Dinghy or no dinghy

[Beaverlake]

Look at the TakaCat or slightly higher quality TrueKit. There are a few US dealers. Combine that with an eProulsion motor. Catamaran designs, fold to relatively small packages, tow nicely, and the inflatable floors are like bow up SUPs. If we downsize I’m going the TrueKit route with either an ePropulsion Spirit Plus or a 6hp Yamaha.

 

[BandB]

Wifey B: We carried a 13' jet rib with 100 hp. Now we seldom anchor out but spend nights at marinas. We, therefore, never needed it to get provisions or to get to shore. We use it like Caltex indicates, to explore places we couldn't fully in our boat. Now we were in a boat that was 69' overall and had a 5' draft so more limited than many. Still, we had periods of time in which we used the rib very little. Still there were times we wanted to see what was on the other side of that bridge just beyond where we docked and we wanted to explore some islands.

Now, there is so much to do on the loop, I think it would have been different without the rib but it still would have been so much fun. We used it because we had it, but I think we could have happily done it without.

 

[AZ2Loop]

You will wish you had a dinghy if you leave home without one. Make it work, you will be happy you did.

Many people travel with a kayak or two hanging from a rail or on deck. Maybe explore that if you are at all fit and can get in and out of one. Honestly, we look like something out of Beverly Hillbillies when we go on vacation. The dink on the back, an outboard mounted on the handrail, two bikes up front and two kayaks hanging off the side

pete

Yep, that sums us up pretty good, too. Two full size bikes, a kayak, a stand up paddle board, and the RIB dinghy with Honda 20 outboard.

In the past 6 months we have put well over 250 miles on our bikes, and a lot of hours on the dinghy. For the past week we probably averaged 2-3 dinghy trips per day when anchored. We are now in a marina for a few days. The bikes will be used here, and so will the dinghy. We use them both for exploring, provisioning, going to dinner, etc.

 

[rsn48]

Inflatable kayaks are popular in the coastal BC area as dinghies:

https://www.ebay.ca/i/222793332913?...Aabp9R2SO6JTKWIP1hT9w4XKnWS4-KfcaAq5XEALw_wcB

 

[caltexflanc]

Let's not forget the Portabote. I think they are pretty cool after spending a couple days tootin around in a mooring field neighbor's.

https://www.porta-bote.com/

 

[psneeld]

One of the the main issues with boats that need to be assembled on board is room to do so....after once or twice, many give up.

 

[caltexflanc]

We, a couple of klutzes easily assembled the guys Portabote over his swim platform. He usually kept it there assembled. It rowed pretty well too. I'd much rather have one than a a pure inflatable, especially if you had to blow the darn thing up all the time. It's just another option.

For us personally, it's a console equipped RIB or hard body, period. The real fun started when we launched the dinghy, the big boat was merely the delivery vehicle and home base. I'm so glad I kept the Whaler when we sold the Hatteras. We've continued to enjoy immensely ever since.

 

[psneeld]

Like I say for almost everything in boating....it depends.


Me and plenty of others would really like to use a portabote as they do make great dingies....but assembly seems to be the #1 showstopper because of lack of assembly room on many boats...not all but enough to give people the heads up to make sure.

 

[wkearney99]

They make storable inflatable dingys that will take a 5hp outboard.

We used an 8'6" inflatable dinghy with a Torqeedo. It was a bit bulky to keep in the deflated state but relatively easy to move around. Took about 15-20 minutes to inflate it manually with a foot pump (much less with an electric pump designed for the inflatable kayak).

It had an inflatable floor and an inflatable keel. We've had one with hard floor panel sections and HATED storing it and putting it together. The panels were a pain in the arse. The inflatable floor kind provides nearly as much rigidity without the assembly hassles.

The Torqeedo was the only game in town when we bought it. There are apparently other competitors now, but I've no experience with them. Our experience was the Torqeedo 1003 was about the same power as a 3hp gas outboard. Range was sufficient for about a dozen trips to shore, or an afternoon's worth of wandering around, provided you weren't going flat-out. About the same as a teensy tank built into most small gas outboards. The battery would recharge overnight from AC power.

My question would be whether the opening up the flybridge would be large enough to pass the folded-up bulk of the dinghy.

 

[wkearney99]

...Avon 3.10RIB dinghy was purchased at a boat show in 1987 continues to provide reliable service. It outlasted one 8HP engine that I replaced 12 years ago.

We've got the same dinghy (it came with the boat when we bought it) and while it's looking a bit long in the tooth it's held up very well.

The Moeller DinghyMate fuel tank works well on it. Saves a lot of legroom.

https://www.amazon.com/Moeller-DinghyMate-Topside-Transom-Marine/dp/B000MTCQSS/

 

[Zoar]

It would be like not wearing a watch for me - I would just feel somehow partially naked.

I recently STOPPED wearing a watch.... I must say.... I love it. No watch is good. Watch is bad. Naked is good!

 

[Choices]

We bought a new 10' hypalon and Mercury engine. Used it twice. We tend to go from marina to marina, and when not in use it rides up on top or is rolled up under lazarette.

Nice for running around but not really required. Fixing to inherit a Boston Whaler, that will change things.

 

[hollywood8118]

I recently STOPPED wearing a watch.... I must say.... I love it. No watch is good. Watch is bad. Naked is good!

The irony is a LOVE not having to have my phone with me and I would gladly take the watch on my wrist vs. carrying a damn smartphone which is just a electronic leash. I live to find a place with NO RECEPTION!



Watch is good.. phone is bad ( sorry I had to)


HOLLYWOOD

 

[psneeld]

Funny....I use the phone all day long and yet go days without ever making or receiving a call.

I stopped wearing watches when I started working on boats full time. Between them always getting caught on stuff and my sweat rotting them and bands and pins all the time..... phones came along and replaced watches for me.

When an assistance tower and on call 24x7x365.....I learned to always have the phone with me so I am well trained now.

All my friends and family get worried if my phone rings more than 3 times or so without me answering...

 

[ScottC]

I have a small collection of vintage watches. Stopped wearing them when I got my first iPhone. Reasons?
1) I no longer had to deal with a slight allergic reaction my sweaty skin had to the metal watches
2) iPhone has a few more features than the watches...and doesn’t need winding so often. It’s also more accurate
3) when you have more than one timepiece, you no longer know what time it is ;-)

 

[boathealer]

QUOTE=ScottC;902776]3) when you have more than one timepiece, you no longer know what time it is ;-)[/QUOTE]


https://youtu.be/q0hMHJ-WXHM

 

[BandB]

QUOTE=ScottC;902776]3) when you have more than one timepiece, you no longer know what time it is ;-)

[/QUOTE]

Wifey B:

This is the full version with the piano intro, not the radio version.

 

[menzies]

Watch I wear when in tux. My wife's grandfather's watch which we inherited. Gold casing, chain and little mortice key. When wound still keeps perfect time. Coming up on one hundred years old!

 

[BandB]

Watch I wear when in tux. My wife's grandfather's watch which we inherited. Gold casing, chain and little mortice key. When wound still keeps perfect time. Coming up on one hundred years old!

Wifey B: And how often do you were a tux?

 

[Jmarsh203]

Skiff overkill?

I like exploring and fishing quite a bit so a very capable skiff is pretty important to me. I’ll probably be messing around in the Bahamas before I do the great loop as well so I just picked one up that suites what I Plan on doing. Picked up a 15 foot Hobie power skiff, it has reinforced tow eye so I can tow from the eye without having to mod it. 3” self bailing drains and foam filled core so it’s will be virtually impossible to sink or swamp it. Also has aluminum blocks imbedded in the sides of the boat for railings to mount to that will make it easy to put eyes into so I can lift it on my davits. And it’s a pretty deep v and flared bow so I won’t be in much trouble getting caught in some bigger waves. Since I went way overboard on skiff size I plan on using the davits while in transit only in protected waters and for extended periods of non use while my big boat is in a marina, pretty much using my bigger boat as a moving boat lift. When in open/ non protected water or short hops where I know I will be using it a lot I plan on towing it. When doing long trips of towing it I’ll prob pull the motor onto the big boat with a lifting davit I plan on putting on the second deck. Not sure yet on that one.