Thanks for any advice! We're bringing home our new Catalina next month and are concerned that the engine will give out. So we were thinking of bringing along a dinghy with a decent little motor to tow her back if necessary.
How much hp does a dinghy need to tow a Catalina 30?
- Thread starter Phaedra
- Start date
- Status
Rather than towing
do a side tie. The strength of the dinghy motor needed depends on the conditions in which you think you may have to move the boat: just down the docks or across a big bay? We just don't know.
I have used my zodiac with a 4 stroke 4 hp to rescue a Catalina 30 and get it put in its' slip with a 3 knot cross current. Like Stu said, if you strap it to the side and tie it down tight, and use your rudder on the 30 footer, the dink motor becomes your power plant and you just call out to the person to give you way or take it away.
What makes you think that the motor will give out though? Have you checked it out? What kind of age does the motor have?
Perhaps before you start out, you do some basics to ensure all will go well or find out from the previous owner when the last sevice was done.
If it hasn't had a service, then maybe make sure you have good clean fuel and fuel filter, change the oil and filter, check the belt and make sure it is in good repair, or replace it, ensure the batteries are topped off, check the cooling system and make sure it is in good shape, check the sea strainer and make sure it is cleaned out, maybe pop off the cover for the impellar and replace if necessary. If you check the basics and you don't have a problem with over heating, or a belt breaking and the engine doesn't have a history of having a problem, then you should do well.
Good luck and enjoy your new boat, you will have lots of fun and it is a nice boat to do it with.
What makes you think that the motor will give out though? Have you checked it out? What kind of age does the motor have?
Perhaps before you start out, you do some basics to ensure all will go well or find out from the previous owner when the last sevice was done.
If it hasn't had a service, then maybe make sure you have good clean fuel and fuel filter, change the oil and filter, check the belt and make sure it is in good repair, or replace it, ensure the batteries are topped off, check the cooling system and make sure it is in good shape, check the sea strainer and make sure it is cleaned out, maybe pop off the cover for the impellar and replace if necessary. If you check the basics and you don't have a problem with over heating, or a belt breaking and the engine doesn't have a history of having a problem, then you should do well.
Good luck and enjoy your new boat, you will have lots of fun and it is a nice boat to do it with.
- Status