inflating a dinghy every time?

domer94

Active Member
May 14, 2017
213
norther NJ
Boat Info
1995 330da
Engines
twin 454 inboard v drives
does anybody typically break it down and stow it after use to avoid a permanent davit setup? is this something that is really out of reality and would be a major PITA all the time?
 
does anybody typically break it down and stow it after use to avoid a permanent davit setup? is this something that is really out of reality and would be a major PITA all the time?
I used to do it every weekend in a smaller slip than we have now. The bigger pain is getting all the stuff out and the motor off every time.

I did it on the dock, inflating and deflating while away from the slip would be a huge pain
 
Lucky me, dock master stores my rig inside the boat barn when every I wish. Pulls it out with the lift and stores it on a rack. Man, would hate deflating and then getting it back in servisable shape every time. Just too darned much to mess with.
 

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Total PITA. There are several versions of davits when can be removed once the dink goes in the water. The real question is do you use the dink every time you take the boat out, or just occasionally. For us, we need it for every trip, so it was an easy decision.
 
I find storing mine on its side on the platform (and having to take the motor off every time) hard enough - I can’t imagine inflating it every time(I have an electric pump on board as well).

I’m going to a favor this winter though.
 
Sorry - davit apparently auto corrects to that. Thinking H30 - but very pricey and even more so if I want the extension. But - it would make life super easy and allow me to put a bigger motor on the inflatable.
 
I have it all and it makes the dinghy so much more fun than work. (Took a long time to get here and is not cheap.) Have H2O davits and a crane to pick it up. Then have a jetski dock to keep it on in home port, and a PWC trailer to transport and store it on. Has really simplified managing the dinghy.

MM
 
We have some manual crank lifts at our marina that i keep mine on. some use them for jetskis. ($150 a year). well worth it. covered with a sturdy UV resistant cover, and it makes life soooo much easier. Plus my old zodiac that i used to break down and haul home every weekend kept seperating at the tubes and transom from all the flexing and to be reglued every season. Keeping this inflated all the time i expect it will last a whole lot longer. i am hoping to keep this on the lift all winter so i can 'boat' when the boat is in winter storage. most marinas have some sort of storage either on a rack, or something. Like MonacoMike said, when it starts being work, it stops being fun.
 
Update - so yesterday (friday) i went for a dinghy ride, put it back on the rack described above. Stepped in it to put my cover on it and one of the runners (pieces of wood) on the lift broke. It is amazing how fast gravity works. In an instant, the dinghy, motor and I were in the water. Thank goodness we have an outboard shop on the marina premises. Immediately walked the motor to them and they had it running fine in an hour. Marina repair guy gonna replace the broken wood runner tomorrow. Gravity is amazingly fast!
 
Gravity wins too often. Totally unfair!
I inflate our dink from a roll bag that it is stored in and after a weekend or so, clean it and put it back in the bag for storage. 10 years old and still looks great. I can't stand anything on the swimplatform. Not a big deal to unroll fill and reroll IMHO.
 

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