Seeking Dinghy Advice

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Edmund Henderson

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Oct 30, 2019
10
Hi,
I haven't posted before. My son and I just bought a new old Vega, 2751. We are thinking about what to get for a dinghy. Does anyone ever put a dinghy on deck? We were thinking of getting a Portland Pudgy because it can supposedly be used for a life raft too, but I can't see it fitting on deck. It might barely but would take up the whole foredeck. We could tow it but I am not sure that is safe at sea even though it is self baling. What do other Vega owners do for a dinghy and a life raft?

Thanks
 
K

k_setchfield

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Feb 19, 2010
80
There's quite a feww Pudgys around here in Marathon Fl, so we've gotten to
consider them a bit. They are about 120 pounds, so you'd have to lift it
with a halyard and winch onto the foredeck, but you could strap it down
there and still fly the jib. They are a nice size, although a bit tall/high
freeboard. You can [probably still see over the top if you sit on the
cockpit coamings.

We opted for the biggest dinghy we could find that could still be deflated
and stowed. It's 10.6 feet with a plastic floor and 15. It would be our
liferaft if needed, but we don't cross oceans yet. Just small ocean
passages of less than a hundred miles is our current plan. For that we can
just tow it far enough behind so that it is easy. In the even of a sinking,
then it's already inflated and ready to go. Just throw in the ditch bag and
water and sea anchor and it's all set.

Capt'n K,
s.v. wee happy

The Adventures of Capt'n K & Lala | From the Rat Race to a life of sustainability, for better or worse…

weehappy.com
 
V

vega1860

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Apr 28, 2000
691
We are still working on the dinghy thing. I really like the Portland
Pudgy but a hard dink big enough to be useful won't fit on deck. We
towed one around Puget Sound, Admiralty Inlet and the Strait of
Georgia for almost four years but towing it offshore is out of the
question. We sold it before we headed down the coast. A Tinker may
be the solution but they are hard to find used and are pretty
expensive new. We have an inflatable kayak that we use to get ashore
and for misc. exploring, etc. The plan is to use the kayak until we
settle in to a cruising area, then buy a hard dinghy which we sell
before the next major passage. Not ideal but it has worked so far.

We do without a life raft. Personal choice.

Peter has the dinghy solution. He builds his own.

"Fair Winds"

Chuck and Laura Rose
SV Lealea,V1860
Honolulu

Voyaging Under Sail, Cruising Lealea Home

Sailing Vessel Lealea. Captain Chuck Rose and First Mate Laura Wong-Rose, living aboard their Albin Vega 27at sea and in port. This is the cruising life.
cruisinglealea.com
 
J

j.hunter9999

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Oct 30, 2019
574
I second the idea of looking at Peters (Sin Tacha) website. He has built more that one and can comment on the pros and cons. Based on his and another persons advice, we built a CLC Eastport Pram. It fits well on deck. Although I am capable, I lift it with a halyard.

Jack
Bella, V2620
 
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wordsort

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Feb 17, 2011
5
I looked at the Sin Tacha site. What a work of art. His Dinghy looks about the same size as a Pudgy and it's on deck. I do have a windlass which it would have to fit over. Not sure that it would, but it might. My real concern is that the way forward is blocked which would mean that straightening out any problems with the jib is going to be hard and dangerous. Not to mention how hard it might be to get the dinghy off in an emergency. Also I thought I might want to carry a storm staysail and it could interfere with that too. Excuse me for thinking out-loud here. So I guess the question is, is it too much of a liability to carry a hard dinghy on deck, or can I just lash it down an go for it? It would be on deck only offshore or in bad weather
 
K

kanderson4unc

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Apr 25, 2008
64
i have an 8 ft portabote, and love it. fold it up and put it on deck or even inside. i have a two hp outboard on it, though it does row easily! craigslist 350 bucks.
 
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j.hunter9999

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Oct 30, 2019
574
I uploaded a couple photos to Bella's photo page of our dink. I solved the problem of going forward by adding handrails to the bottom of the dink. They provide sufficient support going forward and an added measure of safety. It might be safer going forward with the dink on board than with it towed. Although its tight on the foredeck, it is manageable with the handholds.

Jack
Bella - V2620
 
T

tiempo2010

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Sep 24, 2008
346
I am thinking of a porta-bote as well. Their advantages are many. They will
take a small motor but can be rowed and survive beach abrasion well. They
take up little space and can be kept along the lifelines when folded. And as
others have said, they are so ugly nobody will steal one. Sounds like
everything a dinghy should be!
 
P

pjacobs55

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Oct 30, 2019
1,459
Jack,
Your Eastport Pram looks really nice! I like the hand-hold idea. On my 'work' dinghy there're twin skegs at the stern, with handholds. Not having a center skeg allows me to sit on the aft end of the dinghy to work at the mast, reefing etc. My butt fits snuggly between the skegs and holds me in place in rough seas.

Peter
#1331 'Sin Tacha'
 
S

sailshiva

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Jun 6, 2007
132
A word about porta-botes...we have one and are not happy with it as a dingy
solution. It's sturdy and all that, but here are the issues and the reason we
are going to sell ours.

1. Yes, the hull folds flat and can be stored against the lifelines--that's
good.
2. BUT the transom with a heavy wooden flap permanently attached for the motor
mount, must be stored else where, along with the two seats, a bow piece, and of
course the oars.
3. The boat then must be set up on the foredeck and involves inserting a bag
full of bolts in various places and getting the nuts on them without pinging
things into the water or knocking one or the other of us off the foredeck as the
somewhat slippery porta-bote hull slides around on the slightly curved foredeck
of a sailboat that is bobbing on the waves.
4. Assembled, the whole boat is heavy and really awkward to launch over the
side--even when using a halyard to aid in the process.

5. Reversing the process is equally problematic. When gunkholing, setting the
boat up and tearing it down on a regular basis is a pain in the neck, and over
the course of a few days, you will find your bag of nuts and bolts will be
greatly diminished, making assembly a bit more challenging that usual.

Once in the water, the porta-bote is fine--rows well, feels safe, and rugged.
It probably even tows well...but then why have a porta-bote if you're just going
to tow it?

Sheila________________________________
From: Brian Stannard brianstannard@...
To: AlbinVega@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Thu, March 31, 2011 7:13:20 PM
Subject: Re: [AlbinVega] Re: Seeking Dinghy Advice

I am thinking of a porta-bote as well. Their advantages are many. They will
take a small motor but can be rowed and survive beach abrasion well. They
take up little space and can be kept along the lifelines when folded. And as
others have said, they are so ugly nobody will steal one. Sounds like
everything a dinghy should be!
 
K

kanderson4unc

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Apr 25, 2008
64
as one of the folks on here suggested, to set up my portabote i put in the speader stick, which i laminated an extra 3/4 of an inch or so onto, to double the thickness, and drop it over the side. i then assemble the pieces from inside the boat while it is in the water. i agree the foredeck assembly is tough. One little tip is to put the transom in as it is going over the side, or you'll have to bail out the little bit of water that comes through the lower bolt holes while assembling in the water.
 
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