Dinghy davit winch

I find that my system of lifting my dinghy onto the boat (trawler) is a bit difficult.
Dinghy is a West Marine "Classic Dinghy" (about 100 pounds) with a 6hp Yamaha 4 stroke outboard (about 60 Pounds). the 4 part falls I am using is difficult to lift the dinghy up to the "boat deck". The boat is a 40ft Trawler, and the dinghy is carried up on the roof of the cabinhouse. The davits are arrainged 10 feet apart on the port side of the boat, about 10 feet off the water.
I am considering the following to help me along:
1) Changing the 4 part falls to a 6 part.
2) Adding a hand cranked winch(like a trailer winch)at the davit that lifts the stern end of the dinghy.
3) Adding an electric winch, using Dyneema line on the davit that lifts the stern end of the dinghy.
(The bow end of the dinghy is not a problem to haul up with the 4 part falls)

What is the consensus of the learned minds of this forum as to the direction to go?

Does anyone have suggestions of how to attach the winch (hand cranked or electric) to the davit? (About 2 in diameter stainless steel pipe) Consider that I would not want to weld it in place initially, until I have proven the system. Once proven, welding would be OK.

Avitar pic shows the boat without the dinghy aboard

I had 4 part lines on either side of my dinghy davits also. Wife couldn’t handle them so I converted them to twin 900 lb. hand crank winches and Amsteel Grey 5400 lb. line. Attachment is simply by using SS u-bolt clamps on to the davit’s tubular frame. This was meant to be a temporary setup, but it proved to be simple, strong and reliable as is. The Admiral can crank up the 100 lb. dinghy with no strain now, even manageable with the 9.9 outboard and two part line on that side. I also converted the swinging crane boom to the same hand winch. All this is to keep the system simple and easy to maintain. Be aware the hand winches of this type have no brake. You must crank the load up and down as well as operate the dog-style of gear lock to hold the load when suspended. I would not recommend using them for anything but light loads or perhaps reeling in (not lifting) a man overboard. It is easy to control the weights we now have, but even so, we use sail type rope clutches on each line. The eventual plan was to add a 12V pinion type hoist to the crane boom with its own on board battery and solar panel. I’ll see if I can remember to get photos of the setup tomorrow.

Our SS Simpson Laurence davits came with cranks in each tower at the turn of the davit.

Winch cranking is a snap , even for kids.

FF,
Could you post some pictures Please?

Friend of mine went to Harbor Freight and picked up an inexpensive electric winch with a 6 foot cord for the remote control. He used stainless steel u-bolts to bolt it to the davit arm over the stern of the dinghy. The bow is still lifted with the standard 4 part line. He just runs an extension cord out to the davit when he needs to use it and it works great.

I use the 2500 pound Harbor Frieght ATV winch also, just be advised it has no brake.... so drum line diameter is important as is a mechanical fastening for the dink.

My davits came with 6 part falls (three sheaves T&B), and jam cleats. OK for the light end; insufficient for the engine end. I added an Anderson 10 hand-cranked winch. Adequate: clumsy; and not easy.

Simpsom Laurence series 8 davit, mine are older but similar.

http://www.cooneymarine.co.uk/PDF/Series-8-Davits.pdf

3 speed trailer winch at either end of ours on 1:1 spectra lifting 780 lbs
One end easy, motor end needs lowest speed and some grunt
No electrics to fail

Here are the photos I promised. Winches are clamped to tubular frame on each davit. I have One clamp actually behind one of the web tubes, but the winch hasn’t moved in three years of holding the load, so...

Typically there is a Caribe 9 and a 9.9 Merc mounted, but Irma blew out two of the three chambers on the Caribe when it was trapped between the stern and some Mangrove bushes. Using a single line of Amsteel 5400 lb. grey is all that’s necessary for easy cranking, but the line should be wound on to the drum on the side closest to the davit tube. This produces less leverage on the mountings and the bulk of the force parallel with the davit arm. Since the photo, I’ve added line clutches.

Close up.

Here’s my solution

I thought I would share my David, which I cobbled together from two others.

The crank comes from a weaver vertical David hoist system. When traveling, I use two ratchet straps to fasten the top of the David to eye rings I had made for the stern. I use a drill with a half inch socket to quickly raise and lower the dink. When traveling much of the dinks weight rests on the swim platform. Dink is a west marine 350. I can be out of the water in literally less than a minute.