Dinghy davits - advice and recommendations pls

[john_morris_uk]

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

Me neither. And I’ve always been upfront and honest when booking into a marina. I’ve told the truth which is we are 11.73 m but we have a dinghy on davits on the backend. No one has ever queried this or charged us extra.

 

[dunedin]

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

… yet !
Some canals and boatyards are rather more precise. And some places we have been (eg some in France and Baltic) the space was so tight that unless booked and paid for a bigger berth there would be no way of anybody getting in or out - though conversely there have been a number of places where a 4 foot fender on the stern has been very reassuring based upon the parking antics astern
We have also worked out a way of hanging the dinghy vertically (with engine off) which shortens the length in canals without deflating the dinghy.

 

[Neeves]

A further though on davits.

We use the mainsheet winch to retreive the dinghy, most use a block and tackle. Both will work. Using a block and tackle means you need a lot of string and then when retrieved somewhere to store the string. We use separate ropes for bow and stern for the dinghy, only the stern needs the winch (as if the outboard is still attached its heavier). The ropes for both the bow and stern have a lever clutch on them so you can hoist the dinghy evenly, pull the bow, lock of, winch in/up the stern (of the dinghy) - progressively.

Once our dinghy is raised up tight we use the spare string to stop the dinghy swinging.

None of this is difficult, whatever you do, but if you were to follow using two bits of rope then clutches might be useful, or small horn cleats.

The comment about reinforcing for the feet of the davits should not be ignored.

I don't think there is any right or wrong (in my comments I'm not implying anyone is wrong - so for those who are sensitive - if it works for you, why change?) - whatever suits you and whatever suits the specific arrangement for your transom. We would tend to over engineer rather than under engineer. One reason to over engineer - your next dinghy and O/B might even bigger.

Jonathan

 

[Travelling Westerly]

Me neither. And I’ve always been upfront and honest when booking into a marina. I’ve told the truth which is we are 11.73 m but we have a dinghy on davits on the backend. No one has ever queried this or charged us extra.

11.73m, really? I thought they were 41ft (12.4m and that's without davits)
It's a genuine question, did they make 2 different Oceanlord models? Your stern moulding does look different to some I've seen?
Keeping the thread on track, did you have to reinforce the stern for those davits?

 

[Bobc]

… yet !

In 11 years, across the UK south coast and the French north and west coast.

 

[john_morris_uk]

11.73m, really? I thought they were 41ft (12.4m and that's without davits)
It's a genuine question, did they make 2 different Oceanlord models? Your stern moulding does look different to some I've seen?
Keeping the thread on track, did you have to reinforce the stern for those davits?

The length is because she’s a Westerly Sealord and officially 38’6” (They used the same mouldings but added a sugar scoop for the Oceanlord)
I designed the brackets and backing plates for the davits. The brackets extend onto the rear deck and all supported with large backing plates underneath and inside.

 

[Travelling Westerly]

The length is because she’s a Westerly Sealord and officially 38’6” (They used the same mouldings but added a sugar scoop for the Oceanlord)
I designed the brackets and backing plates for the davits. The brackets extend onto the rear deck and all supported with large backing plates underneath and inside.

ah sorry John, I spotted the Lord name bit in the photo and wrongly assumed Ocean and not Sea, my bad..
Thanks for letting me know that you used backing pads. I'm going for the Bat system 100kg davits and the sugar scoop on my Westerly looks very thin from the inside, large backing plates it is then.

 

[john_morris_uk]

ah sorry John, I spotted the Lord name bit in the photo and wrongly assumed Ocean and not Sea, my bad..
Thanks for letting me know that you used backing pads. I'm going for the Bat system 100kg davits and the sugar scoop on my Westerly looks very thin from the inside, large backing plates it is then.

Here’s a picture of the plates for the brackets extending over the aft deck.

The balsa core was removed around each bolt hole and an epoxy plug cast to ensure the deck wasn’t crushed when the bolts were tightened.

 

[Travelling Westerly]

Here’s a picture of the plates for the brackets extending over the aft deck.
View attachment 128265
The balsa core was removed around each bolt hole and an epoxy plug cast to ensure the deck wasn’t crushed when the bolts were tightened.

Looks like a proper job that. I've got a teak deck so looks like I'll have some work ahead of me

 

[Stemar]

I've been toying with the idea of davits for Jazzcat, but I've got a foredeck with loads of space, and a big spinny pole. Is there any reason why I couldn't use a spinny halliard and the pole as a jib to lift the flubber and OB on board?

 

[john_morris_uk]

I've been toying with the idea of davits for Jazzcat, but I've got a foredeck with loads of space, and a big spinny pole. Is there any reason why I couldn't use a spinny halliard and the pole as a jib to lift the flubber and OB on board?

Why not? I’ve seen it done very effectively. Does the pole extend far enough outboard to give a clean lift?

 

[Stemar]

Why not? I’ve seen it done very effectively. Does the pole extend far enough outboard to give a clean lift?

That's something I'll have to work out next time I go to the boat, but I think so. If not, I can see it growing an extension!