Storing a Dinghy at Sea: Davits, Deck Stow, and Towing

Dinghy & Tender Guide

The dinghy question that most cruisers answer wrong the first time is not which dinghy to buy — it is where to put it when they go to sea. A dinghy in the wrong position for offshore passages is not just inconvenient; it can be a genuine safety hazard. A dinghy streaming astern in following seas will try to board the mothership. A dinghy on deck that isn't properly secured has the potential to shift in a knockdown and become an obstacle at the worst possible moment.

The right answer depends on your boat, your cruising style, and your dinghy. Each of the three main methods — davits, deck stow, and towing — has conditions under which it is the right choice and conditions under which it is dangerous.

Davits

Stern-mounted davits are the standard solution for cruising boats that spend most of their time at anchor or on short coastal passages. The advantages are substantial: the dinghy is lifted clear of the water, dries out between uses, is immediately deployable, doesn't take up deck space, and doesn't require deflating. On a boat with a proper davit installation, deploying the dinghy takes a minute and a half — loosen the outboard lock, lower the dinghy to the water, step aboard.

Davits come in two main varieties: mechanical (manual tackle or winch systems) and hydraulic. For a light inflatable dinghy, a manual mechanical davit system is perfectly workable. For a heavy RIB with an outboard — the combined weight can easily exceed 100 kg — a hydraulic system changes the task from a two-person chore to something one person can manage without strain. The hydraulic davit is not a luxury for heavy RIBs; it is a safety feature. A heavy load on manual davit tackles in a swell is a scenario that produces dropped dinghies, damaged fittings, and injured crew.

The limitations of davits are real. They add windage aft — typically significant windage, because the dinghy sitting in davits acts as a wind catcher when the boat is at anchor or motoring. This affects sail trim when sailing and can make the boat uncomfortable in an anchorage where wind and swell are misaligned. Davits also limit access to the swim ladder on most installations, which matters if you swim regularly from the boat. And the transom structure of many production sailboats is not designed to take the cantilever loads imposed by davits supporting a heavy dinghy in a seaway — which brings us to the most important point.

Mounting is everything. A davit system on an offshore boat must be through-bolted — bolts passing completely through the transom or pushpit structure with substantial backing plates on the interior. The backing plate size is critical: the load in a seaway is not the static weight of the dinghy but the dynamic load of the dinghy swinging against the davit arms as the boat pitches and rolls. That load can be several times the static weight. Backing plates need to be large enough to distribute this load across the transom structure rather than concentrating it at the bolt holes. Small backing plates or surface-mounted hardware (self-tapping screws, adhesive mounts) are not appropriate for any davit installation on a boat that goes offshore.

The davit height adjustment matters too. In following seas, waves come aboard the stern — the davit must hold the dinghy high enough to clear the wave crests without lifting the stern of the mothership excessively. Too low and the dinghy is repeatedly swamped; too high and the center of gravity is raised in a way that affects stability. Most davit manufacturers publish height recommendations for their systems relative to boat length and typical wave periods.

Deck Stow

Securing the dinghy on deck is the most seamanlike method for offshore passages and the one most professional deliveries use. A properly secured dinghy on deck cannot be lost, cannot swing, cannot be swamped, and cannot try to come aboard when you're running in following seas. It is simply there, lashed down, not a factor in the passage.

The typical positions are the foredeck or the cabin top. Each has trade-offs. Foredeck stowage keeps the dinghy out of the cockpit sight lines and puts the weight forward, which some boats like and some don't — check the effect on trim before committing to this position with a heavy RIB. The foredeck is also the working deck for anchor handling and headsail work, and a dinghy lashed to the foredeck complicates both. The crew must be able to work around it, step over it if necessary, and reach the anchor gear without impediment.

Cabin top stowage keeps the weight amidships, which is generally better for stability, and keeps the foredeck clear. The problem is forward vision: a dinghy on the cabin top blocks the helmsman's view of the water ahead. On a modern beamy boat with the helmsman aft, this can mean a significant blind spot. This is manageable with proper watch rotation and chartplotter monitoring, but it needs to be acknowledged and managed, not ignored.

The dinghy must be secured in deck stow with a system that will hold in a full knockdown — not just the angle of heel you expect, but the angle you don't. This means through-deck pad eyes or substantial hardware, not cleats repurposed for the task. Lashing lines should be multiple and independent, so that the failure of one does not release the dinghy. A properly secured deck dinghy should not move when you shake it by hand. If it shifts at all, it isn't secured enough.

For most boats with a solid-hull dinghy, deck stow requires a hoisting system — a halyard, a block-and-tackle, or a small deck crane. Getting a 70 kg RIB up to the foredeck is a two-person job minimum without a mechanical advantage system. Factor this into the practicality calculation before assuming deck stow is viable for your boat and dinghy combination.

Towing: When It's Acceptable and When It Isn't

The rule is simple: never tow a dinghy in a seaway. This rule is broken constantly by cruisers who don't understand why it exists, and then they understand in a very immediate way.

A dinghy towed in following seas rides in the troughs and crests of the waves. When the mothership descends a wave face and the dinghy is on the crest behind it, the dinghy accelerates down the wave and runs up on the mothership's stern. This is not a gentle nudging — it is a collision between a heavy, fast-moving hard-bottomed boat and your transom. It damages tow lines, damages transoms, and has in more than a few cases damaged rudders and steering gear. It has also swamped and sunk towed dinghies when their bows are driven under by the speed of the following wave.

In any sea state with defined wave crests and troughs — which means any open water passage — the dinghy must be aboard, not towing. This is not negotiable and is not a matter of degree: light following seas are not safe for towing a dinghy any more than heavy following seas are, because the physics are the same.

Towing is acceptable in flat calm harbor conditions: maneuvering in a marina, motoring across a glassy anchorage, moving from one anchorage to another in protected water with no significant fetch. In these conditions, towing is often the most convenient option and there is no meaningful safety risk.

The Inflatable's Advantage Offshore

The roll-up inflatable — specifically the slatted or inflatable-floor version without a rigid bottom — offers an option that solves the offshore stowage problem entirely: deflate it, roll it up, and put it in a locker. A 9 ft roll-up inflatable deflates to a package small enough to fit in a cockpit locker or sail locker in about 20 minutes. Offshore, it's simply not on deck or in davits — it doesn't exist as a windage or stability problem.

This is the primary operational advantage of the pure inflatable over the RIB in offshore cruising: the stowage problem disappears. The trade-off is the time and labor of inflation and deflation for every passage, and the performance compromise of a softer hull in harbor use. For serious passage-makers who spend months offshore between port stops, this trade-off often favors the deflatable.

A rigid-floor inflatable or RIB cannot be meaningfully deflated — the rigid bottom sections must be stored separately. For these boats, davits or deck stow are the only real options for offshore sailing.

Davit Brands and Specifications

Edson: A well-regarded American marine hardware manufacturer with a strong davit line. Edson davit systems are designed with offshore use in mind — their hardware specifications are generous, their load ratings are conservative, and their installation documentation is the most thorough in the industry. A good choice for a boat that goes offshore regularly.

Forespar: Carbon fiber and aluminum specialist with a davit line used widely in the racing and cruising markets. Forespar's davit systems are lighter than equivalent steel alternatives, which matters when weight aloft and aft affects handling. Their customer support is responsive, and the products are well-machined.

Bomon: A Swedish manufacturer known for clean Scandinavian engineering and well-designed hydraulic davit systems. Bomon's hydraulic systems are used on a significant number of European production sailboats and bluewater cruisers. Their systems are more expensive than US equivalents but offer a level of engineering finish that working sailors appreciate.

Regardless of brand, specify a davit system rated for at least 150% of the combined weight of your dinghy plus outboard plus any gear you might leave aboard. Dynamic loads at sea exceed static loads substantially, and the rating margin that seems excessive on a marina dock becomes reasonable when you're in a beam sea at 30 knots.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why should dinghies never be towed in a seaway? When the mothership descends a wave face and the dinghy is on the crest behind it, the dinghy accelerates down the wave and runs up on the mothership's stern — not a gentle nudge but a collision between a heavy fast-moving boat and the transom. This damages tow lines, transoms, and has in more than a few cases damaged rudders and steering gear. The article is explicit: in any sea state with defined wave crests and troughs, the dinghy must be aboard, not towing.

What are the structural requirements for offshore davit installation? Davits on an offshore boat must be through-bolted with bolts passing completely through the transom or pushpit structure, with substantial backing plates on the interior. The dynamic load in a seaway — the dinghy swinging against the davit arms as the boat pitches and rolls — can be several times the static weight. Backing plates must be large enough to distribute this load across the transom structure; surface-mounted hardware like self-tapping screws or adhesive mounts are not appropriate for any offshore davit installation.

When is stern davit stowage the right choice and when does it become problematic? Davits are the standard solution for boats that spend most time at anchor or on short coastal passages — the dinghy deploys in a minute and a half, stays dry, and doesn't use deck space. Limitations include significant added windage aft (the dinghy in davits acts as a wind catcher at anchor), restricted swim ladder access, and the fact that many production sailboat transoms are not structurally designed for the cantilever loads imposed by heavy dinghies in a seaway.

What is the safest dinghy stowage method for offshore passages? Deck stow is the most seamanlike method for offshore passages — the method professional deliveries use. A properly secured dinghy on deck cannot be lost, cannot swing, cannot be swamped, and cannot try to come aboard in following seas. It must be secured with through-deck pad eyes or substantial hardware (not repurposed cleats), with multiple independent lashing lines so that the failure of one does not release the dinghy. It should not move when shaken by hand.

What is the unique offshore advantage of a roll-up soft inflatable? A roll-up inflatable (slatted or inflatable-floor, without a rigid bottom) can be deflated and rolled into a package that fits in a cockpit or sail locker in about 20 minutes, completely eliminating the offshore stowage problem — no windage, no stability effect, no deck obstruction. This is described as the primary operational advantage of the pure inflatable over the RIB for serious passage-makers who spend months offshore between port stops.

What davit load rating should sailors specify and why? Specify a davit system rated for at least 150% of the combined weight of the dinghy plus outboard plus any gear left aboard. Dynamic loads at sea exceed static loads substantially, and the rating margin that seems excessive on a marina dock becomes reasonable in a beam sea at 30 knots. For heavy RIBs where combined dinghy and outboard weight can exceed 100 kg, hydraulic systems are described not as a luxury but as a safety feature — manual handling of that load in a swell creates dropped dinghies and injured crew.