One of the pleasures of cruising is anchoring out at your favorite gunk hole and launching the dingy and taking in the sights of the area or visiting other boats; it’s a great way to meet new friends. But if your dingy is not very accessible or difficult to launch, you will not likely use it often.
All tenders require adequate storage. Towing is not always practical and can be risky in bad weather. The same goes for on deck storage; a heavy wind and you may lose it. But if you properly setup your boat with the proper davit system, your dingy will provide trouble-free service.
However before you select your davit system, you’ll need to choose the right dingy for your boating needs. Do you prefer a rigid dingy or inflatable? Remember punctures are very common with inflatables? Where will it be used on the high seas or inland waters? How big do you
need her?
Many of the answers to storage locations and systems lie in how large it is and much your dingy weighs.
There are four basic davit systems available to store a dingy:
clip-on, where the dingy rests on its side on the swim platform;
stanchion mounts on the transom, the dingy hangs over the stern;
rotating davit mounts on the decks; and
hydraulic - powered lifts mounted to a swim platform to lift large dingies or personal water craft.
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Hydraulic - powered lifts have become popular on large yachts to lift heavy dingies or personal water craft. Most are complicated and not easily owner installed.
Prices for these davit systems increase as the lifting load increases– the heavier the dingy, the pricier the davit system. To use, the lifts are lowered into the water and the dingy is driven onto the cradle and then raised.
A negative feature is that these units may not work well in a following sea.
In most cases when purchasing a used boat, the dingy and davit system is already in place.
You will just need to familiarize yourself with it to see if you like it. If you do not, there are other options for you.
Clip-on davits are a great product. Weaver Davits, one of the top sellers, are an economical choice for powerboats with swim platforms and small tenders and outboards up to 10 horsepower.
But the motor must be removed before hoisting. Most boaters have an outboard storage rack mounted on the transom for easy access. Another concern is raising the dingy from a horizontal position in the water to a vertical position for storage.
Weaver Davits are limited by the weight of the dingy. I have the davit system on our trawler and I could not be more pleased. We can launch and retrieve the dingy in less than 5 minutes.
Stanchion mounts fasten to the rails, deck or transom. Designed for heavy dingy-engine setups, these davit systems come with adjustable riser arms for a custom fit to your boat.
Heavy dingies may require optional support kits mounted on the transom or swim platform. When properly installed, the dingy rests horizontal from the stern of the boat.
On these installations, the dingy outboard can remain in place. On a negative side, the dingy requires a fair amount of manual labor to hoist the dingy using 2 block and tackles.
These are common setups on sailboats.
Rotating davits lift, rotate and place the dingy onto the foredeck or sundeck. If the deck can support the load, these systems can be directly mounted, or the supporting post may be placed on a lower deck.
Most setups are provided with an electric winch to mechanically lower and raise the dingy. Dingies with large motors (10 horsepower or more) often combine a rotating davit on the transom with a cradle for the dingy mounted on deck.
The setups provide lifting for the heaviest of dingy/motor arrangements.
On a negative side, these arrangements may place the operator at heights that could be dangerous in rough waters. In addition, care must be made to keep the outboard from striking the mother ship as the dingy is raised or lowered, breaking windows or damaging the gel coat.
