I am considering replacing my Passage 42's 12 foot Caribe with a hard tender, such as a 13' Boston Whaler. Any advice on brand preference, hull configuration (flat vs V), towing considerations, or general advice from those who have sailed with this configuration would be appreciated. Thanks
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A Knot
First, Boston Whalers are great tenders and sport boats. The 12's can be a bit wet compared to the 13's, but both are terrific. I have many power boating friends who tow them and they tow very well. I don't know any sailboaters who do, but was moored next to a Catalina 42 who was towing a very-well equipped 13. He said it towed well and that it cost him about one knot. I assume that was under power, but possibly under sail too. It shouldn't be much different than towing some of the larger RIB's. Rick D.
First, Boston Whalers are great tenders and sport boats. The 12's can be a bit wet compared to the 13's, but both are terrific. I have many power boating friends who tow them and they tow very well. I don't know any sailboaters who do, but was moored next to a Catalina 42 who was towing a very-well equipped 13. He said it towed well and that it cost him about one knot. I assume that was under power, but possibly under sail too. It shouldn't be much different than towing some of the larger RIB's. Rick D.
Thanks... Jet drives?
Thanks, Rick. I am looking at the 13' for exactly that reason, staying dryer. Also, increasing range for fishing and diving. Fishing from an inflatable has always seemed risky. Paul, the P42 is a center cockpit. This allows the dingy to be hoisted onto the deck aft of the cockpit. I always leave the Caribe in the water, but have seen other boats that have rigged a block to the boom to hoist and swing the dingy aboard onto custom mounts. Here's a long shot...does anyone have experience with the jet drive Rage whalers?
Thanks, Rick. I am looking at the 13' for exactly that reason, staying dryer. Also, increasing range for fishing and diving. Fishing from an inflatable has always seemed risky. Paul, the P42 is a center cockpit. This allows the dingy to be hoisted onto the deck aft of the cockpit. I always leave the Caribe in the water, but have seen other boats that have rigged a block to the boom to hoist and swing the dingy aboard onto custom mounts. Here's a long shot...does anyone have experience with the jet drive Rage whalers?
Kinda:
A friend had one that he played with. Scared the *%$* out of me. It was a fast little bugger, but for my taste, was a bit more of a toy than the traditional Whaler. FWIW, we have friends that have a 14' jet that's a bow-rider which they tow with a 45' sailboat (or sometimes run it alongside). It has a huge beam and is a twin jet. I think you can get them for less than a Whaler. I don't think they are near the boat from a durability standpoint. They had had a lot of issues with the jet drive as did some of their friends. I don't think they are as salt-water friendly as a standard outboard. That's a small sample for a survey, tho. Rick D.
A friend had one that he played with. Scared the *%$* out of me. It was a fast little bugger, but for my taste, was a bit more of a toy than the traditional Whaler. FWIW, we have friends that have a 14' jet that's a bow-rider which they tow with a 45' sailboat (or sometimes run it alongside). It has a huge beam and is a twin jet. I think you can get them for less than a Whaler. I don't think they are near the boat from a durability standpoint. They had had a lot of issues with the jet drive as did some of their friends. I don't think they are as salt-water friendly as a standard outboard. That's a small sample for a survey, tho. Rick D.
Some jet drive issues...
The jet drive Whaler models caught my eye because of their novelty value and the fact that they seem to be selling at a lower used price than their standard outboard counterparts. The problem with gathering information is, as Rick points out, the small sample size. Individual owner opinions seem to be similar to those of visiting Paris...either hate it or love it. Here is what I have come up with so far: Pros - No propeller and leg to hit rocks and coral with. A plus when cruising unknown and often uncharted waters. - Able to get into and through shallower water with less concern about damaging the drive. - No conventional outboard to be stolen in the middle of the night for a local's fishing boat. Cons - Due to the inboard nature of the engine, it seems it would be more difficult to work on than an outboard where many components are readily exposed. - Reduced maneuverability at idle speed and in reverse. Would this present a problem when approaching the big boat? - Higher fuel consumption due to lower efficiency (70% ?) than a conventional outboard. Unknowns - How loud are these things? Will it make us as popular as the local jet skiers? - Is corrosion and growth a problem with the jet drive constantly in the salt water? - Maintenance and parts - Does the average outboard/jet ski mechanic know his way around one of these and are parts available, or are the design and the parts of the jet drive fairly unique? Will we have to carry an extensive hard-to-find parts kit when cruising? The power head seems to be a standard outboard unit adapted to drive the jet. - Some users have expressed a concern about sucking up weeds and debris into the engine cooling port, but I would think that if the water is that shallow, a regular outboard would be useless. Comments?
The jet drive Whaler models caught my eye because of their novelty value and the fact that they seem to be selling at a lower used price than their standard outboard counterparts. The problem with gathering information is, as Rick points out, the small sample size. Individual owner opinions seem to be similar to those of visiting Paris...either hate it or love it. Here is what I have come up with so far: Pros - No propeller and leg to hit rocks and coral with. A plus when cruising unknown and often uncharted waters. - Able to get into and through shallower water with less concern about damaging the drive. - No conventional outboard to be stolen in the middle of the night for a local's fishing boat. Cons - Due to the inboard nature of the engine, it seems it would be more difficult to work on than an outboard where many components are readily exposed. - Reduced maneuverability at idle speed and in reverse. Would this present a problem when approaching the big boat? - Higher fuel consumption due to lower efficiency (70% ?) than a conventional outboard. Unknowns - How loud are these things? Will it make us as popular as the local jet skiers? - Is corrosion and growth a problem with the jet drive constantly in the salt water? - Maintenance and parts - Does the average outboard/jet ski mechanic know his way around one of these and are parts available, or are the design and the parts of the jet drive fairly unique? Will we have to carry an extensive hard-to-find parts kit when cruising? The power head seems to be a standard outboard unit adapted to drive the jet. - Some users have expressed a concern about sucking up weeds and debris into the engine cooling port, but I would think that if the water is that shallow, a regular outboard would be useless. Comments?
Some Thoughts
Yes, fuel consumption is higher; quite a bit, but still nominal unless you are carrying your own. The engines don't seem to be much of a problem, but the jet drive itself is. Impellers cracked easily and were prone to sucking up debris. Bearings were troublesome too. And, one of my friends with a jet did all his own work since he was a mechanic once. He basically wound up custom fabricating some replacement parts for both himself and another friend who had also purchased a jet. Ultimately, they both got rid of them and went back to OB power (big ones). They are noisy, not quite as much as a wave-runner but close. Maneuverability doesn't seem to be an issue once you get used to it. As to being in salt water for extended times, all these jets were hauled on trailers when not in use, so they didn't spend more than a couple of weeks in the water at a time. Don't recall any complaints tho. Good luck whatever you decide.
Yes, fuel consumption is higher; quite a bit, but still nominal unless you are carrying your own. The engines don't seem to be much of a problem, but the jet drive itself is. Impellers cracked easily and were prone to sucking up debris. Bearings were troublesome too. And, one of my friends with a jet did all his own work since he was a mechanic once. He basically wound up custom fabricating some replacement parts for both himself and another friend who had also purchased a jet. Ultimately, they both got rid of them and went back to OB power (big ones). They are noisy, not quite as much as a wave-runner but close. Maneuverability doesn't seem to be an issue once you get used to it. As to being in salt water for extended times, all these jets were hauled on trailers when not in use, so they didn't spend more than a couple of weeks in the water at a time. Don't recall any complaints tho. Good luck whatever you decide.
dingy stowage
Maria, I also have a Passage 42, and a 3.4 meter plywood floor bottom AVON dingy. My wife and I manually haul the thing up the side of the boat, bow first, and lay it athwartship the aft "sun deck" for short passages. We then deflate and stow it below for longer passages over open water. We are always looking for a way to get it up on the aft deck without having to just pull it up manually, but we haven't been able to figure it out. The boom on the Passage 42 doesn't extend far enough aft to put a block on it and raise the dingy that way. We're getting older, and I foresee the day when we risk some soft tissue injury just raising the dingy up if the water is rough and the boat is rolling. If you (or anybody else) has some ideas, other than the standard answer of davits, I'd love to have the input. Thanks, Paul.
Maria, I also have a Passage 42, and a 3.4 meter plywood floor bottom AVON dingy. My wife and I manually haul the thing up the side of the boat, bow first, and lay it athwartship the aft "sun deck" for short passages. We then deflate and stow it below for longer passages over open water. We are always looking for a way to get it up on the aft deck without having to just pull it up manually, but we haven't been able to figure it out. The boom on the Passage 42 doesn't extend far enough aft to put a block on it and raise the dingy that way. We're getting older, and I foresee the day when we risk some soft tissue injury just raising the dingy up if the water is rough and the boat is rolling. If you (or anybody else) has some ideas, other than the standard answer of davits, I'd love to have the input. Thanks, Paul.
Hoisting the dingy
Paul, The boom on my P42 extends just beyond the stainless arch. I believe this is true of most if not all the P42's. The method I have seen is as follows: Attach a three or four point harness inside the dingy (this was done with a RIB that had four solid eyes in the fiberglass). If these do not exist, you may need to throw a strap or two under the dingy's hull. All four lines come to a single ring, forming a pyramid over the center of the dingy. Bring the dingy alongside, release the main sheet, and swing the boom over the side. You may want to attach a preventer line if the boat is rolling. Attach block and tackle of suitable ratio between the four-point harness and the end of the boom. Hoist the dingy in its normal attitude until it clears the lifeline. Swing the boom back to center, position the dingy, and release. As I recall, it was not necessary to add anything to the end of the boom to extend it beyond the arch. The process was carried out quite easily single-handed.
Paul, The boom on my P42 extends just beyond the stainless arch. I believe this is true of most if not all the P42's. The method I have seen is as follows: Attach a three or four point harness inside the dingy (this was done with a RIB that had four solid eyes in the fiberglass). If these do not exist, you may need to throw a strap or two under the dingy's hull. All four lines come to a single ring, forming a pyramid over the center of the dingy. Bring the dingy alongside, release the main sheet, and swing the boom over the side. You may want to attach a preventer line if the boat is rolling. Attach block and tackle of suitable ratio between the four-point harness and the end of the boom. Hoist the dingy in its normal attitude until it clears the lifeline. Swing the boom back to center, position the dingy, and release. As I recall, it was not necessary to add anything to the end of the boom to extend it beyond the arch. The process was carried out quite easily single-handed.
Thanks, Maria
I have never looked at that procedure seriously enough to really give it a try. I think I'll really give it a go next time I'm at my boat. Thanks again. Paul.
I have never looked at that procedure seriously enough to really give it a try. I think I'll really give it a go next time I'm at my boat. Thanks again. Paul.
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