Will I Regret Buying a Rowing Dinghy ?

[troppo]

My experience with cruising is limited. However, I have decades of experience in various dinghys and kayaks. When I bought my boat last year, it came with a battered ply dinghy which was surprisingly easy to row. I enjoy rowing but had not done any for a couple of years. Initially I wished I had a motor. However, after some weeks, either the distances mysteriously shrunk or I mysteriously developed some muscle. It was when I overheard my wife telling someone that my upper body was starting to look a bit sexy with proper man curves (I guess instead of man-boobs) that I decided I really liked rowing.

So, for me, I would prefer to row a dinghy as (1) I am healthier and happy when I can do regular exercise, (2) I enjoy rowing (usually), (3) no outboard means one less thing to maintain and keep secure, (4) my dinghy being glass on ply is rugged so I don't care about scrapes.

The disadvantages for me are, (1) I can't store the dinghy on my little yacht, (2) when going shopping from my anchored yacht I am sometimes very sweaty by the time I have rowed to shore, (3) when I am tired or the tide is ripping or the distance is extra far, I may change my plans on going to shore, (4) it takes discipline for me to do exercise, to be patient and not always in a hurry, and sometimes I struggle to be disciplined.

You asked "Will I regret buying a rowing dinghy?", and my reply is, yes, you are likely to regret it at some time, probably when you have a sore arm and you are anchored way out from where you want to row to and the wind and tide are against you. Or you may regret rowing when you see the swishy inflatable with fancy outboard zipping past you into the beach and getting admiring glances from the ladies. However, if you are like me, the advantages of rowing far outweigh the disadvantages and overall, you may be overwhelmingly pleased to row.

[sabray]

i regretted using a air floor when the engine died and i had to row never regretted rowing Added a sculling notch in the transom

[Mirar]

Hi all, couldn't resist my two cents. On our cruises we have always taken a good rowing skiff and on the last two year jaunt to the South P. we took a Joel White shellback and an Avon airfloor c/w 8hp johnston. The Shellback was such a joy to row, did about 5kts with a two hp outboard with two people in it, could take it in and out of just about any beach conditions and nobody wanted to steal it. In the two years we had the airfloor on board we used it one week so decided to sell it in the Marquesas to a couple that lost theirs. This was basically a brand new Avon and the airfloor completely fell apart when we showed it to them. Glad we never relied on that sucker! A row boat will never let you down. For our new alloy cutter we are looking for another great rowing design, perhaps the Pooduck by Joel White as well, or perhaps a Susan skiff that rows and planes with a small outboard. Not that I don't love going fast in a sexy inflatable, just that there are viable alternatives.
cheerio,greg

[barnakiel]

Deck space permitting, a proper (and preferably light) rowing dink is a dream to have.

For convenience, for the pleasure of rowing, for the aesthetics.

b.

[Minggat]

Originally Posted by Minggat

While I do seriously enjoy my WB, my "Go Fast" gets more useful miles on it.

Many important advantages to having 2 dinks. That's a whole other thread.

.

I think Jim Crate put it best (post #15)

Each has their pros and cons. After all I said in my previous post, If I had to choose one, it would be a RIB. But I would be making that choice knowing that I would be choosing practical (IMHO) over favorite.

[capnorv]

We've had a 8' fiberglass dinghy(no motor) for 8 years, but unfortunately with 4 of us we've ran out of freeboard in the daggerboard trunk. When we got our new boat, no dinghy and seatrial was going to be 100 miles, so I bought a Westmarine dirigible. It now nests in the hard dinghy on the aft cabin alongside the oars. When we go out this summer we'll have a 10' rowboat and the dirigible with a small electric. A friend of mine who spent 7 years out with his family said get the largest dink you can fit on your boat and row, he carried a 14'. I think thats as sound as advice today as the70's.

[boden36]

We have an 8 ft pram rowing dinghy and a 2hp outboard to use when we are feeling lazy.
The dinghy stows upside down ahead of the mast and goes over the forehatch which is a big plus. (fits behind the inner forestay easily).
This setup has worked well for us.
Regards,
Richard.

[biminijimini]

I have read books on cruising boats and almost all of them stated to buy the largest and biggest horsepower equipped that you can safety carry aboard your vessel.. I have a 13ft Boston Whaler with a 40HP Merc that is raised with a 1500# overhead crane along with a 9ft inflatable with a 5hp for a backup.

[North26West80]

I have a 8' hard dink and I like it. Sometimes I row, sometimes use 2hp motor.

One criteria of mine is to be able dingy out an extra anchor in 30+ knots of wind. I've done before by rowing a hard dink and its not that hard and not much to go wrong. With the right motor, you can do this in an inflatable to, but you are in a bad spot if the motor quits or tangles in the anchor line.

[Dame.n.Jess]

Originally Posted by Boracay

I row out to Boracay almost every day using a 2m fibreglass dinghy, and when my SO comes we use a 9' aluminium dinghy, also rowing (made 2m oars, commercial ones too short).

We've tried an airfloor with a 5hp outboard. Just too heavy, cumbersome, desirable and fragile round Sydney.

So as I row out each day I dream of the perfect dinghy. So far it must be:-
* 20 Kg or less
* stable (at least 1.2m beam)
* row well
* be durable
* have noticeable untheif properties
* take a small outboard (2hp) with integral tank.
* have highly social fenders.
* be boardable from the water (like an inflatable).
.

I like this list

Have a look at my design below, this is what im thinking of building for our boat.

the main feature im hoping to create is
maximum stability (hence cat design and long waterline)
A bow cut out to allow the boat to sit behind the mast with each hull protruding forward past the mast.
A centre sitting position allowing easy fore and aft body adjustment to effect better trim.
Protective 'D' section rubber gunwales to look after our yacht paintwork.

Does anyone know of a company selling small dinghies that would suit these requirements? and save me from building a boat if I don't have to.

[Mirar]

To Dame and Jess, The design you have shown regarding a good dinghy makes me ask if you have ever experienced a real rowing boat. The stern on the catamaran hull will drag all the waters of the oceans behind it, causing it to come to an abrupt halt as soon as you lift your oar out of the water. That is strictly a power boat design,from my eye anyways. It is dificult to find a design that does it all. That's why many cruisers carry two totally different craft aboard.
greg

[Dame.n.Jess]

Originally Posted by Mirar

To Dame and Jess, The stern on the catamaran hull will drag all the waters of the oceans behind it, causing it to come to an abrupt halt as soon as you lift your oar out of the water.
greg

I do get that it would drag the ocean along with it, however my 7ft tender has no rocker and with the weight of one person in it (let alone any stores or my wife) the flat transom is 4-6 inches in the water, so i'm wondering if it is really that big a deal as the current tender rows well enough. i'm after one dinghy that will do as much of this list as possible, knowing there will need to be compromises.

[Boracay]

Dame.n.jess
If I had the time I'd build an experimental cat dinghy.

They are made at the moment but they are heavy so the challenge is to get the weight down to what might be manageable.

I'm figuring that if it can be made from two sheets of 7mm pine ply then weight may come under the magic 20Kg but it would be a challenge to fine good quality sheets. Using 5mm marine ply may be more practical.

My current dinghy is a 2.04 x 1.12 x 0.47 pram weighing about 27 Kg. It rows OK but is down in the bow with one person rowing.

My very suspect calculations imply that the amas need to be submerged to 300 x 300 x 2000 each to give the required buoyancy. Being able to shift weight round for one or two people, or when using an outboard would be a big help.

Ideally the beam needs to be more than 1.2m. 1.5 would be nice but cumbersome.

I can't see why a cat dinghy with simple box amas would not work. As I said before, the challenge is to build light and strong.

Having said all that my thoughts are that this is a dinghy for short trips in calm waters.

[sctpc]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

G'Day Greg,

but here's what we do on I-2: Our RIB (Gemini alloy hull, 47 kg empty, 3.5 M nominal LOA) is carried on deck, upside down, deflated and between the mast and the baby stay. We lift it up bow first with the spinny halyard, lower it on deck to about 45 degrees, let the air out and then suck the remnants out with an electric in/deflater,

Jim and Ann s/v Insatiable II lying Towlers Bay, NSW, Oz

Jim how do you pull it out without scratching the boat?
mine is in the same spot but it takes 3 males to lift it on deck (shes only a 31ft) this is why I dont use my hard dink.

[Minggat]

Originally Posted by sctpc

...how do you pull it out without scratching the boat?

Unless I'm seriously missing something, the inflated chambers on the RIB are going to be protecting the boat. Your hard dink, not having chambers or other "fenders" is going to scratch it.

That is one thing about hard dinks to consider. Another one is the bump in the night thing they can do if not set up to prevent it (fenders/davits every night/whatever).

Before I put the flotation on my Walker Bay (and before I set up my davits for it), the bump and scratch drove me nuts. It only had to happen one excursion before I figured out that something needed to change.

In addition to the flotation, I also rigged up a 3 point harness for it and now can pick it up with a halyard. The Walker Bay may just be lighter than your hard dink (70 lbs), but I also can pick up my old heavier inflatable in the same way (without the engine because that would be scratching things).

Each one has it's own harness to keep from having to adjust from one to the other. Just made them from extra old line and 3 snap hooks (each harness) that I already had.