Hola, I am currently searching for the best solution to our current dinghy dilemma. We are looking for a small water craft that can carry 2 adults 1 child and a big Alaskan dog. The problem is that we only have a 25 foot boat. At first I was thinking a small Avon or something simmilar with a little kicker. This would allow us to use the boat as a safety device, ship to shore transport or possibly tow the boat back if we had difficulties. I am to green to figure out the best way to go. So, please send your advice. Thank you much -David
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Don Evans
Personal Preferences and Compromises
The best for you may not be the best for me. I like my hard dinghy (Boatex 8), as I wanted a good towing/rowing/sailing/motoring auxillery.Where the R.I.B.'s have it beat is their ability to carry stuff and people/their ruggedness/stability and their ability to plane under relatively small engine power. I would love to find the one that does it all (perhaps a Tinker?, but very pricey). I also have a OD25, so your limited to towing, in big seas as I assume you will be? For me this would be my limiting factor. How is it gonna behave behind the mother ship? I have added a tonneau spray cover to keep water out while I'm towing the dinghy. I have been very happy so far. The Walker 8 is another good hard dinghy choice as their near indestructable. Getting your dog into and out of the dinghy is going to be a chore. I know from personal experience. If you have figured out a good way I'd love to hear from you. Good luck with your choice. Don
The best for you may not be the best for me. I like my hard dinghy (Boatex 8), as I wanted a good towing/rowing/sailing/motoring auxillery.Where the R.I.B.'s have it beat is their ability to carry stuff and people/their ruggedness/stability and their ability to plane under relatively small engine power. I would love to find the one that does it all (perhaps a Tinker?, but very pricey). I also have a OD25, so your limited to towing, in big seas as I assume you will be? For me this would be my limiting factor. How is it gonna behave behind the mother ship? I have added a tonneau spray cover to keep water out while I'm towing the dinghy. I have been very happy so far. The Walker 8 is another good hard dinghy choice as their near indestructable. Getting your dog into and out of the dinghy is going to be a chore. I know from personal experience. If you have figured out a good way I'd love to hear from you. Good luck with your choice. Don
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David
Thank You Don!
The Dog, I am very interested in how to move an 85lb dog in and out of the boat. Out may not be that difficult. However, in ouch!. I may use his harness and the boom for leverage and lower him in and out. Anyway, thanks again and have fun! -David
The Dog, I am very interested in how to move an 85lb dog in and out of the boat. Out may not be that difficult. However, in ouch!. I may use his harness and the boom for leverage and lower him in and out. Anyway, thanks again and have fun! -David
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Don Evans
Dog on Board
The only time I brought our dog out with us she lost her pad and claw when she hooked it on a deck cleat while I was lifting her off the back of the transom. What an awful experience. I thought she was going to bleed to death. The boat looked like I slaughtered a pig in it. That one took 3 months to heal. One of my winter projects was to look into designing a system to get our golden onboard with us. I don't need to now, as she was killed by a car 2 months ago 8^( However, one neat system that almost fit my needs and with some further modification could work was a doggie ladder (see link below). I thought about modifying the boarding ladder with deep treads that cascaded down to the dinghy. I have heard of people using the harness and boom trick. Some dogs would freak others might be OK with it, especially if used from a pup. Hope you come up with a better solution than I could. Don
The only time I brought our dog out with us she lost her pad and claw when she hooked it on a deck cleat while I was lifting her off the back of the transom. What an awful experience. I thought she was going to bleed to death. The boat looked like I slaughtered a pig in it. That one took 3 months to heal. One of my winter projects was to look into designing a system to get our golden onboard with us. I don't need to now, as she was killed by a car 2 months ago 8^( However, one neat system that almost fit my needs and with some further modification could work was a doggie ladder (see link below). I thought about modifying the boarding ladder with deep treads that cascaded down to the dinghy. I have heard of people using the harness and boom trick. Some dogs would freak others might be OK with it, especially if used from a pup. Hope you come up with a better solution than I could. Don
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Josh
Dingies and dogs
You might end up having to get a small two person dingy and making two trips with it to transport people. one to carry three people and a dog is going to be pretty big. If you got a small eight footer for two people you could make two trips and maybe store the dingy on the cabin roof? Don't know..I've got a 22, and will probably run into the same problem if I decide to get a mooring. As for the dog, the same thought came to my mine. swing the boom out and with a harness hoist the dog up and down on the main sheet. Sure, she/he might be a bit skitish at first, but by the time the dog realizes whats going on it will be in the air and struggling would be pointless. It's when you lower it into the dingy or the boat that you'd have the dog scrambling. But it would probably scramble just a bit until it got its footing, in the same manner as when you pick the dog up yourself and set it down on something. For a harness, you'd probably have to find something similar to a sled pulling rig. I had one for a husky I had, was a gift from my mother. Would have worked well I think to hoist him up. Also, with the doggy ladder idea, if you installed this the dog could just swim in and out to wherever it needed to go, and you wouldnt have to worry about hauling it on the dingy. You'd have to condend with a wet dog aboard though. As far as the dog ladders go, you can purchase things like this from hunting supply stores, like Cabelas. They use them for dogs that retrieve from duck boats and the like. Many of them have a large platform for the dog to sit on as well as steps to get up into the boat or onto the platform. Just some thoughts...as always... Josh
You might end up having to get a small two person dingy and making two trips with it to transport people. one to carry three people and a dog is going to be pretty big. If you got a small eight footer for two people you could make two trips and maybe store the dingy on the cabin roof? Don't know..I've got a 22, and will probably run into the same problem if I decide to get a mooring. As for the dog, the same thought came to my mine. swing the boom out and with a harness hoist the dog up and down on the main sheet. Sure, she/he might be a bit skitish at first, but by the time the dog realizes whats going on it will be in the air and struggling would be pointless. It's when you lower it into the dingy or the boat that you'd have the dog scrambling. But it would probably scramble just a bit until it got its footing, in the same manner as when you pick the dog up yourself and set it down on something. For a harness, you'd probably have to find something similar to a sled pulling rig. I had one for a husky I had, was a gift from my mother. Would have worked well I think to hoist him up. Also, with the doggy ladder idea, if you installed this the dog could just swim in and out to wherever it needed to go, and you wouldnt have to worry about hauling it on the dingy. You'd have to condend with a wet dog aboard though. As far as the dog ladders go, you can purchase things like this from hunting supply stores, like Cabelas. They use them for dogs that retrieve from duck boats and the like. Many of them have a large platform for the dog to sit on as well as steps to get up into the boat or onto the platform. Just some thoughts...as always... Josh
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Ed
Dogs on Board
A 25 might be a little small for the entire "family". I guess it could be nice in theory, but so is sailing (in theory). When things go wrong, and they do, you might wish you had left the dog at home. Lap dogs or cats can be stuffed in a duffle bag for transfer and don't take up much room below (locked in the v-berth). Larger animals can be transfered using the method in the link. Of course, I don't know where you'd put a cow on a 25. Ed
A 25 might be a little small for the entire "family". I guess it could be nice in theory, but so is sailing (in theory). When things go wrong, and they do, you might wish you had left the dog at home. Lap dogs or cats can be stuffed in a duffle bag for transfer and don't take up much room below (locked in the v-berth). Larger animals can be transfered using the method in the link. Of course, I don't know where you'd put a cow on a 25. Ed
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