Shore Tender
- Thread starter jpiombo67
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jssailem
SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John
- Oct 22, 2014
- 22,246
If the price is right.... Come on down.
Better than trying to walk on water.
Might be a bit wet in a rough chop.
Rowing to shore is always fun.
Better than trying to walk on water.
Might be a bit wet in a rough chop.
Rowing to shore is always fun.
As long as you don't expect it to last more than a season...if that.
If you put 6 people in that raft there will be a lot of wet butts and probably wet feet, that's assuming it will still be floating.
It looks like a light duty PVC raft. PVC is not UV resistant and is not very strong. Sevylor is a mass market, low end, brand, it is essentially a toy. While the quality is probably OK for that market and use, regular use as dinghy will shorten its life span. The paddles look like cheap plastic paddles that will not be very durable. The raft with its flat flexible bottom will not row or paddle well, you'll spend a lot of time going in circles or you will need 2 people paddling on either side to go in a semi straight line.
It is probably best left right where it is.
It looks like a light duty PVC raft. PVC is not UV resistant and is not very strong. Sevylor is a mass market, low end, brand, it is essentially a toy. While the quality is probably OK for that market and use, regular use as dinghy will shorten its life span. The paddles look like cheap plastic paddles that will not be very durable. The raft with its flat flexible bottom will not row or paddle well, you'll spend a lot of time going in circles or you will need 2 people paddling on either side to go in a semi straight line.
It is probably best left right where it is.
We have a similar one for rowing from the dock to our mooring. It's survived 3+ seasons, though this year it needed 2 patches, which was a relatively simple fix. We're not exactly gentle with it -- pulling it up on shore, etc. but it's served it's purpose. Gets us from the dock to the boat 250 yards away and back again.
I'd love a small rigid row-boat that would actually track decently (the inflatables don't track worth a damn, people will think you are drunk or don't know how to row) but for the price, they'll get you where you're going eventually.
The biggest issue we've had is that it's kind of a pain to get from the dingy to the boat -- you can stand up in them, but getting over the gunnel can be a bit of a challenge. You're very low to the water, and the sides of our Catalina 22 aren't huge, but it does take some effort.
We've had 4 people in ours and it was fine. It's rated for 6 maybe 8, but for that many, I'd probably row out and then motor to the dock to pick the rest of the group up.
I'd love a small rigid row-boat that would actually track decently (the inflatables don't track worth a damn, people will think you are drunk or don't know how to row) but for the price, they'll get you where you're going eventually.
The biggest issue we've had is that it's kind of a pain to get from the dingy to the boat -- you can stand up in them, but getting over the gunnel can be a bit of a challenge. You're very low to the water, and the sides of our Catalina 22 aren't huge, but it does take some effort.
We've had 4 people in ours and it was fine. It's rated for 6 maybe 8, but for that many, I'd probably row out and then motor to the dock to pick the rest of the group up.
Thank you. Good point on getting into the boat.
“Doesn’t track well. People think you cannot row or are drunk.” Lol. Class
What you haven't told us is what kind of use will you want it for? Do you want to mostly want to get back and forth from a mooring not far away? Are you looking to coastal hop up Lake Michigan? Will you use it to transport food, water and the likes? Or will you just be using it for one or two other friends/family? Those kinds of things would be good to know.
It's a light weight, so for lightweight work, it might be OK. Above that and better to look for a more solid dinghy.
dj
It's a light weight, so for lightweight work, it might be OK. Above that and better to look for a more solid dinghy.
dj
We have (2 ) 9 and half foot rotomolded Water tenders . Being a tri-hull design , they very stable when getting on and off the boat . They track extremely well when being rowed . They take to being dragged and scuffed up very well
We started using a 2 1/2 horse four stroke Yamaha last spring . Perfect power plant .
I picked up our second one for $150.00 used .
We started using a 2 1/2 horse four stroke Yamaha last spring . Perfect power plant .
I picked up our second one for $150.00 used .
We usually run a line through the boweye down both side and around the transom ,and up though the handles on the transom .
This way , no single point takes the shock loading of being towed .
This way , no single point takes the shock loading of being towed .
Hello,
Depending on your needs, that blow up boat may work. Note that it's more of a toy than an actual boat. But it all you want is a way to get from land to boat and back again, and you don't need to very far, then it would work.
If you plan on using that as a real dinghy when cruising I think you will be disappointed. Note that if you deflate it, it will still take up a decent amount of space. Inflating / deflating will also be time consuming. A hard dinghy will be cheap, easy to row, easy to tow, and will work a lot better.
My boat is on a mooring and I use a dinghy to get from shore to boat and back again. My first dink was an 8' fiberglass rowboat. It was free. It was also sitting in someone's yard and had a number of problems. I fixed up, learned about fiberglass, and used it for a year. Then I bought a newer, bigger boat that came with a Watertender 9.4. That boat worked great, rowed nicelly, plenty of space. My problem was that I stored the boat on the sandy beach, dragging it down to the water to use it, and then up the beach to store it. After a number of years the dragging on the sand wore away enough of the plastic that it started to leak. I fixed it a few times, then gave up and threw it away. I found a plastic Walker Bay 10 for $500 and I've been using that for a long time now. I gave up on dragging the boat up and down the beach an now it's on a dinghy dock.
Barry
Depending on your needs, that blow up boat may work. Note that it's more of a toy than an actual boat. But it all you want is a way to get from land to boat and back again, and you don't need to very far, then it would work.
If you plan on using that as a real dinghy when cruising I think you will be disappointed. Note that if you deflate it, it will still take up a decent amount of space. Inflating / deflating will also be time consuming. A hard dinghy will be cheap, easy to row, easy to tow, and will work a lot better.
My boat is on a mooring and I use a dinghy to get from shore to boat and back again. My first dink was an 8' fiberglass rowboat. It was free. It was also sitting in someone's yard and had a number of problems. I fixed up, learned about fiberglass, and used it for a year. Then I bought a newer, bigger boat that came with a Watertender 9.4. That boat worked great, rowed nicelly, plenty of space. My problem was that I stored the boat on the sandy beach, dragging it down to the water to use it, and then up the beach to store it. After a number of years the dragging on the sand wore away enough of the plastic that it started to leak. I fixed it a few times, then gave up and threw it away. I found a plastic Walker Bay 10 for $500 and I've been using that for a long time now. I gave up on dragging the boat up and down the beach an now it's on a dinghy dock.
Barry
+1 for the old Walker Bay injection molded boats. I had an 8 foot Walker Bay for about 20 years and it was still in fantastic shape when I took it to my aunt's cottage. They row extremely well with one person, not bad with 2 or 3.
For an inflatable, I would really recommend spending the money on a real boat, not vinyl toy like that. It might last a year or two but it will be very wet and horrible to row. A Highfield 280 would be more seaworthy than that 360. I recommend an aluminum floor for rowing, motoring and stability but they weigh a bit more and don't pack as small as an air matt floor.
Costco has deals in the spring, you may be able to find something much cheaper than the name brands at Defender.
For an inflatable, I would really recommend spending the money on a real boat, not vinyl toy like that. It might last a year or two but it will be very wet and horrible to row. A Highfield 280 would be more seaworthy than that 360. I recommend an aluminum floor for rowing, motoring and stability but they weigh a bit more and don't pack as small as an air matt floor.
Costco has deals in the spring, you may be able to find something much cheaper than the name brands at Defender.
The Walker Bays are nice.
I have a Trinka 8'. The Trinka 8' rows extremely well with one, very well with two, and quite well with three, depending upon how heavy the three are. I've rowed mine with 4 but that is getting difficult. The Trinka has two rowing positions, the middle seat and the forward seat. This allows you to balance the dingy according to how it's loaded. It also sails and you can put a small motor on. I mostly row.
If you wanted to carry more people and gear I'd look for the Trinka 10'. I've seen them second hand numerous times. But both the Walker Bay and the Trinka are hard dinghies. If you are set on an inflatable neither will be desirable.
There are a lot of debates on inflatables vs hard dinghies. Without getting into it (unless you want to) I can see both sides of that debate. I've owned both. Each has advantages and disadvantages.
dj
I picked up a used Walker Bay 10' that is pea soup green and covered in rusting welding spatter. Ugly enough that I don't worry about having it swiped. We row it so there's no motor to deal with, and it rows very well. We drag it up barnacle encrusted beaches without a care. It's the perfect boat for us.
jssailem
SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John
- Oct 22, 2014
- 22,246
I anchored in Port Ludlow Bay a couple of years ago and up rowed @mermike in his pea green dinghy. It was a very useful tool. Stable getting out to climb the 5 step ladder to my boat. An excellent craft for what you propose. 
Saw these interesting personal dinghys, cheap enough to make but probably not a lot of reserve buoyancy
Certainly not a tender for a boat in cold water. And talk about wet feet and butts.Saw these interesting personal dinghys, cheap enough to make but probably not a lot of reserve buoyancy
