I have already thought a lot about cross-tieing the davits to take the side loads and eliminate any movement. Thanks for the tips on how to do that.

I'm also aware that the dinghy could be vulnerable to big seas. Most of our sailing will be coastal or island-hopping and we have a lot of freeboard at the stern, so normally it won't be a problem. If we ever decide to venture further, stowing the dinghy on deck will be strongly considered. In the mean time, we'll accept the risk that we could get caught in big seas unexpectedly any time we're offshore. The worst I've experienced have actually been at an inlet in the wrong conditions.

Meanwhile, the davits should be very convenient for getting the dinghy out of the water and keeping it handy.

Cheers, Garry