Davits advice sought

[Dan GB]

Hi all,

Just seeking some advice and points of view on davits for my Shuttleworth 45. Got a funky arrangement for a fibreglass dink, hoisting and housing it under the bridgedeck. It has merit in that the weight is going in the right place and seems secure enough so far. However it slams a bit and is a not very convenient until it's in place (pic).

What are the merits and disadvantages of davits vs arch?

A few points:
Low weight and windage high priority for me.
Seaworthiness and strength also as I have blue water aspirations ultimately - so don't want a flimsy day sailing solution.
The beam is 28' so, without measuring, I am guessing the length of arch would be pushing 20' assuming that for strength I would need it to fix to hulls.
The main beam is forward of the aft lockers, so not much structural strength in rear walkway.

Added two pics showing very rough sketches of where my brain is at in terms of davits vs arch solution.

Really just after general advice so any opinions or input highly appreciated, especially in terms of living with either solution.

Cheers!

[44'cruisingcat]

I have to say, I've never seen a dinghy stored in that location!

I think the advantage an arch has over seperate davits is that the bit across the top ties it together and makes the whole thing more rigid. Plus you can mount a couple of solar panels there.

If you use fibreglass and core, it can be surprisingly light and very strong. Mine weighs maybe 30kg all up, and I once broke a 750kg BS snatch block I'd hung off it trying to lift a stern anchor.

[fivecapes]

Thaïlande - Sortie en mer sur l'Alibi 54 - Maître à Bord

In response to 44cc

[Dan GB]

Originally Posted by 44'cruisingcat

I have to say, I've never seen a dinghy stored in that location!

I think the advantage an arch has over seperate davits is that the bit across the top ties it together and makes the whole thing more rigid. Plus you can mount a couple of solar panels there.

If you use fibreglass and core, it can be surprisingly light and very strong. Mine weighs maybe 30kg all up, and I once broke a 750kg BS snatch block I'd hung off it trying to lift a stern anchor.

30kg. I am impressed by that!

[Dan GB]

Originally Posted by fivecapes

Thaïlande - Sortie en mer sur l'Alibi 54 - Maître à Bord

In response to 44cc

Interesting. Not seen that before

[gbr]

I think the Alibi dinghy system was great, it really pulled the dink out of the way and what isn't shown is there is an extra cubby hole that you can hoist the motor off and attach it to the superstructure of the main boat for longer passages.

Real shame they went bust.