Thoughts on dinghies???

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Dawn you say ........ seems I've got some time then.
 
manyboats said:
You don't find it acceptable to drag EVER again.
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Well, duh. Since when is a Bad Thing acceptable? That's like saying I don't find it acceptable to crash a plane. You're damn right I don't find it acceptable to drag EVER drag again. Which means I'm going to do everything in my power to prevent it from happening EVER again.

I'm not so naive to think that the possibility of a an anchor drag doesn't exist, just as I'm not so naive to think that the Beaver I fly can't ever crash. But in each case there's a lot of stuff I can do to minimize the risk of it happening.

You think that's wrong? Do you think one should head out in a boat and not do everything that is possible to stay out of trouble? To simply accept that bad things might happen but not do everything possible to prevent them? You may want to operate that way but I sure as hell don't.

Dragging anchor, a forced engine shutdown, a boat fire, a clogged toilet, getting lost in poor visibility, wasting five hours sitting on a rock because I have no way of leaving the location--- none of that is "acceptable" to me. I recognize that **** happens but it's not going to happen because I think it's "acceptable." That's a dumbass way to run a railroad in my book.:)
 
The simple truth is that every locale has different conditions and requirements and no one dink will fit every need. If the tide range is large, currents can be at or above rowing speed in some areas. Hiding in a bay the current wouldn't be a factor, but the distance might still be if the wind was blowing, the anchorage was large and shallow, or the tide was large. If you wanted to go in or out of the bay at full flow it might be interesting too. Large tides here often exceed 20', and you can bet there is a current associated with that, more so the larger the bay. Clothesline systems will only reach so far, beach conditions vary from rocks and barnacles to pure slime, and the size of the dink varies with need. Everyone here posting has probably owned several dinks, switched at some point, and have settled on one that more or less fits their style. Or modified their style to fit their dink.
 
AKDoug said:
Everyone here posting has probably owned several dinks, switched at some point, and have settled on one that more or less fits their style. Or modified their style to fit their dink.
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Yeah, that is a good summary. I'm tossing and turning about what kind of dink would solve the majority of my concerns. There's stability, capacity, durability, sea-worthiness, wet/dry ride, weight, inflatable rib, inflatable bottom, hard, cat or mono, HP and on and on. Most of the darned things would probably do whatever I need to do. Dinghy options are the source of all marine evil.;) Right now I'm suffering over keeping my rib, buying a Livingston, or a Portland Pudgy.

BTW, Eric. We don't have to worry much about browns here, but there is the infrequent gator, which has me leaning toward the hard style dinghy.
 
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healhustler said:
BTW, Eric. We don't have to worry much about browns here, but there is the infrequent gator, which has me leaning toward the hard style dinghy.
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Sharp toothed, meat eating biting thingy's in the water tell this California boy your in hard dinghy country. 1/4" thick A-36 steel bottom would not be overdoing it for my cowardly behind :rofl:
 
MarkPierce - Owner of Coot (which, BTW, is another name for Mud Hen, a sailboat based on the Marsh Hen I used to build):

I looked up your boat - seems it was built by Bill Kimley in Zhuhai City? I visited his yard several years ago - met his wife - had a couple of drinks sitting next to the river discussing boat building. His yard is really something!

I've been on some of his Diesel Ducks and FRP SeaHorse trawlers, but never a Coot. I assume you're really enjoying her!

Back to dinks. My favorite is the Mercury Marine Dynamic 410 - under 100# - add a Mercury 9.9 HP and you're still under 200#. Well built - fast - and carries 4 adults.
 
This is my favorite dink. Now if I just had a trawler big enough to handle it. :rolleyes:
We keep it on a lift at the marina and use it as our 'day boat'.
 

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rjtrane said:
MarkPierce - Owner of Coot (which, BTW, is another name for Mud Hen, a sailboat based on the Marsh Hen I used to build):

I looked up your boat - seems it was built by Bill Kimley in Zhuhai City?
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Yes. He was previously a dealer in Richmond, CA and a builder in Taiwan before going to Zhuhai. Bill Kimley on Coot #6, here suspended above the dock by a container crane:

img_153978_0_b41af068810ab9c48c0f0e2f1ff66aa9.jpg
 
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Anode said:
This is my favorite dink. Now if I just had a trawler big enough to handle it. :rolleyes:
We keep it on a lift at the marina and use it as our 'day boat'.
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Chip: Our real desire is to have a console dinghy for cruising the shallows and canals. That one you've got there looks reasonable. How much does she weigh?
 
JohnP said:
I am also giving a hard dinghy a try, getting a new to me Dyer Dhow 9'.

Hope to keep her on my swimplatform like my inflatable. Think I will try rowing her as my 5hp outboard is too big.
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FF said:
4 peps or 560 lbs , hardly sounds like its built for USA use.

140 lbs per pep? not on aircraft or for the USCG.
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JohnP said:
Actually built to carry nine! "The Dhow is oldest continuously-built fiberglass boat in production today."

Mystic Seaport: The Museum of America and the Sea™ : Dyer Dhow Fleet

Some history of the Dhow.
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Dinghies aren't tippy. People are (and getting tippier).
 
One of my favorite dinks was not a dinghy at all. It was a Phil Bolger design published in his book, Small Boats. He was very good at designing easy to build boats. That one took me a weekend to build - 2 sheets of 3/8" Home Depot plywood - some 1x2s, glue and nails. About 10' long double ended flat bottomed skiff. Rowed great and sailed OK with a rig scandalized from a Blue Jay.
 
Note to Self: Pulling a crab trap in white caps from a 9' Livingston sucks. Commence contributions toward Adequate Dinghy Replacement Fund immediately!
 
Why not build it? I plan on building my sink and custom colors to match the boat. One could build from 1/4" marine ply and be under 100 for about 600-800lbs and unsinkable with positive buoyancy built in. Best of all nearly maintenance free and could plane. :-D Sam Devlin has some great designs. Think of a Livingston but made of ply. I built my last 17' in about eighty hours that was finished bright on the inside. Could be done in 50 hours with little bright work. Just my two pennies. Then again if time equals play or money it's cheaper to buy than build.

http://m.flickr.com/#/photos/88046876@N03/8204739261/[/IMG

[url]http://m.flickr.com/#/photos/88046876@N03/8204739261/[/url]
 
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Was down at Barkley Sound Oar & Paddle picking up a beautiful set of oars when I became entranced with a Hilmark dinghy sitting in their showroom. An absolute work of art, but unfortunately the owner has health problems and is probably shutting down.

Hilmark Boats Campbell River Boat Builder BC Canada
 
MurrayM said:
Note to Self: Pulling a crab trap in white caps from a 9' Livingston sucks. Commence contributions toward Adequate Dinghy Replacement Fund immediately!
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Murray, our 9' Livingston was great for calm waters, but our new 10' Livingston is a completely different animal, with 20" vs 10" freeboard.
 
Conrad said:
Was down at Barkley Sound Oar & Paddle picking up a beautiful set of oars when I became entranced with a Hilmark dinghy sitting in their showroom.
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A truly beautiful boat! I love it!
 
Conrad said:
Murray, our 9' Livingston was great for calm waters, but our new 10' Livingston is a completely different animal, with 20" vs 10" freeboard.
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That extra freeboard would have helped, especially when my buddy wouldn't listen to me and insisted on rowing transom first into the waves. Oh well, only his ass got wet :D
 
rjtrane said:
.

In my opinion, the real advantage of a RIB is the ability to leave unattended w/o any fendering whether tied up to your boat, a friend's boat, or the dinghy dock. Also, they have great carrying ability with lots of reserve buoyancy and stability.

The only reason I'd have a rigid dink would be if it could sail, too. The Walker Bay qualifies AND has an inflatable tube option that gives it the fendering ability of a true RIB. Never used one - just admired at boat shows.
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Just wondering what owners of Walker Bay dinghy's have to say about their vessels...pro & con ?

http://www.walkerbay.com/dinghies-sailkits/rigid-inflatable-dinghy/
 
dainisk said:
I've had a Walker Bay 275H now for 3 years - still love it! Previously I've had a couple of Zodiac inflatables - but much prefer the hard bottom dink.
I bought the optional inflatable taubes, which give the dink incredible stability - you can't tip it. It will easily carry 4 adults in a 1+2+1 configuration. With 2 adults on baord, the infalatable tubes are just barely in the water when running level.
.
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Just reading thru this thread, and wonder how did the inflatable collar attach to the boat?
 
Takacat RIB

OFB said:
I have been in want of a Takacat for years. Watched several perform off Vancouver as a sales stunt. Awesome, there seem to be three of them that play up at the lake and I just stop and watch as they cruise by. :thumb:

Outa my price range fro sure, :eek: plus I don't feel they would be willy proof :facepalm:. The old 12 foot Livingston performs much the same when over powered, in that it kites very well :hide: But the FRP is beach fixable and it holds a ton of stuff :D.

When I grow up maybe I can have one ;) .
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That quite a little performer. I seem to remember something like this design originally out of South Africa I believe,....for racing originally??

I think I know how to build a relatively inexpense model of such a craft?....and very light weight as well.
 
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Takacat videos

Some more videos of that Takacat

VIDEO - Takacat.com


....looks like it rows pretty good as well,....and I image you could make it sail as well....like a multihull :)
 
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brian eiland said:
Just wondering what owners of Walker Bay dinghy's have to say about their vessels...pro & con ?

Rigid Inflatable Dinghy : Walker Bay
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Huh? I've been asleep... What's the question?

Oh... Didn't read the whole thread but...

We have a Walker Bay Genesis 310 FTD RIB, Hypalon version, approx. 3 years old. No problems.

We like the (removable) internal flooring, storage in the bow and in the seat, we added an extra seat (even more storage)... The hull form is semi-complicated; planes -- eventually -- with just 5-hp and me and the First Mutt, as long as I shift my weight forward a bit to get on step.

The wheels under the transom haven't been useful; the boat's too wide for rolling down our dock, anyway, since it's cluttered with dock-boxes.

Doesn't actually get used as much as I'd like, but it sure looks good :)

-Chris
 
Hmmm... sorry Brian, I hadn't checked your link... didn't realize you were talking about the hard boat with the collar... disregard my Genesis info.

FWIW, there's a thread on another forum beating up Walker Bay for lousy quality and lousy warranty service, etc. Don't think that applies to the RID you mentioned, though (but can't tell for sure).

-Chris
 
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