Choosing a hard dinghy

[rslifkin]

I still haven't nailed down how I'm going to carry the thing, but I'm trying to narrow down my dinghy options in the meantime. The basic criteria are: must row well, needs to carry 2 people + dog, shouldn't weigh much over 100 lbs.

So far, for the budget category, I've come up with 3 options, all in plastic: Walker Bay 8, West Marine Classic Dinghy, Water Tender 9.4. The Water Tender has the most interior room of the 3 and the highest load capacity, but is also likely the slowest to row and is the heaviest at 106 lbs. The Walker Bay has the lowest load capacity, least space and highest price, but is also the lightest weight. The WM Classic Dinghy is the longest, but with a bit less room and load capacity than the Water Tender and is only slightly lighter. But with the longer waterline, it's got a good shot at being the fastest / easiest to row (although it's hard to tell how much transom it drags in the water compared to the Walker Bay).

There are also more expensive options like the smaller Gig Harbor boats, although I'm not sure how much I want to spend.

Keep in mind, I'm not afraid of marinas and we aren't cruising full time, so this thing doesn't need to be my only link to shore for extended periods of time. I don't expect to regularly go more than a 1/4 mile or so with it, and if that plan changes, I'll deal with an outboard for it (until then, I intend to row for simplicity, cost and less weight on the mothership).

With that in mind, what does everyone think / suggest? Are there any good options that I haven't thought of?

 

[Ka_sea_ta]

You can always get a tube for the Walker Bay to increase carrying capacity... and a sail kit if so inclined.... If you look at my avatar you can see it on the roof of my GW. It was light enough that I could lift it and put it on the roof single handed. One caveat to the WB is that it was tough to clean...

 

[Nomad Willy]

When you choose for rowing ability by far the best feature to secure is tracking ability.
Most anything will be much faster than a rubber duckie. But all will be quite speed limited by their short WLL.
Do you shop on Craig’s List? Look in their boat section. I don’t know if any good dinghies are being made now so a good one will be be used. But of course the price will be much lower. The bottom on a good rowboat will have rocker .. that is the bottom of the hull will not run straight fore and aft. Even the aft part of the bottom will be curved. And the transom will be out of the water w one person centered in the boat.
Ideally seating arrangements will allow the boat to be rowed with one, two or three persons in the boat. It’s hard to do in a short boat so it may take some time to find.

Here is an example of good rocker carried full aft. The transom will be out of the water even when this boat is loaded properly w three people aboard and row fast even loaded. Big difference in speed especially w loaded.

 

[rslifkin]

I have been looking on Craigslist and such, but so far, everything that's come up is either inflatable or too big. Unfortunately I'm not in the ideal area for finding a good used dinghy, which is what has me mostly looking at new options.

Amount of rocker in the hull is the big unknown with the West Marine dinghy. I've never seen a picture that shows the full bottom out of the water. It is the best looking of the cheap hunks of plastic though. Nothing like a nice gig harbor, but a nicer shape than the Walker Bay and far nicer than the water tender rectangle.

As far as seating, the Walker Bay rows with 2, the others can be rowed with 3 people.

How much of an issue is stability likely to be with the Walker Bay and the West Marine option? My biggest concern there is getting the dog in and out of it.

 

[Tonic1]

If the Gig Harbor appeals, this is listed on TF right now,

https://www.trawlerforum.com/forums/s9/10-trinka-sailing-tender-50265.html#post869543

I think a dinghy more than any boat is a compromise. Load rating, easy to row, stable, fast, light , etc. You can probably pick any two of those characteristics and find something. Any more, and good luck.

Brett

 

[Pete Meisinger]

If anyone finds the perfect dinghy PLEASE let me know and send a picture.

I am on my third dinghy style and have not been happy with any of them.

The first one was a really nice sailing dinghy. Too heavy to put on the roof, you can't tow them without plugging the daggerboard hole, and carrying the mast and boom was a pain. Also, nearly impossable to set up the sailing rig while on the hook.

Next effort was an inflatable. Much lighter but difficult to row, not a good choice to carry bikes to shore from the boat. Plus it had a black bottom which when tipped up on the Weaver davits got so hot and expanded so tight it ripped the bottom loose from the tubes.

Effort number three is a 12 or 13 foot Sears aluminum fishing boat that I cut the transom off of and took a four foot piece out of the rear and reattached the transom. I am close on this one. With one person on board it planes nicely with a 9hp outboard and would win a marina dinghy race. With two people on board all it does is plow water and throw a bigger wake than the mother ship.

My next effort will be to cut a few feet off a Jon boat and try that.

If that doesn't work I think I will build my own pontoon type boat out of styrofoam blocks to keep it light with aluminum platform.

Any other ideas?

pete

 

[rslifkin]

Looks like getting my hands on the West Marine Classic Dinghy might be a challenge. My local West Marine is closed, and it can only be ordered / bought through a store. They won't ship one directly to me and the nearest store that has one is 200 miles away. So I don't know how I'd get one right now (although I'm not in a big rush). The Walker Bay and Water Tender can be shipped to me. So that might end up impacting my decisions a bit.

Does anyone know how well the Water Tender thing rows? I'm finding mixed reviews on that. It seems like the most practical option (even though the part of me that's attracted to pretty rowboats with a nice, slim shape is screaming to get the West Marine thing).

 

[Spinner]

The Portland Pudgy will carry two plus a dog and rows well. Sail kit is available. The weight is more than you desire, however. It is is a nice little dinghy!

 

[tozz]

If you are looking for other brands to research and compare, three below are ones I've heard of or saw reviews/testimonials that I didn't see on your list. I have only had ribs and I don't have direct experience with hard dinghies at all. YMMV.

OC tenders - https://octenders.co.nz/
Bullfrog - https://www.bullfrogboats.com/
Portland pudgy- https://portlandpudgy.com/

 

[Chrisjs]

If memory serves me right (??) when Walker Bays first came out they had a habit of deforming because the construct was not stiff enough. Perhaps this has been resolved? Might certainly be a consideration if the WB is left to hang on davits?

 

[Porgy]

We bought a used 8’ Fatty Knees for $2,400 in excellent condition including a sail rig. Classic Lyle Hess design. It rows quite nicely and we use a Torqeedo as well. Some complain about “tippy” hard dinghies. I guess so compared to inflatables. But it’s secondary stability is significant. You can nearly stand on the gunnel without capsizing.

I also looked at Trinka, Bauer, Portland Pudgie, Puffin and Dyer. All are popular and have their merits. I really liked the Offshore Cruising Tender but shipping to the east coast from NZ was more than the boat. It looks like such a great design. I wish they would get a US distributor but they are a small family company and maybe wish to remain so.

I was indecisive about which one to get and stumbled across the FK for sale that was a maritime museum donation. So that decided it for me, for now.

 

[FF]

Hard to find , either rowing or with the sails , but the Grumman Aluminum dink is probably the best small dink.

The unit is only about 80 lbs , and is set up so two folks can row at the same time.

Headwinds or chop , no problem. Carries 5 in smooth waters.

Craig's list sees them on rare occasions , and there never cheap , but neither are older Rolexes.

 

[rslifkin]

If memory serves me right (??) when Walker Bays first came out they had a habit of deforming because the construct was not stiff enough. Perhaps this has been resolved? Might certainly be a consideration if the WB is left to hang on davits?

I think that's a potential concern with any of the plastic dinghies, although probably a bit less for the tri-hull one. I haven't decided yet whether I want to mount davits, build roll on platform davits or find another way to carry the thing.

The Grumman dink FF mentioned seems like a good option if I could find one.

It's starting to look like I can't be too cheap about this, as my options open up far more at a higher budget with things like a Dyer Dhow, the stuff from OC Tenders, etc.

I guess I need to give it a bit more thought and try to come up with a more concrete budget for this. Or I take the easy way out for now, get something cheap and plastic and plan to upgrade later.

 

[Chrisjs]

We used to have a Dyer sailing dinghy that rowed very well. I think it was about 10 ft and probably weighed in at around 120lb. Had a simple sailing rig - perhaps optional. I do not think weight should be a deciding factor (within reason) because anything over 30 lbs will require a davit or boom lift to get it on board. We even needed to use the boom lift on a 2 person sit-on kayak. Just need to be more careful that when you beach it, you do not end up "high and dry".

 

[rslifkin]

I've spent the morning looking at storage solutions. I'm thinking that as much as I don't love it, hanging the dinghy in davits is probably my best option. Any thoughts on the Forespar Nova davits, Martek davits or something similar? I don't have a cockpit and don't want to block the transom, so I'd want a more sailboat-style elevated davit setup.

 

[koliver]

As far as seating, the Walker Bay rows with 2, the others can be rowed with 3 people.

How much of an issue is stability likely to be with the Walker Bay and the West Marine option? My biggest concern there is getting the dog in and out of it.

One stark observation of the Walker Bay would limit its appeal:
I watched as a Walker Bay, floating at the transom of an anchored sailboat (no Swimgrid) was inelegantly entered by a fellow stepping down from the transom of the sailboat. The WB is so lightweight that the sudden introduction of the weight of a fit male submerged the corner, causing immediate immersion of the occupant.

 

[Ken E.]

Just to add to Tozz's list above, Sterling boats in Portland OR made hard dinghies. I have one of their 10' models on Weaver snap davits. Rows like a log, though, and doesn't sail.

 

[rslifkin]

One stark observation of the Walker Bay would limit its appeal:
I watched as a Walker Bay, floating at the transom of an anchored sailboat (no Swimgrid) was inelegantly entered by a fellow stepping down from the transom of the sailboat. The WB is so lightweight that the sudden introduction of the weight of a fit male submerged the corner, causing immediate immersion of the occupant.

Good to know. That probably rules that option out, as I can't exactly call our 55 lb Standard Poodle graceful (and we'll have to figure out a way to get him up/down from the deck that's almost 4 feet off the water). Based on the extra size and slightly wider beam, the WM dinghy is probably a bit more stable, but maybe not better enough.

I guess in the stability department, it's probably best to go with the Water Tender thing. Looks pretty much like a plastic Boston Whaler to me and it's got good reports for stability, so I'll just have to live with the ugliness, provided I can find a good way to carry it.

For those that mention sailing, ability to convert to a sailing dinghy is pretty low on the list of concerns. Although there apparently is a clamp-on sail rig with daggerboards made for the Water Tender thing that works not too badly.

 

[Haloo]

My plan is to build one of these nesting dinghys:
PT Eleven Nesting Dinghy home page

A neighbor at our marina showed me his. It was beautiful. I helped him nest it and was surprised how easy it was to handle. He said that it rows really well.

 

[C lectric]

If you are looking for other brands to research and compare, three below are ones I've heard of or saw reviews/testimonials that I didn't see on your list. I have only had ribs and I don't have direct experience with hard dinghies at all. YMMV.

OC tenders - https://octenders.co.nz/
Bullfrog - https://www.bullfrogboats.com/
Portland pudgy- https://portlandpudgy.com/

Pudgy site may be hacked due to a Phishing warning. Be carefull.

 

[boathealer]

My plan is to build one of these nesting dinghys:
PT Eleven Nesting Dinghy home page

A neighbor at our marina showed me his. It was beautiful. I helped him nest it and was surprised how easy it was to handle. He said that it rows really well.

I built a 9ft nester many, many moons ago. It was a Spindrift 9N from B and B Yacht Designs.

Full write up attached.

 

[Haloo]

I built a 9ft nester many, many moons ago. It was a Spindrift 9N from B and B Yacht Designs.

Full write up attached.

Beautiful dinghy! Do you still have it? Did it turn out to be a good dinghy for your purposes?

 

[boathealer]

Beautiful dinghy! Do you still have it? Did it turn out to be a good dinghy for your purposes?

Sold it with the boat

It was a great dinghy - sailed and rowed really well. Used a 2hp Honda on it a few times, too.

Only having to maneuver about 40lbs at a time was nice!

 

[Moonfish]

My plan is to build one of these nesting dinghys:
PT Eleven Nesting Dinghy home page

A neighbor at our marina showed me his. It was beautiful. I helped him nest it and was surprised how easy it was to handle. He said that it rows really well.

I've been intrigued by this dinghy for awhile. Even though we really like our 11' Boston Whaler under power, it really does not row too well. And of course we can't sail it. But we know we can land on a rocky beach safely.

Maybe someday I'll try the PT Eleven...

 

[Haloo]

I've been intrigued by this dinghy for awhile. Even though we really like our 11' Boston Whaler under power, it really does not row too well. And of course we can't sail it. But we know we can land on a rocky beach safely.

Maybe someday I'll try the PT Eleven...

One option for rocky beaches is to put some strips of kevlar in vulnerable areas to take the abrasion. We used to do this on white water canoes and it worked well.

 

[Ka_sea_ta]

Finally found a picture of the WB dinghy with the tube kit. It essential becomes a very light weight inflatable it very stable. Its light enough that I could launch, retrieve and store it on the roof without assistance.

 

[Frosty]

I didn't respond at first since they are not common, but since Porgy posted above I will agree. I have a Fatty Knees 7' sailing/rowing dinghy. I have used it extensively as my only dinghy while cruising. The reason I have the 7' is that's the largest one that would fit on the cabin top. Otherwise I would strongly have considered the 8'.

I rowed it 95% of the time, although it is good fun to sail and can also take a 2hp engine.

I'm a rowing snob and I'd say it rows beautifully (just don't use shrimpy oars). In addition, it's a real freighter! We would go to shore (two people, combined weight of 400#), and come back with us, two full 6-gallon jerry jugs, a hunk of ice, and bags of groceries. Slightly awkward rowing around all that but still handled great. It came with a "mini" daggerboard in addition to the longer sailing one and you keep that in the slot while rowing.

Another thing I really like is that the rowing seat runs fore-and-aft. This allows easily scooching to trim the boat to a load (solo it rows better with a bit of weight in the stern - I just put my stuff there if solo).

I made some sponsons out of the jumbo size pool noodles but found they really weren't necessary for my use (was copying dinghy dogs). We would even snorkel from the boat in mid-water (carried a 1# claw anchor) and could reboard over the transom (could probably have come over the gunwale with sponsons).

The newer ones come with a fender type thing on the gunwales that is kind of like firehose but nicer, lighter and purpose-made. So it self fenders. I used an actual fender back then but have since bought some of the new stuff (got some used fire hose but decided it was too heavy).

The 7' is fun sailing for one, and hilariously cramped for two but doable. The 8' is much bigger and I imagine the 9' is a ship.

The 7' is a bit over 100# if memory serves so not super light. Obviously the 8' would be heavier.

One of the reasons I want a trawler is so I can use that dinghy again

 

[FF]

With a great set of davits a dink is not always a PIA .

There are articulated tugs and barges, it would seem the concept could be used in reverse.

A super strong set of transom mounts that could capture pins bolted on the front of say a 13ft B. Whaler might solve the problem.

The dink could not flip or ram, and no crane would be needed. Built in get home power and emergency steering.

Docking in a slip might be expensive.

 

[JohnP]

The Dyer Dhow is a terrific rowing dinghy. Have the 9’6” model it is a joy to row. Also very stable and good weight capacity. The only down side is the bent oak gunnel which is copper riveted to the glass hull can rot. Had dinghy on weaver hinges on swim platform and constant water on low side effected the gunnel. Better to store upright or upside down not on one edge as with the weavers

 

[rslifkin]

The Dyer Dhow is a terrific rowing dinghy. Have the 9’6” model it is a joy to row. Also very stable and good weight capacity. The only down side is the bent oak gunnel which is copper riveted to the glass hull can rot. Had dinghy on weaver hinges on swim platform and constant water on low side effected the gunnel. Better to store upright or upside down not on one edge as with the weavers

I definitely won't be using Weaver davits for anything I get, as I don't want the whole transom blocked. At this point, I'm leaning more towards conventional hanging davits. The Dhow looks like a great option, as it's got more weight capacity than just about anything else I've looked at. They're a little pricey, but that's flexible. And they're not super heavy either.