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Old 07-20-2016, 09:03 AM   #12
Nomad Willy
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City: Concrete Washington State
Vessel Name: Willy
Vessel Model: Willard Nomad 30'
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 18,738
I'm about ready to start using one of our 3 canoes as a dink. The 18' fright canoe is a bit large and the Wenona 16' FG high performance canoe too tender. That leaves the 15' Aluma Craft canoe. It's wide and carries it's beam well into the ends even more than a Gruman. Very stable.

But I don't intend to tow it. I'm preparing the cabin roof for the canoe. Ed the canoe can hang out some aft and/fwd of the cabin. Actually quite a bit providing it's securely mounted or otherwise attached. Side winds will push more or less equally on both ends. If you're cabin is high enough so you won't bang your head on the canoe moving around in the aft cockpit having the canoe several feet aft of the aft end of the cabin should be fine. Again provided it's securely attached to the boat. I carried the same model canoe on an old (57) VW w a Quick and Easy car top rack w no attachment at the ends of the canoe. Went thousands on miles this way. It worked because the rack had an excellent clamp that clamped onto the stout metal gunnel. Hardly moved at all.
And an additional asset mounting the canoe aft on a cruiser is that around the harbor with winds blowing the bow downwind will be less likely. Could even act a bit like sail aft to keep the bow into the wind. And one could put up a rack support on the transom to mount far aft.

Launching can/may be easier than you think. I've been launching dinghys from our roof top stern first to the water. One would immediately think the dink would swamp ... but if done slowly and in calm water it has worked well w/o shipping water for me. The dinghy boats go down at a slight angle on my boat because of the life lines and stanchions below. Our cabin roof edge is inbd of the gunnel and cap rail because of our walk-around cabin design. So the dinghy slides down on the cabin edge and over the life lines (cable like hand rails if you're not a sailor) at an angle suitable for a dry launch.

My problem is putting a drain in the lower end of the canoe's bilge. The aluminum presents a problem structurally IMO.


PS Side tying would be problematic because of the canoe's narrow beam.
Inflatable kayaks suffer from a lack of rigidity. Putting a very heavy weight right in the middle w a long flexible hull is'nt good at all. And kayaks are useless for carrying things compared to normal dinghys or canoes. Canoes are especially good at carrying stuff amidships .. even big dogs.
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Eric

North Western Washington State USA
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