Whaly dinghy

Anybody out there have/used a Whaly?

http://www.whaly.com/en

Rugged little sucker . . . and didn't appear to take on a drop of water under tow.

Maybe that's a brand Parks should consider?? It's a good looking boat.


1983 Present 42 Sundeck
Twin Lehman 135's

Dang...no USA dealers. Oh Parks!!!! Put me down for a 270 or 310. A little heavy, but doable.

If Parks doesn't step up to the plate, there is a dealer just South of Toronto, Canada. Looks to be a slight detour off the Great Loop.

Ted

I don't think towing that skiff is a very good testament for ruggedness.They are only dragging across dirt.
They need to step it up and do like the old Sea Ox boats did. Invite the marine press and drop the hull from a helicopter on to cement. The hull was fine and the cement pad broke. Sales took off, unfortunately they couldn't beat a downturn in the economy.

Well, we bit the bullet, and on a hunch & instinct we ordered a Whaly 310 having never seen one in the flesh. Just got back from a 2.5 week holiday and can report the Whaly exceeded all our expectations. (The outboard engine will have to wait until next year, so for the time being it's powered by 'Armstrong' oars.)

I added a boom with a boat trailer winch to hoist it up on Weaver Davits...it's pretty much at the proof of concept stage right now as there will be a rigid cover over the aft deck in the final design.

This is a great leap beyond the 9' Livingston our boat came with! I used to make two trips to shore, but the Whaly easily transports me, my wife, our daughter, two Yorkies, a 130 pound Pyrenees Lab cross, and two large waterproof camera boxes.

The only dealer in Canada is in Ontario, so it was a significant gamble with shipping costs added on, but this should be the last dinghy we ever buy. Also, it never has to be coddled, nursed along, or pampered, and it's ready to go at the drop of a hat even if it's minus 20 Celsius...lots of sad half deflated inflatables in our marina.

Being a little heavy at over 200 pounds, I rigged up an anchor / shore tie system where I can give it a shove into deeper water, then we can go hiking for several hours on a falling tide and not have to carry it back to the water.

I can't possibly give enough thanks to Heider at Ultra Marine Ltd. | Quality Goods for the Marine Industry. who bent over backwards to make this deal work for us.

That's a good looking ship Murray!! And beautiful scenery!!


1983 Present 42 Sundeck
Twin Lehman 135's

I don't think it's good looking at all but at 200lbs (half the weight of a Bull Frog) it should be an excellent dinghy for people that don't care if they can pack the dink up the beach above high water. I've always thought that was necessary but Murray's point about anchoring his dink out would be good for most places.

Murray do you use the long bungi chord "pull the dink back out" system or the old fashioned "back the dink out and jerk the anchor off the deck (or whatever) and into the water to be retrieved by a tag line" .. the line you used to jerk the anchor. My dad taught me that one in the 50s.

manyboats said:

I don't think it's good looking at all but at 200lbs (half the weight of a Bull Frog) it should be an excellent dinghy for people that don't care if they can pack the dink up the beach above high water. I've always thought that was necessary but Murray's point about anchoring his dink out would be good for most places.

Murray do you use the long bungi chord "pull the dink back out" system or the old fashioned "back the dink out and jerk the anchor off the deck (or whatever) and into the water to be retrieved by a tag line" .. the line you used to jerk the anchor. My dad taught me that one in the 50s.

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Not sure of your source for the numbers but from what I can tell, by going to both the Whaly web site and the Bullfrog web site, the Bullfrog is NOT twice the weight of the same length Whaly. In fact, the 10' Bullfrog weighs less than the 10' Whaly.

Whaly 310 = 105 kilos (231.5 lbs)

Bulfrog 10' Utility Tender/Dinghy = 220 lbs (99.8 kilos)

http://www.whaly.com/en/whaly_3101.html (click on "Specifications)

http://www.bullfrogboats.com/utility-yacht-tender.html

Hi Eric,

Yup, it's kinda fugly, but we bought it for its utilitarian workhorse assets, not as an ego stroking marina head turner

I'm using the shove the dinghy out, and chuck the anchor & chain out further technique. This means tying up at the corner of beaches where the bottom drops away faster, but that's okay for now. There's no suitable area to use the shove & jerk trick as everything is rounded and slippery on the Whaly. Contemplating that mega-bungee cord idea as it looks like it'll ensure the Whaly goes further out when there's an outboard to protect.

As for the Bullfrog...how much are they?

With the "pull the anchor off the deck" method getting the dinghy out is best accomplished by putting the OB in reverse w the fuel hose disconnected and the trip line connected to the back of the anchor. A pile of anchor rode is placed on deck attached to the anchor and the boat. W/o a deck one would need to get creative. You may need to time your launch so the engine quits after the desired amount of time that would back the dink out the desired distance. Of course one attaches the tag line to the hole in the anchor intended for pulling an anchor out backwards as in a typical trip line arrangement.

Duck,
I stand corrected. Marin's GaGa over the Frog and I thought he said they weigh 400lbs. He probably threw out a weight w an OB attached.

I pulled this yellow 10' dinghy off Willy because it was too heavy to gracefully pull up on the cabin roof (100lbs). It's a SD hull and goes well w a 6hp OB at half throttle. Not planing but faster than a dinghy at hull speed (3.5 to 4 knots). Still have it. Perhaps I should tow it this fall. Looks like Murray's Whaly tows well .. I'm impressed.

manyboats said:

With the "pull the anchor off the deck" method getting the dinghy out is best accomplished by putting the OB in reverse w the fuel hose disconnected and the trip line connected to the back of the anchor. A pile of anchor rode is placed on deck attached to the anchor and the boat. W/o a deck one would need to get creative. You may need to time your launch so the engine quits after the desired amount of time that would back the dink out the desired distance. Of course one attaches the tag line to the hole in the anchor intended for pulling an anchor out backwards as in a typical trip line arrangement.

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How often have you done this, Eric? I've never heard of this 'method'. I can't imagine sending my dink off with the OB running in the hopes that the fuel runs out before calamity strikes.

Here's another shot of the Whaly partially loaded...seating runs down length of both 'tubes';

(For scale, dog in back is taller than I am when he stands on his back feet)

FlyWright said:

How often have you done this, Eric? I've never heard of this 'method'. I can't imagine sending my dink off with the OB running in the hopes that the fuel runs out before calamity strikes.

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I've doe it only 6 or 7 times. Most engines run out of fuel at about the right time but when they don't all they do is pull on the anchor rode lightly for half a minute or so. My dad taught me that and I think he used the method hunting. Not foolproof though. On retrieval the anchor can hang up on rocks or kelp. But it can be very handy up north w 18' tides and a boat way too big to drag or carry up the beach.

Usually I like to have a 100lb dink that Chris and I can carry up the beach and I can go back for the engine.

Gee Eric. I'm gonna kinda miss that yellow dinghy on the roof......it looked right.

*UPDATE*

Whaly boats now has a dealer in Whistler, BC Whaly Boats BC - Home

MurrayM said:

*UPDATE*

Whaly boats now has a dealer in Whistler, BC Whaly Boats BC - Home

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That looks like a really interesting and practical dinghy. Are you still as satisfied with yours as you were in 2015 above? How has it held up?

boathealer said:

That looks like a really interesting and practical dinghy. Are you still as satisfied with yours as you were in 2015 above? How has it held up?

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Still happy with it.

Like boats, there is no perfect dinghy...just ones with the least amount of compromises.

It's a bit big for our boat, but it's a bit too small for what we use it for which is carrying three adults, two Yorkies, a 130lb Pyrenees/Lab cross, and hiking/camera gear. It's a bit heavy, but it doesn't ever deflate and is always ready to go anywhere from -20C to over 30C without fussing over tube pressure. It's fugly plastic, but we can drag it around over rocks or sandbars without a care. It tows well and stores easily on modified Weaver Snap Davits pulled vertical with a small hand winch on a boom.

It hasn't taken any water into the shell. I chose to make modified oar locks using the rope which goes around the perimeter of the dinghy rather than drill holes into it for normal oar locks. There are ways of draining water which gets inside, but why risk it?

We recently got a 6hp outboard (really looking forward to extend the range of our explorations beyond where Armstrong Oar Power could take us) and the first time I stowed the outboard and dinghy it took 12 minutes. Should be able to tighten that up with practice. Still breaking in the OB so don't know how it'll do in the planing department, but it's much faster at half throttle than I could ever make it go with oars

Hasn't been chewed on by a Grizzly Bear yet, but nice to know it would fair better than an inflatable if a bear ever took offence to it

MurrayM said:

Still happy with it.

Like boats, there is no perfect dinghy...just ones with the least amount of compromises.

It's a bit big for our boat, but it's a bit too small for what we use it for which is carrying three adults, two Yorkies, a 130lb Pyrenees/Lab cross, and hiking/camera gear. It's a bit heavy, but it doesn't ever deflate and is ready to go anywhere from -20C to over 30C. It's fugly plastic, but we can drag it around over rocks or sandbars without a care. It tows well and stores easily on modified Weaver Snap Davits pulled vertical with a small hand winch on a boom.

It hasn't taken any water into the shell. I chose to make modified oar locks using the rope which goes around the perimeter of the dinghy rather than drill holes into it for normal oar locks. There are ways of draining water which gets inside, but why risk it?

We recently got a 6hp outboard (really looking forward to extend the range of our explorations beyond where Armstrong Oar Power could take us) and the first time I stowed the outboard and dinghy it took 12 minutes. Should be able to tighten that up with practice. Still breaking in the OB so don't know how it'll do in the planing department, but it's much faster at half throttle than I could ever make it go with oars

Hasn't been chewed on by a Grizzly Bear yet, but nice to know it would fair better than an inflatable if one ever did take offence to it

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Thanks for the review! I may consider the 270 for what looks to be considerably lighter weight relative to length. Only two aboard typically. Probably costly to get one to the SE US, tho.

Regarding your outboard and time, I don't know if you have seen these: https://adventuremarine.ca/product/dinghy-swivel-outboard-motor-bracket/ - I think they are made up there in BC.

I had one on my last boat/dinghy with the Weaver davits and it was AMAZING. Just spin the thing up and leave it on the dingy! I was actually able to freshwater flush the OB while it was in the stowed position by standing on the swim platform - SUPER convenient!

boathealer said:

Regarding your outboard and time, I don't know if you have seen these: https://adventuremarine.ca/product/dinghy-swivel-outboard-motor-bracket/ - I think they are made up there in BC.

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I've seen them online, but never in the flesh. Was it a problem moving the outboard aft of the transom? Did it take longer/make it harder to get on plane?

boathealer said:

Probably costly to get one to the SE US, tho.

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See the link in post #7 for the Ontario dealer. He worked out a deal with us to have our dinghy dropped off in the truckers back yard in Alberta while he took a break delivering Whaly's to Alaska, and my wife drove out there to pick it up.

Give him a call...he was very easy/good to deal with.

MurrayM said:

I've seen them online, but never in the flesh. Was it a problem moving the outboard aft of the transom? Did it take longer/make it harder to get on plane?

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It really only moved the outboard back about 6-8", so I didn't see any real changes in performance in my case.

It just now occurred to me that the pontoons sticking out the back on the Whaly may make the swiveling interesting. My last dinghy had a flush transom, so it just rotated straight away. The motor may have to tilt up temporarily to clear the aft pontoon and then back down when finished rotating. I think they had some info on their web site regarding this.

boathealer said:

It really only moved the outboard back about 6-8", so I didn't see any real changes in performance in my case.

It just now occurred to me that the pontoons sticking out the back on the Whaly may make the swiveling interesting. My last dinghy had a flush transom, so it just rotated straight away. The motor may have to tilt up temporarily to clear the aft pontoon and then back down when finished rotating. I think they had some info on their web site regarding this.

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I don’t think it would be a problem resting on the pontoon, as long as the leg is lower than the engine. If the boat is listing or in waves steep & deep enough to get the leg above the engine, we’ve got bigger problems to deal with!

The Whaly looks great, I would love to have the 370.

I have been following this thread with interest as our inflatable has finallyexperienced a terminal deflate.. My main concern is the Whaly 310 weight issue.

We have a 15hp Yammie and with the 105kg dry weight of the 310, plus a tank of fuel it seems that we are looking at a wet weight of about 150kg. I spoke to the Oz dealer over here and also asked whether the 310 is rated to take a 15hp outboard. The specs say 8hp is the limit, however there is little weight difference between a 8 &15 hp two stroke, so he is going to talk to Whaly to get their opinion.

An alternative indestructible tender that doesn't require 4 people to lift it is the Porte Bote. It weighs about 1/4 of a rigid like the Bullfrog or Whaly and carries about 2/3 the load for an equivalent length. We've used one for years to ferry dogs ashore, dragging it across lava rock in Hawaii and rocks in the PNW. The main advantage is that folded up, it is about the size of a small surf board so seems ideal for a smaller boat. We keep ours tied to the railing on the upper deck and it takes up no room at all. They tow fine as long as you keep them snugged up to the transom and row well. We can't imagine cruising without one at this point.

Delfin said:

An alternative indestructible tender that doesn't require 4 people to lift it is the Porte Bote. It weighs about 1/4 of a rigid like the Bullfrog or Whaly and carries about 2/3 the load for an equivalent length. We've used one for years to ferry dogs ashore, dragging it across lava rock in Hawaii and rocks in the PNW. The main advantage is that folded up, it is about the size of a small surf board so seems ideal for a smaller boat. We keep ours tied to the railing on the upper deck and it takes up no room at all. They tow fine as long as you keep them snugged up to the transom and row well. We can't imagine cruising without one at this point.

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How does it fair while heading into whitecaps?

MurrayM said:

How does it fair while heading into whitecaps?

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Probably just a personal preference, but we generally don't anchor intentionally where there are white caps, and exploring an anchorage in a 10' tender in force 5 winds is a fairly rare occurrence. How about you?

But to your specific question, they function pretty much just like any other boat of equivalent size. No better, no worse.

Delfin said:

An alternative indestructible tender that doesn't require 4 people to lift it is the Porte Bote. It weighs about 1/4 of a rigid like the Bullfrog or Whaly and carries about 2/3 the load for an equivalent length. We've used one for years to ferry dogs ashore, dragging it across lava rock in Hawaii and rocks in the PNW. The main advantage is that folded up, it is about the size of a small surf board so seems ideal for a smaller boat. We keep ours tied to the railing on the upper deck and it takes up no room at all. They tow fine as long as you keep them snugged up to the transom and row well. We can't imagine cruising without one at this point.

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I've often thought the same thing. I've looked at them very closely at fishing and boating shows. With a 56 lb OB weight limit, it can restrict your motor choices. If you OK going 10-12K, they represent a great option.

What I like is the flex in the floor that smooths the ride...once you get used to it.