Zodiac & ODay 27
I've got a Zodiac 2.85m (somewhere around 9 ft) that I towed behind my 27: I don't like towing a dingy, but was reluctant to go thru the hassle of deflating it to stow it on board for relatively short periods of time (1-2 days) If I was contemplating a longer cruise, I'd make the effort, though getting the damn thing inflated and getting the floorboards (wood & aluminum) installed would be a chore, as would launching it over the lifelines/stanchions without puncturing the tubes. If I were starting from scratch, I'd get an air-floor model and some sort of 12 volt pump to inflate it. I would NOT recommend stowing the outboard on the quarterberth or anywhere belowdecks, cause there is always a bit of gas/oil that leaks out when the motor is laid down, plus grease or grunge on the motor that'll invariably get on something that you don't want it to. Murphy's Law. There are brackets available to bolt the motor to the stern rail & any gas or water drips overboard. I have seen a neat installation using davits on the stern of another make of 27 footer, but I don't find the idea of a 9 ft Zodiac across the transom of my 27 too appealing. Weight isn't an issue, but windage would perhaps be one. It wouldn't take much effort to gear up a little boom, like a short spinnaker pole, to hoist the Zodiac onboard for stowage on the foredeck, inverted but there isn't much room there and it might interfere with tacking the jib or anchoring. Trial & error I guess. If I was to carry the Zodiac like that, I'd get a cover to keep the UV off it.
