Davits on a Hunter 306…and Solar Panels?

[dennisp]

Anybody want to save me from myself? :bang: No sailing these days with my Hunter 306 on the hard for the winter, but before I pursue the following lines of reasoning any further, I thought I might ask my betters for advice/comments. I do a lot of solo coastal cruising…only occasionally with my spouse or a friend…and only very occasionally with another couple. Cheapskate that I am, I’d like to be able to drop anchor and do some more exploring, so have been thinking of getting the lightest inflatable possibly with a tiny motor. A Honda 2 HP ( 28 lbs) should be able to get me (and another) around in a little inflatable. Though it’s not a cheap motor, the battery Torqueedo seems an elegant solution. Met a guy with one this summer. The Mercury 200 inflatable (45 lbs) is on sale at Defender. Or a Baltik 6.5 (55 lbs) from eBay. I already have an OB mount on my stern rail…I figure the pulling the Honda (with a harness) or a Torqueedo up by hand should be no big deal. I could tow the dingy or rig up something like dinghy-tow, but it seems more elegant to pull it up and keep it on lightweight davits. Martek davits are pretty light (20-30 lbs) and Kato’s lightest are just under 30 lbs. with tackle. It shouldn’t take much to pull up a tiny dinghy…even if I put a cover on it and stowed a 1-2 gal. plastic gas can inside. So what’s the downside of doing this…hanging under a 100 lbs off the stern? I saw something about a Hunter 33 considering dinghy davits…and I think that should be an OK size boat for a small dinghy…but my 306? Anyone with a 306, another 30 footer, or a 290 done this? Options like keeping a dinghy on deck seems out of the question (for the 306), and I’ve looked at (and discarded) the idea of an inflatable kayak kept inside the lifelines.


I have also been considering throwing a Power-up 65 watt skinny size solar panel…or an 80 watt panel on the top of my bimini, mounted to the arch. Seems easy to mount up there with standoffs on both sides and a long cross member to mount the panel on. The 65 watt panel is $415…the 80 is about $495. A controller is under $100. Anyone done this? Lots of sun here in the Chesapeake in the summer. I don’t have AC or Refrigeration, but I use instruments, my Garmin GPSMAP 440, ICOM VHF, and my ST 4000 all day long…cabin lights and anchor light at night for reading when on the hook…and the stereo is on all day and at night while I’m awake. (And I listen to CD audio books a lot.)

[FONT=&quot]Thanks for any ideas and comments or sharing experiences.[/FONT]

 

[Ed Schenck]

H306 davits, one perspective.

My main objection is lack of visibility. Or is it a matter of claustrophobia? I just don't like being enclosed. Usually my dodger is folded down. I sail for the view as much as anything. Having that dinghy right behind my head would bother me.

I sailed from Lake Erie to North Carolina towing my inflatable without a single issue. A friend, also with an H37C, made the same trip this past summer. He does have davits but mostly towed.

I guess if I had the money I might have them anyway. I think they might be better than towing in really heavy seas. But I would tow whenever I could.

 

[Ron McCoy]

Dennis,
Your plans alll seem reasonable. I have a H386 and installed a Kyrocea 130 watt panel over the bimini. Works great! Also installed a set of davit by Forespar on the tail. I use it for my Achilles 8.8 and 5 hp Nissan 2 stroke (which is only 29 lbs). All works as advertised. I'm a cruiser and I'm used to "hanging" stuff on the boat. Doesn't bother me and it's always handy when I drop the hook. I sail all day with electronics on and the refrig running and at the end of the day, my batteries are stilll near 100%. It's a no brainer and makes boating that much more pleasurable. Bottom line; do what makes your sailing enjoyable. Best, Ron

 

[jaysweet]

We also have a 306 on the Chesapeake, with no dingy. So I have no advice for you about the davits. But we did charter in the BVIs, towing a RIB in consistent 20 knot winds, and had no problems whatsoever. The setup was totally uncomplicated, towing on a single polypropylene run to an eyelet on the bow (of the dingy), and with the 5 hp Tohatsu mounted the whole time. The whole Sunsail charter fleet was like that.

I can't square how easy towing was in moderately high winds with all the strict warnings I read about how dangerous it is to tow a dingy. Maybe a 10 ft inflatable with a hard fibreglass bottom tows really well compared to a lighter weight dingy? Would this all go as well with a light weight, cheaper, inflatable?

Jay