Dinghy Attachment Points

When we got our current inflatable dinghy, we added two sturdy eye bolts to the transom, as we wanted to be able to lift the dinghy out of the water on a halyard while cruising – both for security and to keep the bottom from fouling while living at anchor for extended periods of time in some tropical paradise.

After several years of use, these eye bolts have indeed been invaluable. Other uses have been:

• When we had to do a side tow for our 17 meter 30 ton sailboat. They provided a strong attachment point that inflatables otherwise do not have
• Deploying a stern anchor. We found it was often necessary to anchor our dinghy away from a dock to avoid damage from wave action.
• Engine attachment – we always tie our engine to the boat while motoring. The attachments can (and have) come loose, and the engine will otherwise be lost if it falls overboard.
• Security – we always lock our dinghy and engine to the dock if we are in a busier harbour

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