Hello<br><br>I would like some input from active
cruisers as to how they deal with dingy storage and
security. I am thinking of adding davits to my SM. I know
the Amel solution is to deflate the dingy and store
it in the lazarette. This works well for longer
passages but not for shorter ones. If you have added
davits what type did you add and what is your experience
with the product.<br><br>Thank You

Several years ago I did a lot of research on
davits and then decided against them. I just didn't like
the looks of what they would do to the boat, and then
the problem of davits if when backing into the dock.
Until last year we had a soft bottomed dinghy and
simply dragged it up on the aft deck. It took a few
seconds. Now we have a RIB which I lift out with a halyard
and drop upside down on the aft deck. Not as simple,
but it works fine.

Pagandaisy,<br><br>Would you please tell me which
RIB dinghy fits on top of your aft cabin? I have a
soft bottom dinghy, but am considering getting a hard
bottom for the better seaworthiness.
Thanks.<br><br>David Lambertsen<br>s/v Have Fun!

I have seen a solution which I may copy that
works well for stern to in the Med.. The owner has
replaced the Amel passerelle with a s/s & teak version
which is permanently in place and the halyard runs to a
winch & spinlock type jamcleat on the starboard side of
mizzen mast. On underside of passerelle is a s/s bar
fitted athwartships which projects each side (more to
port)& terminates in a lifting ring. The dingy &
outboard is attached to this in May for the season. By
lowering the passerelle the tender is also lowered into
the water & recovered same way.<br>The permanently
fixed passerelle with lockable halyard is also a huge
improvement on the inconvenient (& maybe dangerous?) Amel
version.

The RIB is nothing special. I don't recall the
name. I bought it in Trinidad and believe it's made in
Venezuela. 8 or 9 feet I think. If you're not in a hurry
I'll get specifics and let you know in early January.
Arnold

For those who are interested, I will be adding 2
photos to the Super Maramu Exterior Album showing the
davits most often seen on Super Maramu (mainly because
the manufacturer is based in La Rochelle.)

<a href=http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/amelyachtowners/bbsfrp?action=r&tid=amelyachtowners&sid=1600065792&mid=93 target=new>http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/amelyachtowners/bbsfrp?action=r&tid=amelyachtowners
&sid=1600065792&mid=93</a><br><br><br>Hello. My wife and I live on our Maramu in the
Caribbean, for two years now. We initially bought a roll-up
dinghy from West Marine to cross the Atlantic, a Zodiac,
on the recommendation of Amel and of Joel Potter in
Ft.Lauderdale. We then bought an 8 h.p. motor, 4 cycle Honda in
LaRochelle. After one year of cruising, the system was
intolerable compared to what nearly all the other cruisers
had and enjoyed. 4 cycle engines cannot be repaired
in the Caribbean (see SSCA bulletins about bring
your engine back to the US for warranty work). We
still keep the engine, in the trunk on the boat, as a
back up. But we purchased a Caribe RIB dinghy, as the
majority of other Caribbean liveaboards have. The second
most popular is the AB brand, both made at sister
factories in Venezuela. Ours is 10.5 ft long, and fits
poorly on the deck, either bow or stern, so we usually
tow it between islands. Its currently stowed on the
bow while we visit the states for Christmas. We use
the extra halyard on the main mast to store the boat
when at anchor, for security purposes. The people who
are most happy with their dinghy seemed to us to have
a 15 h.p. Yamaha, 2 cycle, as it goes fast and is
easy to get repaired. So thats what we bought in
Grenada, and were very satisfied. The smaller dinghy (9.5
ft.) would store better on the deck, but you sacrifice
hauling room for people and groceries and safety with the
larger motor. The Yamaha will not fit upright in the
trunk. With all this, Ive been looking for appropriate
davits for two years, and havent seen any suitable. I
surely would like more information on the mentioned
passerelle modification. That might be the ultimate answer.
Bill on Lady Sadie SM#269

Atkins & Hoyle makes the best davits I have ever
seen, by far. Their email address in Toronto, Canada is
atkinshoyle@.... Telephone is (416) 596-1888 or tollfree
1-800-263-4184. Their website address is
www.atkinshoyle.com.<br><br>I removed the davits from my Maramu because they
were too weak for sea. They were only useful to raise
the dinghy at night to keep it from being stolen.
Although I do not have davits now, my brother has Atkins &
Hoyle davits on a 65' ketch and I have seen and used
them. They are beautifully constructed, with versatile
adjustments, and VERY STRONG.<br><br>I hope this information
will be useful to my Amel friends in our club, and I
thank those who have been helping me with
information.<br><br>David Lambertsen<br>s/v Have Fun!<br>Amel Maramu #258

The permanently fixed passerelle/dinghy lift
sounds like a great idea. Please tell us where more
information on it can be obtained. Is the dinghy left on it
for short sails? Are there any pictures of it
available on the internet?

Hi,<br>I owned a Maramu (#146, 1983)for 13 years,
and now have a Super Maramu (#195, 1997). I have
fitted davits on both boats, of my own design. This
design has been seen and copied by several Amel owners
in Europe and in the US. I have used the davits for
a Zodiac MkI GT Futura, weighing 150 pounds, and
12.5 ft. long. After 14 years, the Zodiac is going to
be replaced by a RIB of the same weight, probably an
Avon 310. Part of the reason the Zodiac lasted 14
years is that it was on davits, not sitting in the
water.<br>I use the davits for everything but open water
crossings, when the Zodiac was deflated and stored in the
lazarette. For the RIB, I expect to stow it deflated on the
back deck.<br>The dinghy is never on the davits with
the outboard on -- the 15HP Mariner weighs 75 pounds,
and I consider that unsafe.<br>The davits are mounted
on "sockets" bolted through the toerail at the
stern. The davits are removable (in less than 2
minutes), and stow in the lazarette. We use a topping lift
from the mizzen head to the outboard ends of the
davits to take the load off the davits. When mooring
stern-to (we've been in the Med the last 5 years), we drop
the dinghy, then back in. The davits and their
cross-bar actually make it easier to get on and off the
boat.<br>If anyone is interested, send me an e-mail at
roybentcg@... and I will send you drawings and
photos.<br><br>Regards, Roy Benveniste<br>SM "Excalibur"

To svladysadie, (Bill Atz)<br>Bill, I can't tell
you very much more. It was done as a "one off" by the
owner (non-English speaking)& is berthed next to me in
Antibes,S.France. He did give me the name of the person who carried
it out in France (not a lot of use I think!) I don't
have a photo but will take one next time I visit. I
could send a diagram but I don't know how to do this
except direct to your e-mail address. The dingy is left
on for short (and not so short!)sails.<br>John
McDougall