Dinghy preferences and coastal cruising ?

[Jimmy P]

Dinghy preference

I use an Achilles inflatable with a roll-out aluminum floor and a Honda 5hp 4-stroke. The Achilles rolls up nicely (without the roll-out floor) and rests on the top deck when I'm cruising. The floor stows away in the cockpit locker. My motor hangs off an Edson rail mount and everything is pretty tidy for my smaller Hunter 33.
I cruise the Florida coast to the Keys every year and have not had any problems whatsoever. The only issue, as one post mentioned, is keep your dinghy roll-up in the bag/cover or cover it if inflated because the UV damage can get pretty bad.
Goodluck.

 

[Jimmy P]

Re: Dinghy preference

Oh, towing is not too bad without the motor but use a Y towing configuration and be prepared for some drag depending on the conditions.

 

[Bad Obsession]

I have been using a hard dingy for a few years and I like it a lot. It tows well, rows well, and powers great with my little 2.5 hp outboard.

I would love to have a rib with davits, but that is way too expensive and I have a Catalina 30 so I don't want all that weight on my transom.

 

[thereisabelle]

we have the walker bay 8. one chamber has a slow leak, noticed after 2-3 weeks away. 2 or 3 pumps with the foot and it stays firm all weekend. rigged it for sails and slipped out of the marina. must have woke up the seadoos, they chopped the water up so bad it became a struggle to get back. great for visiting freinds on the far side and with the 2 hp. the grandson and i can get some fishin done. dont like the way the dagger changes out... screwdriver no float. wish i knew how to post pictures... i haul it up on the transom with the topping lift and secure it to the stern rail with figure 8's. this also means it blocks the stern light. tow's great on a 15' y- leash. grandson --" thats why they call it fishing and not catching." lol

 

[ITMaster]

got both, a walker bay, and a zodiac. both same size. the admiral has flipped the walker bay over at least a half dozen times. never flipped the zodiac. it wins hands down, no contest.

 

[jibes138]

For those with hard dinghies, how do you keep them from filling with water when towing them? As spray goes in them from waves it accumulates over time until you have a nice sea anchor, are they self bailing? and what do they use to be self bailing?

 

[ancientmariner]

My personal preferences are for a fast rowing and/or sailing dinghy, but that is not what is most practical.
I started by towing an Optimist, adapted for rowing, with a removal thwart which included a cover for the daggerboard slot. Not very practical for load-carrying, and towed not very well.
Someone gave me a Livingstone-type 8' dinghy which was an improvement, after I fixed it up and installed a 1 1/4" diameter rope fender all around.
It towed reasonably, and I kept it for years until our Irish Water Spaniel grew to full size (75lbs). As the dog grew bigger and stronger with age, and I grew smaller and weaker with age, I found that making the shore run after dark in a seaway, sometimes with a couple of destabilizing drinks taken, was becoming less than fun.
Our current dinghy is an 8' inflatable with aluminum floor and inflatable keel.
It rows better than the hard dinghy did, planes with 4hp, is rated for 1,000lbs. and 10hp, and best of all, is amazingly stable when large dogs/persons leap or fall into it.
I found that it was essential to install the large fold-down wheels to safely and easily pull the dinghy up on a beach, especially if barnacles are involved.
At the dock, it sits nicely on the foredeck, but under way we usually tow it.

 

[Bad Obsession]

The only time my dingy gets water in it is when it rains. I then have to use my hand pump to get the water out.

I have towed in 4 foot seas running with the wind and I have towed in 3-4 foot seas going into the waves and never had the issue. The easiest way to flip the dingy is to have it surf a wave and get sideways when you are going down wind. A little water in the bottom of the dingy will prevent this sometimes.

I also tie a fender to the front of the dingy so that it won't bump my transom with glass on glass when I am going down wind. Keep the tow line as short as possible but long enough where you aren't hitting the transom all of the time.

 

[Al Palma]

Inflatable is the one

I've had both and prefer the inflatable. When towing you can pull it very close to the transom, in fact partially onto the boarding ladder or swim platform. Windy conditions can flip an inflatable so never tow with an outboard. The upside is they are much more stable when boarding, a plus for kids and animals and at night they do not bump against the hull causing a restless night's sleep. Rowing is somewhat problematic but who rows any more when outboards are so light and trouble free.