Storm: dinghy in or out….

Rich Stidger · Tuesday at 6:20 AM

I have always had an inflatable dinghy, and they will flip in strong winds. I have personally had my dinghy flip multiple times in the same storm with the engine mounted on it. I did not shorten the line, so maybe that would have prevented the flips if I had.
Before I had davits, I would remove the engine and tie the dinghy on the foredeck.
BTW, after the outboard dunking, I just pulled the spark plug, removed the cover, poured fresh water over the engine to rinse the salt water, dried off the ignition coil and wires, and started it immediately. I had no long term issues.

Captain Larry-DH · Tuesday at 6:31 AM

Since you have davits, I recommend lifting and securing it, with drain plug removed. Davits make it easy, or easier

Art12050 · Tuesday at 7:06 AM

Watching that storm moving now. It may go North of you on Block as it’s moving Southwest to Northeast.
If you have davits, I’d haul it to be safe.
We had a wicked squall come through a few weeks ago. We don’t have davits, but we have a sugar scoop stern. I pulled the dinghy in tight and rested the bow on the stern, worked fine. Otherwise it probably would have flipped.

danm1 · Tuesday at 8:11 AM

Sat out two storms a week or two apart at Block this summer. During the first we had 3-4 foot waves in New Harbor and 40 knot gusts. I was glad the dinghy was in davits and strapped right. Second storm waves were 2-3 ft and 30 knot winds with dinghy in the water and I kept looking to see if the dinghy was still there. Personally, I'd use the davits and rest easier.

Captain Larry-DH · Tuesday at 9:52 AM

Since I bought the catamaran it’s been so easy to deal with the dinghy. It came with an electric winch for raising and lowering the dinghy davit and a rated capacity of 400#. It’s convenient enough to raise it every night.
My current “SUV dinghy” is 12 ft with an electric start/tilt 20HP motor and weighs about 350. :facepalm:

(I use the ratchet straps to cross-secure it when we go offshore. It doesn’t move an inch, even in 10 ft beam seas.)

Captain Larry-DH · Tuesday at 1:38 PM

@NYSail should be through it about now (maybe more later ) Give us an update, Greg.

shemandr · Tuesday at 3:35 PM

Looks like Greg had a wild ride!
We had one of those in GSP years ago. We were on a mooring which dragged. It was pretty scary as my H356 listed 15 to 20 degrees on the mooring due to the strong wind. I did not feel safe in the cockpit. The anchorage was a mess. A lot of VHF calls for help but there was little the Harbormaster or police could do. A "100 foot sailing yacht" as described on the VHF dragged and took some others with it. I think those callers really thought that the authorities would come to keep them from grounding - or stop the 100' yacht from hitting their boat. I think the authorities would be lucky to handle injuries. For them boats wash up all the time there. In the daylight I don't think the damage was that great and I didn't hear anything about injuries. But there was a spontaneous round of applause after the worst past in appreciation of Mother Nature's show. And it was a show!
It was fun the watch the hung over town workers try to figure out how to re-set the moorings in the AM.

dLj · Wednesday at 5:06 AM

NYSail said:
Thanks all….. storm was not so bad. Lots of heavy rain and steady strong winds. The anchorage where I stay is basically empty so sleeping well. Dinghy up and strapped in. Anchor didn’t budge.

Excellent!

Thanks for the update.

dj

capta · Thursday at 1:23 PM

All righty then! Now you can comfortably cruise the Caribbean in the summer! I've always put my inflatable on the foredeck for storms, underway or at anchor. However, I do not purchase hard bottom inflatables so that putting them on deck isn't a big deal, even with the engine on. Just a couple of fenders underneath, and well secured.