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Old 07-05-2019, 11:46 AM   #6
syjos
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City: Gig Harbor
Vessel Name: Sandpiper
Vessel Model: Bluewater 40 Pilothouse Trawler
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 2,315
I carry a 600# 12' fiberglass dinghy on my boat deck.

I lift it up there with a Nick Jackson 900# pipe davit and it sits strapped on a cradle

I had to reinforce a roof beam with additional lamination in order to support the additional weight.

I don't notice any difference in stability but the back of the boat sits lower in the water, which I trim out with water and fuel tanks. Your aft cabin top is lower than mine so the dinghy won't be as high.

If you are concerned about the roof being able to support the weight of the dinghy, get a couple guys, where their total weight equals the dinghy, to stand on the roof. See how much the deflection is and go from there.

Though transom storage is popular, it does present issues:

Getting off the boat via swim step past the struts holding the dinghy up. Or the davits sticking out.

Adds length to the boat, which may necessitate a longer slip.

Must drop dinghy before backing into a slip.

If the dinghy is longer than the width of the transom, it can create difficulty docking.

Boats have had waves catch a dinghy tilted up on the transom causing damage.


Roof top dinghy storage takes more time to launch and unless you can launch at the back of the boat, have to launch before docking or rafting on the dinghy drop side.

Hard to launch in lumpy sea.

Davit and winch to maintain.


Launching a dinghy with mast and boom is more difficult than launching with a davit or crane.
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