Dinghy storage

[danderer]

Given a 50-footish trawler (such as an N47 or KK48 for example) and a 12' center-console RIB, where would be the best place to carry the RIB? Top of the aft deck? Davits off the transom? From the swim platform?

Yeah, I know "it depends", but I thought I'd ask the question in a general way to get more varied input.

 

[Heron]

Wish I had all those options! Takes a lot of expensive hardware to store on deck. With only 28' to work with it's the swim platform for me. I must admit, this is a very convenient and affordable way to handle the dink..

I pull it all the way up when traveling..

My wife loves the stability of boarding/disembarking.
That, in itself, is worth a lot..

 

[Crusty Chief]

Mine is 11.5 and takes a bit of work to make it fit on the aft deck of the FB. Definitely would not like to deploy or recover it in bad weather but that's the only place that it would work, mostly cuz of the weight.

 

[Larry M]

We carry ours on the boat deck. We do not use the factory mast and boom but a Nick Jackson davit. We had a 750 lb, 13.5 foot, center console, Avon rib. Swinging that out over the side was an experience.

We now have a 10.5 foot rib that weighs about 175 lb. On the boat deck it's out of the way (we fish).

 

[Heron]

We carry ours on the boat deck.

We now have a 10.5 foot rib that weighs about 175 lb. On the boat deck it's out of the way (we fish).

Perfect!

 

[mbevins]

Given a 50-footish trawler (such as an N47 or KK48 for example) and a 12' center-console RIB, where would be the best place to carry the RIB? Top of the aft deck? Davits off the transom? From the swim platform?

Yeah, I know "it depends", but I thought I'd ask the question in a general way to get more varied input.

Carry ours on the fordeck.
I can see it. Easy to load, clean, service.
Wouldn't put it any where else.

 

[gaston]

I will have the same set up as Heron before summer which is just around the corner here .My problem will be where to store a 8hp Yamaha outboard
Simple solution may be get a smaller motor but 8hp on a 10' rubber ducky is fun

 

[Heron]

I will have the same set up as Heron before summer which is just around the corner here .My problem will be where to store a 8hp Yamaha outboard
Simple solution may be get a smaller motor but 8hp on a 10' rubber ducky is fun

I had that sane problem and designed this bracket. May or may not work for your set-up! My 27lb 2 hp is pretty easy to lug around..

Pics: http://public.fotki.com/ttschwing/cape-dory-28-trawler/outboard-rack/

 

[gaston]

Thanks that looks neat but I don't think the wife can lift the Yammy over the stern either its too heavy or she is too old


Nice boat

 

[Heron]

Thanks that looks neat but I don't think the wife can lift the Yammy over the stern either its too heavy or she is too old


Nice boat

Thanks! You might need one of those small Forespar cranes....If I had anything bigger than 2hp I'd need to use the one that came on the boat!

 

[menzies]

I have a davit and chocks on the bow for a 10' Avon and 9.9 four stroke.

For some reason the previous owner also had weaver davits on the swim platform, damn things. I don't know how many times people, including myself, have painfully stubbed toes on those things.

 

[go-planing]

Nick Jackson stern davit. Allows single handed, easy, safe launch of a heavy center console dink (per OP specification) in a narrow slip with boats on either side. Not a fan of side launching heavy dinks from the roof, particularly in rough water.

 

[koliver]

For the OP's 50 footer and 12'RIB, Weaver or Seawise davits are out. I bought my 12' Caribe, with a Honda 40, from a guy who tipped it up on his swimgrid. The fibreglass parts of the Caribe were never designed to support the loading of a heavy dinghy on the small mounts presented by the Weaver or Seawise systems, and a lot of cracking and repairing has been done as a result. I lift on stern davits. With the engine on one davit the load is about 500 lb. With a full tank of fuel the load on the other davit is about 250 lb.

 

[O C Diver]

We carry ours on the boat deck. We do not use the factory mast and boom but a Nick Jackson davit. We had a 750 lb, 13.5 foot, center console, Avon rib. Swinging that out over the side was an experience.

We now have a 10.5 foot rib that weighs about 175 lb. On the boat deck it's out of the way (we fish).

Have the same Nick Jackson davit with a 12' RIB with 15HP 4 stroke.



Ted

 

[FF]

Your dink may be your best life boat, stow it as such,

 

[kelbylinn]

Lester Davits out of Tampa mounted on the stern and are keyfob or switch activated. Easily lifts 10' dinghy with 15hp four stroke. We use it much more now due to ease of operation.

 

[Drake]

We keep ours on the boat deck. It's a 13' Highfield, raised by a Bowmar davit. Launching is no problem. Loading in wind can be a handful for one person, but manageable.

 

[Britannia]

I just tuck my 12'/20HP RIB athwartships under the wannabe windows

Richard

 

[ksanders]

We have a boat deck with a 750 lb crane (Factory Bayliner )

Here's a couple of photos of me unloading our very heavy center console Zodiac by myself. Its a 5 minute job, up or down

 

[Codger2]

My boat has a davit on the bow that used to lift a 10' Avon. When in the slip, you can't launch the dinghy! Even if you're stern in! One of the favorite past times in our marina is going to dinner in the dinghy but we would have to untie the boat and move out of the slip to launch. A bow mounted dinghy is very limited as to where you can launch it. Conclusion: We sold it!

P.S. The dinghy in the photo is not ours...it's a neighbor's that is hard to launch from his boat too!

 

[go-planing]

We have a boat deck with a 750 lb crane (Factory Bayliner )

Here's a couple of photos of me unloading our very heavy center console Zodiac by myself. Its a 5 minute job, up or down

The photos appear to show a flat calm day with either no boat in adjacent slip or enough room between boats to fit the dink. Not always the case. I've watched some scary roof launches in rough water anchorages....and marinas. Also as someone mentioned earlier...our dink is our life raft and I want it quickly, easily and safely accessible in the worst of conditions. Heavy roof dink = addition of inflatable life raft.

 

[ksanders]

The photos appear to show a flat calm day with either no boat in adjacent slip or enough room between boats to fit the dink. Not always the case. I've watched some scary roof launches in rough water anchorages....and marinas. Also as someone mentioned earlier...our dink is our life raft and I want it quickly, easily and safely accessible in the worst of conditions. Heavy roof dink = addition of inflatable life raft.

I can say that in any anchorage that is comfortable to stay in, we launch the skiff.

Admittedly launching a skiff off of any boat deck in rough weather would mean a several hundred pound load swinging. That would be an unsafe situation.

Thats why we carry a SOLAS life raft.

What we did not want, and never will want is a skiff hanging off of the swim step. Thats because we use our boat to fish off of, and we use the swim platform to exit the boat at the dock.

That and in truly rough weather I want my skiff strapped down in it's chocks where I know it's safe.

Years ago I had a skiff break loose that was utilizing some sort of swim step mount. I think it was a weaver, but honestly don't remember. We were in truly crappy weather and then i had to deal with a skiff hanging down into the water. No thanks! My skiff, and all my skiffs since then get tied down using three points of ratchet straps. In rough weather I have other things to worry about besides a skiff.

This is the kind of following sea that will knock a swim step mounted skiff off.
These were bouy measured 10 footers, and we were running hard to keep ahead of them.

 

[go-planing]

I can say that in any anchorage that is comfortable to stay in, we launch the skiff.

Admittedly launching a skiff off of any boat deck in rough weather would mean a several hundred pound load swinging. That would be an unsafe situation.

Thats why we carry a SOLAS life raft.

What we did not want, and never will want is a skiff hanging off of the swim step. Thats because we use our boat to fish off of, and we use the swim platform to exit the boat at the dock.

That and in truly rough weather I want my skiff strapped down in it's chocks where I know it's safe.

Years ago I had a skiff break loose that was utilizing some sort of swim step mount. I think it was a weaver, but honestly don't remember. We were in truly crappy weather and then i had to deal with a skiff hanging down into the water. No thanks! My skiff, and all my skiffs since then get tied down using three points of ratchet straps. In rough weather I have other things to worry about besides a skiff.

Check out Nick Jackson's stern davits. Access via the swim platform and rigidly attached to boat structure (not the swim platform) when out of the water. Think it's already been established that swim platform mount is not realistic for a large dinghy/motor. Fishing is a personal problem.


Truly rough weather is 10 footers with an extremely short period as on Lake Michigan. Never a problem with the Nick Jackson stern davit.

 

[kraftee]

You mentioned the N47. Well, almost all of them (and most of the flybridge N37s) have a Mirage composite 1,000 lb. davit to stow the dink (typically a 12' center console RIB with 30hp) on the aft end of hardtop - behind the flybridge seating. One boat (Gale Force) stows her 13', 40hp tender on the foredeck and lifts it with a 1,200 lb. UMT davit with hydraulic luffing. And our ex-charter boat, Spoonbill (now Almost Heaven), has no dinghy storage arrangement at all - she tows her skiff. Of course, there have been several differing opinions among our owners on the best way to POSITION the dinghy on the hardtop!

 

[danderer]

Some interesting things, especially the Nick Jackson stern davits.

A more detailed question. We've currently got a 9' RIB on simple St Croix davits on a 39' boat. This setup works well. It does obstruct the swim platform and (severely) limits flexibility running the stern lines. However, it has the major benefit of being quick and simple for one person to launch or recover the dinghy - something we do almost every day.

In thinking about the next boat (50-feet or so) we see they almost all carry their tenders on the cabin top/boat deck with a crane. But we've also seen more than a few folks have trouble handling that setup - needing 2 people, and still having the tender swing frantically even in relatively protected harbors. And should a wake hit at the wrong moment...

What are the tricks to having and operating a boat deck/crane system that is simple and safe, and ideally single-handed?

 

[ksanders]

What are the tricks to having and operating a boat deck/crane system that is simple and safe, and ideally single-handed?

Make sure the crane arm swings easily and practice.

I launch and retrieve ours all the time by myself. It's not like I have to because I'm single handing. If the admiral is busy with the dogs, or guests, or whatever, it's not a challenge to do it myself.

with dogs on board we launch the skiff at least twice a day. Once at lunch and once when we anchor in the afternoon.

I often take the dogs for a potty break while fishing. I can pull into a cove, drop the anchor, launch the skiff, potty the dogs, stow the skiff, pull the anchor, and get back underway in less than 45 minutes without rushing.

What we do is leave the crane attached to the skiff, and in calm weather we just tie the nose of the skiff down using a ratchet strap. That makes the whole process really quick.

 

[caltexflanc]

If you are relying on a dinghy to be your blue water life raft (it isn't one, but that's a whole 'nother debate), you typically want it mounted high, as you want to stay with the big boat as long as possible. When one's boat is sinking, the first activities (and instincts) are usually focused around finding and stopping the leak, issuing Maydays, activating the EPIRB and DSC, grabbing safety gear.

Personally, having cruised boats with stern davits, dinghies deployed from trunk cabins via a boom, and finally using a davit for a dinghy on a boat deck, I really came to like the latter. Out of the way, easy to work on and clean. The boat has to be designed for it though. I'd say stern mounts are our least favorite, the thing can get sooted up due to the station wagon effect, you can't just stop the boat or do a lunch hook and take a swim easily. It all depends on the boat and how you use the dinghy and what kind of dinghy.

We usually didn't deploy it in bad conditions because we didn't want to use it in bad conditions. But with lines attached when necessary to maneuver it around, fenders deployed, it can be done and kept under control, being mindful of the danger in being out on the boat deck. The biggest struggles for us come more from strong currents and pulling it into position as a result.

 

[Marlinmike]

Those with Nick Jackson davits what is the approx cost without installation?

Nick Jackson stern davit. Allows single handed, easy, safe launch of a heavy center console dink (per OP specification) in a narrow slip with boats on either side. Not a fan of side launching heavy dinks from the roof, particularly in rough water.




View attachment 44772

 

[SCOTTEDAVIS]

On the boat deck, 12 volt winches up and down in 5 min.

 

[Baker]

Not sure about the foredeck method...where do all the girls go???