Suspending dinghy from davits - bow

shortjohnsilver

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I’ve just purchased a new dinghy and as before intend to hang from my davits.
I’ll screw in a couple of rings into the rear upright outboard mount section and attach a bridle, but I’m not keen on using the stainless steel towing eyes, to attach the forward davit lifting bridle.
Anyone recommend a method or someway of taking the weight of the forward section of the dinghy effectively?
Ta.
 
Glue on two D rings on the inside of the tubes near the front (precise location dependent on spacing of davits). Done this on two dinghies and worked perfectly. Most of the weaight is on the stern anyway, particularly with outboard on.
 
It depends on the dinghy and you make no mention of what sort of dinghy. Its amazing how useful a camera can be, on your phone perhaps? when you need some help .... :)

3-4 wraps of rope round the forward seat and then to however you have arranged lifting. The 3 or 4 wraps are simply a means for you to attach the 'davit rope' to the dinghy. You leave them permanently attached in position. Join the 2 with a shackle or carabiner

Another option (and I know you said you don't want to use the towing rings) is to lift the stern first and then using the towing rings - lift the bow. Have the stern tight against the davit, so that the dinghy cannot swing/wobble. Now take a length or rope from the davit to which the bow is attached and run the rope under the dinghy hull and secure back to the davit. Tighten this rope, the one under the bow, as much as you can.

The line at the stern takes most of the weight and secures the dinghy so that it is immovable - the bow 'loop' takes the weight and the dinghy cannot slip out. If you think the bow rope will damage the dinghy, over time, make the bow rope from lifting tape (or seatbelt tape?) its wide and will spread the load. Its easy to sew loops in lifting or seat belt tape.

Once the bow is secured from 'underneath' you can ease the tension on the towing rings - they are thus used very temporarily.

Jonathan
 
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I used two eyes in the wooden transom for the stern and a webbing strap that passed through the two forward D rings and under the hull. You can't pull it up too high this way as it tries to squash the dinghy if you create too shallow an angle on the lifting strops, but it worked ok for me that way. If you want to get it higher then you need to add a spreader bar with a central lift point, across the top to keep the webbing apart. All similar to what Neeves has said.
 
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