main halyard length to haul dinghy aboard

[Bill Shreeves]

I'll be buying an inflatable tender this spring and I want to use the main halyard to hoist it up on to the foredeck for longer trips.  I intend to replace my halyards and, since I've never done it, I was wondering if the 115' long halyard, per the manual for a std rig, is long enough or if I need more length.  Anyone else do this and have a suggestion on halyard length?

[Noah]

I would recommmend putting a measuring tape on it. A lot cheaper than buying line too long or too short.

[Bill Shreeves]

Yeah, your absolutely right.  Measuring is the best.  Unfortunately, I keep forgetting to measure when I visit the boat while on the hard for the winter.  I didn't remove the halyards because I expected to replace this Spring.  Was eyeing a 40% off WM sale on Sta Set starting Thursday before I'll do the 1-1/2 hour trip to visit her and thought I'd ask those that use it for that.

[KWKloeber]

Bill,

Another option.
IIWMB, i'd simply make up a cheap, separate, add-on pennant of the correct length to haul it aboard.
Why deal with an extra long expensive halyard 99% of the time if you don't need it?

Ken

[Bill Shreeves]

Another option.
IIWMB, i'd simply make up a cheap, separate, add-on pennant of the correct length to haul it aboard.
Why deal with an extra long expensive halyard 99% of the time if you don't need it?

That's a very good suggestion Ken.

[Fred Koehlmann]

I agree with Ken,

We only haul our dinghy on the fore-deck, to store it for the winter, but i keep the forward and aft yoke lines connected to the dinghy all the time. They reach up to just above the life lines on the fore-deck. Using the spare genoa  halyard to hoist it up. I found that I could do it by myself, with a bit of walking back and forth from winch to fore-deck.

And during the season the kids can use the lines to hang onto the dinghy when they fool around.

[Noah]

I like the pennant idea too! Curious, how big and heavy is your dinghy?

[Fred Koehlmann]

We have a Walker Bay 310. It's 149 lbs.

[Noah]

Ah ha! My 9ft. Avon Redcrest roll-up is only about 50 pounds so much easier to wrangle aboard.

[DarthOccam]

I use the spinnaker halyard to load/unload our inflatable and a sit on top tandem kayak from the foredeck all the time.  But instead of using a winch, I fix the spinnaker just above head height and use a 4:1 lifting block set with a clam cleat to do the lifting.  Makes it easy to do it myself, as I can lift, lower, and guide from one spot.

Mine is a little different than the image below (garhauer, quick release shackle on bottom), but you get the idea.

Michael

[Dave Spencer]

I do what Michael does except I don't have the cam cleat in my block and tackle arrangement.  I hoist my Highfield CL290 (approx 110 lbs) using the bow eye so the halyard has to be about 15 or 20 feet off the deck (depending on the length of the painter fixed to the bow eye) to give me clearance to lift the dinghy over the lifelines and lay it on the foredeck. 

Bill,  I would think twice about using the main halyard to lift your dinghy if you plan to stow it on the foredeck.  You will be lifting the dinghy behind the shrouds and I think you may have some difficultly maneuvering the suspended dinghy around the shrouds and lowering it on the foredeck.  At the very least, you will be introducing some unnecessary chafe on the halyard as it won't run fair as you lower or hoist the dinghy at the foredeck.  I have a spinnaker halyard and a little used spare jib halyard available to me at the bow.

[Bill Shreeves]

Dave - Very good point about the chafe on the main halyard.

[Ron Hill]

Bill : The 115" of halyard is more than enough.

What you'll need in the dink is a 3 or 4 point bridle and then attach the halyard to the bridle to hoist the dink up to the fordeck. 

I wouldn't use the main halyard because of the spreader arm.  I used the spinnaker halyard because it's in the front side of the mast. Or a spare genoa halyard.   Think about it!!

A  thought

[Craig Illman]

I wish I had a picture, but on my C30, I have a spinnaker foreguy that exits just above my spreaders. I attach that to the end of my whisker pole and hoist the pole up to about a 60 degree angle off the mast. Also at the end of the whisker pole is a 5:1 set of blocks as illustrated in a previous reply. I attach the lower end to a bridle in my hard dinghy and host it, then swing it over the lifelines and on the deck. It's nice to have some help to flip the sixty-ish pounds upside down, but not required. Yeah, it probably takes me fifteen minutes to rig, hoist and unrig.

On my C34 and rollup Zodiac, I just used the spare genoa halyard, attaching it to the towing bridle and winched it straight up. Seem to recall that I didn't need much extra length.

Craig

[KWKloeber]

WOW Craig, super idea using the pole/pole lift!!  With built-in hinge to pivot it all.  And ability to move it fore-aft via the lift angle.  Were a crane operator in a prior life????   

ken