Dinghy and motor size for self rescue

[tbodine88]

Have a Ericson 38. 5 foot draft considering a new dinghy and motor.

Supposing I go a ground in sand or just barely on a reef and want to pull the boat off what size dinghy and motor should be looking for.

I'd also like to be able to carry the dingy on the bow.

Thanks in advance
Tom bodine

[DocBrauer]

I believe you mean length not draft..

[Don C L]

Well, if it were me, I'd think in terms of a dinghy that can easily carry an anchor and rode out on a windy night, and then winch the boat off as the tide rises (hopefully.) I think a 6hp is the max you can wrestle around if your dinghy is on the bow, and that's not going to do more than you own boat's engine will accomplish.

[hellosailor]

What DL said.
Otherwise, if you really want to use brute force and power it off, get the biggest RIB that will fit and the biggest engine it can be rated for. Maybe 40-50hp with the prop replaced by one that has excessive torque rather than the usual speed. An expensive exercise, compares to what DL said.
Or maybe a good garage floor jack, and just lift the bow up so it can slide off?(G)

[Jim Cate]

We have been able to help folks off the putty by heeling the grounded boat: a masthead halyard taken to our 3.5 m RIB w/ yamaha 15 engine. Grounded boat uses own engine to move off, once heeled over.

Don't think any dinghy will have enough bollard pull to drag a yacht off via brute force.

Jim

[tbodine88]

Originally Posted by DocBrauer

I believe you mean length not draft..

No Man, The length of the boat is 38 foot. The draft is 5 foot.

I have been stuck in sand in Florida and was pulled off by a 20 foot Ski boat with a 120 HP motor as I recall.

I have 12 feet between the main mast and the fore stay. So I guess I can carry a 10 foot dinghy. I feel that a ten foot dinghy will not carry such a large motor, plus getting it off the dingy and onto the boat would be difficult.

I could install a dinghy lift.

sorry about the spelling. Spell check doesn't work well when I use the phone app.

[tbodine88]

Originally Posted by Don C L

Well, if it were me, I'd think in terms of a dinghy that can easily carry an anchor and rode out on a windy night, and then winch the boat off as the tide rises (hopefully.) I think a 6hp is the max you can wrestle around if your dinghy is on the bow, and that's not going to do more than you own boat's engine will accomplish.

I had one of those, a walker bay 8' with a 2 HP motor. It was useful for carrying the anchor out. I did use it to kedge off a couple of times. Sometimes when bad weather is coming and one wants to get off quickly a stronger motor might be desirable.

[tbodine88]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

We have been able to help folks off the putty by heeling the grounded boat: a masthead halyard taken to our 3.5 m RIB w/ yamaha 15 engine. Grounded boat uses own engine to move off, once heeled over.

Don't think any dinghy will have enough bollard pull to drag a yacht off via brute force.

Jim

Thanks, this is a good idea

[JPA Cate]

tbodine88,

We had a 36 footer, not an Ericson, but we were able to manage a 15 horse o/b, using a sling and the main halyard, kept the o/b on a mount on the pushpit, under way. We have always carried the biggest dinghy we could handle that we could fit on deck, non longer than 13 ft., that one we rolled up it's skin, and lashed it down, the other bits, the floor boards, etc., stowed below. It is our pickup truck for errands, and our patrol boat for exploring. However, such dinghies are expensive, and lesser ones will have more trouble with the type of rescues you're discussing. Good luck with it, it can be a difficult decision.

On another subject, you might add your Ericson 38 to the West Wight Potter in your avatar, so that people tailor their answers according to their knowledge of the vessel in question.

Ann

[a64pilot]

We are 38’ and have an AB 10 AL, which I think is 10’6”. We have a Suzuki 20 HP.
I pulled several boats off of groundings in Key West, it seems to be a pastime down there, to see if you could ground your retractable keel 25 ish sailboat.
We had our Zodiac 310 there, but same motor. A couple of the little sailboats were a serious Job to get off with my dinghy, pulling first one way then the next.
A 38’ cruising Boat? No way I could do anything with that, carry out the anchor is best option I have, cause I don’t want to be in the dinghy heeling the Boat over with the Wife at the helm. I’d rather carry out the Fortress and use the Halyard winch to heel us over.

Luckily I’ve not yet had to do that or call for a tow.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by Don C L

Well, if it were me, I'd think in terms of a dinghy that can easily carry an anchor and rode out on a windy night, and then winch the boat off as the tide rises (hopefully.) I think a 6hp is the max you can wrestle around if your dinghy is on the bow, and that's not going to do more than you own boat's engine will accomplish.

[SteveSadler]

A 10' rib and 15hp is a wise choice. No dingy will have sufficient hp to tow your boat when hard aground. But it will heel you over nicely, take out kedging anchors, and spin the boat sideways to help it come off. it fits nicely on your foredeck, tracks well when towed, and light enough for my wife to grind it over the lifelines with the halyard winch with the engine still attached. We set our 12'/ 20hp rib on fenders on deck with the engine beside the mast. Leading it to the windlass is also an option. Tie down pad eyes may need to be installed as the biggest problem is keeping it from moving around.