Dingy Towing w/ O'day 22 ?

[David S]

Has anyone towed a hard dingy with this size boat? My friend and I towed a rubber raft/dingy 2 days and 1 night on Charlotte Harbor, Punta Gorda to Caya Costa island, it seemed to have very little drag, but crossing Boca Grande inlet just before sunset, and a out going tide, when it had been highest, I could not over come the current with main and jib w/ a southwest 10 mph wind and 9.9 out board ( short shaft ) so we dropped 2 anchors on the north side of the island and waited for the incoming tide about 2 am.
I have an old 8'-2" dingy, looks like it may be a Dowyr (?spelling?) Dink ? , which I am repairing. I am wondering what design of towing features would be feasible for the O'day 22 with its forward slanting transom? I know the O'days 2 foot draft w/ cbd up would probably get me close to shore, but still seems like a dingy would be a good thing to have on a cruise.
Where can I get info on this dingy,s mast, sail, rudder, dagger board etc...?

David S

 

[dscribner]

David,

I am a seasoned sailor: I sailed a whole season. So, take anything I say with a grain of sand (salt being too avaialble to us). I pulled an inflateable last year. I found it dragged so heavily that I had to pull it up close to the stern to lift the nose off of the water. I bought a beat up fiberglass dinghy for $85 last fall. We registered it and I'm fixing up today to leave on a cruise tomorrow. I'll post Monday when we get back.

Check out this link though. This guy leans heavy to rigid dinghies. I wish they made a rigid like a cheap Coleman canoe. Vaccuum formed ABS with flotation billets for seats. It would weigh about 25 lbs.

http://www.thebosunslocker.com/files/PY_MAY08_83-87_DINGHIES.pdf

Don

 

[MrBee]

I don't have a lot of experience with towing an inflatable but last May towed an 8 ft old heavy fiberglass dingy from CT. to Md. and can say it towed great. Mostly didn't know it was there. Makes sense there would be less resistance from smother glass when compared to rougher and flexible material the inflatables are made of.

Brian