Question for Bill or Mary or anyone?

[Sumner]

Bill here is a picture from your site....

...of the dinghy on the new davits. Nice install BTW! I like how you are using the lines to keep it from swinging, I hadn't thought of that, but will try it.

Now the question....Are you going to leave the outboard on the dinghy if the weather is good? I'd like to hear from you or others on how that works out. You have a rib and we have a Zodiac that has a soft bottom and a hard floor. We have 2 outboards for it. A 40 lb. 3 1/2 HP Tohatsu that we will use most of the time. I'm wondering if that is too much weight to leave on the Zodiac's transom up on the davits. I'm not worried about the davits as much as the effect on the Zodiac. Any thoughts?

The other outboard is a 7 HP Yamaha 2 stroke that we would only put on the Zodiac if we needed to go some distance in a hurry. They....

... are both mounted on the port side of the stern on the Endeavour and there is an outboard lift there, but it doesn't work that great and it sure would be nice not having to lower the Zodiac into the water and then having to lower the outboard onto it.

With the Mac we tow the dinghy and put the 3 1/2 HP on and off. It is pretty light, but I still don't like doing it and we don't want to tow with it on. On the Endeavour I think if bad weather was approaching we would take the outboard off the Zodiac also.

Thanks,

Sum

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[Bill1565]

Now the question....Are you going to leave the outboard on the dinghy if the weather is good?

Yes, that is the plan. Transom holds motor all the time. Not much weight loss when lower unit is submerged, lots of torque when I open it up. Hanging there should be a breeze. There are other photos that Mary posted that show how we reinforced the rail to deal with the aft pulling torque on the davits. Davit bases are close to hull deck joint so vertical strength should be good.

 

[Gunni]

I have the same Kato davits, a similar Rib (Zodiac310) and a 9.8 Tohatsu (81 lbs). We leave the motor on the boat nearshore, take it off for passages. The dinghy lift tackle attaches directly to the hard transom via padeyes and a amsteel harness, it is a very stout set up, no flex. Kato sells quick-connect ratchet straps to stabilize the boat and prevent swinging. You don't need to wrap the boat with a line, you can attach to the boat padeyes and back to the aft rail, easy. Once you find the sweet spot the dinghy rides tight, the key is to bring it up tight against the davit rails as shown here.

 

[Sumner]

Thanks guys, I'll try it. It looks like we might even be able to leave the Yamaha on if we wanted. BIll what size outboard is that?

I need to work on getting the dingy up against the davit rails thought. We didn't have it that high on our only trip so far with the Endeavour.

On the one trip I was lifting from the transom in the back and I could lift from lower on the transom there to get it higher. In the front I'm not sure what to do there. In the picture I had a strap around and under the bow that went through 2 lower rings there so that it can't slip off. I'll have to see if I can come up with something.

Are you guys lifting from the floor itself? I could see where that might be a possibility with a RIB. I have a hard floor, but don't know if I could lift the bow only by it? I might look into that.

Also today we are starting on the dinghy cover that will stay on all of the time. Similar....

...to the one above that we saw at Marathon. Maybe I can incorporate something in to it at the bow area.

Thanks for the input,

Sum

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[31seahorse]

Hello Members,
RE: dinghy on davits...... Be sure to account for rainwater accumulation in the dink. Raise the bow to drain all captured water to the stern for the drain to eliminate. We had an older Avon soft bottom dink with no drain. We usually stored it ashore upside down. Of course that one day we left it hanging on the davits there was enough rain to add considerable weight! One arm of the davits bent down. However, you probably will not have that bend with your factory-made davits. I made ours out of pieces of an old ss bimini frame. A cheap idea that worked in most cases. Phil

 

[Gunni]

Yes, you lift it from an eye in the floor of the bow, I have a double-ended eye on the inside of where you rig your bow painter. Shorten your lifting harnesses so that your lifting tackle can bring it up tight. Don't hang the boat from the tubes.

 

[Bill1565]

Thanks guys, I'll try it. It looks like we might even be able to leave the Yamaha on if we wanted. BIll what size outboard is that? 9.8 2 cycle, about 60 #


Are you guys lifting from the floor itself? yes.

Mine came with an inside eye in

the front. I added 2 eyebolts low on the transom.

 

[Bill1565]

Kato ratchets are $100+ Rope came with blocks.

 

[Bill1565]

I have the same Kato davits, a similar Rib (Zodiac310) and a 9.8 Tohatsu (81 lbs). We leave the motor on the boat nearshore, take it off for passages. The dinghy lift tackle attaches directly to the hard transom via padeyes and a amsteel harness, it is a very stout set up, no flex.

I used a piece of old stayset X about 3/8" dia. I am able to pull the stern up so tube is against the davit there also. Leaves room for about an inch of water in the v forward, makes it much safer to lean over the rail and pull the plug. Next time the dingy is down and the cover off, I'll get a photo of the harness connecting the 3 eyebolts.

 

[Sumner]

I used a piece of old stayset X about 3/8" dia. I am able to pull the stern up so tube is against the davit there also. Leaves room for about an inch of water in the v forward, makes it much safer to lean over the rail and pull the plug. Next time the dingy is down and the cover off, I'll get a photo of the harness connecting the 3 eyebolts.

Thanks for the info guys and I'll have to remember to leave the transom drain plug open for the rain situation. Look forward to the pics Bill,

Sum

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[Bill1565]

Thanks guys, I'll try it. It looks like we might even be able to leave the Yamaha on if we wanted. BIll what size outboard is that?

I need to work on getting the dingy up against the davit rails thought. We didn't have it that high on our only trip so far with the Endeavour.
Are you guys lifting from the floor itself? I could see where that might be a possibility with a RIB. I have a hard floor, but don't know if I could lift the bow only by it? I might look into that./quote]

Sum, here are photos of the harness I made up. took some experimenting to get all the lengths correct. line between fore and aft loops is to keep the lifing parst from scraping on the forward tube.

 

[Gunni]

You have a rib. You can absolutely lift the bow by that bow fitting (you anchor the boat by it). Don't attach to the rope, attach the davit snap shackle to the fitting (metal to metal). Your aft attachment dimensions look about right to be able to bring the boat up against the davits, but I don't like the look of that knotted rope. Long term you want a wire harness (rigging shop) created from your experimental dimensions. What is that fore-aft line for?

 

[Bill Roosa]

The structural engineer in me sees a lot of load concentration just using two lift points. Have you considered what will happen when rain wate fills the dink?
I'd recommend an "H" harnes. Two straps that go around the bottom of the boat and lead to the davits. The two straps are connected along the keel by a third strap that keeps them from moving apart.
My concern would be a storm or large wave getting hold of the dink and all that load on the lift points. PVC is not what I'd call a strong long term load bearing material. it sags over time.

 

[RichH]

Bill, the structural engineer in me uses 'large nylon straps' attached to an "H" configuration lifting frame. But, I only carry the dink on davits when close to shore or 'inshore' .. and NEVER with the OB mounted to the transom (and never with the OB on the dinks transom when towing either) simply because when it super-snotty there is no time to rescue an OB that has loosened from its 'mount' ... and yes I lost an OB this way in sudden storm conditions. I also additionally 'cross-tie' the dink to the davits and the dink to the railings, etc. to prevent 'swing and chafe'

 

[Bill1565]

You have a rib. You can absolutely lift the bow by that bow fitting (you anchor the boat by it). Don't attach to the rope, attach the davit snap shackle to the fitting (metal to metal). Your aft attachment dimensions look about right to be able to bring the boat up against the davits, but I don't like the look of that knotted rope. Long term you want a wire harness (rigging shop) created from your experimental dimensions. What is that fore-aft line for?

Line is 3/8 stayset X breaking strength 5500#. Even old I expect t\it to hold a90# dingy and 60# motor. fore and aft line is to keeprunning parts from chafin on hypalon tube.

 

[Bill1565]

The structural engineer in me sees a lot of load concentration just using two lift points. Have you considered what will happen when rain wate fills the dink?
I'd recommend an "H" harnes. Two straps that go around the bottom of the boat and lead to the davits. The two straps are connected along the keel by a third strap that keeps them from moving apart.
My concern would be a storm or large wave getting hold of the dink and all that load on the lift points. PVC is not what I'd call a strong long term load bearing material. it sags over time.

Actually 3 lift points, 2 ss eyebolts in transom. Check list has me pulling plug when boat is up. Not a problem. but I have twice forgotten to install plug on the waydown.

I bought Kato davits at twice the price, cause they raise the dingy 11" 'higher than Garhauer to avoid dragging the dink in the water.

Hypalon RIB not pvc air floor.

Appreciate all the thoughts, from all three of you. Have zero time underway so far. Only going to Chesapeake Bay, don't expect 20 foot seas in ICW. May well make changes if things don't work as well as they seem to.

 

[Gunni]

Line is 3/8 stayset X breaking strength 5500#. Even old I expect t\it to hold a90# dingy and 60# motor. fore and aft line is to keeprunning parts from chafin on hypalon tube.

Load strength isn't the concern, chafe of a shackle on the rope is. You could add a metal thimble, but there is no need, snap to the eye directly. The angle of attachment is wrong, the lifting tackle should be angling so that this is not touching the tube. Kato specs this with their installation guides, and offers a cross-linking stabilizer bar to make the angles work, and keep everything from moving. Can't tell if you have the stabilizer bar.

 

[Bill1565]

No, don't have the crosslink version. Have removable stabilizer bar. Thanks for the tip, will watch for chafe.

 

[Gunni]

Now I see the removable stabilizer bar (doh). Have the same set up. My davits toe-in to give the right angle to avoid contact between the lifting tackle and the boat. Very nice RIB, take care of her!

 

[Bill1565]

New, very costly, but when you have a leaky 10 footer and a six foot transom, you have to do something.