I have a new Fatty Knees dinghy but have had difficulty getting it on and off the cabin top alone. I thought davits might be a solution for short inland sails but have heard different comments on having davits on any boat. does anyone out there have experience with these on a Cape Dory 36?
Many thanks for your input.
Victoria aboard Malie ( Ma-Lee-eh Hawaiian for calm and gentle)
Davits for the CD 36
Moderator: Jim Walsh
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Victoria Y
- Posts: 5
- Joined: Mar 14th, '05, 12:59
- Location: Cape Dory 36 Malie Hull #83
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Oswego John
- Posts: 3535
- Joined: Feb 5th, '05, 20:42
- Location: '66 Typhoon "Grace", Hull # 42, Schooner "Ontario", CD 85D Hull #1
Davits Or Not
Hi Victoria,
Every post deserves a reply, so here is my humble effort.
I suppose that the reason that not anyone spoke on the subject of davits is mainly because very few persons, if any, have davits on their CDs.
FWIW, I set something up for a lady boater once. I also had the same set up on my work boat. It wasn't a pair of davits, though. It was a crane, of sorts.
Now, please, don't anybody hyperventilate when I mention installing a crane on your CD. We are only talking about the weight of a Fatty Knees dink, which is 100 lbs ±. It is the clumsiness of the unit, not the weight, that has to be overcome.
Many realize that for cruising, it is better to stow the hard dink aboard rather than towing it. Ideally, it is recommended to stow the dink upside down on the coach roof, under the boom. Easier said than done, especially with a hard dink.
What I did, installing a crane of sorts, isn't all that Rube Goldbergesque. I used her mast as a temporary gin pole upright. Depending on the weight you want to lift, I use a suitable 2"x4" or larger, on edge, about 8' or 10' long, as the crane arm.
I drilled and installed an eyebolt at the top and bottom of the crane arm. I used line to secure the eyebolt at the bottom of the arm to the bottom of the mast. This acts as both a pivot and a swivel for the crane arm. Standing on the coach roof, attach a block to the mast as high as you can reach.
Using a 4:1 simple set of blocks and tackle (similar as that used for a vang) I attached the second block to the upper end of the crane arm. Also, on the high end of the crane arm is a second eyebolt, used to attach a sling set up for the dink. It is wise to have a cleat or two handy to secure the block and tackle haul line as well as the painter for the dink.
I could keep writing , but if you use a bit of ingenuity and common sense, you can custom rig a set up to raise and lower the dink with little effort. When the crane is not in use, it can be disassembled easily by untying the two lines around the mast. By using the canvas straps shown recently instead of line, set up could be made even easier.
FWIW,
Good luck
O J
Every post deserves a reply, so here is my humble effort.
I suppose that the reason that not anyone spoke on the subject of davits is mainly because very few persons, if any, have davits on their CDs.
FWIW, I set something up for a lady boater once. I also had the same set up on my work boat. It wasn't a pair of davits, though. It was a crane, of sorts.
Now, please, don't anybody hyperventilate when I mention installing a crane on your CD. We are only talking about the weight of a Fatty Knees dink, which is 100 lbs ±. It is the clumsiness of the unit, not the weight, that has to be overcome.
Many realize that for cruising, it is better to stow the hard dink aboard rather than towing it. Ideally, it is recommended to stow the dink upside down on the coach roof, under the boom. Easier said than done, especially with a hard dink.
What I did, installing a crane of sorts, isn't all that Rube Goldbergesque. I used her mast as a temporary gin pole upright. Depending on the weight you want to lift, I use a suitable 2"x4" or larger, on edge, about 8' or 10' long, as the crane arm.
I drilled and installed an eyebolt at the top and bottom of the crane arm. I used line to secure the eyebolt at the bottom of the arm to the bottom of the mast. This acts as both a pivot and a swivel for the crane arm. Standing on the coach roof, attach a block to the mast as high as you can reach.
Using a 4:1 simple set of blocks and tackle (similar as that used for a vang) I attached the second block to the upper end of the crane arm. Also, on the high end of the crane arm is a second eyebolt, used to attach a sling set up for the dink. It is wise to have a cleat or two handy to secure the block and tackle haul line as well as the painter for the dink.
I could keep writing , but if you use a bit of ingenuity and common sense, you can custom rig a set up to raise and lower the dink with little effort. When the crane is not in use, it can be disassembled easily by untying the two lines around the mast. By using the canvas straps shown recently instead of line, set up could be made even easier.
FWIW,
Good luck
O J