First dinghy question

lipets said:

What happens when it rains and adds a lot weight.


you forget to cover it or remove drain plug
a unexpected downpour occurs

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The dinghies we have carried we leave the transom plug out of.
The dinghies we have towed all have self bailing hulls.
The dinghies we tip up on the swim step do not fill up.

lipets said:

What happens when it rains and adds a lot weight.


you forget to cover it or remove drain plug
a unexpected downpour occurs

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like everything on a boat...gotta be smater than the equipment or all of it can bite you one way or another....


EVERY option has it's plusses and minuses.

If going small and light consider an electric outboard. They are great for putting around the anchorage or to and from the dock. Light weight, no starting, no gas or oil, no noise. If you expect to go commuting many miles, then larger and more powerful will definitely be better.

lipets said:

Those of you that have transom or stern mounted dinks explain the following please


visibility when backing into a slip

Pay more for a dock due to added length


Following seas

Sitting in cockpit looking aft

Getting on/off boat


How about simply how it looks

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Lipets,
On our boat, visibility when backing with the dinghy on the stern is very good with the possible exception of the last couple of feet of dock space. For us the pilot can look out the side deck and see very well, as well, the "docking partner" would be at the stern giving directions via wireless headset. Therefore, no issue that can't be overcome.

The dinghy mounted this way adds about 1.5 to 2 feet to the LOA, not a biggy, and would certainly not be a make or break as far as boat expenses go.

So far the dinghy has been no issue at all in following seas. However, we are coastal cruisers and will not be going off shore, such as down the west coast to Mexico, therefore not a real issue for us IMO. We have been out in 2-3 meter seas and everything was fine in that regard.

When sitting in the cockpit, it can block some of the view. Solution, deploy it (in about 2 minutes with minimal effort) and it is out of the way!!
Getting on and off the boat. With our setup we have almost the full width of the swim grid to work with and can exit very easily to starboard which is the side we dock to 98% of the time. At anchor, just deploy if the full swim grid is needed. If does however, stop you from "just walking" straight off the back. If that is desired, deploy the dinghy and tie it along side, or in front of your boat.

Look is simply a personal preference and to each his own. I find some boats are more attractive than others Also as time goes on, a person can get used to almost anything in that regard.

As to the name and port thing, we have the boat name and port (vinyl decal) on the bottom of the RIB dinghy, so no issue there either.


For the OP, as far as the weight issue of the Seawise parts, not really that big of a deal. Yes a few pounds of added weight, but less than adding a crane up top. However, you are correct, the Seawise is not cheap!!


All davit systems (even towing a dinghy) have their pros and cons (just like boats). We feel that our setup provides great convenience and ease of use and to us, therefore the positives far outweigh the negatives.

lipets said:

I think having dink with big motor is not needed at all.


A 10' with a 4-6 hp is much easier to get on/off the boat and will get you there with way less hassle.


Why do you need go like a bat out of hell in a dink?


Oh and your wallet will be happier

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We use our tender for fishing, prawning and crabbing. Usually have to travel a distance from the anchorage through some rough water to get to the fishing area.

And with a larger tender, you get a console, windshield, comfortable seating, VHF, fishfinder, plotter and the most important - a powerful stereo. Add to that an electric downrigger, prawn pot puller and large cooler for the catch.

We carry it on the boat deck. It's lifted up there with a Nick Jackson pipe davit. We pull the drain plug, it does have an automatic bilge pump.

The tender is heavy enough that it does not swing around during lifting and lowering.

My 49ft MT came with an 11-ft Gloucester Yacht Sailboat/tender. 5 ft beam and 200lbs without a motor. Not sure if I will keep that or ?? Does this make an effective dinghy? Not trying to hijack the thread here, just a little sidetrack.

syjos said:

And with a larger tender, you get a console, windshield, comfortable seating, VHF, fishfinder, plotter and the most important - a powerful stereo.

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My best friend has a beautiful powercat with a RIB/Center Console and 60hp Yamaha - can't pull it up on a beach, and he worries about it at dinghy docks and worries about keeping the battery charged. He thinks my simple approach of a 11-foot RIB with tiller-steer pull-start OB and handheld VHF is uncivilized. It's a holy war - each of us in convinced the other is nuts. As far as remembering to put in a drain plug, all I can say is that in 20+ years of owning the same boat, it hasn't been a problem. But it's a good shout-out, but so far hasn't been an issue.

My boat has a canoe stern so no swim platform anyway. As an observer, biggest benefit I can see to the tip-up style of dinghy storage is it's easy to launch dinghy when bow-in to a slip. Biggest downside is the swim platform is unusable unless dinghy is deployed. For cruising in other countries where theft is a problem, it's more susceptible to theft.

lipets said:

I think having dink with big motor is not needed at all.

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It is if you actually need to do miles safely.
We have actually had to take our raw water pump and windlass motor in for repair while stranded in semi remote areas in 30 knot winds.
Luckily in this instance it only required several miles punching around an island to where a high speed ferry took them back to the mainland but a dink would have had a very tough and wet time of it.

I could, if I had to, have punched 20 or more miles back to the mainland myself if needs be.
The little dink would have made a sad news story.

A 10' with a 4-6 hp is much easier to get on/off the boat and will get you there with way less hassle.

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I would get that small dink off the boat in exactly the same way as I get the big tender off.
There would be zero saving in time or effort of which there is little anyway.

In the above example it possibly wouldn't have got me there at all.

.
Why do you need go like a bat out of hell in a dink?

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Its not about going like a bat out of hell.
Its about having the ability to cover miles in a safe robust tender when needed.

. Oh and your wallet will be happier

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We regularly bring back a full 200 litre/50gallon water bladder to add to our tankage
We bring back several months worth of provisions at a time
Ability to do this has allowed us to not need a marina in 4 years.
Our wallet is much happier for doing so to the tune of around $43000.

We started of with a small dink.with a 4hp
Within days upgraded to a 3.5 m alloy v nose punt with a 15hp
And less than a year later got what we have now and never for a second regret that decision.

Simi 60 said:

It is if you actually need to do miles safely.
We have actually had to take our raw water pump and windlass motor in for repair while stranded in semi remote areas in 30 knot winds.
Luckily in this instance it only required several miles punching around an island to where a high speed ferry took them back to the mainland but a dink would have had a very tough and wet time of it.

I could, if I had to, have punched 20 or more miles back to the mainland myself if needs be.
The little dink would have made a sad news story.

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This seems to me to be very dependent on where you cruise. For some cruising in remote areas, yes, that capability is absolutely somewhere between very useful and necessary. For a lot of people, there will never be a true need to go that far or in water that open with the dink.

Lots of really good points in this thread, one of which is that there is no perfect dink. Here the tidal zones are extreme, and having a boat to drag back into the water when the tide goes out is an issue, as is dragging it up above the tide line when you land on a beach.

Since I usually plan to anchor close to where I land, an inflatable with an air floor and small outboard is enough. I never have more than about four on board, so my Achilles 9 1/2' with a six HP has enough room and power, though it will not plane out with more than two on board. The Achilles weighs less than 70 lbs without the motor attached, and often I choose to row in so carrying it above the tide line is easier. I single hand a lot, so being able to deal with it by myself is a large consideration.

As long as I have enough speed to overcome the tidal currents coming back to the boat I am satisfied, and I do all of my shrimping and fishing from my boat, not my dink.

We use a Weaver System. Easy up and down with the dink and no visibility issues or access problems. 8' seems a bit small to me. Ours is 10' and it's about as small I think is comfortable for two plus dogs. Bigger is better if possible. IMHO

I sent the RIB packing. Switched to a 13' welded aluminum utility boat with a 15 HP electric start fuel injected Suzuki. Wanted something that I wasn't afraid to pull up on a rocky shore or scratch the paint.



Ted

I sent the RIB packing

How do you scratch the paint with a RIB?

O C Diver said:

I sent the RIB packing. Switched to a 13' welded aluminum utility boat with a 15 HP electric start fuel injected Suzuki. Wanted something that I wasn't afraid to pull up on a rocky shore or scratch the paint.

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Ted

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I added a hull guard to mine before it ever saw water. That protects from a rocky or sandy shore.

rsn48 said:

I sent the RIB packing

How do you scratch the paint with a RIB?

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I can tell ya you only get to try that once..

rsn48 said:

I sent the RIB packing

How do you scratch the paint with a RIB?

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Well actually gelcoat. The hull is fiberglass and not overly thick.

Ted

There is a comedy routine and I can't remember the comedian who did it or I'd find it on the net. But he talks about a suicide blimp bad guy who drives the blimp into a tall building and of course each time he does, the blimp bounces off of it. So I'm imagining a RIB with these large tubes on either side and forward to the bow tip. Still trying to figure out out to scratch the gelcoat. Unless of course it is on a crane, then I could see it.

Of course, one of the benefits of a RIB is it doesn't scratch the gelcoat like a hard dinghy can.

We have a 8.5’ fiberglass Boss Boat dinghy. For motors we have a 15 hp two stroke, a 5 hp four stroke, and a 1973 6 hp two stroke. Which one was best for us? The six hp because it’s the lightest and most reliable.

Tenders

Woodstock said:

We purchased our first cruising boat last winter. Until this year, this was always an inland lake boat and we have been busy getting her set up for cruising the east coast and hopefully the loop in 2021. One of our last upgrades left to do is adding a tender and a way to store/launch it. Never owned a dinghy but we are leaning towards a very lightweight 8'2" or 8'10" fiberglass RIB with a 5 or 6 hp motor that we will store on a Hurley swim platform mount. Total weight under 150#. 95% of the time it will need to carry two adults and two small (15#) dogs. Obviously, the smaller & lighter, the better, but how small becomes too small? We don't intend to anchor out a lot, maybe one or two nights over a week of travel. Recommendations on size? Is 8'2" too small? Thanks!

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I would just give you a thought to consider Think about and emergency such as sinking or fire You may need to get it off quickly Also you need room for those on board along with a ditch bag I had mine on an upper deck when we had a fire and without davit power I was unable to get it off

David Carter said:

I would just give you a thought to consider Think about and emergency such as sinking or fire You may need to get it off quickly Also you need room for those on board along with a ditch bag I had mine on an upper deck when we had a fire and without davit power I was unable to get it off

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I tell my wife that if the boat is sinking, all she has to do is go on the boat deck and sit in the tender until the boat sinks and tender will float free.

Humor.

Bigger is better. There will be times when you'll want to explore with 4 people. Get a hard bottom. I have the West Marine 310 and find it ideal. It is 10'2" with 16" tubes and rated for four persons and up to 10hp. Weighs only 95 lbs. Was originally designed and sold by Zodiak.

Ok, at the risk of getting flamed, I ahve an idea for my 25 footer (Acadia with an extended roof over the deck.

My wife, 2 dogs and I often cruise the Upper Mississippi and play on the sand islands or sand bars. My boat draws 2 1/2 feet, so we anchor in about 6-10 FOW and have just swam the current to the sand. We are thinking of using a Canoe as I have several. We can attach a canoe to the extension over the deck. It is light enough to lift up when standing on the swim platform.

if anchored close to an island in the PNW like the San Juan areas, is a canoe an acceptable option for a dingy? I am asking because that is much more affordable and manageable over a dingy for us currently.

Bob B. said:

Ok, at the risk of getting flamed, I ahve an idea for my 25 footer (Acadia with an extended roof over the deck.

My wife, 2 dogs and I often cruise the Upper Mississippi and play on the sand islands or sand bars. My boat draws 2 1/2 feet, so we anchor in about 6-10 FOW and have just swam the current to the sand. We are thinking of using a Canoe as I have several. We can attach a canoe to the extension over the deck. It is light enough to lift up when standing on the swim platform.

if anchored close to an island in the PNW like the San Juan areas, is a canoe an acceptable option for a dingy? I am asking because that is much more affordable and manageable over a dingy for us currently.

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I love the canoe idea. We cruise mostly inland (California Delta) and carry two single kayaks. Have yet to use them on the SF Bay, but look forward to doing so.

A canoe is a canoe and a RHIB is an RHIB and a larger skiff is a larger skiff.




All 3 serve different mission categories to a point.


If you can't carry all 3 or their equivalents...you have to see which one is the most versatile or meets your biggest needs without missing a critical one.

David Carter said:

I would just give you a thought to consider Think about and emergency such as sinking or fire You may need to get it off quickly Also you need room for those on board along with a ditch bag I had mine on an upper deck when we had a fire and without davit power I was unable to get it off

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That's what life rafts are purpose built for.

We have used a 9 1/2 air floor inflatable with a Toqueedo 3 hp electric motor for explorations and shore boat for over 7 years--still running well. Charges off 12 or 110 V AC.

When we had larger boats--equal to the 46 or larger, we had a 12 1/2 to 13' RIB, and a 15 or 25 hp outboard.. Plus an 8 foot slat floor, with 4 hp (today would be the Torqeedo) which was easy to pick up and carry up the beach when necessary. The Rib's had to be anchored out, on an "endless line" and pulled off the beach as we explored on land. (Used in AK, USA, Mexico, Centeral America, Caribbean, Med, Baltic etc.). On our trawler we had a 12 foot DuraBoat Aluminum skiff--with fire hose rub rails...

What about just towing a 17 CC. That is what I am considering to the keys. We like to fish. 44 marine trader. Comments welcome.

Weaver Tip up davits

My present boat has a crane which I love - also great for pulling a MOB out of the water.

My last boat had Weaver Tip-up davits. For a small dinghy, they are fast and simple, and I really like them. Faster than the crane. I think ease of use is a key parameter - makes us feel less isolated on the boat to know it is easy to get to shore.

Dinghy size depends on your likely use profile. Most of my use is running from anchor to the marina dinghy dock or to the beach. Since I had a crane, I went with a Caribe C10x. We'll sit on the tubes, but they are fine for short rides.

Some Weaver davits came with my new (to me) boat, and they are for sale in the classifieds section.

O C Diver said:

I sent the RIB packing. Switched to a 13' welded aluminum utility boat with a 15 HP electric start fuel injected Suzuki. Wanted something that I wasn't afraid to pull up on a rocky shore or scratch the paint.

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Ted

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I agree.
Think of how much room is/would be lost if this aluminum skiff above had tubes. Ridiculous. But this is a launch. A dinghy is 6-10 long, light enough to be carried up above the high tide level and either rowed or powered by a removable OB that can also be carried up the beach. Anything bigger or heavier is a launch.

Another thing that I think has been missed on this thread is that the dinghy will get very useful when the mother boat sinks. Boats do sink and that should be considered before setting out. One could say the primary mission for the dinghy is as a lifeboat.

Marigold said:

What about just towing a 17 CC. That is what I am considering to the keys. We like to fish. 44 marine trader. Comments welcome.

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Fine IMO as long as you’re prepared to loose it in rough weather.
Messing around in small boats is golden and there’s nothing like an OB skiff that handles well.
Re towing there’s a lot to learn and it can become risky.