Any suggestions on a suitable towing dingy. I have looked at inflatables and hard type. Hyaplon or PVC?
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M
Mark
Go for inflatable.
We have, dare I say, a Westmarine that is about 10 foot long. It has, fair dinkum, been around the world twice and is still in perfect condition. Easy to stow away and goes along pretty nice with a 8 hp motor!
We have, dare I say, a Westmarine that is about 10 foot long. It has, fair dinkum, been around the world twice and is still in perfect condition. Easy to stow away and goes along pretty nice with a 8 hp motor!
T
Trevor - SailboatOwners.com
several criteria for tenders
Hi Jack - Towing ability is just one of many variables to consider when looking at tenders. Personally, and I know I'm in the minority, I prefer a rigid sailing dinghy for a tender. Mine rows, motors, sails, and tows well. Regardless of what you choose, you might consider stowability as well as towability, as it's advisable not to tow any dinghy in rough water. Best, Trevor
Hi Jack - Towing ability is just one of many variables to consider when looking at tenders. Personally, and I know I'm in the minority, I prefer a rigid sailing dinghy for a tender. Mine rows, motors, sails, and tows well. Regardless of what you choose, you might consider stowability as well as towability, as it's advisable not to tow any dinghy in rough water. Best, Trevor
M
Mike
tow or carry
First, if you go inflatable then the hypalon is a more durable material by far. Second, there is towing and there is towing. You can tow with the entire wetted surface of the dink in the water or tow with the bow suspended on the stern with the dink's stern in the water. Depending on your boat size I prefer placing the dink on the deck just forward of the mast. In all cases, unless you have davits, an inflatable is easier to handle.
First, if you go inflatable then the hypalon is a more durable material by far. Second, there is towing and there is towing. You can tow with the entire wetted surface of the dink in the water or tow with the bow suspended on the stern with the dink's stern in the water. Depending on your boat size I prefer placing the dink on the deck just forward of the mast. In all cases, unless you have davits, an inflatable is easier to handle.
C
Chris Burti
Too many variables!
Hi Jack, You really need to study the options, analyze your needs and then you can ask for recommendations for close questions. As an example, I'll relate my analysis on my new boat and my last boat. The last boat was a 1973 Cal 27-T/2. This is an IOR 1/2 ton design. Narrow transom, huge, flat foredeck. We daysail often...no dinghy needed; frequent weekends...seldom needed, and occaisional weeklong cruise...dinghy preferred and used as a tender for people and supplies in anchorages. As a result we opted for a wide, stable hard dinghy that can be boomed aboard with the spinaker pole and stowed on deck during rough weather transits. Our new boat is a Cat-320 with a huge cockpit locker. The sugar scoop transom is not suited to a hard dinghy. The swim platform is our 'back porch, deck and dock', so davits are not desirable for us. I have observed that most inflables stored while inflated tend to get pretty dirty, pretty quick. I am not fond of scrubbing time over sailing time, so I wanted one that was easy to store. I recognized that mine would be stored more than used, so Hypolon was not as high a priority and budget was...new commissioning expensesd mushroom fast. I was concerned about stability while loading and unloading and opted for a Zodiac with wood floors. After our first season, my reasoning has generally proved out. In retrospect though, I think I should have spent a little more and opted for a HPI floor. I was concerned about stability, (I weigh over 230) damage and the cost of floor replacement(lots of ouster shell and barnacles around here). I now think that the weight and storage advantages of the high pressure flooring probably outweigh those concerns. As for propulsion, I opted for a Yamaha 2.5 hp four-stroke. It is light enough to one-hand up over the rail and powerful enough to push the dinghy easily into the wind while maxed out with four adult men and supplies aboard. I especially like the quiet and convewnience. I keep the spare fuel fresh by dumping it into the gas tank of my vehicle each month. All dinghys will tow easily in good weather if rigged properly. No dinghy should be towed in high winds. This makes stowability a primary concern. Final note: the Admrial likes the inflatable better than the hard for cruising, but also likes the "cute" hard dink so much she vetoed the sale of it. I think I'll rename it "Admiral's Barge"
Hi Jack, You really need to study the options, analyze your needs and then you can ask for recommendations for close questions. As an example, I'll relate my analysis on my new boat and my last boat. The last boat was a 1973 Cal 27-T/2. This is an IOR 1/2 ton design. Narrow transom, huge, flat foredeck. We daysail often...no dinghy needed; frequent weekends...seldom needed, and occaisional weeklong cruise...dinghy preferred and used as a tender for people and supplies in anchorages. As a result we opted for a wide, stable hard dinghy that can be boomed aboard with the spinaker pole and stowed on deck during rough weather transits. Our new boat is a Cat-320 with a huge cockpit locker. The sugar scoop transom is not suited to a hard dinghy. The swim platform is our 'back porch, deck and dock', so davits are not desirable for us. I have observed that most inflables stored while inflated tend to get pretty dirty, pretty quick. I am not fond of scrubbing time over sailing time, so I wanted one that was easy to store. I recognized that mine would be stored more than used, so Hypolon was not as high a priority and budget was...new commissioning expensesd mushroom fast. I was concerned about stability while loading and unloading and opted for a Zodiac with wood floors. After our first season, my reasoning has generally proved out. In retrospect though, I think I should have spent a little more and opted for a HPI floor. I was concerned about stability, (I weigh over 230) damage and the cost of floor replacement(lots of ouster shell and barnacles around here). I now think that the weight and storage advantages of the high pressure flooring probably outweigh those concerns. As for propulsion, I opted for a Yamaha 2.5 hp four-stroke. It is light enough to one-hand up over the rail and powerful enough to push the dinghy easily into the wind while maxed out with four adult men and supplies aboard. I especially like the quiet and convewnience. I keep the spare fuel fresh by dumping it into the gas tank of my vehicle each month. All dinghys will tow easily in good weather if rigged properly. No dinghy should be towed in high winds. This makes stowability a primary concern. Final note: the Admrial likes the inflatable better than the hard for cruising, but also likes the "cute" hard dink so much she vetoed the sale of it. I think I'll rename it "Admiral's Barge"
S
Steve Zweigart
Another option...
Before you "close the menu" on your options, check out the "Porta-bote" at attached link. I've been trying to make this decision myself, and am leaning heavily at this time toward the Porta-bote as a versatile answer to several needs, one of which is occasional need for a dink.
Before you "close the menu" on your options, check out the "Porta-bote" at attached link. I've been trying to make this decision myself, and am leaning heavily at this time toward the Porta-bote as a versatile answer to several needs, one of which is occasional need for a dink.
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