Stand up cruisers

Ron20324 · Feb 21, 2019

All U Get said:
Hi all,

While anchored here in Georgetown I’ve noticed more cruisers standing up while riding their dinghy. Does anyone have any research stating improved abilities while operating in this manner. I’ll check with the locals to get some opinions.

Keeps them dry

dlochner · Feb 21, 2019

Your butt stays dry?

Bob J. · Feb 21, 2019

I see a few folks up in Maine that do that. They are in RIB tho.

Rick D · Feb 21, 2019

I used to see that in Catalina Island quite a bit. Fewer now; maybe lost its cool factor.

jon hansen · Feb 21, 2019

like skiing, skate boarding, surfing, .................. it's just fun! that's all, just fun

not for everyone.
try it, you might like it, it takes good 'sea legs'

Rick486 · Feb 21, 2019

Our RIB has a "granny bar" and I always stand with one hand on the granny bar when we go in with the dogs, especially in the morning for "first" when condensation has made the tubes wet. I take up last room, visibility is better, and more comfortable.

jwing · Feb 21, 2019

A fast ride over bumpy water can be injurious to the spine of a sitting boater. When standing, have the ankles and knees slightly flexed and ready to absorb the shocks. If I'm the passenger in a small dinghy with a madman at the tiller, I will lift my butt off the sitting surface with my arms and let elbows and shoulders flex to protect my spine.

capta · Feb 23, 2019

In my opinion, it is about the stupidest thing one can do, especially if it is just to keep your butt dry. To me, it's about the same as driving a car w/o a seat belt. I can't even imagine what would happen if one ran into a plastic bag or chunk of wood at planing speeds.
As for visibility, I doubt those folks are deeply concentrating on the water directly ahead of them any more than those of us who sit down, but more on how cool they think they look. And they certainly can't make any radical turns or slow down very quickly should they see something they need to avoid.
When I had Boston Whalers as dinks or drove cigarettes I worried about my spine, but on an inflatable, I think that's like worrying about sleeping head to bow on your sailboat.
I've been driving inflatables since 1971 and have never seen the need to stand up and drive one, unless I'm searching for something and need the height to see into the water, and never at planing speeds.

jon hansen · Feb 23, 2019

capta, i resemble your remarks. but your wrong. i do many things way more stupid than that. motorcycling, skate boarding, four wheel drifts around corners in my roadster, snowmobiling wide open, .................

a great motto for some, but not all

jssailem · Feb 23, 2019

Jon... P51?

capta · Feb 23, 2019

That you in the cockpit? If so, I envy you. But I made my choice to be a two-dimensional captain, and don't regret it.
As for a motto, "I'll not lie on my deathbed regretting the things I did not do." works OK for me.

jon hansen · Feb 23, 2019

P47. the guy in the photo is the pilot that flew that plane in WWII. very 'bad ass' i think.
i have a copy of that plane in my RC plane hanger
as a young pup skiing 'no guts no glory' was our rallying cry for trying head walls way beyond our skill level.
i have done way more stupid stuff than most.

jssailem · Feb 23, 2019

P47... the A10 of WWII. Somewhere I heard it described as the tank of the sky's. Pilots liked the P47's survivability.
The Timex motto comes to mind... Takes a licking and keeps on ticking..

P51 was faster and had a greater range (especially with the drop tanks) but was a bit of a fragile bird. The Merlin engine, being water cooled, was one of the weak points not suffered by the P47. Both great planes that took pilots with guts to wrestle about the skies.

Kings Gambit · Feb 23, 2019

I now have a 9.5 ft inflatable rib of aluminum (double) hull w/8 hp Honda 4-stroke. I do just the opposite. I get down on the (flat) floor all of the way forward with a throttle extender in hand, to plane the boat. The dink planes at 15 kt full out, so I don’t wish to be high up where I might bounce out or otherwise lose control of it. It’s not usually wet on the floor; keeping dry not a problem.

Bob J. · Feb 23, 2019

jwing said:
A fast ride over bumpy water can be injurious to the spine of a sitting boater. When standing, have the ankles and knees slightly flexed and ready to absorb the shocks.

Coming from someone that's had back surgury, I rather have my butt on a tube than flexing my knees to absorb the shock. Cause if I could absorb the shock, I still be a powerboater chasing fish. The motion of a sailboat is what allows me to stay out on the water instead of looking out at the boats in the harbor & wishing I was there.

Tom J · Feb 23, 2019

I'd try standing up in my dinghy, but it's a bitch to tack while standing.

LeslieTroyer · Feb 23, 2019

I agree sit on the tubes or floor. Just plain asking to play Superman and fly into the water.