Hard dinghy carrying methods

[FlyWright]

I think the ladder would interfere with tilting the dink up onto the swimstep without the use of a Weaver davit. The davit would probably keep it aft enough so it shouldn't interfere.

I've got a sweet Honda 2HP that beats the heck out of rowing. 27 lbs, air cooled, easy to lift and easy on gas...1 qt per hour. You can go for weeks on a 1 gallon can if you're just moving from boat to shore.

If you lived closer, I'd offer you a deal on mine. I don't use it anymore but it runs great.

 

[rslifkin]

The existence of those Honda 2hp things (and the equally light weight 2.5hp Suzuki) is exactly the reason I like the idea of something that's easily driven enough to row and can still accept an engine. Being able to add one of those later is an attractive option.

 

[ranger58sb]

So while I was at the boat today, I took a look around at a few other other boats in the storage shed for ideas. And I found a solution I haven't seen before. The Jatco Trillogy davits. I wouldn't need the big, super-beefy set one boat in the shed has, but one of their smaller setups would do the trick nicely I think. Or quite likely, I could build something similar for a good bit less than the $1300 they want for their cheapest setup (which is mostly painted stainless box tube and PVC pipe it appears).

From a practical standpoint, it's exactly what I need. Side-loading and designed to have the centerline of the dinghy behind the aft end of the platform. Their design can also be folded up against the transom, so you can get rid of the bit of extra boat length it adds when you're not using them if desired.

Found a decent picture of the Jatco setup online. Looks like the basic idea is just square tube and PVC pipe with some wheels added. I'll have to do some design work, but it should be easy enough to build something similar.

Our davit is one of the original design Jatco Trillogy Lifts, and it works very well.

Last I heard, Joe Trillo wound up the business and was running for Governor of Rhode Island. Dunno outcome of that... but the result was no more new parts. (I had in mind replacing our single lift roller with a double roller thing...)

Ours is fixed at both mount points on each main strut, so it does not fold up against the transom. That's also partly because we also installed addition struts from the athwarthship centerline piece down to the mothership transom underwater (as also shown in your pic)... for additional load-carrying capacity.

Happy to kibitz, if it'll help... although most of our better pics are at home on the main computer, not with us on the boat just now...

-Chris

 

[rslifkin]

Our davit is one of the original design Jatco Trillogy Lifts, and it works very well.

Being that you've got experience using that setup, are there any issues with it in a following sea as far as the dinghy getting pushed on, lifted, or anything like that?

 

[ranger58sb]

I've not yet experienced that problem, but the potential does exist.

More often, we have to deal with backwash from coming down off plane... and the effect would be similar. I've gradually increased the wheel sizes to gain a few inches in height compared to originals... but that was also partly because the newer dinghy has a complicated hull form and I needed the extra height to deal with that. Otherwise, it meant realigning the "pontoons" (what Joe calls the big PVC wheel-holder thingies) to change the angle of the wheels, maybe changing the spacing between fore and aft pontoon, etc. It was just easier to find larger wheels.

Back to the following seas/backwash thing... part of our (so far) good luck is in weather planning, part is that we can plane if necessary (or we could maybe stay at trawler speed and tack a bit) to avoid the problem...

We do a sacrificial fore/aft tie-on, so in case we need the thing in an emergency I can slash one line and launch. That in turns means the dinghy can lift slightly at the back if necessary without actually coming off the davit...

-Chris

 

[Alisske]

If the weaver will stick to the hypalonView attachment 98297

I have a simple set up. 10 foot sturdy dory. If I can do it in my little boat. You can do it with all that real estate!

 

[PeterW]

place for the dinghy

When I designed my boat I wanted a place for the dinghy which doesn´t

block the view when going backwards.
It´s now attached vertical at the sten with two strong stainless steel pipes on both sides to keep it in place.
I simply pull it up by hand and tie it to the horizontal rail.
The Taka dinghy has an open transom so in case of strong rain it´s simply drained.
In strong winds the dinghy is protected behind the pilot house.


Greetings Peter

 

[PeterW]

Sorry



Here is a better photo.


Peter

 

[Nickair]

What does the walker bay weigh?

 

[PeterW]

It is not a walker bay. It is made by a company from New Zeeland. I found them on a boat exhibition in germany. https://www.takacat.eu/en-gb/produits

I have the Takacat 260 s which weighs 28 kg.
The underbody is catamaran like and it is very fast with my little 2,5 hp Suzuki.
I liked the open transom. In my previous dinghys always the seams in the bottom got damaged because they have been wet all the time.
This is not the case now.


Peter

 

[rslifkin]

The stand it up vertical method crossed my mind as well. Still has some of the issues of the Weaver davits, but no ladder interference. Thinking about it, the blocked stern light isn't a big deal, as I could always tow at night to solve that problem (I don't run on plane in the dark and don't run at night much anyway).

But for now, I think the plan will be to try to hunt down a 10 foot Porta Bote for less than the $2300 or so they want for a new one, being that it'll be easier to stow and can carry a little more weight than the cheap hard dinghy anyway. And if that fails, I'll have to assess the effort required in building a clone of the Jatco cradle vs carrying it upright or similar.

 

[Solly]

Just my 2 cents worth but those Walker Bay dinghy's aren't very sturdy. I'd take a hard look at one to see what you would have to have to support it.

 

[PeterW]

I´m not related with this company.
Here is a link to a test of the small dinghy.
https://boatingnz.co.nz/boat-reviews/takacat-260-sport/

I liked the catamaran hulls which are protected with rubber stripes.
With a normal dinghy the vee bottom has some protection but when you pull it up a stony shore the hulls get scratched.
It´s also quiet easy to row.

At least I´m happy with my new one.
Everybody has it´s own experience and taste


Peter

 

[Nickair]

The port a boat looks like a good option for you, weight wise and storage for under way.

68 lbs port a boat 8’
78 lbs port a boat 10’
75 lbs Walker Bay 8’
126 lbs Walker Bay 10’

 

[PeterW]

When designing my boat I wanted to solve things I didn´t like
with my previous sailboats.
One of it was how to store the dinghy and how to get it in a simple way in and out of the water.
This is how it looks like now.

Additionally the tiltable bathing platform enables easy bording of the dinghy
and a good access to the water.
All without increasing the overall length of the boat and corresponding higher mooring fees.


Peter

 

[rslifkin]

The port a boat looks like a good option for you, weight wise and storage for under way.

68 lbs port a boat 8’
78 lbs port a boat 10’
75 lbs Walker Bay 8’
126 lbs Walker Bay 10’

That's pretty much the conclusion I came to. I can carry the 10 footer up forward easily enough, so that's probably my best bet. And at 78 lbs and 10'8" overall, it also carries more weight and would have more space than the West Marine hard dinghy at 9'9" and 100 lbs empty. Plus it's a little wider too, so it should be plenty big enough.

 

[psneeld]

The biggest complaint of non rigid hulled inflatables and porta boats is about assembling them on limited deck space.

Many think "no problem "till its time."

 

[rslifkin]

The biggest complaint of non rigid hulled inflatables and porta boats is about assembling them on limited deck space.

Many think "no problem "till its time."

Yeah, that's my biggest concern. Assembling one on my back deck might be a challenge. Doing it up forward would make launch and retrieval challenging. I'd likely plan to mitigate the issue by towing it for shorter low speed hops, so for a trip like this summer's planned run to the Thousand Islands, it would get assembled on arrival, collapsed when we leave and we'd just drag it around for the week.

 

[William983]

I’ve been thinking of putting the brackets on the stern of the dinghy and standing it up on end. Anyone seen this done?

 

[William983]

If the weaver will stick to the hypalonView attachment 98297

What is the Davis you used to stand your dinghy on end?

 

[ctbarbarian]

The handles on the lund
Clip on the weaver davis mounted on the swim platform.
Works great
Looks ugly

 

[Rufus]

Here's a Nick Jackson davit with a RIB. They work the same with a rigid hull. An internal structure supports the vertical mid-ship steel post between the transom inner and outer skins. The winch cable attaches to the polished stainless cap on that post (no loads on the transom fiberglass). We board via the swim platform on starboard side.

 

[FlyWright]

Wm983, I've seen it done on some sail and power boats. If you have the ability to pull from a high position, the geometry can work. No can do on my boat so I tip it on its edge.

 

[Alisske]

I’ve been thinking of putting the brackets on the stern of the dinghy and standing it up on end. Anyone seen this done?

I have done it. I have a 26 foot groverbuilt with a 10foot sturdee dory. It looks awkward, but works like a charm. On a bigger boat, I think it would work great.

I generally tow the dinghy, but if running overnight, or in bad weather, I’ll throw on the back.

Prior to this set up, I tore out the front eyebolt on the dinghy in some bad Weather In confused seas off Martha’s Vineyard and made this set up right after. (I had some folks in the back of the boat, so hauling it up into boat was not an option.)

Just weaver davits on the swim platform and some long U-bolts (see stern pick of dinghy) on the stern of the dory and it worked great. Been out in a February Storm off block island with that set up and in worked great.

A

 

[William983]

Thanks, that looks like what I’m going to do

 

[PM]

Porter boats are almost impossible to assemble while on a boat. You almost need to be on a dock.

Just saying..

pete

 

[Alisske]

Just FYI, I would use the removable weaver davits. That way you don’t have to trip over them when not storing dinghy. They are just as sturdy. See the pick below. The davits just slide your In and out of these brackets. They are sold by weaver.

 

[hollywood8118]

I have done it. I have a 26 foot groverbuilt with a 10foot sturdee dory. It looks awkward, but works like a charm. On a bigger boat, I think it would work great.

I generally tow the dinghy, but if running overnight, or in bad weather, I’ll throw on the back.

Prior to this set up, I tore out the front eyebolt on the dinghy in some bad Weather In confused seas off Martha’s Vineyard and made this set up right after. (I had some folks in the back of the boat, so hauling it up into boat was not an option.)

Just weaver davits on the swim platform and some long U-bolts (see stern pick of dinghy) on the stern of the dory and it worked great. Been out in a February Storm off block island with that set up and in worked great.

A

which one is the dinghy and which one is the boat?
you either need a smaller dink.. or a bigger boat!
:lol:HOLLYWOOD

 

[Alisske]

which one is the dinghy and which one is the boat?
you either need a smaller dink.. or a bigger boat!
:lol:HOLLYWOOD

Very obvious and low hanging fruit from a comedy perspective. Bravo.......

I generally use the boat to get me from Point A to Point B and stay in hotels and/or rental houses (As per captains orders) so it suits my needs. This guarantees that my wife will travel anywhere in my boat (as long as we sleep on land)

I carry the biggest dinghy possible because I find 8foot dinghies a bit unsatisfactory.

Additionally, not having a 30-50 foot trawler, I can do all maintenance (Careen her for prop and bottom paint etc...and have the boat stored in my yard for winter.

That being said, I am currently negotiating for a 36 trawler.

Be well.

 

[Alisske]

Thanks, that looks like what I’m going to do

Let me know if you want any close ups of the dinghy.

An additional pic I will post is when the dinghy is still locked in davits, but in water, it makes getting in and out of dinghy real convenient. (You can basically just walk into it). I found this especially helpful with older folks such as my parents.