Dinghy Dock Limits

[Rlime]

I am purchasing a new tender and was curious what experience people have had with dinghy dock size limits. The new tender will either be 13’ or 14’ depending on which model I pick. My experience is that any docks with limitations are normally 12’. Our current tender is 13’ and I’m wondering if moving up to 14’ is going to come with added challenges when trying to use city docks.

Separately, we have landed on a Walker Bay Venture series (either the v13 or v14). If anyone owns one, we would be interested to hear about your experience.

For context, we will mainly be on the east coast and in the Bahamas for the next few years. Then, the loop possibly after that.

Thanks!

 

[kthoennes]

My national cruising has been relatively limited (PNW and around CT/MA/NY) but I don't recall every seeing a dinghy size limit. I remember one summer in Cowachin Bay, there were so many dinghies of various sizes and types tied to the docks and the pilings and each other it looked like the Allies had just landed on D-Day in rubber rafts, but no limits as I recall. Or Catalina for dinghy traffic jams. Time limits, sure, lots of those, but not size that I recall. Our boat has a 14' beam and for a number of reasons I sure wouldn't want to exceed that width across the transom, but maybe your mothership is bigger.

 

[Rlime]

Thank you for the reply. It’s nice to hear your experience is that of little limitations. We are in the Chesapeake and have limits in a few ports.
Yes, our boat has a 19’ beam, but our tender actually sits on the fly bridge and runs lengthwise, not across the beam. So 14’ fits just fine.
Again, thanks for the information.

 

[guy with a boat]

FWIW, Catalina has a size limit of 14’ at the dinghy docks of both Avalaon and the Isthmus. I haven’t often seen a size limit but 14’ seems to work most places.

 

[CharlieO.]

I've seen some 10' limits for the dingy dock.

 

[rslifkin]

I've seen some 10' limits for the dingy dock.

That's a pretty small limit. What area was that in?

 

[jleonard]

I've seen many signs, both for size and time limits.
But I don't know if they are enforced.

 

[CaptTom]

There are posted limits on many docks, and unwritten rules at others. True, enforcement is spotty except on busy/popular dinghy docks.

Rules or not, you will not be welcome on some dinghy docks with a 14 footer. Not a good first impression to make with the locals. Can you get away with it at most places? Probably. But I know of places where your painter would be cut the moment you left the dock.

I suspect this will change as working stiffs get priced out of the cruising market and larger, more expensive dinghies become the norm. Just be aware that creeping gentrification hasn't reached every port yet.

 

[Pete Meisinger]

I was at a State of Michigan marina two summers ago and I watched a HUGE yacht maneuver into the slip next to mine, It was beautiful and probably around 80 feet. It stuck halfway into the channel but nobody seemed to mind.

Hovering very close to the ship was their "chase Boat" about a 26 foot center console with three huge outboards on the back. They held position in the channel until the yacht was secured and then very carefully eased between mother ship and my 36 footer. Not really even enough room for fenders but we managed.

Nobody seemed to care, I didn't mind they were good short term neighbors.

pete

 

[Shrew]

12 is the average. I have 13ft Boston Whaler and DO get kicked off of dinghy docks. Not everywhere, not all the time. But then again, It matters if someone sees you and cares to enforce the rule.

I'd suggest to anyone who asks to go with no larger than a 12.

 

[CharlieO.]

@ Rob- Hudson river, and a couple others when I was shopping for marinas. Over a 10' dinghy and they wanted to charge the per ft. dock price. This was seasonal slip holder pricing. Not sure on the transient usage though.

 

[mvweebles]

I suspect the limits are to prevent folks with 18+ foot bow-rider ski boats from hogging a dinghy dock. At some point, some yacht tenders - even RIBs - cross the line into something that should arrange for transient moorage. A 340 RIB (about 12-feet, is a decent sized tender) with OB would come in a bit under 14-feet. A 14-foot RIB with OB would be closer to 16-feet.

I'd suggest to anyone who asks to go with no larger than a 12.

Agreed. Using standard sizing conventions, a 340 (3.4 meters).

In short, I'd say if you can wake board behind it, you're not a dinghy. If you're not comfortable beaching the boat, you're not a dinghy. You may be subject to transient dockage.

Peter

 

[mvweebles]

I just looked up a Walker Bay V14.

You're kidding right? You think this is going to fly at a monitored dinghy dock with or without a size limit? You'll be disappointed fairly frequently. Nice boat. Not a dinghy. Plan on getting a slip for the day for it.

And this is why a dockmaster would impose a formal size limit. And why the limit would be fairly low. To prevent the technicality discussion with measuring tapes and whether the OB is included in length, etc.

Peter

 

[rslifkin]

I just looked up a Walker Bay V14.

You're kidding right? You think this is going to fly at a monitored dinghy dock with or without a size limit? You'll be disappointed fairly frequently. Nice boat. Not a dinghy. Plan on getting a slip for the day for it.

Agreed. I can't imagine many places letting that go as a dinghy unless it's something like a town dock with low usage where nobody else needs the space it takes up.

 

[Old Sea Dog]

What some people call dinghies, I would call runabouts. "Back in the day" most dinghies were oar powered. Parents had a 34' sailboat. Used a 6' dinghy to carry the 4 of us to shore. Later propelled by a 1 and half hp Johnson. Got that when I was 10. Still have it albeit a yard ornament. Now have a 10' rib with 6hp evinrude.

 

[CaptTom]

...Nice boat. Not a dinghy. Plan on getting a slip for the day for it...

Well said. There have always been a few who want to push the limits, and make it hard for everyone else to squeeze in to the dinghy dock. I can assure you they make no friends that way. I suspect it'll only get worse.

 

[Northern Spy]

I just looked up a Walker Bay V14.

You're kidding right? You think this is going to fly at a monitored dinghy dock with or without a size limit? You'll be disappointed fairly frequently. Nice boat. Not a dinghy. Plan on getting a slip for the day for it.

And this is why a dockmaster would impose a formal size limit. And why the limit would be fairly low. To prevent the technicality discussion with measuring tapes and whether the OB is included in length, etc.

PeterView attachment 136776

Pretty sure BandB would consider that a dinghy.

And at resorts, restaurants and pubs, it might be a dinghy, as they will recoup their money elsewhere. But at a free public dinghy dock? Nah.

 

[kthoennes]

Our home marina has a rule that you can only have one boat in a slip, and can only hang out 10% of your boat's LOA. Our 40' LOA does hang out 4' and then we usually moor the dinghy to the transom but they've never said anything and they let it go. That WB Venture 14 though -- I'm confident they wouldn't let that go. And even if B&B considers that a dinghy, if you're going to use the rationale that your "dinghy" can be proportional to the mothership -- then a 150 ft superyacht should be able to park a 30-footer at the dinghy dock. Nope.

 

[O C Diver]

I can't remember ever being on a dinghy dock where a 14' wouldn't fit. I carried a 13' aluminum dinghy for a season without issue. Did get a few looks because it wasn't a RIB or fiberglass. The other consideration is that you can always tell the dockmaster you thought they were referring to water line length as opposed to length overall. BTW, most 12' dinghies are over 13' LOA when you include the outboard in the overall measurement.

Ted

 

[mvweebles]

Pretty sure BandB would consider that a dinghy..

I miss those two. Sure wish they were around to defend themselves.

Note to OP (if you don't know) - BandB was a husband and wife team who were frequent posters on TF. They went radio silent a year ago. Sort of Nick & Nora types if you ever saw the old Thin Man movies.

Peter

 

[Wdeertz]

While at Annapolis last summer one of the city docks was limited to a 25HP motor. I guess that would somewhat relate to a size limit. I used that dock with a 30HP motor and was never kicked off.

 

[fgarriso]

I did have a 13' Whaler with a 25 horse Merc as our tender and never had any issues with it at dingy docks.

 

[Rlime]

I wanted to thank everyone for their input. I asked the question because I’m partly in the “are you kidding me” camp. So I appreciate the spirit and tone in which the comments were offered. You have confirmed my experience as well…it’s going to depend on where we are, and sometimes it would be an issue. We have specific needs/uses for the tender that these two boats fill, but I also don’t want to be “that guy” either. In any event, thanks to all.

 

[Iggy]

I just looked up a Walker Bay V14.

You're kidding right? You think this is going to fly at a monitored dinghy dock with or without a size limit? You'll be disappointed fairly frequently. Nice boat. Not a dinghy. Plan on getting a slip for the day for it.

And this is why a dockmaster would impose a formal size limit. And why the limit would be fairly low. To prevent the technicality discussion with measuring tapes and whether the OB is included in length, etc.

PeterView attachment 136776

I "THINK" it was Edgartown, Ma about 4 or 5 years ago. One boater had to leave the dinghy dock because he had a center console inflatable. I can't remember the size, 13 or 14ft.

At my Club anything under 12 feet is considered a dinghy. Over that, you need a slip. Every place has different rules, but maxing out at 12' you should be able to go anywhere. Yes??

 

[O C Diver]

Hopefully this will satisfy the Dinghy Dock Police.



https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coracle


Ted

 

[Group9]

I've seen some 10' limits for the dingy dock.

Fort Myers mooring field dinghy dock used to have a ten foot rule. But, we tied an 11 foot Whaler tender up there regularly on our last month long stay and never even got “the look” from anyone.

 

[smitty477]

I wanted to thank everyone for their input. I asked the question because I’m partly in the “are you kidding me” camp. So I appreciate the spirit and tone in which the comments were offered. You have confirmed my experience as well…it’s going to depend on where we are, and sometimes it would be an issue. We have specific needs/uses for the tender that these two boats fill, but I also don’t want to be “that guy” either. In any event, thanks to all.

Depends on the marina and when you will be there - the best advice is to call ahead and see before making final plans.
We had dinghies far larger than 12.5' at many marinas over the years with no issues by calling ahead. For us that was up the Hudson and out on LI Sound on both the Long Island side and the NY/Ct/RI sides.

 

[mvweebles]

When I think of "Dinghy Dock," what comes to mind is something different than courtesy docks or slips. In my neck of Florida (Madeira Beach and ICW), several bars/restaurants have slips to tie-up, mostly for <30-foot boats. Some communities have town-docks and such that are free, but have a 2-hour limit or something.

But in active cruiser locations during busy times, there are dedicated dinghy docks with a fee structure and enforced limits (think Key West, but there are others).

Here's the policies at one of KW's marinas:
https://keywestbightmarina.com/dockage/

• Courtesy Dock: $10.00/Hr <35’ or $20.00/Hr 35+ Max 2 Hours
• General Dinghy Dock: $8.00/Day or $40.00/Week or $95.70/Mo Max size 13’0”
• Private Dinghy Dock: $150.00/Mo Max size 13’0”
• Large Dinghy Dock: $210.00/Mo

So the OP would likely pay $10/hr for up to 2-hours. If they wanted to stay longer, would likely have to fetch-up a transient space for $4/ft/nt - $50 which in the big scheme, ain't bad if that's the dink he wants.



Peter

 

[Antares]

The only time I raise my eyebrows at the size of a tender is when someone side ties at a dingy dock. Bow in pretty much negates length as a factor. When the dock is crowded I'm good with tying long and climbing over tenders to get to the dock, ours included.

 

[JadePanama]

We have a 15' Highfield with 90hp honda for our Dingy and use all over the PNW. Never seen a limit marked. I am sure it will depend highly on your use area.