How do you dock your dinghy

LakePirate · #1 (**permalink**) 03-12-2010

I have my boat in a slip and currently keep the dinghy on a
dinghy dock. It's really made for a jet ski but it's what the marina has. My rent on it is due and I need to decide if there is a better option. The dinghy is 12 ft and I like having it ready to go on any given weekend. So I don't want to deflate and inflate it each time. My boat is a 30 ft islander, I thought about davits but think that may look odd with a 12 ft dinghy. The dock would work great if it were a little wider. The dock rent is $500 for the year. Davits would be considerably more, but only once. What to do?

imagine2frolic · #2 (**permalink**) 03-12-2010

Is it possible to throw a couple of boards in the corner of the slip? From the finger to the pier, and then use a halyard to hoist the dink up on it?........i2f

sailingdog · #3 (**permalink**) 03-12-2010

Davits on a 30' boat are going to look pretty ridiculous and add a lot of weight aft, where you can't really afford it. Either hoist it aboard the foredeck or pay the dock rent.

SVCarolena · #4 (**permalink**) 03-12-2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by sailingdog

Davits on a 30' boat are going to look pretty ridiculous and add a lot of weight aft, where you can't really afford it. Either hoist it aboard the foredeck or pay the dock rent.

We keep our 9ft. dink on the foredeck of our 30ft. boat during the week when we aren't using the boat. When we are at the marina on the weekends, we often just tie it to a T-dock or put it in one of our friend's slips (with their permission, of course). We extend the same courtesy to our friends if we are out of the slip for the weekend. If we go out and plan to use it, we tow it behind us. We have also sailed with it on the fordeck, just have to keep an eye on the jib sheets when tacking. If bad weather is coming or we plan to be away from the boat for a few weeks, we deflate it and keep it in the cabin. The 6hp outboard stays mounted to our stern rail. Davits really wouldn't work for us, as we just fit in our slip as it is.

huguley3 · #5 (**permalink**) 03-12-2010

I have seen a couple of boats with some kind of system that would hold the stern of the dinghy to the stern of the boat with only the bow of the dinghy in the water. I have not been able to see one up close but it looks like it would help a lot in keeping the growth off the dinghy. I can't help much with a manufacturer or even a name sorry.

I have 2 inflatables atm and we are keeping both on deck rolled up. The growth where I am is crazy so keeping them in the water is not a good option.

sailingdog · #6 (**permalink**) 03-12-2010

I think that system is called dinghy tow or something like that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by huguley3

I have seen a couple of boats with some kind of system that would hold the stern of the dinghy to the stern of the boat with only the bow of the dinghy in the water. I have not been able to see one up close but it looks like it would help a lot in keeping the growth off the dinghy. I can't help much with a manufacturer or even a name sorry.

I have 2 inflatables atm and we are keeping both on deck rolled up. The growth where I am is crazy so keeping them in the water is not a good option.

CharlieCobra · #7 (**permalink**) 03-12-2010

I got my dinghy about a month before the Perkins died and kept it in the water next to the boat. I did find that I had to pull and scrub it once a week to keep it from getting slimed.

kwaltersmi · #8 (**permalink**) 03-12-2010

Do you have fixed our floating docks? I've seen people store dinghies under fixed docks and even hoist them with trailer winch mounted to the side of the dock.

Luckily our slip is wide enough to allow our dink to tuck in front of the mothership.

sailortjk1 · #9 (**permalink**) 03-12-2010

We keep ours in the slip as well, similiar to KW.
Have you asked if your mariana allows this?
In my area, if the dinghy will fit in the slip with the Mothership and not be an obstruction, it is not an extra cost.

During the weekend it is tied off to the stern ready for use at any time. When we leave for home on Sunday it is moved up to the base of the main pier and sits nicely beside the bow of the boat.

Architeuthis · #10 (**permalink**) 03-12-2010

If you are concerned about looks then you do not want davits. They always look out of place because they are not part of the boat. No racer would ever have davits or a dinghy and if they did not such a large one.

On the other hand like a cap on a pickup truck looking stupid is either in the eye of the beholder or minor compared to the practical advantages. Davits really adds volume to a boat.

We use ours for antenna, solar panels, bogie board storage, fender storage, flag mount, stern light, great for swimming, using the stern ladder and sometimes we even put the dinghy on it, though it has a spot on the foredeck (the ultimate in ugly but we aint racin' or trying to impress on the boatwalk). Our boat is a little bigger and can handle the extra weight back there, in part because we've shifted heavier stuff forward and lower in the boat.

But it doesn't sound like you want davits, they will look stupid and create weight issues.

Maybe just ask if they or you can make the dock wider with some plywood.