Davits - Our Hang Ups Exposed

One of the decisional cul-de-sacs that had repeatedly made us dizzy involved what to do with dinghy storage on Harmony.  While on Poetry, we always towed our dinghy behind the boat whenever we left the mooring for an overnight trip.  However, towing the dinghy was never really optimal, either for sailing or for the nerves.

Poetry, a 1965 Pearson Vanguard, on her mooring with inflatable dinghy tied astern

On Harmony, we had more deck space and the original drawings of the boat always showed a dinghy neatly stored upside down on the aft cabin.  That would be nice, but the dinghy needed to be really small.  We had seen some dinghies stored on the foredeck under the staysail boom, but that could significantly limited on-deck mobility.

So, this conundrum considered both how to store the dingy and what type of dinghy to have!  We have always used an inflatable dinghy.  Why?  Well, it was easier to transport to and from the boat when we needed bring it home, and it deflated and rolled up for potential on-deck storage.  However, these  "boats" were essentially inflated donuts and they rowed like what was in our holding tanks!

Enter the hard dinghy.  Oh, some of them look so traditionally nautical and they row nicely"  Dyer Dink, Fatty Knees, and the nesting home-built ones to name a few.  However, we'd need a trailer because I couldn't lift any of them on top of the car.  I didn't have time to build a nesting dinghy.  And, the goodness of their rigidity made on-deck storage more challenging:  not impossible, but challenging.

After much thought, our choice was facilitated by our decision to mount solar panels on a pair of davits on the stern.  So, we chose a rigid inflatable for perhaps the best of both worlds.  For off-shore voyages, the boat will deflate and store easily on deck.  For coastal cruises, we secure it on the davits.  So, now we needed to pick a davit system.

After much pondering and some inquiries, we chose Kato Marine davits.  First of all we needed a custom application because of the Westsail 42's canoe stern.  Secondly, we did not want to add an arch, but instead keep the existing stern pulpit.  We narrowed our selection to 2 companies, and Kato Marine was chosen for 2 main reasons.  Number 1, their fabrication design, quality and strength were impressive.  Number 2, they wanted our business and they were more than helpful in designing our rig.

After making careful measurements and taking photos from several attitudes, I sent all the info to Kato Marine.  In a few weeks time, we got our delivery of the system.  The components were beautifully made and finished.  With very clear instructions, I was able to install them in an afternoon.

Kato Marine Davits installed under the Winter Canvas Cover

Final adjustments and tweaks will have to wait until the Spring.  We will need to install a stabilizer bar and make sure the blocking and alignment are an exact fit to our inflatable.  Oh, that's right we'll need to buy that by then, as well!  Yep, just a few more boat dollars!  At that point, we'll be ready to install the solar panels, too.

We were very satisfied with our decision on all accounts:  davits and dinghy type.  We'll discuss our which dinghy we go with in a later post.  Kato Marine was absolutely wonderful to deal with, and we highly recommend them.

Fair Winds and Following Seas!

Energy Concerns - Charging Ahead

One of the more important concerns for the crew of Harmony relates to energy usage on board and the issue of battery charging.  After our experience on our previous boat, Poetry, which was a 1965 Pearson Vanguard, we wanted to use our blank canvas situation on Harmony to our fullest advantage.

On Poetry, we had installed a refrigeration unit.  Unfortunately, we were only able to insulate the original "cooler" box just so much.  The result was that we had to run the engine 5+ hours every day we used the reefer just to keep the batteries charged.  Yes, we had installed a huge battery bank on Poetry to be able to support eventual radar and chart plotting, but the refrigeration was a true hog.

Well, on Harmony we would have 2 separate refrigeration systems:  a reefer AND a freezer.  In addition to that, Harmony would have pressure water, and a full suite of radar, chart plotting, radios, and auto pilot.  We did NOT want to run the engine 30 hours a day to support our existence on the boat.  For one it is too much background noise, it uses gallons of diesel fuel, produces lots of exhaust, and the idling of the diesel doesn't do the engine much good.

What to do?  While it is easy to ponder solar and wind power, these systems are not panaceas.  We could install a diesel generator, but its just another diesel engine which requires space, plumbing, and fuel.  So with the counsel of Greg Fledeman, the Boat Doctor, we were able to construct a general plan.

While the energy consumption rates of the basic electrical components are pretty much a given, we could find ways to conserve.  First, our refrigeration systems would consist of Frigoboat keel coolers and well insulated boxes.  Second, we would install a complete suite of LED lights for both internal and external needs.  Third, we would install both solar and wind charging systems.

Even in our targeted Northeast Atlantic cruising grounds, these two systems should be able to provide enough energy during a normal sunny/windy day to power the entire boat including auto pilot.  We do expect to run the engine at least 30 minutes a day when entering and leaving a harbor.  So, the engine will mostly be used for propulsion.  Great!

The solar panels will be mounted at the stern on davits, which will also be used to get the dinghy out of the water and off the deck for coastal cruising.  Additional solar panels will be mounted on the bimini top.  The challenge with all solar panels is that their efficiency diminishes so much when the shade from sails or spars occludes the panel surfaces.

The wind generator, brand to be chosen later, will be mounted on the mizzen mast above the radar dome.  The concern here relates to the risk to life and limb should one of the generator blades break and rain down upon those in the cockpit.  At the advice of the davit fabricator, Kato Marine, we decided to not mount the unit on the davits:  too much vibration.  However, the radar dome should deflect the brunt of the debris should such a catastrophic failure occur.

OK, we now know how we're going to charge the batteries without burdening the diesel engine.  We can be comforted that we're being more environmentally responsible and limiting our reliance on the proverbial "grid".  Ahh, doomsday preppers we're not, at least not yet!!!

More on these elements when we get to the installation process.

Fair Winds and Following Seas!