Dinghy for 28 footer

[fatherchronica]

I built our nesting dinghy, " Mintberry Crunch", for "Mana" and it sits on our foredeck when travelling, but we tow it when day hopping. I actually designed it myself from rules listed by Chappelle and Gardner, but there are plenty of free designs online. I used Ryobi 18 volt power tools and hand tools and framed it from douglas fir and douglas fir 1/4 inch cdx plywood, and used epoxy to glue and seal it. I framed it in a friends garden and sheeted it at a dock, and added a sailing rig on beaches as we cruised.

[Scout 30]

If you can get a Portland Pudgy up on the foredeck that would be worth considering. It's unsinkable, motors, rows, sails & you can get a life raft canopy for it.

[ZULU40]

When it comes to dinghys I'm not sure anyone can afford the space, we always seem to lose something. Cant see over it and it blocks off my forward hatch.

My attempt to solve this comes from 2 sources, the M4 Sherman amphibian, and the Titanic collapsible boat. Both of these nautical inventions have a rigid bottom, and collapsible sides.

Im proposing a custom rigid bottom dingy that fits 'closely' to my foredeck and cabin top, where the sides can collapse. The rigid base means it should drive and row well, the collapsible sides mean it should have higher freeboard and be safer in the sea while reducing the bulk.

The one hitch to this is the ability to carry an outboard, because an outboard needs a transom, ... or does it ..

[toddster8]

The fact is, there is no room on the foredeck of a 28-foot boat to store anything while under way. You need that space clear to safely operate the boat. Trying to stuff a dinghy up there creates a safety hazard, not a safety feature.
Options are poor:
Towing (in protected waters)
Something that deflates or folds to store - on the cabin top, on the lifelines, or below. I've seen a couple of versions of clever nesting dinghies that when lashed down on the cabin top, become the spray dodger. Interesting idea, but I'm not excited by the ones I've seen.

I've tried various other options, and the only one that I'm really comfortable taking into the Pacific is a deflated dinghy lashed down aft of the rudder post in my (somewhat oversized) cockpit. I have a Zodiac CFR340 (high pressure floor). Amazingly light for its size and large enough to take on day trips with SCUBA gear. I think it's lighter than the Walker Bay 8 that I used to lug around. On daysails or short trips I just keep an inflatable kayak in a locker or in a lifeline kayak rack. Or even just an inflatable SUP.

Zodiac sells a rapid-inflation kit for the dinghy that uses a SCUBA tank, but it's really expensive for what it is. Given that I would normally carry a couple of tanks anyway, I've thought of rigging up a DIY version. But it hasn't been a priority to date.

[Cheechako]

Port a bote, or small, quality inflatable should do you well. Inflatable will need to fit the foredeck. I had a hard dink on the foredeck of my 30 footer. I broke a couple ribs on it. The inflatable will prevent that. But it appears you are not doing a bunch of ocean sailing. Bahamas etc you should be fine.

[Dayo]

On my 27', I have a 10' Kayak. When offshore it is on deck Port side. I don't often go forward when offshore as a single handed sailor. I run a jackline starboard of the mast If I do need to go forward. the kayak sits low enough that it does not interfere with the jib. When on inland waters or short, calm runs off shore I mound it outside the stanchions and have clear decks.

[jcshaw]

Originally Posted by TreblePlink

I'll be sailing the Gulf of Mexico, Keys, and maybe Bahamas on a 28 x 8.5 foot boat, single-handed and with my wife. My boat, although equipped with 2 bilge pumps, faced with an uncontrollable leak, does not have enough flotation to prevent sinking.

I just don't see any way to have both an inflatable liferaft and separate dingy because storage is a real problem. I will have the Inreach sat text device, and possibly an Epirb. Inflatables are impossible to row, and slow to assemble and inflate when urgently needed.

About the only thing I've seen is this 36" wide plastic kayak, which would overwhelm one side of the deck, or have to be towed.

https://www.amazon.com/Lifetime-Tand...%3A35000-80000

What do others do on a small boat?

Bic sportyak 213. I have a Falmouth 26 and it works great. Buy it on Amazon. To see one inexpensive action go to off center and type Bic in the search area. Only weights 42 lbs. and will not sink.

[waterman46]

We used to ocean race our Cal29 in the coastal areas from SF to San Diego. This was before the new generation of GPS enabled emergency beacons but we did have one of the old 121 MHz models. We were required to carry a self inflating liferaft so we had a valise pack 4 person unit which lived in the cockpit just aft of the tiller. And since we wanted to do some cruising in the Channel Islands in SoCal after the races, we also carried a 10 ft Avon Redcrest which fit inside the lazarette under the cockpit seat. The Redcrest didn't have floorboards or a motor but we were happy to row it the short distances to shore.

Regardless of modern tech EPIRBs, don't rely on treading water until help comes. And there are reasons other than major leakage that may force you to abandon ship. What about fire or explosion?

BTW I still carry that same Redcrest in my 46ft boat as a spare in case my newer dink is stolen.

[Scout 30]

Originally Posted by waterman46

We used to ocean race our Cal29 in the coastal areas from SF to San Diego. This was before the new generation of GPS enabled emergency beacons but we did have one of the old 121 MHz models. We were required to carry a self inflating liferaft so we had a valise pack 4 person unit which lived in the cockpit just aft of the tiller. And since we wanted to do some cruising in the Channel Islands in SoCal after the races, we also carried a 10 ft Avon Redcrest which fit inside the lazarette under the cockpit seat. The Redcrest didn't have floorboards or a motor but we were happy to row it the short distances to shore.

Regardless of modern tech EPIRBs, don't rely on treading water until help comes. And there are reasons other than major leakage that may force you to abandon ship. What about fire or explosion?

BTW I still carry that same Redcrest in my 46ft boat as a spare in case my newer dink is stolen.

We used a Redcrest for 20 years & it was still going strong when we let it go when we sold one of our sailboats. Replaced it with a new Avon 3.4 with inflatable floor. Better boat but not nearly the same quality. Wish I'd held onto that Redcrest.

[waterman46]

And a sequel to that, I would not trust the life of my spouse to a normal dinghy masquerading as a liferaft. It's your decision, but I bet you could find room in your 28footer for an actual self inflating liferaft. A liferaft is designed to handle big seas and harsh weather. An open dinghy is easily capsized and is generally not designed to take the stress of large seas.

You didn't mention it but if cost is a problem then I truly understand your desire to eliminate an expensive item that one hopes never to use.

I would also be wary of advice that is prefaced with " well you are only going to the Bahamas".

[Don C L]

Well, I think you have the Rhodes Ranger 29, which is very similar to my boat. Over the years I have tried just about every kind of dinghy. If you want an outboard for the dinghy, then I'd get an inflatable with a transom that can either be rolled up or stowed inflated on the cabin top. What I use, since I didn't want the outboard, is a 14' whitewater inflatable kayak and I roll it up. It's tough and it has a good, pretty rigid inflatable floor. It's fast to paddle even into a headwind. It holds 850 lbs. (the whole family in our case) As far as towing a dinghy, my recommendation is DON'T, unless it is just for short distances in calm weather only. Getting any dinghy pulled up on deck if the wind and/or swell pipes up will likely cure you of the desire to tow, and it will slow a small boat like ours down noticeably too.

[alansmith]

Seems we have these discussions several times a month. Let me explain the Porte a Bote thing. It is made out of polypropylene. You can't puncture it like a tube dingy. It doesn't rot in the sun like many do over a decade. They fold flat...think about the size of a surfboard. I have even seen people mount them outside their lifelines. You can get them in different sizes. I think an 8' weighs in around 65 lbs. You can even get them with a lug rigged sail if you dig that sort of thing. They row well enough...try rowing a tube dingy 300 meters....they can be assembled in 10 minutes or less. They have a nice transom for hanging the 4 hp 2 stroker. They ain't cheap. But i think they are worth it. Also they can't be sunk. Rocky beaches...coral....unseen lurking hazards...you will not get shredded. Scratched...yes...Take a look at them...

[Pete7]

If yo want the dinghy inflated just in case then put it on the transom. If you are happy to have it deflated then roll it up tight and store it in the space just in front of the mast.

Agreed the foredeck isn't ideal and on ours the baby stay gets in the way.

Pete

[TreblePlink]

OP here.

Thanks all for the thoughtful variety of suggestions...
***

"You can hit anything you want in a Rhodes 28 and be fine. Now, if something hits you that can breach your hull, the breach will be the least of your worries."

Thanks, That's reassuring. It's an FRP Rhodes Venture 28 - similar to a Rhodes Ranger but with a swing keel and outboard in the lazarette.
***

"28 footer? Keep it simple."

Amen. And small. And light.

***

"Why would you ever have an UNCONTROLLABLE leak??? What sort of doomsday scenario are you envisaging? "


A previous reply suggested that my boat is sturdy enough to survive most forward collisions, but a bow hit below the waterline could conceivably hole below my Vberth water tank, where it would only be accessible from the outside? Then there's always the very mad swordfish...

***

"On my 27', I have a 10' Kayak. When offshore it is on deck Port side. I don't often go forward when offshore as a single handed sailor. I run a jackline starboard of the mast If I do need to go forward. the kayak sits low enough that it does not interfere with the jib. When on inland waters or short, calm runs off shore I mound it outside the stanchions and have clear decks. "


Interesting.

***

" What about fire or explosion? "

Good point. I will have propane outside the cabin, and a detector. And I'm paranoid about it settling in the bilge. But only an always-ready tender would help in this case.

***

"14' whitewater inflatable kayak"


I should look at that.

***

"If you want the dinghy inflated just in case then put it on the transom."


That is possible, but my boat tapers to about 5 feet wide there, and has less freeboard than the boat pictured.

Chris

[TreblePlink]

Originally Posted by akprb

The probability of you encountering this circumstance of sinking rapidly from hitting a submerged object is extremely low. The areas you mention are all warm water areas.
[...]

Interesting recent thread about another 28 footer sinking in Florida...

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...197254-10.html