Bow locker on 9.5 foot RIB

I will give a link to Oceanair but I'm guessing most have never heard of it being built locally in British Columbia. I am debating whether to get the bow locker which is reasonable in size but not great. The dinghy is 9 and 1/2 feet long. I can get it with or without a bow locker.

Or I can get a comparable Highfield for a little bit less money, in this case without a bow locker.

For those of you with a bow locker how do you use it and is it worth getting or just go with storage under the seats.

Our boats

rsn48 said:

I will give a link to Oceanair but I'm guessing most have never heard of it being built locally in British Columbia. I am debating whether to get the bow locker which is reasonable in size but not great. The dinghy is 9 and 1/2 feet long. I can get it with or without a bow locker.

Or I can get a comparable Highfield for a little bit less money, in this case without a bow locker.

For those of you with a bow locker how do you use it and is it worth getting or just go with storage under the seats.

Our boats

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Can never have enough storage space.

ssobol said:

Can never have enough storage space.

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Absolutely.

We chose the locker on our AB, and we like it. Good place for the gas can, good place to sit, somewhere to lock some items when we get down range on a dinghy dock. We would go with the locker again. Next will be a bigger motor and chaps.

I’ve never heard of Oceanair. I keep looking at option to replace my dinghy and I’ve decided that I want about a 10’ 6” aluminum hull RIB to keep the weight down. The weight on their double hull 320 is pretty light. Looks like a nice boat.

I'm actually considering building a bow locker for mine. It would also serve as a step when boarding/disembarking at a beach landing, and a seat.

I was hoping that's what this thread would be about, but having a dinghy without a bow locker, I can say that you definitely want one!

Our Avon has the bow locker. It's very helpful as a boarding step. Stowing stuff in there is sometimes problematic as items are invariably just slightly larger/longer than the space allows. Meaning it's sometimes a hassle taking stuff out to get to the bigger items, and the reverse to put them away again. As in, a tall stern light, or hand-operated bilge pump. That and since it's a closed space there's always going to be issues with mold/mildew. Thus it's best not to stow life jackets in there.

Our Avon has a nice, hinged lid (not my pic, just found elsewhere online). The Oceanair unit looks like it just has the typical screw-in round hatch. Which could be, as I mentioned above, problematic for getting some items in/out.

Here’s a plug for OceanAir. I’ve chartered a half dozen boats in the PNW. Often, I have my elderly parents onboard. My preoccupation before every trip is getting my parents into and out of the dinghy. Two years ago, I was on a NT42 out of Sidney with Cooper Boating. The boat was equipped with a brand new OceanAir. At first glance, it sure wasn’t a very attractive boat and the helm console appeared sort of jerry rigged and flimsy. But this dinghy was the most stable thing I’ve ever been in. I felt like I could hold a dance in there. There was a minor glitch with the steering system which was odd, but didn’t affect operation. All in all, I loved this dinghy for its stability, weight, and beach ability.


A question for the OP: how much do those dinghies cost?

IRENE said:

...and chaps.

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I had no idea that was a thing, dinghy chaps to cover the tubes.

Anchor and rode storage if you use one aboard the dink. Also, a good place for a battery if you use one for lights, considering the dink doesn't already come with a rear battery box.

AS mentioned above, you definitely want a bow locker. Also note my fenders....they are Jet Ski fenders..... they wear like iron & they conform beautifully to the tubes.

For those in the PNW and BC, you can purchase them out of Nanaimo BC, I will give the link below. I will be purchasing mine out of Comox on an order in basis. Nanaimo has a selection on the premises, but I'd phone to see if the one you are interested in is in stock and visible.

Remember, the price will appear high but you are paying with American dollars so roughly discount by 30 %.

https://www.harbourchandler.ca/shop...ble/ocean-air-aluminum-hull-inflatable-boats/

The reason I'm purchasing out of Comox is my refit guy will be attaching the Seawise thing maboob doohickies on the dinghy for the davit system.

I will drive down to Nanaimo today to peruse the bow locker circular door. I don't mind the circle so much, probably for water tight purposes but now I'm curios if you can lock it. I don't see large items going in there, smaller stuff like a crappy dinghy anchor, first aid kit, hand held VHF, some line and a smattering of chain attached, some flares, required nav light, etc.

rsn48 said:

The reason I'm purchasing out of Comox is my refit guy will be attaching the Seawise thing maboob doohickies on the dinghy for the davit system.

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Not sure if you have considered it yet, but I would recommend you have him install the bow stiffening thingy on the dingy rather than relying on just the pad. I lost the pad off mine this year and it is a real pain. Since I’m not really ready to spring for a new dinghy yet (well, I am but my wife isn’t) I am looking at having that bow stiffener put on my existing dinghy.

The Oceanair unit looks like it just has the typical screw-in round hatch.

I looked at Oceanair dinghies in Nanaimo yesterday and the bow locker isn't a screw on lid any more. Might have been an old picture. New ones have a hinged top hatch.

I've never heard of those ribs but they look great

Get the locker. at least to store the anchor and rode.

My bow locker is above the integral fuel tank. You are getting one of those I hope?? It is also higher in the dinghy than on AB, so boarding is much easier, especially for older or balance-challenged passengers.
On a recent trip, we were in the company of friends with an AB Aluminum dinghy. It was terribly hard to enter at the bow, even with its bow locker, as the locker-top seat is low in the bow, and the floor of the dinghy is even lower. Anything you can get that gives you a step up from the floor will help.

The dinghy is double hulled so you can put the fuel tank (very small) in the bow locker and pass the hose down between the hull and the "deck." Don't know if I will do that as the locker seems to be more useful for traditional storage rather than a fuel storage area.

I like the double hull as the feet don't get as wet as with a single hull. The "deck" ends a couple of inches before the transom to bend the fuel line up if you want and to get at the drain plug.

A bow locker helps to reduce the amount of of gear that's loose in the bottom of the dinghy. It can also reduce the amount of gear that you have to remove from and return to the dinghy each time it is launched. (Of course, how much and what dinghy gear you can actually keep in the dinghy depends on whether it is stowed upright or on its side as it would be on a Weaver or SeaWise davit.)
We recently purchased a Gala A300, which we chose partly because it has a very wide bow that provides a comfortable seat and a large bow locker.

wkearney99 said:

I had no idea that was a thing, dinghy chaps to cover the tubes.

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Where can dinghy chaps be bought ?

Here's Sailrites post on DIY'ing them.


https://www.sailrite.com/How-to-Make-Dinghy-Chaps-Video