Trawler Mast to lift Dinghy?

[omoore]

Trawler Mast

Your mast is absolutely strong enough. Just look at the spars on ocean racing sailboats. What is key is not only the strength of the stays and chainplates but the location of the chainplates as well. The mast needs to be secured fore and aft and laterally. The chainplates need to be fastened to strong structure. I would worry about the sides of the flybridge. One possibility would be to install chainplates on the hull for use when lifting the dinghy.
On the boom the gooseneck needs to be strong enough: attachment to the mast and boom as well as the fitting itself.
Finally make sure the topping lift and its fittings on the mast and book are sized adequately.
If you are comfortable with the math, look up cranes in an engineering handbook to determine the maximum working load of your mast and boom.

 

[Nepidae]

I previously made a reply (#19) and don't know if anyone has mentioned, as I'm sure that I did, that IF you need to use a mast to get your dingy on/off your boat, you will find that you don't use your dinghy very much.

IT is a PITA to launch a dinghy and it is compounded if you use a mast & boom for the project.

I offered alternatives and IF no one who uses a mast to do it wasn't honest enough to mention how difficult it is then maybe asking the PO, as was suggested, why he didn't use the mast & boom to launch the dinghy will get the right answer. I wouldn't be surprised if his answer was the PITA reason.

Now if you like the look of a mast & boom on your boat, that is a different story and maybe instead of a trawler, you need a sailboat.

Good luck in your pursuits.

 

[Delfin]

Now if you like the look of a mast & boom on your boat, that is a different story and maybe instead of a trawler, you need a sailboat.

You mean like this?

 

[Nepidae]

Trawler mast for a dinghy

You mean like this?

You are the perfect boat to express how easy it is to launch your 800# gorilla from your boat!!

You might add how often you break out your dinghy?

BTW, you are a little different than most of our trawlers here on the list.

Really like the looks of your boat.

 

[Delfin]

You are the perfect boat to express how easy it is to launch your 800# gorilla from your boat!!

You might add how often you break out your dinghy?

BTW, you are a little different than most of our trawlers here on the list.

Really like the looks of your boat.

It takes 5 to 10 minutes to launch, and it goes in the water each time we anchor and want to go ashore.

 

[Nepidae]

OK, based on a big trawler which states that it only takes 5-10min to launch the dinghy and it goes in the water each time there is an anchor involved, which doesn't really tell us anything as to ease, I retract my statement.

Put your mast up and learn.

I know 2 boats that kept aa dinghy on the sundeck roof and switched to davits.

 

[Delfin]

OK, based on a big trawler which states that it only takes 5-10min to launch the dinghy and it goes in the water each time there is an anchor involved, which doesn't really tell us anything as to ease, I retract my statement.

Put your mast up and learn.

I know 2 boats that kept aa dinghy on the sundeck roof and switched to davits.

About as difficult as pressing buttons. Since I have opposable thumbs, I'm up to the challenge.

 

[AlaskaProf]

IT is a PITA to launch a dinghy and it is compounded if you use a mast & boom for the project.
...wasn't honest enough ...
Now if you like the look of a mast & boom on your boat, that is a different story and maybe instead of a trawler, you need a sailboat.

HAH! Ya caught me!
As a reformed sailor, when I saw the photos of (what became) Seeadler [okay, it is a sailor's name] My immediate thought was:there's the "boat deck." First upgrade was a sailing dinghy.

And you are absolutely right. Swaying the dink out was a two-man job to get it over the rail and defend the bright work...and better with three.

But you have to admit, it looks "shippy. And fortunately, I also had a Bullfrog on aft davits.

 

[Bmarler]

I can boom my skiff down in under ten minutes easy. I also need to keep the transom area clear for boarding, so keeping the dink on the boat deck is perfect.

 

[mvweebles]

I can boom my skiff down in under ten minutes easy. I also need to keep the transom area clear for boarding, so keeping the dink on the boat deck is perfect.

I can get my dink in the water in 10-mins too (Pipe Davit from boat deck). But I have to say, I was with Scot/Laura on their Beebe 50 that had the equivelient of a Dinghy Butler davit (HERE) off their transom where the davit rack pivots down to launch the dink clear of the swim step. The ease of launch - and especially the ease of retrieval - made me jealous, even though they incur extra length charges when in a marina; and their swim grid is mostly unusable when the dink is stowed. For a full-time cruiser in anchorages, a Dinghy Butler type davit is tough to beat. Not workable on Weebles' round stern, but I sure loved the system.

Also highlights one of the benefits of a catamaran where the dink can be carried on a very convenient davit between the amas.

For a standard monohull trawler though, Delfin's setup of having the dink midships on the foredeck is great because you can launch either side to the lee of the mothership. But it takes a pretty large boat to get that type of foredeck space, plus there must be a compromise in interior space beneath the dink. Certainly some lost ventilation opportunities.

Bottom line is there is no perfect solution. As I mentioned in an earlier post, a centerline boom can be a bit unwieldy if there are any waves. But for the OP, the boom/mast arrangement is a no-brainer. He already has a tabernacle and presumably rigging chainplates. He can either make the spares or, better, see if a yard has a scrap pile of busted sailboat spars. Something off a 27-30-footer should be fine.

Good luck -

Peer

 

[psneeld]

I had a homemade "dinghy butler" for about 8 years (the prototype was never made well made but lasted 8 years and at least 10,000 miles cruising).

It wasn't a copy of dinghy butler but a mod made on what I saw on my friends catamaran sailboat....looks dang similar though...I wonder when dinghy butler got started as more than a couple people asked me if it was OK to take pics of it.

Out of every different way to launch a dinghy.... it was my favorite...especially since I didn't use the swim platform for getting to the dock. Even then you can extend it just enough to get by and still use the swim platform.

Yep, I have yet to see a better option...most stink in rough weather and boarding becomes a challenge unless you board, then lower and with a well made copy of dinghy butler, that would be possible.

There are similar designs to dinghy butler, and probably work fine....but I loved the cross bar that acted like a safety bar on an amusement ride...especially useful to older people with balance issues.

 

[Nico]

I previously made a reply (#19) and don't know if anyone has mentioned, as I'm sure that I did, that IF you need to use a mast to get your dingy on/off your boat, you will find that you don't use your dinghy very much.

IT is a PITA to launch a dinghy and it is compounded if you use a mast & boom for the project.

I offered alternatives and IF no one who uses a mast to do it wasn't honest enough to mention how difficult it is then maybe asking the PO, as was suggested, why he didn't use the mast & boom to launch the dinghy will get the right answer. I wouldn't be surprised if his answer was the PITA reason.

Now if you like the look of a mast & boom on your boat, that is a different story and maybe instead of a trawler, you need a sailboat.

Good luck in your pursuits.

Hi Nepidae, thanks for your advice. Yes, i also read your post #19. I will give all of this a bit of thought, but i think the davit is the better option. Im not keen on a sail boat right now, but many trawlers do have a mast and boom. I like the aesthetic. I found some old footage of my boat showing the original set up on the roof - there was a lot going on, including a davit, a timber mast, cradle and stabilisers. All of this gear was removed before i bought the boat. Apparently the mast was rotting and the davit was rusty. Time for something new.

 

[psneeld]

I posted that I eventually made a DIY Dinghy Butler and the switched to one of those ramp type dinghy launchers that attach to the swim platform after the prototype butler failed.

I used my mast and boom to assist with both of those....making both even easier over my 20,000 miles and decade of living aboard along the ACIW.

Before them, I used the mast and boom to launch the dinghy. Yes it was a bit of a pain to do when the mast and boom functioned with block and tackle. If by yourself, you had to alternate between using the load line and the boom lift. When I added a power winch to the boom, it became much easier and I used the dink whenever...not problem.

I will admit that watching people my whole life do things the hard way always makes me wonder. I shouldn't because some aptitude tests that involve a lot of physics (the ones with pulleys/levers/screws/etc) show that some just don't understand how to get things done an easier way. Heck the same applies to most aspects of boating....docking, anchoring, tying the boat up, misusing spring lines...etc...some just seem to gravitate to the hard way.

I liked my mast and boom for all kinds of things. I liked both the look and functionality. It helped get a heavy freezer and furniture up on the flybridge, Great for antennas, lights, shade tent over aft cabin, even down to a handy bottle opener.

Even complaints about bridges... the mast didn't bother me too much. I could lower/raise it in minutes (again better with the power winch). Sure if I left it down for days it took up flybridge room...was never a big deal and if it was I could have come up with something or just put it back up... as I said it just took me (solo) a few minutes.

I get why some get rid of their masts, but some reasons given I don't. If I had been in a covered dock...that might have been one reason, the other if I went toa goal post setup for outrigger stabilizers.

 

[Bmarler]

Hi Nepidae, thanks for your advice. Yes, i also read your post #19. I will give all of this a bit of thought, but i think the davit is the better option. Im not keen on a sail boat right now, but many trawlers do have a mast and boom. I like the aesthetic. I found some old footage of my boat showing the original set up on the roof - there was a lot going on, including a davit, a timber mast, cradle and stabilisers. All of this gear was removed before i bought the boat. Apparently the mast was rotting and the davit was rusty. Time for something new.

Definitely a lot going on. I like how it looks with all that stripped off much better. I’m kind of over the stainless radar arch look, and it looks awkward with the size and placement of the mast. A nice low profile powered crane on the roof would really be awesome. If you sprung for one with powered rotation you’d never regret it.
I would do some mock up or photoshop a mast and boom so you can find a combination that looks good and provides the function you want. Another consideration might be a mock smokestack/cross tree for radar mount and antennas. If executed right it could add to the style of the boat.