Hoisting dinghy onto deck

[westernman]

I have a rigid dinghy which is fairly heavy which sits in chocks on the side deck as can be seen in the right of this photo. The bow of the dinghy is just behind the mast and in front of the side stays.

I am looking for some bright ideas for lowering and raising it to see.

What we normally do is to hoist it up on the topsail halyard. This of course pulls the dinghy forward and towards the centre of the boat. So normally one person hauls it up and some one else holds it back until it is high enough to swing out over the side. It is fairly hard work for the person holding on to the dinghy and it is also tricky to manhandle to push over the side of the boat.

We have experimented attaching a rope to the stern to pull the dinghy backwards - but this does not really make it much easier.

What does everyone else do?

Bright ideas???

 

[snowleopard]

While I don't lift the dinghy on deck I do make a lot of use of the boom as a crane. I have a snatch block permanently attached to the boom and when I want to hoist something heavy on board I run a line from the object through the block and forward to a winch. Having hoisted the object to the right height I just swing the boom back inboard and lower away. I regularly use it to lift liferaft and heavy sails and on one occasion I lifted an engine aboard with it.

I have the benefit of a boom that stays put without topping lift and no stays so the boom can go out over the bow but even with a conventional rig most of the principles apply.

 

[westernman]

While I don't lift the dinghy on deck I do make a lot of use of the boom as a crane. I have a snatch block permanently attached to the boom and when I want to hoist something heavy on board I run a line from the object through the block and forward to a winch. Having hoisted the object to the right height I just swing the boom back inboard and lower away. I regularly use it to lift liferaft and heavy sails and on one occasion I lifted an engine aboard with it.

I have the benefit of a boom that stays put without topping lift and no stays so the boom can go out over the bow but even with a conventional rig most of the principles apply.

The problem is the dinghy is stowed well forward. I can just about get the boom over the dinghy when it is pushed right out against the stays - but then it won't go any further to get the dinghy over the water!

I can't help feeling I am missing something really simple somewhere.......

 

[snowleopard]

The problem is the dinghy is stowed well forward. I can just about get the boom over the dinghy when it is pushed right out against the stays - but then it won't go any further to get the dinghy over the water!

I can't help feeling I am missing something really simple somewhere.......

I see the problem. What you need is a way of sliding the lifting tackle along the boom. I don't suppose it would be feasible to top up the boom to an acute angle so the tackle could be attached further out then lower the boom to the horizontal while taking in on the tackle. The gaff would also serve but the sail would be in the way.

How about this: hoist it on the topsail halyard as before but run a line from the end of the boom to the same attachment point to move it in/out. To hoist aboard, swing the boom out over the dinghy, take up the slack on the outhaul to stop it swinging in as you hoist, lift on the halyard until clear of the lifelines then ease the outhaul and swing the boom to bring it inboard then ease away on the halyard to drop it into its chocks and Robert is your father's brother.

 

[westernman]

I see the problem. What you need is a way of sliding the lifting tackle along the boom. I don't suppose it would be feasible to top up the boom to an acute angle so the tackle could be attached further out then lower the boom to the horizontal while taking in on the tackle. The gaff would also serve but the sail would be in the way.

The boom (complete with gaff and sail sitting on top of it), could be topped up a bit - a few feet but not much more.

How about this: hoist it on the topsail halyard as before but run a line from the end of the boom to the same attachment point to move it in/out. To hoist aboard, swing the boom out over the dinghy, take up the slack on the outhaul to stop it swinging in as you hoist, lift on the halyard until clear of the lifelines then ease the outhaul and swing the boom to bring it inboard then ease away on the halyard to drop it into its chocks and Robert is your father's brother.

Not sure I understood that. But I could attach a kind of barber hauler to the end of the boom......

 

[Rivers & creeks]

While I don't lift the dinghy on deck I do make a lot of use of the boom as a crane. I have a snatch block permanently attached to the boom and when I want to hoist something heavy on board I run a line from the object through the block and forward to a winch. Having hoisted the object to the right height I just swing the boom back inboard and lower away. I regularly use it to lift liferaft and heavy sails and on one occasion I lifted an engine aboard with it.

I have the benefit of a boom that stays put without topping lift and no stays so the boom can go out over the bow but even with a conventional rig most of the principles apply.

I was going to do that but I was worried about the strain on the gooseneck - or is it all taken by the halyard?

 

[snowleopard]

Not sure I understood that. But I could attach a kind of barber hauler to the end of the boom......

Yes, that's what I mean. Just take a line through a block on the end of the boom and tie to the topsail halyard to pull it outboard.

 

[Tranona]

Sounds like a job for a swivelling davit. See www.cooneymarine.co.uk for examples or Google Davits for Yachts for lots of other potential sources.