Dinghy?
- Thread starter Ron M
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I have a Zodiac 310 fastroller with an inflatable floor. It only weighs around 70 pounds and packs up small enough to fit in the lazarette in my 323. Its not that difficult to tow and it can be stowed upside down on the foredeck without much difficulty. Its a bit of a pain to inflate manually, so I have an electric pump that takes care of that issue in a few minutes. It has enough power to almost fully inflate the floor which has to be harder than the tubes. A few extra strokes with the foot pump usually finishes the job.
I store the dinghy hanging from the garage ceiling during the winter (inflated) and it doesn't lose any air.
I store the dinghy hanging from the garage ceiling during the winter (inflated) and it doesn't lose any air.
Ron,We have a B331 also and have been to the Keys and Bahamas from NJ twice so far.We have the 8' Zodiac w/air floor with a 6 hp Merc 4 stroke.The dinghy is about ten years old now and is still in good condition.Have patched the floor and one tube about four years ago due to someones cigarette.Still holding up fine.I tow it pulled up close to the stern so that only the tips of the tubes are in the water.Not much drag this way and I can turn and go into reverse without any concern about the dinghy. www.bumsrest331.blogspot.com
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Hello Scott, Yes,we crossed over and back both times with the dinghy attached to the stern.Our trip over this time was kinda rough,the dinghy was no problem on the stern.I use one of those straps with the quick connect hooks and the float on it.I Attach it to the lower D rings on the dinghy and lift the dinghy up close to the stern and tie the strap to itself around the aft stantions.I also take a line from each handle attached to the tubes and cleat them off on the aft cleats.This keeps the dinghy stationary when turning and backing.I let the bow of the dinghy rest on a throwable float.We do get wet in the dinghy when it is a bit choppy,but we wear rain gear.The dinghy is rated for a 4 hp,it handles the 6 hp very well.With the 6 hp,it gets up on plane with just myself and our dog.It would be nicer to have a little bigger dinghy with a hard bottom and a little larger engine,but I may not be able to tow it the same way.Life is full of trade-offs.The engine attaches to the rail and I have a lift for that which works well.It does not take very long to let the dinghy back into the water and put the engine on.
Dinghy
I towed a10ft RIB behind my 323 swing keel the whole trip to the Bahamas but it fit on the deck if I wanted to, like at the dock in Nassau where there is no no wake enforcement.
I towed without the motor, using a motor lift ,I used the oars often, my 9.9 let me go on long exploring trips without fear of bottom damage from rocky beaches and rough water. I removed the 6gal transom gas tank only during long open water crossings to lighten it up even more.
I found very little difference in fuel consumption and no noticable speed gain when I tried sailing and motoring with the dingy on deck.
I used a bridal with lines that let me pull the boat closer at places where I thought the lines might go under the boat like backing out of the dock or waiting on bridges. They never did and the 323 broad transom easily pushed it backward.
I towed a10ft RIB behind my 323 swing keel the whole trip to the Bahamas but it fit on the deck if I wanted to, like at the dock in Nassau where there is no no wake enforcement.
I towed without the motor, using a motor lift ,I used the oars often, my 9.9 let me go on long exploring trips without fear of bottom damage from rocky beaches and rough water. I removed the 6gal transom gas tank only during long open water crossings to lighten it up even more.
I found very little difference in fuel consumption and no noticable speed gain when I tried sailing and motoring with the dingy on deck.
I used a bridal with lines that let me pull the boat closer at places where I thought the lines might go under the boat like backing out of the dock or waiting on bridges. They never did and the 323 broad transom easily pushed it backward.
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