Can anyone recommend a reasonably priced sailing dinghy. I need a tender I can use to also teach my children to sail. I have been looking at the Walker Bays but after reading the reviews, I'm hesitant to purchase one. It seems the Walker Bays are good to tow, don't ding your boat and are quite durable however, they are rather unstable. Has anyone had good or bad experiences with W.B. and have you also sailed one? Thanks, Mark
Dinghys/Walker Bays
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dinghy
I have an inflatable dinghy and it is a royal pain. It's hard to handle, you can't keep it in salt water for any extended period or the bottom will get crud on it. Hoisted topside, it gets in the way. Not really great tied in the slip at the marina either. I would not want to ruin by swim platform by installing davits. Maybe you will get more and better use out of one. ajp
I have an inflatable dinghy and it is a royal pain. It's hard to handle, you can't keep it in salt water for any extended period or the bottom will get crud on it. Hoisted topside, it gets in the way. Not really great tied in the slip at the marina either. I would not want to ruin by swim platform by installing davits. Maybe you will get more and better use out of one. ajp
Sailing dinghy
I've heard good things about Walker Bays - your concern about stability will be an issue with any hard dinghy. Inflatables have hard dinghies beat on the stability issue every time. That being said, if you teach your children to step into the center of the boat and never stand, you'll be fine. I personally learned how to sail in a dinghy and have always had a sailing dinghy as a tender. Mine is a Gig Harbor Navigator (see Related link below). Not the cheapest, but I really enjoy the light weight and excellent rowing and sailing capabilities (she even takes a 2hp motor, but that's not her forte). Don't discount the Walker Bay before looking into it further. Enjoy! Trevor
I've heard good things about Walker Bays - your concern about stability will be an issue with any hard dinghy. Inflatables have hard dinghies beat on the stability issue every time. That being said, if you teach your children to step into the center of the boat and never stand, you'll be fine. I personally learned how to sail in a dinghy and have always had a sailing dinghy as a tender. Mine is a Gig Harbor Navigator (see Related link below). Not the cheapest, but I really enjoy the light weight and excellent rowing and sailing capabilities (she even takes a 2hp motor, but that's not her forte). Don't discount the Walker Bay before looking into it further. Enjoy! Trevor
the walker bay
is great for rowing, motoring, and towing. she doesnt sail well. if you are mainly interested in a good tender the WB is great. but, they sail like a bathtub!
is great for rowing, motoring, and towing. she doesnt sail well. if you are mainly interested in a good tender the WB is great. but, they sail like a bathtub!
Walker Bay Optional Inflatable Tubes
Mark, With regards to the stability of the Walker Bay boats... Walker Bay now has an option to add inflatable tubes to the gunnel of their line of boats. The tubes attach to the boat (I believe permanently) and are very similar to the tubes on an iflatable. Check out the link. http://www.walkerbay.com/products/rid.html Check it out. Stability of an inflatable, with the durability of a hard dinghy... Regards, Clayton S/V Walkabout
Mark, With regards to the stability of the Walker Bay boats... Walker Bay now has an option to add inflatable tubes to the gunnel of their line of boats. The tubes attach to the boat (I believe permanently) and are very similar to the tubes on an iflatable. Check out the link. http://www.walkerbay.com/products/rid.html Check it out. Stability of an inflatable, with the durability of a hard dinghy... Regards, Clayton S/V Walkabout
Inflatable is the best
I had a walker bay, my wife refused to get in the thing for fear we'd be swimming. I couldn't disagree with her, sold it and bought a small zodiac. This is why the WB now has the inflatable tubes on the side. Others apparently complained about the instability. I couldn't recommend it to anyone.
I had a walker bay, my wife refused to get in the thing for fear we'd be swimming. I couldn't disagree with her, sold it and bought a small zodiac. This is why the WB now has the inflatable tubes on the side. Others apparently complained about the instability. I couldn't recommend it to anyone.
Questionable conjecture
Paul, you seem to think that a small hard dinghy should have the same behavior as an inflatable, but whats bothersome is making others think some reputable brand is defective, as 'proven' by your assumptions about the inflatable collar. (I don't have a WB but I do have a Puffin, a sailing 8.5ft dinghy.) The first time I heard of such a hybrid dinghy was in the Pardey books, where these self-sufficient world travelers wanted a sturdy dinghy that would have the bouyancy of an inflatable in rough water, but could also sail many miles even upwind. This would enable them to take an active part in their own rescue, instead of drifting helplessly until help came. An inflatable can't do this; even rowing one is an awkward and laborious affair. They fitted a collar to their Fatty Knees dinghy, and helped popularize an innovative solution, which WB is continuing. Inflatables, meanwhile, are being improved from the other direction; a hard bottom is added to high end models to give them better characteristics under power. Inflatables have a certain lifespan and wear out. And when they leak air, good luck bailing it out and continuing. I love taking my Puffin out for a sail around the creek; in the winter when I get cabin fever I go for a row; when I cruise the Bay, it follows along fine. As a former dinghy racer (Tech class), I don't expect this size or type boat to act like a houseboat. I also don't expect an inflatable to substitute for a SOLAS liferaft. None of my comments are meant to say one type of dinghy is the best. Inflatables are fantastic gear. That doesn't mean everything else is junk.
Paul, you seem to think that a small hard dinghy should have the same behavior as an inflatable, but whats bothersome is making others think some reputable brand is defective, as 'proven' by your assumptions about the inflatable collar. (I don't have a WB but I do have a Puffin, a sailing 8.5ft dinghy.) The first time I heard of such a hybrid dinghy was in the Pardey books, where these self-sufficient world travelers wanted a sturdy dinghy that would have the bouyancy of an inflatable in rough water, but could also sail many miles even upwind. This would enable them to take an active part in their own rescue, instead of drifting helplessly until help came. An inflatable can't do this; even rowing one is an awkward and laborious affair. They fitted a collar to their Fatty Knees dinghy, and helped popularize an innovative solution, which WB is continuing. Inflatables, meanwhile, are being improved from the other direction; a hard bottom is added to high end models to give them better characteristics under power. Inflatables have a certain lifespan and wear out. And when they leak air, good luck bailing it out and continuing. I love taking my Puffin out for a sail around the creek; in the winter when I get cabin fever I go for a row; when I cruise the Bay, it follows along fine. As a former dinghy racer (Tech class), I don't expect this size or type boat to act like a houseboat. I also don't expect an inflatable to substitute for a SOLAS liferaft. None of my comments are meant to say one type of dinghy is the best. Inflatables are fantastic gear. That doesn't mean everything else is junk.
Sailing Dingy
Can't blame you for trying to have it both ways. However, If you want to teach kids to sail, I'd look for a dingy designed for that purpose. If you want a cheap durable tender that holds one or two adults safely, and that nobody wants to steal, I think the WB is one way to go. I have a WB 8' and use it exclusively as a tender. I can lift it alone over my head, or drag it across the dock and dump it in with no problem. It even has a wheel in the bottom that makes moving it a breeze. It also rows nicely. It tows well and takes a lot of punishment. Tippy? You bet, but we've never ended up in the water. It will scratch a boat so I screwed some rubber dock fender strips along the sides. If you are looking for a more stable tender and can afford it, go with the inflatable. If you want the cheaper throw-away solution go with the WB or something like it, but I'd find another option for teaching kids to sail.
Can't blame you for trying to have it both ways. However, If you want to teach kids to sail, I'd look for a dingy designed for that purpose. If you want a cheap durable tender that holds one or two adults safely, and that nobody wants to steal, I think the WB is one way to go. I have a WB 8' and use it exclusively as a tender. I can lift it alone over my head, or drag it across the dock and dump it in with no problem. It even has a wheel in the bottom that makes moving it a breeze. It also rows nicely. It tows well and takes a lot of punishment. Tippy? You bet, but we've never ended up in the water. It will scratch a boat so I screwed some rubber dock fender strips along the sides. If you are looking for a more stable tender and can afford it, go with the inflatable. If you want the cheaper throw-away solution go with the WB or something like it, but I'd find another option for teaching kids to sail.
Livingston
I use a Livingston (about 8 feet long twin hull)and I (250 lbs.)can stand off center and not end up in the drink. I had a sailing dinghy but it was to unstable and the water is really cold up here in the northwest. The fiberglass hull allows it to take a beating on a rough rock beach. It's doesn't look too nice after years of hard use, I don't have to worry about it holding air.
I use a Livingston (about 8 feet long twin hull)and I (250 lbs.)can stand off center and not end up in the drink. I had a sailing dinghy but it was to unstable and the water is really cold up here in the northwest. The fiberglass hull allows it to take a beating on a rough rock beach. It's doesn't look too nice after years of hard use, I don't have to worry about it holding air.
Walker Bay is OK!
I'm on my 2nd WB, the first having been stolen, and am a big fan. The WB 8 stows upside down on the foredeck of my Catalina 25, tows beautifully, powers well with a 3HP Sears Gamefisher outboard, and sails decently with the boomless gaff "recreational" rig. It's initially tender, but stiffens up once you're in it; easily transports two people and a large dog. I'll keep it as a second tender on my 44' motorsailer.
I'm on my 2nd WB, the first having been stolen, and am a big fan. The WB 8 stows upside down on the foredeck of my Catalina 25, tows beautifully, powers well with a 3HP Sears Gamefisher outboard, and sails decently with the boomless gaff "recreational" rig. It's initially tender, but stiffens up once you're in it; easily transports two people and a large dog. I'll keep it as a second tender on my 44' motorsailer.
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