[C320-list] Dinghy Davits

[Jeff Hare]

If you have no interest in dinghy davits or solar panels maybe find your delete key. :)

Christian, right I forgot those older models have a curve down to the swim/ladder step instead of two side steps.

Only using them for solar panels?  Well, wouldn't you be better off mounting them on rails above your bimini?  A decent canvas fabricator could put a pair of 1" stainless rails up there that sit just about an inch above the canvas and you could just mount them there (assuming you're using rigid panels), or go with flexible panels and integrate them into your bimini top (I've seen some good designs for that also).  

You really should first check out this option.  I know Iverson and many fabricators (myself included) can make this kind of mount when without a lot of fuss.  As an addon, I'd recommend a local fabricator. Here's an example (Iverson makes these).

https://tinyurl.com/BiminiSolarMount

Probably also want to consider whether they'll impact your visibility mounted on davits.  You're either going to look under them or over them.  If they're high enough that you can see under, then that's way too high for a dinghy to ever ride in (which would be also be a problem to see past).  They'll also impact your use of the swim platform if mounted low.

If you're still going for Davits, you can just tell Garhauer how long you need the legs and they'll make them exactly as you need them.  Figure out where you want them to attach to the rail, measure from that point to the point where it would intersect the sloped side (about 3-4" out away from the transom).  This give you the leg length.  The foot assembly will raise it up a few inches but that will give you some wiggle room and a pipe cutter will easily shorten it down to the perfect length.  Also, measure width-wise how far apart the two davits will be from each other and add 6" to this for the length of Crossbar you want them to include.  Again, a pipe cutter will make quick work of shortening them, although I've never had any luck using a pipe cutter to cut some length back on if they're too short.  Maybe I'm just doing it wrong.  :)

Generally speaking about mounting these davits for Dinghy use:

When you have the swim step,  they'd be mounted like this: 
https://c320.org/mediagallery/media.php?s=20130702043012691

Without the swim step, you rotate the foot 90 degrees and it will mount on the sloped surface instead. That's not a problem.  What you get by mounting them away from the vertical transom is a small triangle formed between the foot and the place where the davit mounts to the lower rail.  Without the triangle, the weight of the dinghy is just a lever trying to bend your stern rail outward (aft).  With this small triangle, the direction of force shifts and reduces the amount of outward bending and adds a little more upward / lifting force.

If you were to mount it to the vertical transom and the top rail, you're putting maximum outward bending force on the stern rail.  You'd need stabilizers and it'll still be more bouncy that I'd want on my boat.  I can hang on our crossbar without the rail flexing much.  The davits are rock solid themselves.  As shown in some of the pictures, the crossbar is low enough that you can use it as a hand hold when getting in and out of the dinghy.

So, regarding the davits being too low.  That's not quite the problem it might seem to be.  When you shift the base of the legs outward about 3 or 4", it angles the arms a bit more upward.  In the following picture, we have the webbing on but it's been relaxed so that the dinghy tubes are level but the stern is still angled down towards the drain.

https://c320.org/mediagallery/media.php?s=20180218171215519

Other pictures of how it fits/looks on our boat are in the same album (on the C320.org website): 

https://c320.org/mediagallery/album.php?aid=275

We use a 2" wide strap of webbing on a large Suncor stainless steel Ratchet Buckle to snug the whole thing up tight when sailing.  That keeps it from shifting or moving when heeled in bouncy conditions.  

As a side bonus, we have trunk where we can throw stuff like trash bags, fenders and cranky children while sailing.  :) 

The initial idea of how to mount this came from Dick Walker's installation photos which I may or may not have put on the site years ago.

Well, that took up a lot of space.  Sorry about that.

-Jeff Hare

-----Original Message-----
From: C320-list [mailto:c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com] On Behalf Of Christian
Sent: Sunday, February 18, 2018 10:50 AM
To: C320-List at catalina320.com
Subject: Re: [C320-list] Dinghy Davits

Jeff,
if you don't mind me asking a follow up.  You state "Use the platform steps, not the vertical transom to attach the lower feet."

I'm on a '94 320, so I don't have platform steps.  I am looking at the Gauher 1 1/4 model, and I think if I mount the vertical bar to the platform, then the davits would be too low, as the Gauher doesn't really offer a taller model that I am aware of.  So my only real option is to mount on the vertical transform (but would be using their backing plate on the inside of the transom), with their attachment to the lower of the stern rail.  Given that I don't have any plans to use them for a dinghy, but purely for mounting solar panels (I'm guessing panels plus mounts will weight about 65'ish lbs), would this be an ill advised installation for Lake Michigan sailing?

Thanks,
Christian Caperton
1994 C320 "Canuck" #138
Monroe Harbor, Chicago, IL