We towed on day trips and stowed on the cabin top for overnighters and
longer. Imagine towing your dinghy and looking back to see the painter
dragging the bow eye without the dinghy. They have been known to become
seperated! We used a bridle attached to eyebolts connected to the transom.
Tow it with the tansom drain plug removed and everything out of it. if it
does flip it will tow fairly well upside down also. We mounted folding
padeyes to the cabin top for stowing underway. If you are going to use it as
a liferaft make sure you stow it with the pump, oars, etc in the bag. Tie
everything together so you don't lose stuff in an emergency.
I wouldn't recomend using a Zodiac or any other PVC boat. Go with Hypalon,
it doesn't deteriorate in the sun. I really like the Achilles with the
inflatable floor but the smallest size is abit to small. We had a Bombard
with an inflatable floor. It was easy to inflate on the foredeck. The PVC
seams were a constant source of problems for us.
We also got into the habit of hoisting the dinghy out of the water at night
by making another bridle to attach to the spinnaker halyard. We found the
boat upside down one morning. Most unsettling seeing the prop in the air and
knowing that the motor isn't going to start until it has been taken apart.
Kind of hard to find a hard dinghy that will fit aboard a Vega. An old
Sport-Yak will fit on the foredeck but it covers the hatch and is crowded
with more than one person in it.
Good luck. Walt,
S/V Lyric #120
longer. Imagine towing your dinghy and looking back to see the painter
dragging the bow eye without the dinghy. They have been known to become
seperated! We used a bridle attached to eyebolts connected to the transom.
Tow it with the tansom drain plug removed and everything out of it. if it
does flip it will tow fairly well upside down also. We mounted folding
padeyes to the cabin top for stowing underway. If you are going to use it as
a liferaft make sure you stow it with the pump, oars, etc in the bag. Tie
everything together so you don't lose stuff in an emergency.
I wouldn't recomend using a Zodiac or any other PVC boat. Go with Hypalon,
it doesn't deteriorate in the sun. I really like the Achilles with the
inflatable floor but the smallest size is abit to small. We had a Bombard
with an inflatable floor. It was easy to inflate on the foredeck. The PVC
seams were a constant source of problems for us.
We also got into the habit of hoisting the dinghy out of the water at night
by making another bridle to attach to the spinnaker halyard. We found the
boat upside down one morning. Most unsettling seeing the prop in the air and
knowing that the motor isn't going to start until it has been taken apart.
Kind of hard to find a hard dinghy that will fit aboard a Vega. An old
Sport-Yak will fit on the foredeck but it covers the hatch and is crowded
with more than one person in it.
Good luck. Walt,
S/V Lyric #120