Gdavid
Guru
This thread is to track my newest, foolish endeavor. The short story is that I’m cutting down a club 420 sailboat to serve as a rowing/motor/sailing dinghy for my modest sized cruiser. The following narrative will delve deep into my rational and plans (sure to evolve) but primarily I’ll share pictures and descriptions of my triumphs and follies.
Like many cruisers before me, I’ve tired of the leaks associated with inflatable dinghies. They are tough to beat in terms of weight, capacity and stability but my cheap PVC has become an exercise in chasing leaks, I don’t like inflatables enough to buy a better quality one. I also can’t resist the urge to attempt something different. I don’t have davits on the boat, in the past I’ve tied the dinghy sideways across the transom, supported by the swim platform and standing on one edge. This approach works well when the dinghy is fully inflated but if/as it goes soft, it becomes a mess. When I’m tied up in a slip, which is how the boat lives 99% of its life, the stern lines chafe the dinghy one way or another. I can also carry the dinghy on the bow but without a crane/boom or another guy my size, it is too heavy to launch and retrieve over the side by hand. Currently it is living on the bow, limp, under a fitted cover to protect it from UV damage and away from the cockpit so I can cross my stern lines appropriately and fish conveniently.
I like that my family of 5 is actually below the weight capacity of the inflatable dinghy, something very few 10-11’ rigid tenders could support, but I’m starting to accept the reality that we are rarely are ever in the same place at once. The rare opportunities to cruise as a family (in tight quarters) are pretty much marina hopping between destinations with pools as most of our cruising coincides with jellyfish season.
Between myself and family members, we already have a flotilla of small craft, including my laser sailboat, 420 sail boat, sit-on-top kayaks, a paddleboard. Between my brother and father, there is also a sunfish sailboat, a 12’ aluminum johnboat, and another small outboard powered inflatable in regular use. All of these little boats have positive traits and serious limitations, the 12’ johnboat and 420 sailboat seem to have the most promise. The johnboat performs best under power but is flimsy, tender and hard gunnels and corners would be a constant hazard to the mothership’s finish. The 420 is surprisingly stable, has no capacity plate but does just fine with 2 adults and 3 kids. It is just too long and heavy (~230#) and complex to rig.
I’ve contemplated towing the 420 on the next cruise, towing it without the mast and carrying the rig onboard my boat. This would be a hassle in marinas, both transient and my home marina but would be fun to play with at anchor. The idea of shortening it to about 12’, adding oarlocks, and fitting it with a set of snap davits has crossed my mind a few times. I like that it has air tight(ish) tanks integrated along each side of the hull for great flotation when swamped, it also provides seating similar to an inflatable but forces all standing to be in the center of the boat. The 420 I own is in pretty good shape and would be a shame to hack up, if my kids get interested in competitive sailing, it would be a great platform and I am just not willing to hack it up. In the meantime, I’ve been perusing facebook marketplace and craigslist for a rigid dinghy but everything has been too big or two small and tender. A beat up 420 popped up for sale without rigging for $200, which peaked my interest and when it was dropped to free, I couldn’t resist. I dragged it home yesterday and it is beat, the structural supports are delaminating from the hull (tanks and centerboard case) as well as damage to the bow and gunnel. Repairs will be easy, avoiding adding too much weight will be the challenge. .
The current plan is repair delaminated glass, removing all sailing hardware, removing the aft ~2' of the hull and building a new transom which will seal the tanks and provide sufficient stiffness for a 5 hp outboard. Not sure about my plans for the centerboard trunk, either repair it or remove it and replace with bench(s). The goal is a capacity sufficient to carry myself, wife and two big dogs.
I’m itching to get started
Like many cruisers before me, I’ve tired of the leaks associated with inflatable dinghies. They are tough to beat in terms of weight, capacity and stability but my cheap PVC has become an exercise in chasing leaks, I don’t like inflatables enough to buy a better quality one. I also can’t resist the urge to attempt something different. I don’t have davits on the boat, in the past I’ve tied the dinghy sideways across the transom, supported by the swim platform and standing on one edge. This approach works well when the dinghy is fully inflated but if/as it goes soft, it becomes a mess. When I’m tied up in a slip, which is how the boat lives 99% of its life, the stern lines chafe the dinghy one way or another. I can also carry the dinghy on the bow but without a crane/boom or another guy my size, it is too heavy to launch and retrieve over the side by hand. Currently it is living on the bow, limp, under a fitted cover to protect it from UV damage and away from the cockpit so I can cross my stern lines appropriately and fish conveniently.
I like that my family of 5 is actually below the weight capacity of the inflatable dinghy, something very few 10-11’ rigid tenders could support, but I’m starting to accept the reality that we are rarely are ever in the same place at once. The rare opportunities to cruise as a family (in tight quarters) are pretty much marina hopping between destinations with pools as most of our cruising coincides with jellyfish season.
Between myself and family members, we already have a flotilla of small craft, including my laser sailboat, 420 sail boat, sit-on-top kayaks, a paddleboard. Between my brother and father, there is also a sunfish sailboat, a 12’ aluminum johnboat, and another small outboard powered inflatable in regular use. All of these little boats have positive traits and serious limitations, the 12’ johnboat and 420 sailboat seem to have the most promise. The johnboat performs best under power but is flimsy, tender and hard gunnels and corners would be a constant hazard to the mothership’s finish. The 420 is surprisingly stable, has no capacity plate but does just fine with 2 adults and 3 kids. It is just too long and heavy (~230#) and complex to rig.
I’ve contemplated towing the 420 on the next cruise, towing it without the mast and carrying the rig onboard my boat. This would be a hassle in marinas, both transient and my home marina but would be fun to play with at anchor. The idea of shortening it to about 12’, adding oarlocks, and fitting it with a set of snap davits has crossed my mind a few times. I like that it has air tight(ish) tanks integrated along each side of the hull for great flotation when swamped, it also provides seating similar to an inflatable but forces all standing to be in the center of the boat. The 420 I own is in pretty good shape and would be a shame to hack up, if my kids get interested in competitive sailing, it would be a great platform and I am just not willing to hack it up. In the meantime, I’ve been perusing facebook marketplace and craigslist for a rigid dinghy but everything has been too big or two small and tender. A beat up 420 popped up for sale without rigging for $200, which peaked my interest and when it was dropped to free, I couldn’t resist. I dragged it home yesterday and it is beat, the structural supports are delaminating from the hull (tanks and centerboard case) as well as damage to the bow and gunnel. Repairs will be easy, avoiding adding too much weight will be the challenge. .
The current plan is repair delaminated glass, removing all sailing hardware, removing the aft ~2' of the hull and building a new transom which will seal the tanks and provide sufficient stiffness for a 5 hp outboard. Not sure about my plans for the centerboard trunk, either repair it or remove it and replace with bench(s). The goal is a capacity sufficient to carry myself, wife and two big dogs.
I’m itching to get started
