I need some advice on whether to opt for an inflatable or hard shell tender for my future needs. These include coastal sailing and some offshore passages (usually within 100 miles of the nearest landfall). I have suffered though both hard and soft tenders in the past--almost exclusively for coastal and inland water voyaging. The hard shell variety tows better, rows better and lasts longer, but is inconvenient to store. Since my planned future sailing will include offshore sailing, I will have to be able to get the tender onboard and stowed away. A hard tender (and I am thinking about something like the Walker Bay 8 or the Boatex 700, which weight about 70 lbs) will have to be pulled on board and stowed on the deck of our Hunter Legend 37.5 when sailing offshore. Has anyone coped with this? Should I choose hard or soft?
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Walker 8
I also have experianced both hard and soft tenders. I currently have the Walker 8 Sailing tender. Two advantages that I can see with the hard is its dependability and sturdy reliability when entering it from your vessel. Second is a tie in to another idea I will employ this spring. We currently store it on the foredeck and have it lashed to the toe rail. When sailing we tow it, I'll get to that in a minute. If you secure it on davits you have accomplished the storage and a place where you can store extra lines for docking, trash, or other items that can be temporarily placed out of the way. The draw back to towing it is ours filled with water and it trashed our speed. I sail a H/34 and we went from 6.5 kts down to 3.0kts. It was as if we were towing our anchor behind us. You mentioned that a trip of 100 miles off shore I would look into a tender larger than 8', possibly 12' would be more suitable. It's all in what your comfortable with. Good Luck.
I also have experianced both hard and soft tenders. I currently have the Walker 8 Sailing tender. Two advantages that I can see with the hard is its dependability and sturdy reliability when entering it from your vessel. Second is a tie in to another idea I will employ this spring. We currently store it on the foredeck and have it lashed to the toe rail. When sailing we tow it, I'll get to that in a minute. If you secure it on davits you have accomplished the storage and a place where you can store extra lines for docking, trash, or other items that can be temporarily placed out of the way. The draw back to towing it is ours filled with water and it trashed our speed. I sail a H/34 and we went from 6.5 kts down to 3.0kts. It was as if we were towing our anchor behind us. You mentioned that a trip of 100 miles off shore I would look into a tender larger than 8', possibly 12' would be more suitable. It's all in what your comfortable with. Good Luck.
RIB
Buoyant's first tender was a Zodiac with a high-pressure inflatable floor. Whenever we went offshore we carried it inflated on the foredeck in case we needed to abandon ship. It occurred to me, finally, that it was silly to have a dink capable of being stored in a lazarette if it was invariably carried inflated while cruising. So I sold the soft Zode and bought a rigid-hull Zodiac. I'm able to use the spinnaker halyard to launch it if crew are not available to help me toss it over the rail.
Buoyant's first tender was a Zodiac with a high-pressure inflatable floor. Whenever we went offshore we carried it inflated on the foredeck in case we needed to abandon ship. It occurred to me, finally, that it was silly to have a dink capable of being stored in a lazarette if it was invariably carried inflated while cruising. So I sold the soft Zode and bought a rigid-hull Zodiac. I'm able to use the spinnaker halyard to launch it if crew are not available to help me toss it over the rail.
Walker Bay 8
The Walker Bay is inexpsensive, stabile, light, and relatively easy to tow. It does decrease hull speed when towing. You can purchase cover for it to keep water out when towing. Handles much better that inflatable with or without power. Semi rigid inflatables are nice if you can afford one.
The Walker Bay is inexpsensive, stabile, light, and relatively easy to tow. It does decrease hull speed when towing. You can purchase cover for it to keep water out when towing. Handles much better that inflatable with or without power. Semi rigid inflatables are nice if you can afford one.
Thanks--and more questions ...
Thanks for the input. Michael, you stated that you stored your Walker 8 on deck, but towed it while under sail. Did you ever sail with the Walker lashed down on deck? Which is what I had in mind over the longer legs. Cutting one's speed in half by towing the Walker is pretty alarming. Did this occur because of the water that would get in, or because of the towing characteristics of the Walker 8? Finally, I am relcutant to get a Walker 12, because I intend to use the tender at my destination points. Because I intend to go as much as 100 miles offshore, I will acquire an inflatable liferaft ffr safety; I will not be depending upon any tender, hard or soft, to deal with potential abandon ship situations. What do you or others think?
Thanks for the input. Michael, you stated that you stored your Walker 8 on deck, but towed it while under sail. Did you ever sail with the Walker lashed down on deck? Which is what I had in mind over the longer legs. Cutting one's speed in half by towing the Walker is pretty alarming. Did this occur because of the water that would get in, or because of the towing characteristics of the Walker 8? Finally, I am relcutant to get a Walker 12, because I intend to use the tender at my destination points. Because I intend to go as much as 100 miles offshore, I will acquire an inflatable liferaft ffr safety; I will not be depending upon any tender, hard or soft, to deal with potential abandon ship situations. What do you or others think?
good question
I currently have a ribbed bottom dingy for my 460. However, this has led to a delema. I currently store this on the bow , get it on and off the boat with the spinnaker halyard. This is somewhat of a hassle. The real option is to go with an arch on the transom with davits etc. This arch could also serve quite well for antannas, solar panels and just about anything else one can think of . This is the real solution, however this project will be quite pricey! To answer your question directly, from the cruisers that I have talked to the only way to go is with a hard bottom dingy. JR
I currently have a ribbed bottom dingy for my 460. However, this has led to a delema. I currently store this on the bow , get it on and off the boat with the spinnaker halyard. This is somewhat of a hassle. The real option is to go with an arch on the transom with davits etc. This arch could also serve quite well for antannas, solar panels and just about anything else one can think of . This is the real solution, however this project will be quite pricey! To answer your question directly, from the cruisers that I have talked to the only way to go is with a hard bottom dingy. JR
davits
The sailing literature is full of references to hard dinghies that were lost when towing them in a storm. The whip action on the tow line is too much for even strong buckles to endure safely. Consequently, hard dinghies are best carried in davits, not towed, at least if any rough weather is contemplated. Hard dinghies are easiest to row, last virtually forever, and are less likely to be stolen when on shore. They are less stable and carry a smaller payload for their size.
The sailing literature is full of references to hard dinghies that were lost when towing them in a storm. The whip action on the tow line is too much for even strong buckles to endure safely. Consequently, hard dinghies are best carried in davits, not towed, at least if any rough weather is contemplated. Hard dinghies are easiest to row, last virtually forever, and are less likely to be stolen when on shore. They are less stable and carry a smaller payload for their size.
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