Oliver,
Don't know how it is on your GB woody, but on my previous boat, a 1988
fiberglass GB Classic (with an island berth), we installed an electric winch
on the cabin top just aft of the main saloon after starboard window (with the
wiring in the overhead above the shower) to handle the dinghy. Both the
topping lift and halyard were led to the winch using blocks/turning blocks/jam
cleats. The topping lift was first used to get the boom to about 45 degrees,
then put into the jam cleat that made it impossible to accidentally free.
Then the halyard (running thru a block at the outboard end of the boom and
positioned above the lifting fulcrum of the dinghy) was used to lift the dink
from its on-deck cradle. We'd then swing the boom manually out to starboard
and lower away on the halyard to launch the dink. Retrieval was the reverse
of this, bringing the dink alongside the starboard quarter, swinging out the
boom, connecting the halyard, and using the winch to do the heavy lifting,
then swinging in the boom manually. Sounds much harder than it was!
Getting the rigging right is critical, and it took a few tries and then some
fine-tuning. Once we did that, after a little practice Judy and I had no
difficulty launching and retreiving the and retrieveing the dink in no time.
In fact, it was so easy that we often brought it aboard for the night rather
than leaving it in the water. The dink was a 10.5-foot AB with a 15-HP two
stroke outboard--maybe 600 lbs..
Sorry no pictures available.
In my book, using an arrangement like that is far superior to davits but YMMV.
Using a dedicated crane/davit is even better!
Good luck,
--Milt Baker, Nordhavn 47 Bluewater, Southwest Harbor, ME
Oliver wrote:
Over the winter I bought a really nice heavy duty pair of davits for my GB 42
woodie. I have been sitting here all summer looking at the things and
wondering whether I should install them. While davits would make launching my
10' foot Zodiac easier, they would make swimming off the boat much more
awkward. Most of all everytime I look at my beautiful varnished transom I
wonder whether I want to muck it up with the davits.
Since I can't make up my mind, I am asking you all for your opinions.
Oliver,
Don't know how it is on your GB woody, but on my previous boat, a 1988
fiberglass GB Classic (with an island berth), we installed an electric winch
on the cabin top just aft of the main saloon after starboard window (with the
wiring in the overhead above the shower) to handle the dinghy. Both the
topping lift and halyard were led to the winch using blocks/turning blocks/jam
cleats. The topping lift was first used to get the boom to about 45 degrees,
then put into the jam cleat that made it impossible to accidentally free.
Then the halyard (running thru a block at the outboard end of the boom and
positioned above the lifting fulcrum of the dinghy) was used to lift the dink
from its on-deck cradle. We'd then swing the boom manually out to starboard
and lower away on the halyard to launch the dink. Retrieval was the reverse
of this, bringing the dink alongside the starboard quarter, swinging out the
boom, connecting the halyard, and using the winch to do the heavy lifting,
then swinging in the boom manually. Sounds much harder than it was!
Getting the rigging right is critical, and it took a few tries and then some
fine-tuning. Once we did that, after a little practice Judy and I had no
difficulty launching and retreiving the and retrieveing the dink in no time.
In fact, it was so easy that we often brought it aboard for the night rather
than leaving it in the water. The dink was a 10.5-foot AB with a 15-HP two
stroke outboard--maybe 600 lbs..
Sorry no pictures available.
In my book, using an arrangement like that is far superior to davits but YMMV.
Using a dedicated crane/davit is even better!
Good luck,
--Milt Baker, Nordhavn 47 Bluewater, Southwest Harbor, ME
Oliver wrote:
Over the winter I bought a really nice heavy duty pair of davits for my GB 42
woodie. I have been sitting here all summer looking at the things and
wondering whether I should install them. While davits would make launching my
10' foot Zodiac easier, they would make swimming off the boat much more
awkward. Most of all everytime I look at my beautiful varnished transom I
wonder whether I want to muck it up with the davits.
Since I can't make up my mind, I am asking you all for your opinions.
