160kg.

I agree with the above that the Simpson series 8, 10 and "traditional" are an ugly blight.

 

[john_morris_uk]

I can’t comment on the various names as we have Simpson ones and are very happy with them. However two comments I can offer are:
If you have to remove the dinghy engine when using the davits you’re negating 80% of their usefulness. One of the best benefits of davits is having the dinghy and outboard set up and ready to launch and go at any time. Same with retrieval. No more doing the dance of potential swim with an outboard motor.
Secondly, we were advised to ensure that each davit could bear the whole weight of the dinghy and outboard. This allows for the surge in loading as the mother ship rolls and pitches.

All IMHO of course.

 

[Neeves]

Ours are custom made fibre glass davits and each arm will take the weight of 2 men (that's how they were tested).

Reading the posts above - you will have a 57kg assembly - that's at the limit of a single 60kg davit arm.....? Think that when you leave the marina - where better to throw the fenders and other bits and pieces ..... 60kgs???? In decent seas that 57kg will grow like Topsy.

Other than pottering about in calm water we remove the outboard - when are you going to need to use a dinghy on passage where there may be seas. We remove O/B (most times). If the O/B is too heavy to remove easily - but a smaller O/B. When we anchor - once settled we drop dinghy, replace O/B on transom - its part of the ritual - what else are you doing?

Hanging 60 kg on your transom (plus davits and anything you add on top of the davits (SUP, solar panels?? ) will do nothing for yacht performance, consider a lighter O/B (did I say that already?) and lighter dinghy

Simply based on our personal experience (we use a Foldabote and a 2.5hp 4 stroke Suzuki) Our dinghy is simply to access our cat, retreive crab pots and potter about - if we wanted a gas guzzler we would have bought a MoBo.

Jonathan

 

[andsarkit]

Jeremy Rogers makes carbon fibre ones. They look good but I can't see a price anywhere which probably means they are really expensive.
carbon davit
Atlas carbon

 

[ashtead]

Thanks yesGoW - I spoke to a distributor of the BAT system at SBS who were helpful -of the various types if the telescopic ones are ruled out they seemed a neat idea. In case of interest to the OP if he has utube there is a Baltic based poster RAN sailing on a Najad 460 and he fitted one in his early vids so that might be of interest seeing the approach. There also show in use in various vids which are well filmed . Maybe the jeaneau owners club is another source of info.

 

[dunedin]

We fitted Plastimo davits - come in two weight ratings 100kg and 160kg, but we have the basic ones - Plastimo Stainless Steel Pair of Pivoting Davits 100 KG Dinghy Launching Boat | eBay

We have been very pleased with them (though recently did a minor repair to the foot). Unlike some other which make the boat look like an oil rig, these are very neat. And with the dinghy off they can be swung 90 degrees to save berthing fees in the winter, or removed entirely to return to original lines (which may help with boat resale value, as some don’t like rear metalwork for stern to berthing).

Unlike Graham376, we leave the outboard on all season - as otherwise seems to lose most of the benefit of fast/easy launch and retrieval.

We have never had any issues when underway around many rather boisterous headlands and islands (Mull of K, Corryverckan, Cape Wrath, Orkneys etc) but would deflate and stow dinghy if doing blue water beyond a 3 day forecast (eg for an ARC or similar).

Need to check you have suitable and STRONG locations on the stern to mount the davits. Some modern boats with very wide folding sterns (or open sterns) lack any space narrow enough to fit the davits (for a 2.6m dinghy I would guess need about 1.8-2m spacing). Also we were advised by the builders to reinforce the stern deck - glassing in bit of 1 inch ply, I think (no way I could fit into the stern lockers to do so, so paying a younger person to do that was the best and biggest investment).

Finally, having davits meant we could add the luxury of decent sized folding wheels (as few dinghy docks here) - SUPROD HD200. Coming ashore, jumping out and simply wheeling swiftly up the Calmac ferry ramp at Canna, for example, is a joy.

 

[West Coast]

Thanks all - really useful info as always. I have never used davits before, have always lifted the outboard onto the pushpit bracket and then either towed the dinghy (short trips) or put on the foredeck. The convenience of davits appeals, especially as my wife and I are not getting any younger!

I have a powered halyard winch which makes lifting the dinghy relatively easy, and alternative for the outboard might be a separate outboard lift davit. So mulling over all these options

 

[Graham376]

If you have to remove the dinghy engine when using the davits you’re negating 80% of their usefulness. One of the best benefits of davits is having the dinghy and outboard set up and ready to launch and go at any time.

Most davit/dinghy combinations allow the dinghy to be hoisted up tight so it doesn't move whereas hanging from a gantry, it will pendulum. Ours, hanging from gantry weighs a little over 100kg with engine mounted so needs less cross bracing (springs) with the 27kg engine off, which only takes a couple of minutes with lifting arm. We only take the engine off when actually sailing which is far less than the time spent on mooring or anchor with the dinghy in daily use. It gets hauled with engine at night.

 

[Tradewinds]

Bat System looks interesting. Howeve, my Simpson Davits are a great place to mount solar panels.
I would never have the dinghy in davits on an offshore passage. Engine off, dinghy lashed down on foredeck.
SImpson davits are hugely expensive - bank on £5k+ by the time you've bought the deck/transom mounts etc.

 

[john_morris_uk]

Dinghy and outboard stays on for sailing round the channel and Brittany etc. it only comes off for ocean passages.

 

[Bobc]

We fitted Plastimo davits - come in two weight ratings 100kg and 160kg, but we have the basic ones - Plastimo Stainless Steel Pair of Pivoting Davits 100 KG Dinghy Launching Boat | eBay

We have been very pleased with them (though recently did a minor repair to the foot). Unlike some other which make the boat look like an oil rig, these are very neat. And with the dinghy off they can be swung 90 degrees to save berthing fees in the winter, or removed entirely to return to original lines (which may help with boat resale value, as some don’t like rear metalwork for stern to berthing).

Unlike Graham376, we leave the outboard on all season - as otherwise seems to lose most of the benefit of fast/easy launch and retrieval.

We have never had any issues when underway around many rather boisterous headlands and islands (Mull of K, Corryverckan, Cape Wrath, Orkneys etc) but would deflate and stow dinghy if doing blue water beyond a 3 day forecast (eg for an ARC or similar).

Need to check you have suitable and STRONG locations on the stern to mount the davits. Some modern boats with very wide folding sterns (or open sterns) lack any space narrow enough to fit the davits (for a 2.6m dinghy I would guess need about 1.8-2m spacing). Also we were advised by the builders to reinforce the stern deck - glassing in bit of 1 inch ply, I think (no way I could fit into the stern lockers to do so, so paying a younger person to do that was the best and biggest investment).

Finally, having davits meant we could add the luxury of decent sized folding wheels (as few dinghy docks here) - SUPROD HD200. Coming ashore, jumping out and simply wheeling swiftly up the Calmac ferry ramp at Canna, for example, is a joy.

I have the Plasimo davits, but mine are the 160Kg version. Here are some photos of how I have them on my Bavaria 49. The rib is a 2.7m with a 6hp motor.

 

[Clancy Moped]

We went for it on SO37.

​

 

[dunedin]

Incidentally, re this aspect ……..

………
Hanging 60 kg on your transom (plus davits and anything you add on top of the davits (SUP, solar panels?? ) will do nothing for yacht performance, consider a lighter O/B (did I say that already?) and lighter dinghy …..

…… we like sailing efficiently, and have never noticed any measurable loss of performance through having the dinghy and outboard on the back. Certainly a lot better than towing a dinghy. And hasn’t stopped us overtaking most other boats upwind in flat water or waves.
And nicely balances the 2 anchors and 85m of chain in the bow
Clearly would remove if racing the Fastnet (or probably even for Round the single paltry Island Race), but no issue for a boat like ours or the the OPs.

 

[Bodach na mara]

View attachment 128225View attachment 128226
Dinghy and outboard stays on for sailing round the channel and Brittany etc. it only comes off for ocean passages.

These photos remind me of why I have never got round to getting davits; because in my experience marinas are quick to add on another metre or so to the length of the boat for the purpose of calculating berthing fees. And at £450+ per metre that is a considerable sum for the convenience.

 

[dunedin]

These photos remind me of why I have never got round to getting davits; because in my experience marinas are quick to add on another metre or so to the length of the boat for the purpose of calculating berthing fees. And at £450+ per metre that is a considerable sum for the convenience.

Agree - that’s where the Plastimo ones which can come off in seconds (once dinghy dropped) are so good. And look neater IMHO also.

PS. An especially when put into a heated shed in the Baltic - where we were slotted in with about 2cm gap all round. Zero tolerance for extra length at their prices.

 

[Bobc]

These photos remind me of why I have never got round to getting davits; because in my experience marinas are quick to add on another metre or so to the length of the boat for the purpose of calculating berthing fees. And at £450+ per metre that is a considerable sum for the convenience.

I've never had any marina do that to me.