Hunter 42 Passage Dingy

[jolie]

I am looking to buy dingy for my Hunter 42.Will be using in Bahamas and who knows where else.Comments are requested regarding HARD BOTTOM?Size dingy?And WHERE DO YOU STORE DINGY ON HUNTER 42? Davits? WHERE DO YOU STORE ENGINE and what size engine? Is weight of engine a consideration??I am leaning towards a 9 ft hard bottom dingy with 9 hp or less.But I really dont know if I should get davits or take the engine off and store dingy on deck, or just tow the dingy around. Problem up here, is my marina doesnt allow the dingy to be left attached to boat while at the dock. But I think next year I may go to mooring.Please, your suggestions are always really welcome.

 

[Jon Bastien]

Do davits count as "attached to boat"?

Hi Jolie, I currently use an inflatable, but I think if I were to use a hard-bottom dinghy for my boat, I'd want to put it on davits, for many reasons-- Easier to secure to the boat;- Keeps the decks clear;- Easier to launch when you need it;- Not slowing you down while towing;- (as subject line indicated) may not count against you in a marina. The disadvantage I see is that it interferes with access to the transom swim platform. Of course, any dinghy storage solution is a compromise based on what's important to YOU- Easy access to the big boat? Ease of dinghy use? Ease of storage? Performance of dinghy? Performance of larger boat when towing/hauling dinghy around? Amount of clutter on deck? As for the dinghy's outboard, I'd handle it one of two ways- Either to secure it to the stern rail, or to place it inside the dinghy when on the davits. I wouldn't leave it attached to the dinghy transom, as that could create a severe weight imbalance on the davits. If you store it in the dinghy, I'd recommend draining the fuel from it first... I'd also recommend a cover on the dinghy.--Jon BastienH23 '2 Sheets to the Wind'H25 'Adagio'

 

[bill walton]

another method

Congratulations, the 42's a great boat. The 9 foot caribe RIB can be hoisted and stowed across the sun deck above the owners stateroom. Two cruising owners that I know do that. They attach the main halyard to the end of the boom, swing the boom out, then attach a 3:1 vang betweeh the end of the boom and a lift sling on the dinghy. They hoist up the dinghy, swing it over the deck and sit it on chocks they;ve installed. It sits just fractions of an inch above the SS handrails. They either leave the engine attached or move it to the stern rail. A good snug fitting cover with a ridge pole completes the picture. I tow a Caribe c10x behind me. I have a solar array extending from the rear of the arch out to the backstay so the setup above won't work for me. I have a hoist rigged so I can lift the engine up to the stern rail if I need to. I have a yamaha 15hp 4stroke that weighs about 100#. We cruise up and down the Keys for now so I don't worry about theft too much. I'll be looking for alternatives when we head for the caribbean in a few years. All of the davit arrangements have too many holes and reinforcements for me due to the shape of the stern. I'm leaning towards a second arch made by Wells fabrications in Ft Lauderdale. They've done a couple of 42s. The arch extends far enough over the stern to hoist the dinghy up. It also serves as a mounting spot for antenni, etc..

 

[Paul Cossman]

our dingy experience

We have a P42 that we've cruised through the S. Pacific. We stick with inflatables. We had a 10 foot Avon that we just upgraded to an 11 foot Avon with a 15 HP Mercury outboard. While we would love the additional performance and ease of beaching of a hard bottom dingy, we just are not willing to give up our deck space for storage. But it's a difficult decision, and the trade-offs can lead one to either choice.We hoist our outboard with a 4:1 block and tackle off of a swinging arm we mounted on our wind generator mast, and mount the O/B on a wooden holder on the SS railing. It has taken that weight through all kinds of weather without any problems.We used to tow our dingy on any passages less than 2 days long. That was until we lost it while coming in through a coral pass where we unexpectedly encountered breaking waves off the stern. The dingy flipped, the tow bridle and safety lines parted and tore the bridle mounts off the dingy, and it was gone. (Amazingly, some Tongan fisherman later found it in the surf on an island 20 miles away and towed it in to the local authorities who returned it to us). So we no longer tow the dingy for anything more than a short day trip. For passages we deflate the dingy and stow it in the forward head shower area where we can secure it. The floorboards go under the bunks.We just couldn't bring ourselves to give up use of the sun deck during long passages. We also use the stern shower while underway, and couldn't bring ourselves to sacrifice it. For short passages, however, we pull the dingy up and set it on the sunpad. Since it weighs only about 100 pounds, my wife and I can get it up there pretty easily.Good luck in your decision. I'm sure you'll be happy with either a hard bottom or inflatable dingy. The P42 is a very comfortable cruiser; enjoy.