Tenders and Davits

[ip485]

What are your thoughts on tenders on davits on long crossings?

There is the risk of the tender taking a large wave, filling with water with the consequence of exceeding the capacity of the davits. I always leave the bung out anyway, so of course it will drain, but I am conscious its an alarming weight of water and would exceed the davits weight restriction.

The tender for longer passages could be strapped upturned on the rear deck.

 

[Hadenough]

Define long crossings and what are the conditions that you sail in? I have a RIB in davits with which I wouldn't dream of crossing Biscay. But this year during 1000+ miles of cruising in chosen benign conditions, has not been a problem.

 

[RichardS]

We store our dinghy upside down on the davits when we are not onboard and could just as easily do the same on a long crossing if necessary.

Richard

 

[ip485]

Long crossing - more than two days at sea.

Richard - I had thought about that and like the idea - I guess you have attachment points on the underside of the upturned hull - it makes very good sense.

Mine is a 3.1 metre tender with an aluminium hull.

 

[Ravi]

I assume that this a solid tender. Otherwise, you would just deflate and stow, yes?

 

[Tranona]

Long crossing - more than two days at sea.

Richard - I had thought about that and like the idea - I guess you have attachment points on the underside of the upturned hull - it makes very good sense.

Mine is a 3.1 metre tender with an aluminium hull.

If you are worried about it filling with water, why not have a reasonably watertight cover made for it? Presumably it is high enough up for it not to get anywhere near the water when sailing. If so, don't see any real problem just because a passage is longer than 2 days.

 

[Billjratt]

We have RIB on davits and there is nowhere else it can go. If I was going 'ocean' I would be worried about a wave hitting (not filling) the RIB and wrecking the davits _ I'd have to get another dink and leave the RIB at home. The weight thing is relatively easy to deal with. I have an SS wire aerial between the backstay attachment at the masthead and the sheave axle on the davit. -Only on the side that lifts the engine which is left on the RIB, but both could be arranged.

 

[Jamesuk]

Oyster 60 something: with rib lashed and I mean lashed down (we took weight off wire too) to Simpson Davits (40hp 4 stroke) sailed 4000 miles. All fine. France to St Lucia.

We had cover for it and also put all our surfboards on it too.

The chaff issue you have to iver come.

 

[RobbieW]

Crossing the channel in heavyish conditions on an Aquastar (iirc) we had a sea catch the rib in the davits from underneath and bend the davit arms up. Not irreparable but something else to consider

 

[geem]

We don't have davits. It is a conscious decision not to. We have a 9ft rib that we lash down to the foredeck on ocean passages. We use 5 ton ratchet straps to the toerail. For short passages between islands in the Caribbean we leave the rib the right way up on the deck with the engine still attached. The electrical windlass lifts and lowers the rib with ease. We have found it easier and fast to stow the rib than many people with davits. Works for us but we have a flush deck with space to stow the rib on deck.

 

[michael_w]

A solution to this conundrum would be to have an inflatable with high pressure floor/ply floor boards. It lives on the davits whilst coastal cruising, then gets packed away down below for the ocean stuff.