Dinghy Brackets

[Randall Schmidt]

A neighbor at my marina with a 27 foot cruising sloop mounted L brackets on his port side stanchions starting at midships and moving forward to the next stanchion. See attached file. I have a 28 footer and recently bought a 9 ft inflatable dinghy and find it heavy and bulky to move about, prefer not to tow it and it doesn't fit on the cabin or bow really. My neighbor will use a plastic lightweight kayak. Anyone try this? My concern is the stress on the stanchions. Is that unfounded? I'd hate to open a new leak or two at their base.

 

[rgranger]

I see why you are skeptical. That looks like an easy way to torque the heck out of those stanchions. A big wave... or I can just as easily imagine the neighbor in the next slip snagging the kayak on his way out.

If it were my kayak, I would put it inboard and lash it to those same two stanchions with the mass of the kayak supported by the deck.

 

[capta]

One of the most interesting things about inflatable dinghies is that they also deflate, partially or completely. Your dink should fit easily on the foredeck if partially deflated. Pick up a 12 vdc air pump and inflating it for use will only take a few seconds.
I see paddle boards and kayaks in those racks down here all the time, and often the ones on boats that actually go sailing look to have been repaired at least a few times.
My lifelines are safety equipment to keep us alive, not storage places for gear better stored elsewhere.

 

[31seahorse]

I would be willing to bet (with money I can't spare) that sooner rather than later that kayak will act as an unwilling fender between the boat and the piling that can be seen. Parts of that interaction will be somewhat the worse for wear. Piling 1, kayak and lifelines 0.