I'm hoping all the experience in this forum will give me some ideas. I have 9 foot RIB hanging from davits off my stern. Everything is super with the set up except in rough conditions. Because the dinghy is hanging from a bridle attached to the front and back of the dinghy, it will bounce around, sometimes wildly. So far it is only a nuisance, but I want to find a way to stabilize it completely. What solutions have you all come with up? Thanks!
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stabilizing
After I cleat off the davit lines I run them through the otherwise useless nylon line that runs around the top of the RIB, and back to another cleat on each davit. It doesn't have to be a really strong system to stabilize it. All you need is to keep it from starting to move. I keep a 3HP outboard on the back, My 50lb dog often lays in the dinghy underway to get away from the busy cockpit & I've never had a problem since I started doing this.
After I cleat off the davit lines I run them through the otherwise useless nylon line that runs around the top of the RIB, and back to another cleat on each davit. It doesn't have to be a really strong system to stabilize it. All you need is to keep it from starting to move. I keep a 3HP outboard on the back, My 50lb dog often lays in the dinghy underway to get away from the busy cockpit & I've never had a problem since I started doing this.
Cargo Straps
I use cargo straps with ratchet tighenters. I run these from the rail/davit around the dingy and back to the rail. You can find these at Walmart, Sams Club, etc in 15-20 foot lengths. I use two and tighten them down until the dingy does not move at all. This has worked in heavy seas and through a hurricane well. The cheap straps do rust after a year or two. My davits are Ocean Marine. They will supply stainless steel units for a price. I choose to use the cheap steel ones and replace at about 2 years.
I use cargo straps with ratchet tighenters. I run these from the rail/davit around the dingy and back to the rail. You can find these at Walmart, Sams Club, etc in 15-20 foot lengths. I use two and tighten them down until the dingy does not move at all. This has worked in heavy seas and through a hurricane well. The cheap straps do rust after a year or two. My davits are Ocean Marine. They will supply stainless steel units for a price. I choose to use the cheap steel ones and replace at about 2 years.
Davits
I do not have davits on Tula's stern but a really solid radar arch. I lash Tiny Tula to the arch and it does not move a bit. You may need to lash one side of the dinghy to the davits. A thrashing tender would really bug me.
I do not have davits on Tula's stern but a really solid radar arch. I lash Tiny Tula to the arch and it does not move a bit. You may need to lash one side of the dinghy to the davits. A thrashing tender would really bug me.
Cross-tie and tied to pushpit
With the dinghy hanging from davits, I tie from the dinghy directly to the stern rail of the pushpit to keep the dinghy from swinging parallel to the motherships centerline. I have a long painter that I cross-tie to prevent the dinghy from swinging perpendicular to the motherships centerline. I only use the davits when inshore and coastal sailing with good weather; otherwise, the dinghy is inverted and tied to the coachroof. Dont make the mistake of being at sea or in 'heavy' conditions with a dinghy on davits no matter how you tie it. IMHO davits are approptiate only for 'good' sailing conditions, I had a dinghy tear loose from davits in Force 10 conditions ... never again.
With the dinghy hanging from davits, I tie from the dinghy directly to the stern rail of the pushpit to keep the dinghy from swinging parallel to the motherships centerline. I have a long painter that I cross-tie to prevent the dinghy from swinging perpendicular to the motherships centerline. I only use the davits when inshore and coastal sailing with good weather; otherwise, the dinghy is inverted and tied to the coachroof. Dont make the mistake of being at sea or in 'heavy' conditions with a dinghy on davits no matter how you tie it. IMHO davits are approptiate only for 'good' sailing conditions, I had a dinghy tear loose from davits in Force 10 conditions ... never again.
Cross wrap
Ours is a hard dinghy, an 8ft. pram named MuttYacht, for the mutt we no longer have. *cry Each davit has two cleats, one on the arm and the other on the leg. When the dinghy is two-blocked it is secured with the cleat on the arms. Then we toss the line ove the dinghy and pull in the line to the leg cleat on the opposite side. You can cinch this up really tight and the dinghy is solidly secured with a minimum of fuss. Won't move in any direction. However, the falls are three-strand nylon and they stretch so one must periodically tighten them. But note from the photo how nicely the dink stays put when heeled.
Ours is a hard dinghy, an 8ft. pram named MuttYacht, for the mutt we no longer have. *cry Each davit has two cleats, one on the arm and the other on the leg. When the dinghy is two-blocked it is secured with the cleat on the arms. Then we toss the line ove the dinghy and pull in the line to the leg cleat on the opposite side. You can cinch this up really tight and the dinghy is solidly secured with a minimum of fuss. Won't move in any direction. However, the falls are three-strand nylon and they stretch so one must periodically tighten them. But note from the photo how nicely the dink stays put when heeled.
bane of my cruising....
is keeping the darn thing tied down on the davits. I've been meaning to post the same question you pose here. Problem is keeping the thing tied snug. Seems the boat always manages to work loose, no matter what knot I use. I'm going to try the rachet staps as I've seen others with them. Also, folks tell me to "triangulate", meaning cross the lines bow and stern to the mothership. Also, I've learned that pulling the dinghy all the way up to the davits is best. This required redoing the lifting mean to the davits. I'll look for other suggestions here.
is keeping the darn thing tied down on the davits. I've been meaning to post the same question you pose here. Problem is keeping the thing tied snug. Seems the boat always manages to work loose, no matter what knot I use. I'm going to try the rachet staps as I've seen others with them. Also, folks tell me to "triangulate", meaning cross the lines bow and stern to the mothership. Also, I've learned that pulling the dinghy all the way up to the davits is best. This required redoing the lifting mean to the davits. I'll look for other suggestions here.
We went to ratchet straps too.
Our dingy started out as a West Marine 12 footer with a 25HP Yamaha plus fuel. We had to carry the davit load with a extra backstay. The dingy still was not stable at sea using various lashing/bolting methods. Anyway, the cheap WM dingy wore out and was replaced in Florida with our present Avon 11.5 RIB. The Avon rep at the Seattle Boat Show suggested ratchet straps. The only place that carried them at the time (1994) was a trucking supply company in Tacoma. Three of them were $50. Each had 6000# capacity. We would lift the dingy and strap it to the mother boat fore and aft. We would capture the stern pulpit and the davit cross beam. For passages at sea we would use the third strap to surround the dingy from its' transom to its' bow. We had a LOAD! About 350 pounds. The straps worked very well but still the weak link was the stern pulpit. It broke in several places over the years. Hell, so did the first, too small backstay. (It was really a topping lift) The last time the pulpit broke was on our return trip home transiting the Bahamas in 2000. I used the third strap to suck the pulpit back together. Worked all the way to Florida. Then came the 18 wheeler. End of story. No more davits. The ratchet straps were the only way.
Our dingy started out as a West Marine 12 footer with a 25HP Yamaha plus fuel. We had to carry the davit load with a extra backstay. The dingy still was not stable at sea using various lashing/bolting methods. Anyway, the cheap WM dingy wore out and was replaced in Florida with our present Avon 11.5 RIB. The Avon rep at the Seattle Boat Show suggested ratchet straps. The only place that carried them at the time (1994) was a trucking supply company in Tacoma. Three of them were $50. Each had 6000# capacity. We would lift the dingy and strap it to the mother boat fore and aft. We would capture the stern pulpit and the davit cross beam. For passages at sea we would use the third strap to surround the dingy from its' transom to its' bow. We had a LOAD! About 350 pounds. The straps worked very well but still the weak link was the stern pulpit. It broke in several places over the years. Hell, so did the first, too small backstay. (It was really a topping lift) The last time the pulpit broke was on our return trip home transiting the Bahamas in 2000. I used the third strap to suck the pulpit back together. Worked all the way to Florida. Then came the 18 wheeler. End of story. No more davits. The ratchet straps were the only way.
Here's a picture
Don't tell my wife. She looks concerned in the picture because she's not wearing anything.
What's that island, Dominica? Maybe St. Lucia.
Don't tell my wife. She looks concerned in the picture because she's not wearing anything.
What's that island, Dominica? Maybe St. Lucia.- Status