Looking forward to this Spring (already!), I hope to put my boat in the water for the first time since buying her last Feb. As she sports a full keel with a 6' draft, I'm in the market for a good hard dinghy. After ready the excellent advice in someone else's posting "Dinghy Questions", I'm leaning towards a Walker, in the 8' range. I also like the idea of "dinghy dogs", inflatable tubes that attach along the gunnels, as they could also double as fenders. I imagine that this time of year would be a good one to look for a good deal on a used dink, but I don't really know where to start. Any ideas? Ah, I also think that I'd want the option of sailing this dink, as my summer mooring may be as much as a mile from the docks.
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Build One?
Jonathan, I am in a similar situation. I have a new to me fixed keel boat with 4.5 foot draft. Will no longer be able to beach so need a dinghy. I don't need to get to the mooring but will need it to get to islands from my boat around Casco Bay in Maine. I found the plans for the attached and will be building it. Simple to build, 8' long, relatively light and decent carrying capacity. Don't know if it will take a sail but will take a trolling motor. Tim
Jonathan, I am in a similar situation. I have a new to me fixed keel boat with 4.5 foot draft. Will no longer be able to beach so need a dinghy. I don't need to get to the mooring but will need it to get to islands from my boat around Casco Bay in Maine. I found the plans for the attached and will be building it. Simple to build, 8' long, relatively light and decent carrying capacity. Don't know if it will take a sail but will take a trolling motor. Tim
Give this a look
I bought a watertender 9.4 about 3 years ago and I have to tell you I am impressed! The boat has been run over by the Coast Guard (no kidding) Hurricane Charley at about 45 mph and the coast guard boats are built VERY WELL!(Heavy) It is unsinkable,..(filled with foam like the Boston Whaler) now after it was run over by the coast guard it did take water in to the hull,..2 piece construction, but all I did, along with the Coast Guards help was to stand it on the bow and let the water out from the foam fill access. The boat did have a little "banana" bend in it for a while but with a little time the sun heated it up and it went straight again. The best thing about that little boat is that I only paid $399.00 (its a little more now) brand new and it comes with a 5 year warranty. It is not the largest or fastest dink in the world but if you sit in the middle seat (with a tiller extender) it is real stable and will do about 15mph with just a 5hp merc. It is a pvc boat (plastic, same as the Walker Bay) but I have to say again it is tough as nails!!! Allot of world cruisers here (FL east coast) use the watertender with great results. No, I do not work for them but when something works BETTER that expected I tend to tell others. The only negative I have with it is that bottom paint and hull #s will not stick to it and there is no through hull for rain water to go through but for $449.00 what do you expect. I bail the water or flip the boat over.
I bought a watertender 9.4 about 3 years ago and I have to tell you I am impressed! The boat has been run over by the Coast Guard (no kidding) Hurricane Charley at about 45 mph and the coast guard boats are built VERY WELL!(Heavy) It is unsinkable,..(filled with foam like the Boston Whaler) now after it was run over by the coast guard it did take water in to the hull,..2 piece construction, but all I did, along with the Coast Guards help was to stand it on the bow and let the water out from the foam fill access. The boat did have a little "banana" bend in it for a while but with a little time the sun heated it up and it went straight again. The best thing about that little boat is that I only paid $399.00 (its a little more now) brand new and it comes with a 5 year warranty. It is not the largest or fastest dink in the world but if you sit in the middle seat (with a tiller extender) it is real stable and will do about 15mph with just a 5hp merc. It is a pvc boat (plastic, same as the Walker Bay) but I have to say again it is tough as nails!!! Allot of world cruisers here (FL east coast) use the watertender with great results. No, I do not work for them but when something works BETTER that expected I tend to tell others. The only negative I have with it is that bottom paint and hull #s will not stick to it and there is no through hull for rain water to go through but for $449.00 what do you expect. I bail the water or flip the boat over.
Dinghy....DIY
See the attached for an option... http://bateau.com/products.php?id=9 http://www.vn23chinacat.homestead.com/index.html http://bateau.com/proddetail.php?prod=PK78 Have just finished glassing mine...its a PK78. Have found that it took a LOT longer to construct than they say due to my first-project-learning-curve... significantly more epoxy materials than they project....and weighs more than the projections, but the reason in part was due to the sailing model that I chose rather than the rowing plan and my tendency to over-build. I hope to splash mine on a Thanksgiving trip to Cumberland Island..
See the attached for an option... http://bateau.com/products.php?id=9 http://www.vn23chinacat.homestead.com/index.html http://bateau.com/proddetail.php?prod=PK78 Have just finished glassing mine...its a PK78. Have found that it took a LOT longer to construct than they say due to my first-project-learning-curve... significantly more epoxy materials than they project....and weighs more than the projections, but the reason in part was due to the sailing model that I chose rather than the rowing plan and my tendency to over-build. I hope to splash mine on a Thanksgiving trip to Cumberland Island..
Boatex Dinghies
I bought a Boatex 10' a few years ago and LOVE it. It is amazingly light, rows well, motors well, tows well and sails like a dream. They also make 7' and 8' models, as well as a 12 footer. The owner of the company makes an annual delivery trip along the East coast, so you might be able to get one delivered to you for free in VA. I am constantly being stopped and asked about my dink. Can you say "dinghy envy"? This photo was taken of our Boatex sailing in Whittaker Creek, in Oriental NC. Gary
I bought a Boatex 10' a few years ago and LOVE it. It is amazingly light, rows well, motors well, tows well and sails like a dream. They also make 7' and 8' models, as well as a 12 footer. The owner of the company makes an annual delivery trip along the East coast, so you might be able to get one delivered to you for free in VA. I am constantly being stopped and asked about my dink. Can you say "dinghy envy"? This photo was taken of our Boatex sailing in Whittaker Creek, in Oriental NC. Gary
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