Keep the Dink Safe

When cruising, your dinghy is your car—and so much more! Here are some tips from the Sailing Totem crew to keep your dinghy from going on walkabout. “Hoisting a dinghy out of the water is probably the biggest deterrent to theft,” said Behan Gifford. “Davits make this easy. If you don’t have davits, lift it with a spinnaker halyard and secure amidships against the hull flush with deck level.”

Also, lock up your tender at the boat or dock. “Whether the tender is in the water or on davits, securing it to the boat with wire cable and lock provides further deterrent. Instead of wire cable, some cruisers use anchor chain because it’s tough and rattles when moved,” Gifford said (cruisingworld.com/ sailing-totem).