Stowing and Launching Your Dinghy (Made Easy)

We had just dropped anchor in a busy harbor, and we needed to get our 85-pound dog to land quickly. Launching our dinghy required a number of tricky steps, and all the wakes in the anchorage had created a rock 'n roll situation, making the process even harder.

This time the hurried launching resulted in a dropped outboard and a three-inch gash on my foot. Weighing anchor later that weekend, I twisted my back lifting our dinghy onto our swim platform, subsequently becoming good friends with my local chiropractor. Hey, I thought boating was supposed to be fun, not a health hazard.

So, after upgrading my old inflatable to a brand new RIB with a 9.9-horsepower four-stroke — a 250-pound package — I knew it was time to look for a better way to stow, launch and retrieve it. What I found were a number of new, innovative systems designed to make handling today's tenders safer and easier, if not totally effortless.

Even the more traditional systems have benefited from evolutionary improvements. If you'd like to use your dinghy more and to reduce your chances of getting hurt or damaging your vessel, take a look at these newer, smarter rigs — and their placement.

Location, Location, Location
Most power cruisers have one or more locations for stowing a dinghy: (1) on the swim platform (2) on the transom (3) on the trunk cabin (4) on the aft end of the pilothouse roof and (5) on the foredeck. If you have a choice, consider how you use your tender before deciding on a location for stowing it. There are pros and cons to each.

The advantage of keeping your dinghy on an aft roof is that it's up and out of the way. It normally doesn't interfere with your vision, and it doesn't present an obstacle on your transom or swim platform. Aesthetically, many of the newer davits and booms meant for roof applications are designed to fit the profile of a typical cruising boat and are quite attractive, especially when painted to match the vessel's color.

The downside to this upper-level location is that it can be difficult, if not unsafe, to launch or retrieve a dinghy in a rough anchorage. The height exaggerates the boat's motion, and a 300- to 400-pound tender with an outboard can be a lethal weapon when tethered to the end of a boom. In these conditions, the operation can take two people (or more) to prevent damage or injury.

Some power cruisers, like the classic Grand Banks models, have room for a dinghy and boom atop their aft cabin. This is an ideal setup, because it doesn't create the height problems of a roof installation, yet the dinghy is out of the way. Years ago, a simple, manual boom-and-tackle system was used for lowering and raising dinghies located in such positions, but that was before the advent of heavy RIBs and four-stroke outboards. Now, electric and/or hydraulic davits with handy remote controls are the norm.

Large cruisers and flybridge convertibles have a spacious foredeck that is ideal for a dinghy and davit. In these cases, the upper helm provides unobstructed sight lines, but visibility from the control station in the pilothouse may be obstructed. The foredeck's full exposure to wind and the possibility of boarding seas, of course, require that you take extra precaution when securing the dinghy and outboard.

Most small-to-midsize cruisers are limited to transom or swim-platform installations. The traditional approach is to install transom davits, which incorporate pulleys or electric winches to lift the dinghy and suspend it. As long as the davits allow the tender to be raised high above the waterline, this is a safe place to stow it. But you'll be increasing the overall length of your vessel by three to five feet, and you'll have a very large object hanging off your stern, just begging to get hung up on a piling as you maneuver in and out of tight slips.

A popular alternative choice is to stow the dinghy with one side tube on the swim platform and the bottom positioned vertically, parallel to the host vessel's transom. There have been several new, creative approaches to how this can be done — some very simple and some very sophisticated. One tried-and-true method is Weaver's "Snap Davit" system.

This works well for relatively light dinghies with small outboards that can be removed and stowed separately. But trying to manhandle even a nine-horsepower four-stroke motor will undoubtedly lead to back problems. And, of course, having a dinghy stowed vertically will reduce access to the swim platform. There is also the aesthetic issue of what this system does to the appearance of the mothership.

Wherever You Stow It, Secure It
For deck, cabin and rooftop installations, a cradle or set of chocks that conforms to the dinghy's hull should be through-bolted to the deck. These can be custom made by your boatyard or dealer, but they are also available through suppliers like Weaver Industries and Nautical Structures.

Most important, your dinghy must then be securely tied down to prevent it from shifting or even being thrown overboard by extreme wind or sea conditions. The most secure method is to through-bolt pad eyes into the mothership's deck and attach stainless-steel cables with adjustable, quick-release hooks to the rigid hull of the dinghy.

Note that the through-bolting of hardware is best handled by a professional. These days, the fiberglass decks of most power cruisers are cored with end-grain balsa or PVC foam. As a result, penetrating the "sandwich" structure with any sort of load-bearing fasteners requires special measures if potentially serious problems are to be avoided.

Transom and swim-platform locations call for different types of security measures. Traditional davit installations require not only that the dinghy is prevented from moving up and down, but also that any sideways motion is minimized. Usually, a series of lines or adjustable straps will do the trick. Some davit manufacturers, however, recommend the addition of horizontal stabilizer bars that prevent heavy RIBs from twisting the davit arms in rough seas.

Swim-platform installations must be given special attention, because following seas can easily board your boat and carry a dinghy away. Even moderate conditions can cause enough movement in a poorly secured dinghy to result in considerable damage. Never underestimate Mother Nature.

Systems for Foredecks, Cabins and Rooftops
The simplest davit system is a traditional standpipe that consists of a load-bearing steel tube installed through the deck and attached to a structural part of the boat. The davit slips into the pipe, which has a bearing to allow for rotation. Attached to the davit is a manual or electric winch with a cable and hook. Many owners remove the davit from its tubular base and stow it flat on the cabin top until they use it. While this system is simple and relatively inexpensive, it is designed to lift only a light dinghy.

Most modern RIB inflatable/outboard packages, however, weigh 250 pounds or more. Launching and retrieving this amount of weight requires a lot of mechanical advantage. A motorized crane, or davit, specifically designed for the marine environment will be able not only to lift this weight, but also to swing the dinghy clear of the host vessel's hull.

During the past few years, notable advancements have been made in the design of these units, making them much easier and safer to operate. New, low profile designs have also made them less obtrusive in appearance.

Manufacturers like MarQuipt, Steelhead and Nautical Structures have a wide range of cranes to choose from. To begin with, choose a unit based on its lifting capacity — a good rule is twice the capacity you currently need. This will give you an added safety factor and allow for a future upgrade of your dinghy and motor.

Determine the height and reach required to get your dinghy up and over any lifelines or deck boxes while keeping it well beyond the topsides of your vessel. Also, consider the crane's location relative to your dinghy. If you install it on the port side, that may prevent you from launching your dinghy on the starboard side — a potential inconvenience when in a marina. If possible, consider a centerline location, and choose a crane with sufficient boom length.

Today, the better, smoother-operating marine cranes are electric/hydraulic designs. Many are telescopic, allowing you to shorten the boom when it's not in use to save deck space. Luffing action, or the raising or lowering of the boom angle, is hydraulically controlled on the more expensive units and manually adjusted with lock pins on the less expensive units.

One very nice feature on some of the newer cranes is the use of composite winch cables instead of braided-steel ones, reducing the danger of your hands being cut by frayed wires. And, to give you more control over your dinghy during launching and retrieval, several manufacturers offer a handheld controller, which allows you to move to the best position on the mothership while you're operating the crane.

One of the best systems I've seen is on the new 55-foot Fleming motoryachts sold by Burr Yacht Sales near Annapolis. A Steelhead low-profile davit with a 1,000-pound lift capacity is installed on the pilothouse roof by the builder to preserve the vessel's structural integrity. When not in use, the davit's boom can be retracted to save deck space.

Its handheld remote provides hydraulic control of both the luffing angle and the composite winch cable, making it easy to position the crane for a perfectly vertical lift before it's rotated over the water. Note that even with a nicely engineered system like this one, at a rough anchorage it's best to have another person ready to fend off and prevent the dinghy from hitting the side of the host vessel as the tender is raised and lowered.

These newer davit systems are a major improvement over older ones. I have used rooftop setups where a winch was externally mounted to a boom, with a steel cable running through a series of blocks. Everything shook, shimmied and squeaked as the full weight of the dinghy and outboard hung several feet over the deck below.

I always felt that a catastrophic event was about to happen. Without a doubt, the new, modern cranes are worth every penny for the convenience, safety and peace of mind they provide.

Transom-Mounted Systems
Traditional transom davits, so popular on sailboats, work very well for many power cruisers. Most of these systems are permanently mounted, but others — such as those made by St. Croix — can be removed when they're not needed.

It's important to have your dinghy selected before installing transom davits, as the lifting cables should be located directly over the dinghy's lift rings, which often means the davits will be off-center. The davit bases must be secured to load-bearing surfaces with beefy backing plates.

Some installations call for additional support brackets that attach to the transom, swim platform and/or deck to ensure there's no chance that the davit base will work loose during rough passages. Also, you have to make sure the davit arms are long enough for the dinghy to clear the swim platform as it is being raised or lowered.

Transom davits are either stainless steel or painted aluminum, and each is fitted with a cable-and-pulley system designed to lift the total weight of your dinghy, motor and fuel tank. Among the popular brands are St. Croix, Kato and Atkins & Hoyle. Besides fixed-position systems, companies like Olsson and Ocean Marine Systems offer "fork" designs with hinged bases that mount on the forward edge of the swim platform, where it meets the transom.

A manual or electric winch lowers the entire unit for attaching to the dinghy's lift rings. The "fork" is then raised to a secure, locked position against the transom. This configuration is particularly appropriate for power cruisers with transom doors.

Regardless of your boat's layout, there's a good chance you can find an ideal transom-davit system that will enable you to safely carry your dinghy with the motor attached. In addition, most manufacturers offer a selection of mounting hardware and accessories for securing the dinghy once it's stowed.

Swim-Platform Options
If you plan to stow your dinghy and motor on your swim platform, you have several options, some of which are quite innovative. As I've already noted, Weaver Industries is well known for its Snap Davits, and they continue to be a popular choice, especially since the company has added accessories such as a transom arc that allows heavier dinghies to be stowed by transferring the weight from the RIB's pontoon to its rigid hull.

A clever system from Dinghy Dumper utilizes Weaver brackets for attaching the dinghy to the swim platform and adds a stainless-steel winch tower and pivoting outboard-motor bracket. Once the dinghy is clipped onto the Weaver davits, the winch line is attached to the motor bracket.

Cranking away, you raise the dinghy on its side while the motor pivots, staying in an upright position. While the company says you can lift 600 pounds with its system, you wouldn't want nearly that much weight resting on your inflatable's pontoons, so it's best to add a Weaver transom arc if you're lifting anything more than a lightweight dinghy and a small outboard.

A similar but more robust system is available from Sea Wise. This setup features heavy-duty brackets that attach to the dinghy's rigid hull and clip onto special swim-platform brackets. A stainless-steel winch tower and pivoting outboard-motor bracket complete the basic system, which is very well thought out and ruggedly built.

For a dinghy and motor weighing less than 450 pounds, the Sea Wise setup offers a smooth operating, hand-cranked winch with a 25:1 ratio. A nice feature of this system is that if you use your cruiser for fishing, a removable winch tower and brackets are available as options. For dinghies weighing up to 850 pounds, the company offers a hydraulic-winch configuration that makes launching as easy as pressing a button.

Another advantage of the Sea Wise system is that a dinghy's rigid hull, not its pontoons, supports the weight of the tender. So, if your dinghy becomes partially deflated, it will still work. When in the "up" position, the dinghy and outboard are locked in place, secured with lock pins and a bow strap — all in all an easy, safe and secure arrangement.

Some modern cruisers have extra-wide swim platforms that approach a small patio in size. These designs present an opportunity to stow a dinghy in its natural, horizontal position. You can choose simple, manual systems like the ones offered by Ocean Marine Systems and St. Croix, or — if cost is not a factor — you can enjoy the luxury of a hydraulically operated lift by companies like Sea Lift and TNT.

Ocean Marine offers two manual systems, one a tilt cradle and the other a roll-on. The tilt cradle is fine for smaller, lightweight dinghies up to 250 pounds, whereas the roll-on handles tenders up to 750 pounds. Essentially stainless-steel cradles that you lift or roll your dinghy onto, they represent a low-cost solution, especially for power cruisers where transom-mounted davits are not possible. St. Croix offers similar swim-platform rigs.

One of the most attractive and easiest-to-use horizontal systems is made by Sea Lift. This hydraulic, automatic lift is installed under your existing swim platform and can handle up to 800 pounds. To retrieve your dinghy from the water, you just center it over the cradle's submerged chocks, and the unit lifts the tender over the platform and then rolls it forward, where it locks in place.

When a heavy dinghy's weight is moved forward, it will have less effect on your boat's trim, allowing you to get up on plane more quickly. A safety feature allows the Sea Lift to be manually operated in case of hydraulic or electrical failure. This system's aesthetically pleasing, low profile makes it look like part of the host vessel's original design, not an ugly afterthought.

TNT manufactures the hydraulic Dinghy Lift, which replaces your boat's original swim platform with a specially made one. The entire platform, with your dinghy sitting in a cradle, submerges at the touch of a button, launching the tender without effort. It just doesn't get much easier than this, but be prepared to spend some serious money on the TNT system. The custom fabrication of the platform and heavy-duty, noncorrosive hydraulic mechanism is a major investment.

Make It Easy On Yourself
If you find yourself hesitating to use your dinghy because launching and retrieving it are too much trouble, or if you are upgrading to a new, larger one with a more powerful engine, take a close look at all the new davit systems available, a few of which are described here.

The fall and winter boat shows are fast approaching, and the leading companies in the dinghy-handling game will have working displays and factory representatives to answer your questions. If you make it easier and safer to use your tender, you'll spend more fun time on the water and less time in the chiropractor's office.

More