Another Project.

[Roger Long]

It being a nice day to hang out in the back yard instead of the boat yard, and let the new paint on the sheer strake get nice and hard, I decided to turn my attention to my faithful dinghy.

Yikes! The condition things we take for granted can get into. I could be looking at a week or more of work here. I’m pretty attached to this little boat having saved her life and her saving mine shortly after. Story here, see page 26: http://issuu.com/pointseast/docs/september_issuu She’s followed me through some impressive seas without ever flipping or filling.

However, she was purchased by someone who rebuilt her from a derelict with a lot of enthusiasm and not a lot of fiberglass and boat knowledge. Now it’s time to pay the piper or leave her for another day and buy a new one.

Does anyone here have one of the 8’ – 6” Puffing Dinghies built here in Maine? I’d appreciate a report on how they tow, especially in conditions where you are kicking yourself for not getting the dinghy on deck.

 

[TomY]

While I think Nat has the larger version, sailing rig and all, he has experience with both I think. They're pretty popular here in my harbor. Of course you know the larger version is a lot more boat but I suspect you plan to put the Puffin on deck at times.

As many, I've wrestled with this dilemma over a few decades. Once my family grew too large for our smaller 8' tender, we went to a 9'6" Nutshell pram I built nearly 20 years ago.

We suddenly reached that fine line at 8' when our faithful safe tender suddenly could be a hazzard for our required loads. I'll not forget that exact moment so long ago.

I'll confess here, I've towed both sizes up and down the east coast, to the Bahamas a couple times, and have only had a few minor problems that were easy to deal with (heavy rain requiring stopping and bailing, adding line to the painter in larger following seas).

But prams tow like corks and I've never had one swamp, luckily. But we've had no choice over the years, the boat (2) was always too small for the tender to go on deck. It looks to me the Puffin has most of that pram cork ability, I don't have first hand experience though.

And as you point out in your article, the hard tender in the water, that's not on deck, has likely saved more lives than it's cost by being towed in heavy weather.

Good luck with getting the right tender.

 

[Mario G]

We started out with an inflatable and traded up for an 8' Bass hard dinghy that we liked very much. The Bass was stolen resently and we were lucky to find a Walker Bay sailing dinghy a a very cheap price but I wanted something like a Puffing sail dinghy but couldn't hold out. I'll be interested on how it fits on your deck,good luck.

 

[jibes138]

Roger,
Mike Brown, the Captain of the schooner Russamee, has one. He used to dock next to me in a 33 foot steel hulled boat and sailed it, the puffin, around the harbor some. His website is www.windjammer-south.com.
I'd suggest you send him an e-mail and ask him about it, I know he took it to the Carib on at least one occasion.

 

[Roger Long]

I'd suggest you send him an e-mail and ask him about it,

Thanks. After a great email review from another experienced long time owner, I called Hamilton and they put my name on one of the two 8'-6" ones left on sale for $100 off.

First new boat production boat I ever bought and possibly the last boat I will ever buy. I'm going to pick it up today.

 

[Roger Long]

Here's my son rowing the new 8' - 6" Puffin around to the dock where she is going to spend a couple weeks so Barbara can use her while her boat is being finished.

Is that not a great name for a tender to a boat called Strider?

I was amazed and pleased when I took the first stroke at the oars how easily she moves compared to my old dinghy which seemed to snub a bit on every stroke. That bodes well for a bit more speed while towing her.

I think this is going to prove to be a boat buck I'm glad I spent.

 

[TomY]

I think I see sockets for a forward rowing station. That's key for a hard dinghy I think. I can use the center position with one passenger aft, but we usually have some gear to place forward for balance.

If the person is large, our 9'6" Nutshell pulls more easily from the forward station as the stern comes back up to the water line.

Another often used reason for the forward station is hauling the maximum load. Loading the Nutshell with cargo in the beamiest area, and a couple passengers aft, the person rowing forward is more efficient.

The biggest draw back is getting used to overlapping your hands while rowing in the narrowness forward, and of course the boat is a little stodgy to steer.

 

[Roger Long]

The biggest draw back is getting used to overlapping your hands while rowing in the narrowness forward, and of course the boat is a little stodgy to steer.

There are forward oar locks and you are right. I think the best two person configuration for this particular boat under many conditions would be for the person on the aft seat to row pushing. It's a complete pig with one person in the middle and one on the aft thwart.

After a bit more study, I might make a removable, longitudinal thwart and move the forward oar locks back about 9".