I have read with great intrest the posts about different kinds of dinks. It seems some like the hard ones some the inflatables. We have a h23 and have a small inflatable raft with an electric motor on it. The inflatable we have is just a rubber raft (Fish Hunter)We mostly lake sail and usually spend 10 days or so in the San Juan Islands. I have been wanting to go with a hard shell like a WB 8'. Some say they are tippy which my wife doesn't want. We were thinking of towing it or it will barely fit on the foredeck if we choose to. I was wondering if anybody has any comments for me or things I should consider. Thanks for any input Rob Morton
- Status
Preferred bottom
We have been thinking about an inflatable and flip flopped on various materials, optimal length and bottoms (inflatable, wood vs aluminum slats). We don't have a motor yet so it would be an entire package purchase. I loke the stowability of the inflatables.
We have been thinking about an inflatable and flip flopped on various materials, optimal length and bottoms (inflatable, wood vs aluminum slats). We don't have a motor yet so it would be an entire package purchase. I loke the stowability of the inflatables.
what do you intend to do with the dingy?
You indicated you wanted to bring it along but what are you using it for. Restroom breaks for the pet, safety stuff like putting out a kedge, rowing ashore after anchoring out, puttering around exploring, letting the kids putter around exploring, kids sailing in it? I'd say as a minimum you should be able to put a kedge anchor in it and row/motor out 300' into a stiff breeze and some chop. That is just a safety requirement I have for my dinghy. If you sail exclusively in protected waters you could lighten up on the wind and chop requirement. Other than that I'd say: inflatables are great, stable, fast with a motor, can be stored below if necessary and are unsinkable. They are also hard to row and cannot be sailed. Hard shell are great too, they are easy to row and go in a straight line, can be outfitted to sail, tend to last longer but they are tippier and while some are unsinkable they don't have much buoyancy when "sunk". I personally prefer hard shell sailing dinghy as the kids get a real kick out of capsizing her and they are tired after playing in it. This is REAL important to having a peacefull night at anchor with three boys. It all fits together and no one thing can take precedence. A dinghy is an important part of your boat and should complement the rest of it. Also you can try putting it on the foredeck but I'm pretty sure it is going to have issues. I'm thinking size, effort getting it stashed there, sail trim interference issues and windage up front messing with the sail/boat balance. With smaller boats these things are harder to do and there is no reason you can't tow it if it doesn't work stowed on deck.
You indicated you wanted to bring it along but what are you using it for. Restroom breaks for the pet, safety stuff like putting out a kedge, rowing ashore after anchoring out, puttering around exploring, letting the kids putter around exploring, kids sailing in it? I'd say as a minimum you should be able to put a kedge anchor in it and row/motor out 300' into a stiff breeze and some chop. That is just a safety requirement I have for my dinghy. If you sail exclusively in protected waters you could lighten up on the wind and chop requirement. Other than that I'd say: inflatables are great, stable, fast with a motor, can be stored below if necessary and are unsinkable. They are also hard to row and cannot be sailed. Hard shell are great too, they are easy to row and go in a straight line, can be outfitted to sail, tend to last longer but they are tippier and while some are unsinkable they don't have much buoyancy when "sunk". I personally prefer hard shell sailing dinghy as the kids get a real kick out of capsizing her and they are tired after playing in it. This is REAL important to having a peacefull night at anchor with three boys. It all fits together and no one thing can take precedence. A dinghy is an important part of your boat and should complement the rest of it. Also you can try putting it on the foredeck but I'm pretty sure it is going to have issues. I'm thinking size, effort getting it stashed there, sail trim interference issues and windage up front messing with the sail/boat balance. With smaller boats these things are harder to do and there is no reason you can't tow it if it doesn't work stowed on deck.
Intended uses
We usually anchor out and use the dinghy for getting to shore as well as exploring coves etc. I enjoy rowing but we still have the motor for use, which as you know you can't row an inflatable very well. I was concerned about what it would be like having a dink on the bow. I was thinking about being able to put it there for trailering and if for some reason you could'nt tow it. We also want to be able to pull crab rings etc. with it. I just want to make the right decision and at times its hard weighing all the pros and cons. Thanks for your input. Rob Morton S/V Euphoria
We usually anchor out and use the dinghy for getting to shore as well as exploring coves etc. I enjoy rowing but we still have the motor for use, which as you know you can't row an inflatable very well. I was concerned about what it would be like having a dink on the bow. I was thinking about being able to put it there for trailering and if for some reason you could'nt tow it. We also want to be able to pull crab rings etc. with it. I just want to make the right decision and at times its hard weighing all the pros and cons. Thanks for your input. Rob Morton S/V Euphoria
I only want inflatables because.....
Inflatable boats, that is. My last inflatable doll had too many patches, but thats another story. Anyway, back to inflatable boats. Inflatable boats are extremely stable. I can stand my fat 220 lbs on the edge of the inflatable and not roll it over. Getting from a sailboat to a dinghy is somewhat of a skill that females have a problem with. Men tend to recognise the problem and step quickly in one continuous motion. Women on the other hand, tend to be more cautious. They tend to step on the dinghy and wait to see what happens before continuing with their mission of boarding. This is the part that gets them in trouble because of the instability of a dink. In any bit of a chop, this task becomes increasingly difficult and risky. The inflatable, if tied tightly to the sailboat, will not tip or rock. My 10' inflatable has an inflatable floor. I bought it when i had my catalina 30. Now that i have a larger boat, i wish i had gotten the rigid bottom inflatable for obvious reasons.
Inflatable boats, that is. My last inflatable doll had too many patches, but thats another story. Anyway, back to inflatable boats. Inflatable boats are extremely stable. I can stand my fat 220 lbs on the edge of the inflatable and not roll it over. Getting from a sailboat to a dinghy is somewhat of a skill that females have a problem with. Men tend to recognise the problem and step quickly in one continuous motion. Women on the other hand, tend to be more cautious. They tend to step on the dinghy and wait to see what happens before continuing with their mission of boarding. This is the part that gets them in trouble because of the instability of a dink. In any bit of a chop, this task becomes increasingly difficult and risky. The inflatable, if tied tightly to the sailboat, will not tip or rock. My 10' inflatable has an inflatable floor. I bought it when i had my catalina 30. Now that i have a larger boat, i wish i had gotten the rigid bottom inflatable for obvious reasons.
Rob
We sailed the San Juans with a dink several times in a 26ft Mac. We started out with an 8' cheap dink that had an inflatable floor. It was very easy to store inside the Mac when not needed and could be inflated and deployed easily since it was so light. However; that is the end of the good news. Getting into and out of the sucker was a chore and I considered it dangerous when my 80+ year old mother-in-law came to visit. Once while getting into it my wife fell into the 50 degree water and "tested her inflatable PFD". Also it rowed like an inner tube and in strong winds it was chore to get back to the boat from the shore. Our second boat is a 10' Zodiac with wood floor and inflatable keel and 6hp Tohatsu motor. This boat we tow. Very stable when getting into and out of. The keel helps directional stability, although it is still not as good as a hard bottom and it is much harder to store inside. We always just towed it. Bottom line: Smaller boat is easily stored, but not as good when in the water. Larger boat must be towed, but very stable getting into and out of and works much better in the water. Mother-in-law now 87 has no problems! I am not pushing Zodiacs per-se. There are many good boats out there. I am suggesting that when using a boat in 50 degree water the ability to get into and out of it should be high on your list of things to think about. Some type of a keel will make it easier to row/power.
We sailed the San Juans with a dink several times in a 26ft Mac. We started out with an 8' cheap dink that had an inflatable floor. It was very easy to store inside the Mac when not needed and could be inflated and deployed easily since it was so light. However; that is the end of the good news. Getting into and out of the sucker was a chore and I considered it dangerous when my 80+ year old mother-in-law came to visit. Once while getting into it my wife fell into the 50 degree water and "tested her inflatable PFD". Also it rowed like an inner tube and in strong winds it was chore to get back to the boat from the shore. Our second boat is a 10' Zodiac with wood floor and inflatable keel and 6hp Tohatsu motor. This boat we tow. Very stable when getting into and out of. The keel helps directional stability, although it is still not as good as a hard bottom and it is much harder to store inside. We always just towed it. Bottom line: Smaller boat is easily stored, but not as good when in the water. Larger boat must be towed, but very stable getting into and out of and works much better in the water. Mother-in-law now 87 has no problems! I am not pushing Zodiacs per-se. There are many good boats out there. I am suggesting that when using a boat in 50 degree water the ability to get into and out of it should be high on your list of things to think about. Some type of a keel will make it easier to row/power.
Thanks guys!
Thanks for all the input. After reading about the "tippyness" of the hardshells the admiral really wants to keep with the inflatable. It probably is the better way to go considering storage etc. Thanks again. Rob Morton S/V Euphoria
Thanks for all the input. After reading about the "tippyness" of the hardshells the admiral really wants to keep with the inflatable. It probably is the better way to go considering storage etc. Thanks again. Rob Morton S/V Euphoria
One more thought...
We have a Water Tender (9 1/2') hard-shell. It's square-nosed, so some people don't like the looks, but it's as stable (or more) than any inflatable I've ever been in. At 220#, I can literally stand on the bow and not take on water, and if there are two adults on the same side, standing up, it's stability is a thing of beauty. I hate tippy dinks (as does the Admiral) and this was a great fit for us. It rows very well and motors well too. As an added bonus it follows us around like a puppy dog when we sail or motor. It weighs about 100 pounds, so I can easily go to the beach, flip her over, tug her into the water and be on my way in about 5 minutes... It's pretty easy to get onto the top of the Jeep and home for winter storage. Just another thought... Dave Crowley s/v Wind Dreamer II
We have a Water Tender (9 1/2') hard-shell. It's square-nosed, so some people don't like the looks, but it's as stable (or more) than any inflatable I've ever been in. At 220#, I can literally stand on the bow and not take on water, and if there are two adults on the same side, standing up, it's stability is a thing of beauty. I hate tippy dinks (as does the Admiral) and this was a great fit for us. It rows very well and motors well too. As an added bonus it follows us around like a puppy dog when we sail or motor. It weighs about 100 pounds, so I can easily go to the beach, flip her over, tug her into the water and be on my way in about 5 minutes... It's pretty easy to get onto the top of the Jeep and home for winter storage. Just another thought... Dave Crowley s/v Wind Dreamer II
One more thought
On a lake, other than the Great lakes , a heavy solid dink might work great, but if on a large body of water, there may be (actually, will be ) a time that the dink needs to come out of the water and up on deck, and quickly at that. I personally never lost a dink, but I know several people that have. They were swamped and sunk or broke loose. This is where dinghy davits create a whole nuther debate.
On a lake, other than the Great lakes , a heavy solid dink might work great, but if on a large body of water, there may be (actually, will be ) a time that the dink needs to come out of the water and up on deck, and quickly at that. I personally never lost a dink, but I know several people that have. They were swamped and sunk or broke loose. This is where dinghy davits create a whole nuther debate.
Inflatable
Ron, we went thru the same debate at the beginning of last season. Long story short, I bought one of the new Mercury sport model inflatable (inflatable keel) and a 3.5 hp Tohatsu outboard and it has been great. We have stowed it on the foredeck, towed it behind and it is light enough to lift and put in the dinghy rack at the marina. Like someone else said, our original plan was to deflate and inflate every trip, but we didn't find that practical. The solid flooring is a real chore putting together and taking apart, so one assembled, we leave assembled until the end of the season.
Ron, we went thru the same debate at the beginning of last season. Long story short, I bought one of the new Mercury sport model inflatable (inflatable keel) and a 3.5 hp Tohatsu outboard and it has been great. We have stowed it on the foredeck, towed it behind and it is light enough to lift and put in the dinghy rack at the marina. Like someone else said, our original plan was to deflate and inflate every trip, but we didn't find that practical. The solid flooring is a real chore putting together and taking apart, so one assembled, we leave assembled until the end of the season.
- Status