Does anyone have an opinion on wether a 14 ' inflatable hard bottom dinghy is to large.
Boat is 37, beam 11'8" or so.
Thanks
Boat is 37, beam 11'8" or so.
Thanks
Dinghy
- Thread starter jphud
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That should tow behind nicely costing you about a knot in speed. If it swamps in heavy weather, it's going to suck.
Would not want a 14 foot anything around my sailboat. Where do you store it? How do you get it in the water? My 8 foot inflatable is a pain in the butt.
Ditto
Very big to handle and need big outboard to push it.
I have 9'6'' with aluminum rollup floor and very good size but wish it was lighter,2 of us and had 4 adults no problem with 8 HP.
Nick
Very big to handle and need big outboard to push it.
I have 9'6'' with aluminum rollup floor and very good size but wish it was lighter,2 of us and had 4 adults no problem with 8 HP.
Nick
Unless you need all that cargo carrying capacity you should downsize. 14' is half of your boat length!!! I have an 8' hard shell (sail, row, but no motor) and have not maxed out with three kids and a wife. 2 adults + 3 kids is getting close though. It is so easy to row I usually make 2 trips to get folks ashore. Course the dingy is boy powered so of course it is very easy "for me"
Oh wait, I want to throw in my two cents..... I have a 9.5' hard bottom with hard transome so it doesn't stow down below. Stowing down below is optimal especially when heading out in rough water/weather. I've got mine hanging from davits which has worked our really well, but when I 'head - out', I'll have to throw the dink up on the bow. I actually re-worked the whole staysail boom and sail so that it's up heigher and I can use the sail with the dink up there. Yea, towing it robs you of speed, and I've had a hard dink turtle on me, and yea, with a 15knot breeze blowing us down onto a lee shore within a few minutes, we had to bring the dink up beside the boat, down the main, use the halyard to pull the bow up breaking the suction, or should I say sucktion? It sucked and if the two of us had been any older or less able, it could have been really really ugly. But, after the bow broke the water, it flipped easily enough and Ed jumped in and bailed like a mad man. Oh, and the two of us could not break the suction pulling with all our might with the dink right next to the boat.
So, long story made even longer..... I've heard of people loosing their davits and pulling down their stern rails and almost pulling down their mast, when crossing the gulf and they were in bad weather. So, I have the second best plan in place putting it on the bow, but when this dink goes, I want to get an inflatable floor or roll-up so it can be stowed down below if needed. And, I used to have an 8hp, and it took a lift to get it up onto the boat from the dink, which in bouncy waters causes the motor to slam into the stern. So, I traded that in for a 2hp which I'm really liking a lot. It doesn't go fast, doesn't hold a lot of gas, but I take extra gas with us and heck, me in a hurry, not any more. I thought the dink was going to be the family stationwagon to get around, but that's ending up to just not be the case. I'm finding that I'm liking the lighter weight and simpler approaches as time go on.
Kb
So, long story made even longer..... I've heard of people loosing their davits and pulling down their stern rails and almost pulling down their mast, when crossing the gulf and they were in bad weather. So, I have the second best plan in place putting it on the bow, but when this dink goes, I want to get an inflatable floor or roll-up so it can be stowed down below if needed. And, I used to have an 8hp, and it took a lift to get it up onto the boat from the dink, which in bouncy waters causes the motor to slam into the stern. So, I traded that in for a 2hp which I'm really liking a lot. It doesn't go fast, doesn't hold a lot of gas, but I take extra gas with us and heck, me in a hurry, not any more. I thought the dink was going to be the family stationwagon to get around, but that's ending up to just not be the case. I'm finding that I'm liking the lighter weight and simpler approaches as time go on.
Kb
OK
Got the message,
I was a little delusional at the site of a very good deal, now looking at 9' wood floor with motor mount and two seats.
Thanks
Got the message,
I was a little delusional at the site of a very good deal, now looking at 9' wood floor with motor mount and two seats.
Thanks
Hi:
Just got a H37C, had a H33 several years ago and i loved it.
I love my Fold-Bote dingy, only 8' (had another fold-bote 12' with my H33 and lasted me 10 years), now bigger boat, and smaller dingy.
I plan to build a bimini-solar panel holder-davits combo out of PVC. Will let you know how that works, Will use the davits for small trips up-down the ICW or short jumps. For long trips will place the dingy upside down forward of the mast, behind the inner forestay. This way is ready as a liferaft of sorts. I can also fold it and carry it along the life lines. It takes 10m to put back together.
I am ditching the gasoline outboard and going with an electric troller. Still experimenting. Got this 45Lbs Motorguide and it pushes me at twice the speed of rowing. May get another 35lbs and use it as a helper when needed. Will use two small solar panels, 1.5W each and it will keep the batteries charged, will place then on top of the seats. Next week I will know if two solar panels are enough or too much. Will be the first solar dingy in my sailing club. Will let you know how this whole thing works. AH! today just purchased two long wooden oars. Hope they will only be conversation pieces. One thing I know, i am ditching the gasoline outboard!!!
Just got a H37C, had a H33 several years ago and i loved it.
I love my Fold-Bote dingy, only 8' (had another fold-bote 12' with my H33 and lasted me 10 years), now bigger boat, and smaller dingy.
I plan to build a bimini-solar panel holder-davits combo out of PVC. Will let you know how that works, Will use the davits for small trips up-down the ICW or short jumps. For long trips will place the dingy upside down forward of the mast, behind the inner forestay. This way is ready as a liferaft of sorts. I can also fold it and carry it along the life lines. It takes 10m to put back together.
I am ditching the gasoline outboard and going with an electric troller. Still experimenting. Got this 45Lbs Motorguide and it pushes me at twice the speed of rowing. May get another 35lbs and use it as a helper when needed. Will use two small solar panels, 1.5W each and it will keep the batteries charged, will place then on top of the seats. Next week I will know if two solar panels are enough or too much. Will be the first solar dingy in my sailing club. Will let you know how this whole thing works. AH! today just purchased two long wooden oars. Hope they will only be conversation pieces. One thing I know, i am ditching the gasoline outboard!!!
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