Dinghy Lifting Straps

I used 1/4” Chain on my old boat. But now setting up my new vessel I am looking to used 1/8” S/S cable.
Is this a common way to lift you RIB or am I barking up the wrong tree? My rib weights 300#.

I have 700lb + worth of dinghy, motor, fuel.
Its lifted with 8 mm double braid tied through the frames with bowlines and a figure 8 knot for central loop.
Once lifted and hanging I have jumped in to make sure its good for a couple of hundred more.

Simple, easy, cheap and two years worth of proof that it works.

A pre-made SS cable sling is convenient and easy to rig, but I just changed dinghys and will probably go back to chain, reason being that it’s easier to simply hook into different pre-marked balance points when adding or subtracting weight like payload, outboard, fuel tank, etc.. I haven’t found an equally simple and reliable method of doing the same with cable that doesn’t eventually wear the cable.

I used dyneema, but like Larry said chain would be easier to figure out balance points. I might switch to that.

Dyneema is strong and light. It is easy to splice. The adjustment can be made with a lashing.

tadhana said:

Dyneema is strong and light. It is easy to splice. The adjustment can be made with a lashing.

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I don’t know how to splice. Looking up lashing now....

[emoji51]

I have three points on my dinghy for lifting, bow and two at the stern. I use seat belt material for straps attached to SS snap hooks on one end and triangular SS rings at the other. No problems for my davit crane to lift and place the dinghy into my chocks or the water.

Dynema is great stuff. I use Amsteel grey 5400 lb. line nearly eveywhere else including twin davit winches and dinghy crane. Just not for the dinghy sling.

cardude01 said:

I don’t know how to splice. Looking up lashing now....

[emoji51]

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Splicing Dyneema is ridiculously easy. It is fun. There are Utube videos. I look for opportunities to splice the stuff. Stronger than stainless steel!

I had ss wire. Got tired of the fish hooks. Changed to dyneema. Works great, stronger than the same size wire and NO fish hooks.

Dyneema sounds like a great choice. What size Dyneema line?

If you are replacing old ss wire get the same size, overkill but it will fit the winch and sheaves. The breaking strength is very high so you can choose by that but you may want larger so your hands can grab it or so the winch will work correctly.

300 lb dinghy and thin, expensive 5000+ lb rope to lift it.
Overkill much?

wwestman said:

If you are replacing old ss wire get the same size, overkill but it will fit the winch and sheaves. The breaking strength is very high so you can choose by that but you may want larger so your hands can grab it or so the winch will work correctly.

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Or you could just use double braid or pre stretched poly.
Cheaper, easier to handle and strength far exceeds the load required.

Saying that I do the lift using 10mm spectra with the outer case removed leaving probably a 6 mm core.
It was an old halyard off of our previous boat that had been laying around for years collecting dust so owed nothing.

We replaced 3/16 galvanized cable for 3/16 Dynema on our hoist. it has a much higher working load, won't rust or work harden. It lays more easily on the drum and eliminates the "jump" you can get when reeling in the steel cable. It pays out much more easily and we were able to eliminate the extra (headache ball) weight on the hoist cable. The weight of the lifting hook is sufficient to lower the unloaded cable.

We have a Wichard 4 point lifting harness. It is 8 years old, and sun and salt is taking its toll. In another year or two, I think I'll make up a replacement harness out of Dyneema. It will coil up and store in a much smaller volume, and will be even more resistant to sun, salt and chafe.

Our dinghy anchor rode is 100 feet of 1/8 Dyneema. It is light weight, does not absorb water and stays light. We cruise in GA and SC frequently. We anchor in deep creeks with strong current. If the outboard quits on the the evening shore patrol with the pup, it is really nice to have the ability to anchor the dinghy and not we swept out the river. Also, at the beach the long rode also makes it easy to anchor the dinghy and pull the dinghy out into deeper water.

We bought a three pack of 2” wide, 1500 lb test cargo straps from Home Depot. The kind with the ratchet adjustment. We used the ratchets to adjust the strap lengths until the dinghy was suitably balanced. Then we measured the length on each strap and used the excess strap to make a three point harness. Worked perfectly, the straps are soft so they don’t scratch the gel coat, and didn’t have to spend a fortune.

I use Dyneema in the crane attached to a three point ss cable attachment to the lifting eyes inside the dinghy...one in the bow and two at the stern. 500#+

Are you going to use the mast and boom I can see in your picture or do you have a crane?

seasalt007 said:

I use Dyneema in the crane attached to a three point ss cable attachment to the lifting eyes inside the dinghy...one in the bow and two at the stern. 500#+

Are you going to use the mast and boom I can see in your picture or do you have a crane?

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Mast and boom. Thought about an electric hoist but figure I would put the $7000 elsewhere.

Wait, splicing Dyneema is that easy? Seems like a no-brainer.

https://youtu.be/d0B6tYTVHVM

HeadedToTexas said:

Wait, splicing Dyneema is that easy? Seems like a no-brainer.

https://youtu.be/d0B6tYTVHVM

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Yep, it is. I went overboard a while back making a dinghy lifting bridle, an anchor snubber attachment, and a load of soft shackles for various things.

Now, button or diamond knot........?

I had a friend use cables and one of the "crimps" didn't hold in bad weather... I was going to use cables but then found these instead. They work really well. Defender has different lengths...

https://www.defender.com/product3.j...sling-21&path=-1|294|2345877|2345881&id=98591

Hehe, nice work. Guessing I may have many of those in the coming months! Where do you buy Dyneema? The sources and diversity is dizzying.

HeadedToTexas said:

Hehe, nice work. Guessing I may have many of those in the coming months! Where do you buy Dyneema? The sources and diversity is dizzying.

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The least expensive stuff I could find is buy 50' ATV winch replacement rope from Amazon or the likes.


It may be cheaper if you can find cut lengths.... but normally I couldn't.

HeadedToTexas said:

Hehe, nice work. Guessing I may have many of those in the coming months! Where do you buy Dyneema? The sources and diversity is dizzying.

Click to expand...

I just picked some of the ones on Amazon

I had to buy a new dinghy with the new to me boat. I had previously had stainless cable cut my hand. So put 1/4" (I think) dyneema on the spool and had a dyneema lift bridle made from a rope system I put together to get by. This is to lift my 800# Caribe with two attachments in the front and two in the stern. Unfortunately, while I told the rigger to move the center lifting ring two inches astern, he forgot and my boat didn't balance. So, I just tied some knots in the dyneema till she balanced. Later I learned how to spice the dyneema and had fun setting one up for my little 10' Achilles inflatable with two attachment points. One without the motor, one with. I used the 1/8" stuff to make key ring attachments to rubber floats. You know how thin rings and chains will cut through? Well not with the dyneema as making the ring doubles the diameter and it is soft. Love this stuff.

Thanks guys. What about a splicing tool? Seems like a ¼" Fid is the right size for ¼" Dyneema. Is it that simple?

And given the potential for abrasion at the hinge point of the pelican hooks I intend to use, does it make sense to use thimbles in the Dyneema eyes at each end of the four corner ropes?

What you want for a spicing tool is thin double wire with a handle so you can insert it up into the dyneema. You'll see it when you search. Like this one. https://www.bing.com/images/search?...dex=0&FORM=IRPRST&idpp=overlayview&ajaxhist=0

IF that link doesn't work, search for D-Splicer.

It looks like the D-Splicer and the needle type fid are two different approaches to the same end. Am I seeing that right?

HeadedToTexas said:

It looks like the D-Splicer and the needle type fid are two different approaches to the same end. Am I seeing that right?

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Yes, and for me the D-Splicer is far superior for the thinner Dyneema. The needle type may be fine for thicker stuff. I have only worked with the 1/8" and 1/4" Dyneema.