I am starting to outfit my h31 for a trip on the ICW next fall. I am interested in options for a dinghy. Hard dinghy like a Walker Bay or Inflatable. Any opinions pro or con would be appreciated.
Dinghy Question
- Thread starter Chuck15486
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storage!
Chuck: I think that the primary consideration is storage. If you have davits or wish to tow it it does not make a lot of difference. A RIB, hard dink and inflatable all have their own issues. The RIB can really move out when matched with the correct engine. The hard dink, like a Walker Bay is very tender and cannot accept a very large engine. The inflatables are sort of a P.I.T.A to inflatate and setup. You may want to look in the archives for some other answers. If I was going to make this type of a trip, I think that I would opt for a inflatable with and inflatable floor. Be sure that you get one made of Hypalon.
Chuck: I think that the primary consideration is storage. If you have davits or wish to tow it it does not make a lot of difference. A RIB, hard dink and inflatable all have their own issues. The RIB can really move out when matched with the correct engine. The hard dink, like a Walker Bay is very tender and cannot accept a very large engine. The inflatables are sort of a P.I.T.A to inflatate and setup. You may want to look in the archives for some other answers. If I was going to make this type of a trip, I think that I would opt for a inflatable with and inflatable floor. Be sure that you get one made of Hypalon.
Dinghy
An inflatable is best, but more expensive. Whether you get an inflatable or otherwise, a dinghy is a really big pain in the ass. Always in the way, if kept in the water, the bottom will get really grungy. If you keep it on the swim platform, you will lose on of the best attributes of a hunter, the walk through swim platform area. I have an inflatable, rarely do I use it. However, if I were planning a trip, where I knew I had to paddle ashore, I would tow it behind. ajp
An inflatable is best, but more expensive. Whether you get an inflatable or otherwise, a dinghy is a really big pain in the ass. Always in the way, if kept in the water, the bottom will get really grungy. If you keep it on the swim platform, you will lose on of the best attributes of a hunter, the walk through swim platform area. I have an inflatable, rarely do I use it. However, if I were planning a trip, where I knew I had to paddle ashore, I would tow it behind. ajp
Hard vs expensive.
Chuck, 2 years ago we had to replace our 11' Zodiac. We planned on sailing the Keys, Gulf and Bahama's so thieft, sunlight, coral and rocks were all considerations. We also had a new 4 hp engine and had to lift the dingy aboard. I think all inflatables cost at least $1500 and up to $3000 and require 6 to 10 HP. They have a 5 year lifespan in the sun although they all last alot longer. Maybe 8 years. Inflatables weigh 100 to 160 lbs and seat 3 easily, 4 with slower speeds. They don't row worth a darn and are a pain to blow-up or roll-up. We bought a West Marine 9.4' Water Tender solid dingy. She cost $410 on sale and the 4 hp outboard was the recommended size. It weighed 104 lbs and would plane with me along. It sat 2 nicely, even in a blow. It carried 10 gal. of water and 100lbs of food and gear nicely. It was cheaper to replace if stolen and simply not fancy enough to stand out. Now the real important item that I never even thought about...you could use a 4 inch scraper to scrape the bottom when the shell growth needed trimming and inflatables can't do that. Hope this helps, Ray
Chuck, 2 years ago we had to replace our 11' Zodiac. We planned on sailing the Keys, Gulf and Bahama's so thieft, sunlight, coral and rocks were all considerations. We also had a new 4 hp engine and had to lift the dingy aboard. I think all inflatables cost at least $1500 and up to $3000 and require 6 to 10 HP. They have a 5 year lifespan in the sun although they all last alot longer. Maybe 8 years. Inflatables weigh 100 to 160 lbs and seat 3 easily, 4 with slower speeds. They don't row worth a darn and are a pain to blow-up or roll-up. We bought a West Marine 9.4' Water Tender solid dingy. She cost $410 on sale and the 4 hp outboard was the recommended size. It weighed 104 lbs and would plane with me along. It sat 2 nicely, even in a blow. It carried 10 gal. of water and 100lbs of food and gear nicely. It was cheaper to replace if stolen and simply not fancy enough to stand out. Now the real important item that I never even thought about...you could use a 4 inch scraper to scrape the bottom when the shell growth needed trimming and inflatables can't do that. Hope this helps, Ray
Inflatable.
Hi Chuck. I will be taking my old 8' Avon and 2hp Honda. Since I will not anchor out until we get to Delaware it will reside on the bow. Then I will tow it through Delware and Chesapeake bays as I expect to anchor out most evenings. Same with the ICW, should anchor mostly and will need it to get to shore. I have the cruising guide and most transient slips are $1.50/foot or more plus electric. I am down here on the ICW right now and see a lot of towed dinghys, mostly inflatables. If you plan on rowing then a Walker Bay would be my choice. Your mention of "fall" was a surprise.
Hi Chuck. I will be taking my old 8' Avon and 2hp Honda. Since I will not anchor out until we get to Delaware it will reside on the bow. Then I will tow it through Delware and Chesapeake bays as I expect to anchor out most evenings. Same with the ICW, should anchor mostly and will need it to get to shore. I have the cruising guide and most transient slips are $1.50/foot or more plus electric. I am down here on the ICW right now and see a lot of towed dinghys, mostly inflatables. If you plan on rowing then a Walker Bay would be my choice. Your mention of "fall" was a surprise.
Hypalon is good for many years.
Ray: You are right. A PVC inflatable may last for 5 years in the sun, but that is even doubtful. A high quality (Hypalon) inflatable is good for 10-20 years. We have had ours for 7-8 years and it is exposed to the environment 24 x 7. It is a Caribe, but I think that the other are equally as good.
Ray: You are right. A PVC inflatable may last for 5 years in the sun, but that is even doubtful. A high quality (Hypalon) inflatable is good for 10-20 years. We have had ours for 7-8 years and it is exposed to the environment 24 x 7. It is a Caribe, but I think that the other are equally as good.
Consider a Pota-Bote.
It's easy to unfold, and dosn't take up much room when folded. There is nothing to puncture or fill. Depending on size it can hold two to four adults, an outboard engine and some gear. Best of all, it's about half the price of an inflatable, and just as durable as a RIB at half their weight. ~ Happy sails to you ~ _/) ~
It's easy to unfold, and dosn't take up much room when folded. There is nothing to puncture or fill. Depending on size it can hold two to four adults, an outboard engine and some gear. Best of all, it's about half the price of an inflatable, and just as durable as a RIB at half their weight. ~ Happy sails to you ~ _/) ~
Nested Dinghy
One of my "winter projects" is to build a nested dinghy for my Coronado 35. I know it's a bigger boat, but my plan is to keep the dinghy (nested) over the aft hatch. The two halves piece together to make an 8 dinghy. Might be worth considering.
One of my "winter projects" is to build a nested dinghy for my Coronado 35. I know it's a bigger boat, but my plan is to keep the dinghy (nested) over the aft hatch. The two halves piece together to make an 8 dinghy. Might be worth considering.
multiple tries
well we have used all 3, the inflatable with a wooden insert floor, a fiberglass livingston, and a RIB and I have to say it depends on your intended use and how quickly you want to get from place to place. I started with a used 10' avon inflatable. they are stable, hold a lot of people, but they row slow and the lower seams tend to leak. leaking is probably not a problem for a new one though. the fiberglass is not nearly as stable but is indestructable on shore but I wouldn't want to put it up on my fordeck to transport. it rows well but has half the capacity of a RIB by weight and will take only about 40% of the HP if you want to add an engine. We use it now as the family truckster, when our yacht is on the mooring ball we leave it on shore with little worry of theft and no worry of weather damage and use it to take us out to the boat. likewise when we sail out we just take the oars and leave it clipped to the mooring ball and but for some bailing if it has been raining it is basically indestructable. we use the RIB for day to day use, it tows well, stores on the fordeck easily, in sunny times I put a tarp over it and use rachet tie downs to hold it in place. in the offseason or when in port for extended times the tubes deflate and it stores in a nice case that is a little wider than a surf board and I strap it down on the fordeck. it will hold the most weight, take the biggest engine rows better than the inflatable but not as well as the fiberglass and stands up pretty well to rocks and the shore but you do have to be careful if you are rowing into rocks or brush that will come up on the sides of the boat and while I havn't tested it of coure I think the bottom is probably less strong then the foberglass. monty ps I was able to find my RIB on ebay from a year end closeout for under 1500 including shipping, with full zodiac factory warranty, it is a 10.2'
well we have used all 3, the inflatable with a wooden insert floor, a fiberglass livingston, and a RIB and I have to say it depends on your intended use and how quickly you want to get from place to place. I started with a used 10' avon inflatable. they are stable, hold a lot of people, but they row slow and the lower seams tend to leak. leaking is probably not a problem for a new one though. the fiberglass is not nearly as stable but is indestructable on shore but I wouldn't want to put it up on my fordeck to transport. it rows well but has half the capacity of a RIB by weight and will take only about 40% of the HP if you want to add an engine. We use it now as the family truckster, when our yacht is on the mooring ball we leave it on shore with little worry of theft and no worry of weather damage and use it to take us out to the boat. likewise when we sail out we just take the oars and leave it clipped to the mooring ball and but for some bailing if it has been raining it is basically indestructable. we use the RIB for day to day use, it tows well, stores on the fordeck easily, in sunny times I put a tarp over it and use rachet tie downs to hold it in place. in the offseason or when in port for extended times the tubes deflate and it stores in a nice case that is a little wider than a surf board and I strap it down on the fordeck. it will hold the most weight, take the biggest engine rows better than the inflatable but not as well as the fiberglass and stands up pretty well to rocks and the shore but you do have to be careful if you are rowing into rocks or brush that will come up on the sides of the boat and while I havn't tested it of coure I think the bottom is probably less strong then the foberglass. monty ps I was able to find my RIB on ebay from a year end closeout for under 1500 including shipping, with full zodiac factory warranty, it is a 10.2'
For what its worth
We have a Walker Bay 8, store it on the foredeck of our 34ft'er for long trips and tow it for shorter ones. We live in the BC Gulf Islands. I like to row so an inflatable was not in our plans. I would think you have to be pretty careful with an inflatable on rocky beaches etc.
We have a Walker Bay 8, store it on the foredeck of our 34ft'er for long trips and tow it for shorter ones. We live in the BC Gulf Islands. I like to row so an inflatable was not in our plans. I would think you have to be pretty careful with an inflatable on rocky beaches etc.
Tough Choice
Way back in 1984-85 I cruised the ICW on my Coronado 35, but was lucky in that it came with davits and the cockpit was amidships. I bought a Boat US 8 foot fiberglass dinghy and added a 2 hp Johnson outboard, a premanent set of oars and small anchor. The davits were fantastic, but with your walk-thru transon design it would be a problem getting around. The "lapstrake" plastic dinghy that they now sell as "Walker" was perfect for my wife and three year old son. I had no worries about leaks as I witnessed and heard over and over again back then with the inflatable folks. The hard dinghy was just as light and well balanced as the inflatable. The issue of stowing and cleaning the bottom if you tow does haved its drawbacks, but it provided, I feel more dependability all around and less worry because after all you are relying on air filled chambers and a thin poly coated material to keep you afloat. The Walker is less expensive then your inflatable counterparts and may even be used for sailing in small bays or harbors if you opt for the sailing rig. I know if you ran a poll you will probably find the choiced narrowed to 50/50 at best. With that you must first consider how you would stow any dinghy on your deck (if applicable), or towed on a sling, hung on davits, or folded away in a locker requiring pump up, etc,. Now here is the clincher..........we were chased by a small shark in Tarpon Lake outside of Sannibel as we came ashore anchored off the ICW. I know the outboard was what had him going. He finally backed off after a 50 yard chase. But for that brief moment I questioned just what would have happened if he bit into an inflatable?! True story................ Good luck Bob Cat 30 Good luck Bob Cat 30 Atlanta
Way back in 1984-85 I cruised the ICW on my Coronado 35, but was lucky in that it came with davits and the cockpit was amidships. I bought a Boat US 8 foot fiberglass dinghy and added a 2 hp Johnson outboard, a premanent set of oars and small anchor. The davits were fantastic, but with your walk-thru transon design it would be a problem getting around. The "lapstrake" plastic dinghy that they now sell as "Walker" was perfect for my wife and three year old son. I had no worries about leaks as I witnessed and heard over and over again back then with the inflatable folks. The hard dinghy was just as light and well balanced as the inflatable. The issue of stowing and cleaning the bottom if you tow does haved its drawbacks, but it provided, I feel more dependability all around and less worry because after all you are relying on air filled chambers and a thin poly coated material to keep you afloat. The Walker is less expensive then your inflatable counterparts and may even be used for sailing in small bays or harbors if you opt for the sailing rig. I know if you ran a poll you will probably find the choiced narrowed to 50/50 at best. With that you must first consider how you would stow any dinghy on your deck (if applicable), or towed on a sling, hung on davits, or folded away in a locker requiring pump up, etc,. Now here is the clincher..........we were chased by a small shark in Tarpon Lake outside of Sannibel as we came ashore anchored off the ICW. I know the outboard was what had him going. He finally backed off after a 50 yard chase. But for that brief moment I questioned just what would have happened if he bit into an inflatable?! True story................ Good luck Bob Cat 30 Good luck Bob Cat 30 Atlanta
A Walker 8 on a H31
Chuck: I initially had had a Quicksilver 8' inflatable with an inflatable floor that I stored on the Forepeak; I towed it while sailing. The Quicksilver is a PVC dink. The sun burnded it up in three years. If you go this route do not buy a PVC Inflatable unless you plan to faithfully store it below when not in use. As stated before high quality (Hypalon) inflatable should be good for 10-20 years. My Quicksilver was also was punctured once by a cotter pin on the swim ladder hinge when I tied it to close to the swim ladder. You will need to be careful with an inflatable. I bought a walker bay 8' in the spring of 2004. I store it inverted on the forepeak using car top foam blocks that are used for canoes. The snap over the gunnels of the dink and protect the the deck of the forepeak from scratches. The Mercury 3.3 HP outboard that I used on the quicksilver works just fine on Walker Bay. A little overpowered but is OK if you don't push it. Rowing is easy and efficient with the walker bay. Being light weight its also just as easy as the inflatable to haul up on the forepeak with the Spinaker Halyard. The down side: Being small it's unstable but in a different way than the inflatable, but Loading and unloading is actually easier. I tie the dink at its beam to the swim ladder; line under the bench and then around the ladder. Really quite stable for loading and unloading in this configuration. It was swamped while towing in 6 foot swell this summer during a storm on the Delaware Bay. I don't believe that the inflatable would have been swamped in these conditions but I bet the Inflatable would have been repeatably fliping over in the 30 knot winds Like the Quicksilver loading is limited to two people. When sailing don't plan to keep an inflatable or a hard dink on the forepeak of a h31. You will have to tow. Your sheets of your headsail will continouly get caught on the dink.
Chuck: I initially had had a Quicksilver 8' inflatable with an inflatable floor that I stored on the Forepeak; I towed it while sailing. The Quicksilver is a PVC dink. The sun burnded it up in three years. If you go this route do not buy a PVC Inflatable unless you plan to faithfully store it below when not in use. As stated before high quality (Hypalon) inflatable should be good for 10-20 years. My Quicksilver was also was punctured once by a cotter pin on the swim ladder hinge when I tied it to close to the swim ladder. You will need to be careful with an inflatable. I bought a walker bay 8' in the spring of 2004. I store it inverted on the forepeak using car top foam blocks that are used for canoes. The snap over the gunnels of the dink and protect the the deck of the forepeak from scratches. The Mercury 3.3 HP outboard that I used on the quicksilver works just fine on Walker Bay. A little overpowered but is OK if you don't push it. Rowing is easy and efficient with the walker bay. Being light weight its also just as easy as the inflatable to haul up on the forepeak with the Spinaker Halyard. The down side: Being small it's unstable but in a different way than the inflatable, but Loading and unloading is actually easier. I tie the dink at its beam to the swim ladder; line under the bench and then around the ladder. Really quite stable for loading and unloading in this configuration. It was swamped while towing in 6 foot swell this summer during a storm on the Delaware Bay. I don't believe that the inflatable would have been swamped in these conditions but I bet the Inflatable would have been repeatably fliping over in the 30 knot winds Like the Quicksilver loading is limited to two people. When sailing don't plan to keep an inflatable or a hard dink on the forepeak of a h31. You will have to tow. Your sheets of your headsail will continouly get caught on the dink.
similar question
I too have a Hunter and thinking the same. I had a Porta-Bote but sold it because it is a dicey propsition trying to unfold it on deck. It sets up great on the hard though! Anybody have any thoughts or experiance on using a foldup stow-away type?
I too have a Hunter and thinking the same. I had a Porta-Bote but sold it because it is a dicey propsition trying to unfold it on deck. It sets up great on the hard though! Anybody have any thoughts or experiance on using a foldup stow-away type?
Something else
I agonized for a couple of years about a dink. I had a tropic 10 with a 6 hp merc. For about a year. I hated the thing. This year I came to a conclusion; get a seadoo gtx. I looked into the price and value and decided that a PWC was the right answer for me. Its too heavy to lift on deck or davits, so, towing is where the Dirty Sanchez (don’t ask) stays. Since its 850 lbs. it does draw on the towline a bit. It is a 3 seater and it has 52 gallons of stowage in the front. Since it’s a 4 stroke, we use regular gas and it holds 16 gals. For the upsides; it goes 55 MPH with the admiral and me aboard. It only draws a few inches and at 320 lbs, I haven’t been able to tip it over. I don’t travel very far with the boat since we are already in our “happy place” but it is fun to zing anywhere I want to go. I still cant get over how dry it is even in a 18” chop. If I ever go aground I can pull the sailbote off just about anything short of a trailer with 155 hp. I am having problems figuring out where to put the drink holders.
I agonized for a couple of years about a dink. I had a tropic 10 with a 6 hp merc. For about a year. I hated the thing. This year I came to a conclusion; get a seadoo gtx. I looked into the price and value and decided that a PWC was the right answer for me. Its too heavy to lift on deck or davits, so, towing is where the Dirty Sanchez (don’t ask) stays. Since its 850 lbs. it does draw on the towline a bit. It is a 3 seater and it has 52 gallons of stowage in the front. Since it’s a 4 stroke, we use regular gas and it holds 16 gals. For the upsides; it goes 55 MPH with the admiral and me aboard. It only draws a few inches and at 320 lbs, I haven’t been able to tip it over. I don’t travel very far with the boat since we are already in our “happy place” but it is fun to zing anywhere I want to go. I still cant get over how dry it is even in a 18” chop. If I ever go aground I can pull the sailbote off just about anything short of a trailer with 155 hp. I am having problems figuring out where to put the drink holders.
A Sea-Doo???
Wow, I thought an inflatable with an o/b was over the top!!! 850 lbs must slow you down some under sail...
Wow, I thought an inflatable with an o/b was over the top!!! 850 lbs must slow you down some under sail...
One option not mentioned...
...if Chuck is considering the 8' Walker hard dink is to add small-diameter inflatable tubes along the gunnels. Dinghy Dogs is one brand but I'm sure there are other choices. I think they are a normal accessory for the Walker dinks, or at least I saw them billed that way at the London show last January. They will all but defeat capsizing, thereby making a hard dink more suitable for boarding from the water after snorkeling, they keep slop from coming aboard, can be left off or on but uninflated, and all by themselves make you less offensive when you come alongside a mothership that's recently been painted in a hard dink. Jack
...if Chuck is considering the 8' Walker hard dink is to add small-diameter inflatable tubes along the gunnels. Dinghy Dogs is one brand but I'm sure there are other choices. I think they are a normal accessory for the Walker dinks, or at least I saw them billed that way at the London show last January. They will all but defeat capsizing, thereby making a hard dink more suitable for boarding from the water after snorkeling, they keep slop from coming aboard, can be left off or on but uninflated, and all by themselves make you less offensive when you come alongside a mothership that's recently been painted in a hard dink. Jack
I have a
MY Walker Bay 10' is perfect, we can get a bit of gear and provisions aboard and have some fun with it as well. Use a really quiet and reliable Merc 4 stroke 4 horse that runs on fumes forever. I intend to get the inflatables and the sail package for it as well, maybe next season. Tom Delaney C-387
MY Walker Bay 10' is perfect, we can get a bit of gear and provisions aboard and have some fun with it as well. Use a really quiet and reliable Merc 4 stroke 4 horse that runs on fumes forever. I intend to get the inflatables and the sail package for it as well, maybe next season. Tom Delaney C-387
dinghy sorage
hi chuck i have a H31 also i after towing and stowing my 8'6" zodiac i have found the best place for it is to hang it up. i put a block on the spliter for the back stay and use it to pull the dinghy up and then strap it in place on the transome when at the dock and when the weather is bad and i dont want to deal with it fliping over while in tow.
hi chuck i have a H31 also i after towing and stowing my 8'6" zodiac i have found the best place for it is to hang it up. i put a block on the spliter for the back stay and use it to pull the dinghy up and then strap it in place on the transome when at the dock and when the weather is bad and i dont want to deal with it fliping over while in tow.
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