Desperately Seeking Dinghy in the USVI

[hamburking]

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

If you can locate an old Avon Redcrest with its oars, on e-bay or craigslist, try that, [take a repair kit with you].

YES...AVON Redcrest...those things last forever. Mine never had a floor, so it rolled up small and light. Good for rowing...you'll get big muscles for your efforts.

[surb]

Originally Posted by keepondancin

What is with these people buying big boats, knowing nothing about what they are doing, going for the big adventure. Is it becoming a scam for a "Go Fund Me"? Wish this scam was around when I had $50k in medical bills for my late wife, 20% out of network, or when my inflatable died after 18 years, or two years ago when I had an emergency haul out when the hose on my rudder post burst, and I was taking on water, only 5 miles out. This used to be a cruisers forum, not a wannabe forum. Sailed most my life, cruised for 10, and I am still on the learning curve. Might be time to take a break from here. I like following cruisers helping cruisers, but not this nonsense.

Jeez man, people gotta start somewhere. Have a drink and settle down.

[brownoarsman]

Originally Posted by hamburking

YES...AVON Redcrest...those things last forever. Mine never had a floor, so it rolled up small and light. Good for rowing...you'll get big muscles for your efforts.

Seriously! After a couple of days of refinishing the floors, I was too annoyed to bother taking them out of the dinghy and collapsing the damn thing for my passage from marathon to the berries. So I towed it:


Hit some squalls and big waves during the three or four day passage and sacked out for five minutes every fifteen, not knowing if it would still be dragging around behind me when I woke up. Lo and behold though, couldn't shake the thing and here it is while I crossed the Bank!


Used it immediately on landing to avoid the $100 for four hours courtesy fee to check in at the marina docks and rowed around to the airport to find the customs agent!

Can't go wrong with an Avon!

P.s. chumbucket, my friendly and companionable pet dinghy, is a 1990 production. So 27 years on and still going strong (god I should have been an adman)

[Bulawayo]

Originally Posted by brownoarsman

Seriously! After a couple of days of refinishing the floors, I was too annoyed to bother taking them out of the dinghy and collapsing the damn thing for my passage from marathon to the berries. So I towed it:
Attachment 140176

Hit some squalls and big waves during the three or four day passage and sacked out for five minutes every fifteen, not knowing if it would still be dragging around behind me when I woke up. Lo and behold though, couldn't shake the thing and here it is while I crossed the Bank!
Attachment 140177

Used it immediately on landing to avoid the $100 for four hours courtesy fee to check in at the marina docks and rowed around to the airport to find the customs agent!

Can't go wrong with an Avon!

P.s. chumbucket, my friendly and companionable pet dinghy, is a 1990 production. So 27 years on and still going strong (god I should have been an adman)

That's an Avon Rover, right? We also have one (30 years old, but like new) that life's in a waterproof bag in the forepeak. It gets pumped up about once a year and then is rolled up until the following year. It's rolled to reduce creasing. We once had a Redcrest, the doughnut style, with the outboard bracket, but didn't like its floppiness. The Rover is a great emergency dinghy but they are now old in the tooth.

[brownoarsman]

Originally Posted by Bulawayo

That's an Avon Rover, right? We also have one (30 years old, but like new) that life's in a waterproof bag in the forepeak. It gets pumped up about once a year and then is rolled up until the following year. It's rolled to reduce creasing. We once had a Redcrest, the doughnut style, with the outboard bracket, but didn't like its floppiness. The Rover is a great emergency dinghy but they are now old in the tooth.

It is an Avon Rover (the 340 I believe)! I think design has passed them by, but not age, in that they are a pain to assemble but appear to last forever. Mine, fully assembled, weighs I think around 120 lbs with a three piece marine ply floor that a PO epoxied into a two piece marine ply floor which causes no end of stowage issues. It's so large compared to my boat, that I can only assemble the stern half of the floor and have to get to land to put in the bow section. Newer designs with slat or air floors are a fair bit easier, though likely less stiff. I think the rigid floor aids planing ability with a motor as well (was recently zipping about with my 6hp sail pro on the back after dropping the big boat off at the haul out yard for the winter).

That said, for an inflatable dink, it tows superbly with stout oarlocks. And if I were looking at a new PVC dink for $600 or a decades old Avon Rover for $250 (what I paid for mine), I'd go with the Rover every time.

[RickG]

Hi, we know St. John well and keep our boat in a marina on St. Thomas. A lot of the liveaboards get back and forth on a kayak. Its good enough. The option of buying a rollup dinghy in LA and bringing it along is a good one. Bt, you'll get the best deal on a dinghy buying a used one in the USVI. Budget Marine on St. Thomas can order you a dinghy, but it will be pricey.

If your new boat is in Great Cruz Bay then its on a mooring. Hopefully you'll get continued use of the mooring. FYI, moorings are not transferable, so the old owner will have to continue with the annual renewal. Otherwise, you're going to have to move the boat. Coral Bay is the only open anchorage on St. John. The nearest option is Christmas Cove at Great St. James.

Cheers, RickG

[ur2slo]

Originally Posted by RickG

If your new boat is in Great Cruz Bay then its on a mooring. Hopefully you'll get continued use of the mooring. FYI, moorings are not transferable, so the old owner will have to continue with the annual renewal. Otherwise, you're going to have to move the boat. Coral Bay is the only open anchorage on St. John. The nearest option is Christmas Cove at Great St. James.

Cheers, RickG

I'm bettin they missed that part!
Based on this typical type of thread history, doubt they will chime in again.

I honestly wish no harm to come to anyone, (well let me get back to u on that ) but the reality of it is ...........

Question Stupidity

it might help some one realize that it's not ok to be stupid

[goat]

Originally Posted by Pete7

Exactly, we all started on the first rung of the ladder.

Peeps, remember the first time you motored out of the harbour, sailed out of sight of land or arrived in a foreign country? Well there was probably some grumpy old crusty sailor in a Westsail 32 wondering what all the fuss is about as he wobbles about on deck with his WW2 sextant.

Pete

I believe boatman has a Van de Stadt, not a westsail.