Dory, Dingy, Skiff, whaler

[surfing]

Hey guys,

Im a Yachtie who has bought a Bristol 32' and I plan to go crusing the Caribbean next fall. Im looking for a skiff of some sort, I dont like the idea of a dingy with a soft bottom because my objective will be to surf most of the Islands down here and i think a soft bottom will be hard on the back if I am headed to a surf break from a safe anchorage. A whailer would be nice because they are ridged and very boyant but i dont think they are as sea worthy as a deeper v-hull.
So i think some sort of a dory with the ability to fix a 25-30HR to it would be great for surfing but Im a bit worried about the towing, the Bristol aready taps out at 5kts under motor without a tow.

any ideas?

Nick

 

[dscribner]

Nick,

I'm surprised at the 5 knots thing. I regularly get 5.5 knots with my Lancer 25 while towing my fiberglass dinghy. I've gone as high as 7 knots, but I think a following current or momentary shift in the space-time continuum might have helped.

If it helps, I've head an inflateable and I hated it. It towed terribly, was too heavy for what it was, uncomfortable and a following sea would dump into your shorts. Out fiberglass is about the same weight, tows well and is less likely to take on water, but has. Whatever you get, wear quick dry shorts on your way in. Trust me.

Don,

Maine

 

[centerline]

if you can afford a boston whaler as a dinghy, they are going to be about as seaworthy as it gets....because they wont sink even if severely damaged.... you can get them in several different models to suit your desires, but if your playing in the surf in a small boat on purpose, freeboard matters little. get something with a self bailing scuppers in it.

 

[sailaway78]

I don't think thats going to work

IMHO the only feasable thing for you is a soft dink. Maybe something else would be much better when you get to where your going, but first you have to get there. Towing any type of dink offshore is NOT what you want to be doing. If you think it is going to slow you down just towing it, you won't be moving at all once that sucker fills with water, and sooner or later, it's going to be full of water. Hanging it on davits is one solution, but even that is not a really good solution offshore, with a 32 footer. To get to the Caribbean, you need something that you can put on deck, and preferably, one that can be rolled up securely and stowed out of the way.

 

[MrBill_FLL]

14' panga? (not sure who makes one thought..)

do you need to lift this aboard

 

[Mikem]

We have friends who tow an 11' Whaler behind their 32' Freedom all over Puget Sound and into Canada. Even with a 25hp motor on the stern they swear it has never been a problem even in some pretty rough water. That said I wouldn't something that big and HEAVY behind me and it certainly would not fit on deck. Have you thought of a RIB? That would be my choice considering the use you contemplate for it.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Here's your choices, Nice n Easy is right

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wc...ogId=10001&page=Inflatable-Boats#.UTeCUFdXr-I

 

[Merlin Clark]

You might look at Porta Bote. The people I've talked to that have these love them and they stow easily. http://www.porta-bote.com/index.php
I've seen them on CL for decent prices. An option to this is build a nesting dinghy that can be stowed on the fore deck.
I second not towing a dink on a crossing.

 

[zeehag]

good luck. i dont see why the soft rollup would be a back breaker if you are going to go surfing--i dont see how it would be a back breaker for any reason.
remember what you get is what you can lift to deck for SAFETY in caribean. or anywhere. thieves happen and dinks disappear unless you are able to stow on deck or lift and lock to boat.
i have owned rigid inflatables and hard dinks and roll ups. my favorite for fast travel is rigid. my personal favorite for durability and longevity and easy stowage is a roll up. right now i use a walker bay. you do not want to do surf landings in a walker bay or a portabote. trust me on that one.
if you feel you can manage a boston whaler on your 32 ft lil cute boat, go for it--just keep us posted as to your fun and frolics.....

 

[JohnS]

Why would a soft bottom be hard on the back? Are you planning on not having an outboard?

 

[surfing]

Thanks for the input guys. I favor a ridiged skiff for a few reasons but primarily because when traveling to a surf break you will have a number for items onboard including boards, accecories, ground tackle, fuel, ect. and all of these items can be fastened down in a ridged skiff. Inflatables tend to be very flimsy when in rough seas and uncomfertable as well.

commenly when headed to a surf spot you anchor out side the break and paddle into the line up, so beach landings are not a factor (but if they are you are in trouble).

I have towed plenty of skiffs,barges, large Tenders, people so towing does not bother me and it is safe as well, Whailers have a solid foam core and are very hard to sink but i like the idea of a sort of dory/ponga because of the higher free board which will be more protective in larger surf. Tipically it will be a long ride in a skiff from a safe achorage to a clean, good surf break!

 

[Ray Bowles]

We spent a couple of years cruising in the same area. We had a 9.4' Water Tender dinghy from West Marine. It is a very strong semi twin hull boat that allows the bottom to be scraped with a 4 inch putty blade. You will get growth of hard shell buggers down there and bottom paint gets ground off on the sandy beaches. Ours had a Johnson 4hp outboard that would plane the boat with 1 person aboard. The boat carried the 2 of us, our small dog and all our supplies very nicely. The boat is $600 and lasts much longer that an inflatable in the southern sun.
Enjoy your adventure.
Ray

 

[Brian D]

I just purchased and received today my Mercury 240 Roll Up inflatable. Took me about 20 minutes to inflate and it was very easy to move around. I think it weights in around 40 some odd pounds. The manual says 62 lbs gross weight but it sure didn't feel that way. After inflation I was able to lift it on my shoulder and walk around.

I know you were not interested in a dink, but you may want to look at the Mercury 240 Roll Up. Length is 7' 10".

 

[capta]

You are not being very realistic. You are most likely not going to be able to successfully tow a hard dink like a Whaler on an offshore passage to the islands, nor through the channels between the islands of the eastern Caribbean. You certainly are not going to get one on deck and it would be way too heavy to put on davits. And just where on a 32 Bristol are you planning to store a 25 hp outboard? Are you going to sleep with it, cause it'll take up most of a bunk's space and be a bear to wrestle around on board.
A good quality inflatable with a wood or aluminum floor with no more than a 15 hp motor will suit your needs to a T and can be deflated (completely or partially) and stowed on deck or below for passages. We can carry 2 55 gallon drums of fuel in our Zodiac with the alloy floor, and the dink and motor weigh about 230#. It goes about 30 knots with two of us in calm water.
From my observation, less than 10% of cruisers use hard dinghies and none under about 55 feet use Whalers.

 

[Sailm8]

I have a Mercury Quicksilver inflatable with a V shaped fiberglass bottom. Very stable and runs fine with a 3.5 hp outboard. I would like to try a 6 to see if it could plane. The boat weights 110 lbs and I stand it up in the stern with Weaver Industries davit system. Everyone groans when I pick it up but I have no trouble with 110lbs except reaching over the lifelines to grab it.