Dinghy and Davits

We have a new-to-us 1984 Fu Hwa 39 sedan trawler. It has a shabby fiberglass swim platform with a shabbier swim ladder and operable trim tabs. It's vaguely possible that the stainless steel brackets that carry the swim platform are adequate for more than my 270lbs. Maybe even adequate for a dinghy carried on edge.

I'm looking at all options that I can think of for carrying a dinghy. Transversely tip up on edge on the swim platform - carry transversely over the swim platform - hang from davits over the swim platform at the transom - hang from davits at the height of the flybridge. The foredeck is not big enough. The open area of the flybridge is not big enough and the railings are in the way.

We don't yet own an adequate dinghy; we have a 'Watertender 9.4' with a 2 1/2 hp OB. Capacious, heavy, ugly, awful blue - but ours.

We think the swim platform is likely to be a handy way to board, especially if finger piers are not long enough to reach to the side openings in the railings.

Ideas for this newbie?

Dinghy Davit

We use a Dinghy Caddy. It holds the Dinghy pretty much level which is important for 4 stroke outboards. Handles up to a 12' boat and 400 lbs.

This is the picture of it at the install.

More pictures here.
http://www.dinghycaddy.com/products.htm

Some things to think about before making your choice is visibility aft and length overall. If you cruise into a marina, will the dinghy position cost you due to added length. Will it be a dangerous overhang if you back in. Will it block vision aft from either helm? Do you mind if it can't be launched when docked? Will you need to move your stern light when mounted? Can you see how it's held secure from the helm(s). Don't forget you could tow it too. Even davit choices are a compromise.

DH, Try a search of the forum for dinghy davit threads. Lots of great ideas in the archives. I have a similar set of restraints and am looking at Weaver Davits as the solution.

I bought/imported a pair of "davits" like Capt. Jon`s, but smaller, enough to contain the side tube and pivot the dinghy on its side across the transom. In a trial I lashed the dinghy on the swimstep, it obstructed vision for docking, so I probably won`t fit them.

It's too bad the Dinghy Caddy doesn't double as a swim ladder when down.

Has anyone come across something similar that can be used as a ladder?

AusCan said:

It's too bad the Dinghy Caddy doesn't double as a swim ladder when down.

Has anyone come across something similar that can be used as a ladder?

Click to expand...

It does. You just lower it all the way down. It stops in the vertical position. As for restricting your view, we run the boat from the fly bridge. Unless you can put the dinghy above your line of sight it will always be in your visual path. For us the platform turned out to be the best and it allows my wife to easily lift the dinghy out or put it in.

Capt Jon...do you have any pics of your stern with the dingy mounted? I currently have davits that rest the dingy on the platform.........don't like it, so looking for something similar.

No, but I can take some next time I'm at the boat. Maybe later this week.

Thanks
I appreciate it.

Check out Transom Mount davits by Nick Jackson. It mounts onto the transom instead of the swim platform.

Dump the crappy swim platform and bolt the clip on hinge style.

Coming alongside the clipped on dink will be stable to pass up goodies or pass down garbage.

Climb up the existing ladder and pull the outboard side of the dink up against the transom.

Cheap, EZ to fix to the next non condom dink and practical.

This is our arrangement. I don't like the davits mounted to the deck, but that's where the PO installed them. I beefed it up so the deck doesn't flex.
Also don't like that the platform is not usable, but that's a sacrifice.
We bow in at our slip, so the dink is usable when we're "home".

I was going to mount mine with the Weaver davit/lever system but changed my mind. I just tow it or I put it on the PH roof by hand and mount the motor to a bracket.

In fact, I have a new Weaver Davit and the Weaver Lever to mount the outboard on, along with all the assorted standoff poles and other brackets required, that I will sell.

New if you bought it all it it would be over $1700! I will sell mine for the low low price of only $695. I'm between Houston and Corpus on the lovely Redneck Riviera.

The lever and standoff and pin:
https://www.weaverindustries.com/index.cfm/category/2/leaver.htm

The davits (for inflatable):
https://www.weaverindustries.com/index.cfm/product/110_14/heavy-duty-davit-system.htm

I use a17' Logic Marine center console that like cardude I tow. I've found that once I had everything set up its easy to tow, remove to use and to get back ready to tow.

I normally tow with the bow of the LM at the swim platform and have lines made up specifically for that, this makes it much easier when locking or coming in to a fuel dock. I have a WalkerBay 10 that we used with our 3270, but will never use for a dingy again after having the LM, it's much more stable, more room us kids and grandkids and faster with the 50 hp Merc 2 stroke.


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That's a serious dingy!

Lots of good comments/information here.

I wonder if the Weaver-style latches are a pain with the dinghy and boat bobbing? Perhaps rope-based latches might be arranged.

Towing a large dink like the 17 footer seems rather extreme, in fuel use, unruliness - particularly in following seas, and space taken up. We towed our Watertender 9.4 foot from the sailboat, what a dog!, what a drag!, and she used to waddle all over the place sometimes sneaking up on us and whanging the self-steering vane; we had a simple way to shorten her tether when docking.

I'd love to tow an adequate sailing dinghy. I've towed another of this class behind the sailboat. Rather an active tow!

I haven't noticed much difference in fuel use and it tracks straight when on a long tow and no problem with the current pushing it when going downriver. When I tow it close to the swim platform it doesn't over ride it because of a short line from the bow eye to a small cleat on the edge of the platform. It's slack while towing, keeps the bow centered but stops the bow from hitting the boat.


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At least one out-of-the-ordinary set-up belongs to the prolific couple of Ted and Sarah Pongracz, now on their 27th loop. Their dinghy setup, shown here in a series of photos, consists of a pintle-like hitch for towing and to use the 90 HP dinghy as a pusher style get-home. Ted and Sarah have logged so many miles aboard, including down Island numerous times as far as St. Kitts, it must be a pretty dependable system. The dinghy is equipped with its own Navigation system and electronic controls so that Ted can tighten up the stays and let the dinghy systems push both boats wherever plotted at 4 knots. Dinghy weight is 1500 lbs.. First photo is borrowed from Janice's Seaweed blog....hope she doesn't mind. The rest I took during their visit a couple weeks ago while passing Sarasota on their way to Marco Island.

Wow. That's pretty damn cool.

That is just so friggin cool!

cardude01 said:

Wow. That's pretty damn cool.

Click to expand...

Your right it really is!

Forgot the actual comment. I have the Weavers on swim platform. Easy connect/disconnect. Critical to correctly evaluate the vertical position for clips on inflatable. Too high on the tube may (as it has on mine) result in the inflatable riding too low and catching water at speed when the stern squats. Which, in turn, over stresses the glue joint ......

Weavers are a relatively inexpensive stupid simple solution. Easy to operate, has its quirks, still have to handle the OB. Boat came with them, I'm a light dink user, close enough for now.

The Jackson rig looks like a well thought out design. Not seen one before.

River Cruiser, that sounds good! Particularly like the control you've got with the two snugged up.

Dinghy Caddy Photos

Here are a few pictures of our install with the dinghy lifted.

Second Photos

Second photo shot

So far (in nearly five years), the only significant function of my rarely used swim platform has been as a landing for a soft-bottomed dinghy.

Capt Jon........thanks for the pics........that's EXACTLY what I'm looking for!

I'm drifting ever closer to making my own davits. As I'm only a retired architect, whatever engineering skills I aquired to graduate from McGill and to pass the Registration Exam have long atrophied. (My testa dura remains.) Before I start laminating Ash, though, I'll need to be confident of the required cross section. Other details include the mounting hardware and the reinforcement inside the transom.

I'm also mulling making another single, or pair of davits on the flybridge wing to lift a kayak for storage. I'll wing that design since it's not a serious application or much of a problem.

The two reasonably-priced alternatives are rather close to capacity for our RIB; one won't even sell me theirs. And both these would block the comfortable use of the swim platform since they'd leave only about 4' clear under the davit.

DHeckrotte, in your first post you said you had a watertender 9.4 but don't consider it adequate, what is it's biggest deficiency other than weight? It isn't a looker but the trihull style seems like a pretty functional dink for the price and someone averse to inflatables. I would be curious if the weaver snap davit hardware could be attached to it or if the plastic construction would be too weak. I think the heavy duty units would handle the weight, I assume the biggest challenge would be getting the right leverage to tilt it up in place.