Nov 20, 2001
I wanted to ask the group if anyone has had davits installed on the Allied Seawind II. I have a hard dinghy and was thinking about hanging it on davits. My major concern is if the weight on the transom would adversely effect the stabily and trim of the boat. My idea was to use the davits on day sailing / inshore, but to put the dinghy on the cabin top in chocks for any offshore passages. I had the dinghy in the chocks for the summer and found it very hard to see around it with the wheel so low. Any ideas would be appreciated.

Nov 20, 2001
Some time ago Howard, Scooter II, had initiated a similar conversation based upon his query regarding our thoughts about various dinghy types.

It seemed a fairly common agreement that adding weight to the ends of almost any sailboat produces adverse effects in the sailing capabilities.

Even as I have not yet installed the Dingy-Tow system, in my opinion, it appears to be the most appropriate choice if all compromises were to be examined. It apparently does serve quite well in the more confined waters by having the least cumulative effect upon stern weight. I have now interviewed three owners of various sailboats who do employ the system. Each has indicated that it does make backing a more difficult task, normal tacking and jibing response are noticeably slowed and that disconnecting the system requires an awkward position to access the dinghy once it has been lowered. The last seems could be overcome with some sort of pelican hook arrangement for remote disconnect. The first two seem quite natural side effects and may just become a matter of compensation and timing for the sailor.

Nov 20, 2001
Before you consider davits or Dingy-tow, consider that they would interfere with a windvane, which I suggest is an important piece of equipment, offshore or onshore, even in the Long Island Sound.

1698 Mar 20, 2002

I looked at the website knowledge page first but didn�t see any discussion about the use of Dinghy Davits on SWII�s. Yes, I know that holding a dinghy aft that way will impact performance but I�d like to know if anyone on this list has configured their SWII with davits and what their experience has been (including the type and size dinghy they used that way).

Tom Lix

Relief (formerly Pequod) #17

1699 Mar 20, 2002

There has been some discussion. I guess that I have yet to post it.

My initial conclusion was that due to weight, swamping, interference, etc. that they were not a good idea. I�ve changed my mind to a certain extent.

I saw a pair on a small scale skipjack. The forward base of the davits were located outside the stern pulpit, a few feet forward of the stern and mounted to the deck. A set of support legs were located further aft. There was a built in traveler and the stern light was located on the traveler mount.

It�s my intention to build this setup once I have the Cape Horn in place, the mizzen boom and the bimini situated.

It think that�ll it will be the best option for handling the dinghy in coastal waters and the Chesapeake if I stick to my fair weather plan. For crossings and bad weather, I�ll flip the dinghy over and mount her on deck.

1701 Mar 20, 2002

Howard has some interesting views, but I would limit that to prudent coastal and embayed cruising. There is a floding hard bottom inflatable dinghy coming on the market that deserve a look.

1704 Mr 21, 2002

Tom,

Have no experience with davits aboard a SW, however do have experience with vessels that had 3 times the height on the stern with davits. Two items come to mind that you may want to consider.

1. In heavy sea conditions, you will be constantly trying to prevent the dingy from swinging. On my last voyage inbound from Bermuda with 71 knot winds, I lost count the number of times I had to drain the dingy, (the plug was out) but when heeled water collects from the blowing spray off the tops of waves and lands into the dinghy and is unable to drain. Further the dinghy would loosen from the rolls that battered us for a day and a half.

2. Back in the 60�s, we did take a full stern sea aboard another vessel which filled the dingy completely with water, bent both solid 3" davits, tore out the stern painter line, and began to take on water because the plug was not in. Lost some fishing gear as well, the dingy now was supported only by the bow painter and crashing into the stern with each suceeding wave train until we were able to turn around, and release the painter with the davits swinging wildly. An interesting few minutes. I don�t even want to think about having that happen again.

3. On our SWII, we carry the inflatable on the deck aft of the main mast which allows us to keep the main hatch open in foul weather giving plenty of ventilation, prevents theft, takes only a few minutes time to launch, and permits hoving to in heavy weather with no concerns about item #2. When we arrive at an anchorage, it only takes a few minutes to launch the dingy.

Don and Brenda Bundy

1707 Mar 21, 2002

I appreciate the multiple viewpoints on Davits (don�t worry folks, if the weather starts getting in the least bit rough the dingy is being lashed to the deck). Interestingly I�m also in discussions with my marina as it seems they might want to charge for additional footage at my slip if I install the Davits - in which case I might end up with the deck solution anyway.

Thanks everyone.

Tom Lix

Relief (#17)

1708 Mar 21, 2002

If you are planning davits along with a steering vane, I hope you have a cutter. There is not room for a dinghy between my steering vane and the mizzen boom, in fact they collide at times. You would also have to be careful not to be caught out in weather. I have had boarding seas over the stern, and with a dinghy, who knows what would happen. I have carried an eight foot hard dinghy behind the mast, with a special baggy flap in the dodger to accomodate the stern. The companionway slide does not open fully, but that is not a problem. It can be launched and retrieved with the main halyard, overturned and righted in the air with the proper sling. If anyway wants the information on the sling, let me know.

Now I use an inflatable because it is hard to board a hard dinghy when swimming.

Dick Weaver SWII75K