I have heard that when you are sailing with a dinghy in tow, you should take the outboard off the dinghy, to avoid it from getting dunked. With my current engine, a Yamaha 4 hp 4-stroke, weighing 55 lbs, it was becoming a real chore to lift it up, and put it back each time. Bigger risk of dropping it in the process.
I wanted to lift the dinghy and engine together, but without adding permanent davits for my 32 ft Catallina. I looked at many engine lifts, and liked the Garhauer brand. Using two lifts, that have a 6:1 purchase, I could easily lift the inflatable without any effort. When sailing in 20 kt winds in Oyster Bay, LI on Memorial Day, there was no movement or swaying. The dinghy was perfectly secure. I picked this system, because it could be easily disassembled, but the fact is, it doesn't look obtrusive at all.
Here are photos for anyone interested.
I wanted to lift the dinghy and engine together, but without adding permanent davits for my 32 ft Catallina. I looked at many engine lifts, and liked the Garhauer brand. Using two lifts, that have a 6:1 purchase, I could easily lift the inflatable without any effort. When sailing in 20 kt winds in Oyster Bay, LI on Memorial Day, there was no movement or swaying. The dinghy was perfectly secure. I picked this system, because it could be easily disassembled, but the fact is, it doesn't look obtrusive at all.
Here are photos for anyone interested.
