We have been boarded they did not say anything. It is on my list to redo it. The name was there before the platform.
Looks good Don, do you pull the hard dinghy up as you did with the inflatable?
I assume you’ve not had any problems with the dinghy interfering with the main sheet as Bob has experienced with his flag polls?
The swim platform idea is looking better all the time. Who to approach to inquire about getting one?
Thanks!
Dan
Thanks Thor, don’t think this would work with a hard dinghy like the Dyer.
Dan
Thanks for the response David, sounds good.
I’ve been happy with the Dinghy-Tow system which was fitted by a previous owner to my 1987 N26U. Here is the link to the manufacturer: http://dinghy-tow.com/
The system works very well. We use it with a Highfield 8 foot aluminum hulled dinghy. While sailing, the dinghy transom is lifted clear of the water with only a small area of the dinghy forward hull section in the water. Very little drag and you can easily adjust the lift cables to keep the dinghy level with the horizon. In our marina, I lift the dinghy to a vertical position which keeps the overall boat length still able to fit in our marina berth. No real concern either while manoeuvring in marinas other than to remember to leave a little more room for the stern to swing clear of objects astern while making turns. Boarding the dinghy is relatively easy. I’ve sailed in four/five foot seas with dinghy happily secured. So far it has been a pretty effective answer for cruising with a rigid-hull dinghy on a small sailboat.
I recently contacted the company for some replacement parts and they responded. Not sure if they are still able to provide a complete system.
Ron Wilschut
Lola, 1987 N26U
Schooner Cove, BC
I’ve been doing quite a bit of research today using previous posts on this site. The idea is to mount the swim platform lower.
Are you saying this company is shutting down?
I’m not sure of the company’s current status. I emailed the company last summer and they indicated they still had some stock. Did not inquire if they were still in production or just had remaining stock available. I had the impression they were a small operation with a single product. I contacted them thru the website. Would be a bit of a shame if the product were no longer available.
Having said that, the Dinghy-Tow system is a simple clever solution to how to manage a decent sized dinghy on smaller sailboats. It would be easily owner installed with only a couple of U-shaped S/S brackets thru-bolted to the transom with the remaining hardware attached to the stern pulpit. Your dinghy never needs to be hoisted aboard or into davits and remains under full, secure control while motoring & sailing. Like I said, simple, effective and clever design.
Ron Wilschut
Lola, 1987 N26U
Schooner Cove, BC
Great information, thank Ron!
Dan
Bob, how to order a swimming platform for my NS U 30?
Thanks,
Dan
I didn’t get in under the wire December 31st but they made a couple extra. Email Ron Schryver who organizes the annual group purchase and there may be one still available
What’s his email address?
His email is
ron.schryver@gmail.com
Good luck
John Jenkins
Captain Haddock
Nonsuch 36 #4
Lunenburg, Nova Scotia
Thanks!
Email sent!
Thanks!
Dan, just a word of caution. Like you, I do a lot of single hand sailing. I have davits but am inclined to tow my dinghy while cruising. I’m concerned of falling overboard and not being able to climb back on board since the boarding ladder is on the stern. I have looked at emergency ladders that attach to stanchions but they are hard to reach from the water. Even in rough North Atlantic waters I have had no problem towing my 8 ft. RIB.
Mike Johnston
Dexterity II
30U #225
Halifax, NS
Thanks for the word of caution Mike, I think that I will be listening your good advice and towing my Dyer. Yours was not the only concern, some have worries about the main sheet getting tangled back there especially during a jibing maneuver. One person even removed his davits all together for this reason alone.
On another note; what do you think of the swimming platform that is offered through our group? I haven’t heard anything negative about them and since age is creeping up on me I imagined it would make things much easier getting back on board and making any needed adjustments to my Dyer, for instance rigging the mast and sail or unloading supplies.
Thank you very much for your input, it is greatly appreciated. As previously stated, this will be my 1st experience coastal sailing solo.
Be well,
Dan Dudley
Flashcat 30 NS U 30
Safe Harbor Greenwich Marina, Warrick RI
I need to lookup my #.
Mike Johnston brings up an important point:
I’m concerned of falling overboard and not being able to climb back on board since the boarding ladder is on the stern. I have looked at emergency ladders that attach to stanchions but they are hard to reach from the water.
What follows is kind of un-edited and disjointed, and from my perspective. I apologize in advance for that!
Back before the boats and floating docks in the St. Lawrence were pulled for the winter, we were cruising around, and decided to spend a night on one of the St. Lawrence Thousand Islands park islands. Our inflatable dinghy was rotated up, on the swim platform, tied against the transom.
Two other boats pulled in; one with a mother/son (grown son) combo; the other with a well-retired couple.
Long story short, one of the well-retired couples (the lady of the couple) fell into the water; it was a windy dark (moonless) night, and a dock line caught her and tripped her. Fortunately, the 4 of us on the other boats, plus the husband, managed to get her out. She had the presence of mind to immediately swim under the floating dock to the empty slip beside them, so as to not get crushed by their boat against the dock.
All worked out ok. Rough take-aways:
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This couple had sailed atlantic/pacific/lived aboard for decades. Experienced for sure. New boat to them, though.
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We pulled their dinghy from where it was tied up, and the son and I managed to pull her up into the dinghy, but she was going into shock. Son’s mother replaced her son in dinghy, and between her and I we kept her talking (kind of) and upright.
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Called 911 early on. Eventually, a crew arrived, and took her to the hospital for the night. She’s ok, took in water in lungs, as mentioned was in shock.
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My wife was out taking our dog for a bedtime pee, I was setting things up for the night. When I heard the splash, and her husband’s first call for help, I grabbed my flashlight, and ran over to their slip. Immediately, we started figuring out how to get her out of the cold water; I took their dinghy around their boat (did not notice it was tied with 2 lines; after untying it, climbed aboard and started the move; fortunately, the mother on the 3rd boat, as she was running over, noticed the line lit by my flashlight, untied it, so that I could move the dinghy.
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The finger docks were high, almost the same height as the deck of our Nonsuch. The docks had no ladders. Pulling the lady into the dinghy took the two of us, the son and myself. fortunately it was an inflatable, so was quite low to the water.
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Lights - I had my flashlight, my wife had one also. If I had run over without a flashlight, it would have been very difficult to get their dinghy over, around their stern, nearly as quickly as I did. The light lit up the “other” line tying the dinghy, and was instantly noticed. Thank goodness. When I heard the splash and cry for help, the first thing I did was to grab the flashlight.
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Lights continued. When the 911 boats arrived, we lit up the docks for them so that they could quickly dock. There were no marker lights, and if you know the Thousand Islands, it’s very rocky so giving them a landing area, helped guide them and helped with the location.
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The next day, a parks crew came over. They said that the reason for no ladders, was that they were worried about liability, because “if there were ladders, people would assume swimming was ok, but it’s rocky”. And, that they would discuss it with management at the next meeting.
If we (us and the mother/son combo) were not around, she would have not survived, and the husband, with heart problems, might not have either.
Now, we did not use our stern platform, but it would have at least been there if we required it. There was no way of getting her out of the water by the rocky/slippery shore, nor the lack of ladders on the dock.
Anyway, glad it all worked out ok, but an eye-opener for sure.
JohnS NS26C 046 Bath ON.
Those swim platforms you get through the group purchase have a pull-out ladder which would facilitate getting yourself out of the water if you fell in while alone - provided you did not have your dinghy stored on it. John’s posting got me to thinking about my marina and there are no ladders, nor would it be possible to climb out on the bank with the tide below high level. Hmmm.
If you fall over while singlehanding be sure you have a lifejacket on and with one of these strapped to it:
I can tell you from personal experience (have done many SARs myself, in my younger years and have a good friend who was a rescue swimmer with the AirForce and then with the fire department) that the people who receive the signal will try REALLY HARD to retrieve you alive. But they have to know that you are in trouble and at least approximately where to find you.
