How big of a Dinghy?

[Dr. Sea]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

The other day the wife and I were out on a ride and I commented on how nice a depth finder would be to have, you know to use it to "scout" for the bigger boat.

Just use a Hawkeye hand held electronic depth sounder. Much cheaper than a permanently mounted depth sounder and no installation required.

[powsmias]

Originally Posted by carlylelk

This has been really instructive, a big "thank you" to everyone for your comments.

I think we're going to wear out the roll-up dinghy we've got and keep an eye out for a good deal somewhere down the line. Your recommendations are going to be very helpful in giving us a head start on what is a good deal!

Thanks again,
Duane

get a pudgy..

[Bulawayo]

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

Hi, Bulawayo,

1. The dinghy started out as a Gemini (Swift alloy hull, but with South African - unfortunately- light duty hypalon tubes). First set of tubes set afire by thieves, but we got the hull and soot back. 2nd set of tubes by Gemini. Being light duty, the hypalon abrasion-wore, and commenced leaking. Replaced now with German PVC tubes, fabricated in China, an experiment for us, our first PVC, and we had made chaps for it by the time it was a few weeks old. We'll see how it lasts--it's not even a year, yet. [As an aside, I started a thread about the chaps, what I did that I hadn't seen before, was to sew retro-reflective piping around the perimeter so it really shows up at night if a torch light strikes it.]

2. The touring motor is a Yamaha 15, the "putzing" motor is a Johnson 3.3 (which we bought for the replacement/temporary dinghy when the Gemini was vandalized.) We do not have a deck crane, Jim manages the 15 with a lifting harness and myself on the halyard. The 3.3 is light enough he just manhandles it, as you know, but some of the less experienced cruisers might not.

Cheers,

Ann

Thanks, Anne. Fingers crossed for the PVC tubes.

[JPA Cate]

Thanks, Anne. Fingers crossed for the PVC tubes.

Yes, I know what you mean. It was a question of cost and the difficulty of sourcing good quality hypalon. Once DuPont lost the copyright on the stuff, and quit making it, there have been inflatable boat repair shops having difficulty sourcing reliably stable and thick hypalon. I am sure the Chinese could make it, as could any other industrial nation, but what with everyone cost-cutting in the extreme, we are told that sourcing it is really difficult, and when you can get it, in Australia, where we were at the time, it cost more than twice as much.

So, we regard this PVC as an experiment--and it may, therefore, not work out to our pleasure.

FWIW, this PVC seemed to be heavier weight than some I have seen in pvc dinghies. So, maybe with that (having more meat, so to speak), and the sacrificial chaps, maybe we'll get more than 5 yrs. out of it. By then, I'll be 80 yrs. old, and who knows how many more cruising years I have left, eh?

Cheers, mate,

Ann

[nhschneider]

Some people in Australia refer to inflatable dinghies as 'Crocodile Teething Rings' hence the popularity there of 'tinnies', all aluminum tenders.

When we were in Thailand, we purchased a locally-made, 3.1m dinghy called Cholamark Cholamark Dinghies Phuket and have been delighted with it. It's very stable - even at 20 knots - dry, surprisingly easy to row and shows very little wear, despite a year of hard use while we crossed the Indian Ocean. It's draw back is that it weighs 62kg and with a 35kg Yamaha 2-stroke outboard, it's tough for my wife and me to haul up on many beaches, despite the dinghy wheels we had installed.

Many cruisers refer to their dinghy as the 'family car' and I think it's an apt analogy. Many people when buying a car are concerned about their loved ones driving something safe and reliable. I think the same should apply to a dinghy choice.

Fair winds and calm seas.

[Hobie_ind]

Originally Posted by carlylelk

This has been really instructive, a big "thank you" to everyone for your comments.

I'm not sure if you're still following or not, but as we've got the same boat I thought I'd offer my thoughts anyway.

We've got a 10' Caribe CX-10 with a 15 hp as our primary. As we've got two teenagers we've also got an 8' rollup inflatable Zodiac with a 4 hp outboard for the teenagers. Both outboards go on brackets on aft quarter hoisted using a line through the blocks on the sides at the back of mizzen boom up to the block just below the spreader and back down to the electric main sheet winch on the mizzen mast. Probably the same as you do, but I've met a few Amel's with small outboards that didn't, so just in case.

The 8' rollup is sometimes carried on the aft deck for short trips, but is normally deflated in the lazarette for offshore.

The previous owner kept the 10 dinghy on the aft deck with the tubes deflated and rolled under at both ends so that it fit without interfering with the mizzen sheet traveller. Tried it....felt life was too short for that. So, we've got two choices for the 10'. On the davits (with 825 watts of solar - completely changed the boat, but that's a different story) without the outboard. We only use this for short trips but that's a personal preference I thinks some keep theirs on them offshore. I think the average SM is already stern heavy (love and hate that huge lazarette!) particularly with the solar and davits so for offshore we keep the dinghy on the foredeck for offshore.

Couple of tips for that. The lifting bridle I've got has two at the front and two at the back all run to a central shackle at the balance point with the outboard on. We use that to lift the dinghy and outboard at night on the spare halyard and leave it on the side resting on the starboard rubrail (dinghy theft was a big problem in much of the Caribbean so we generally also locked it to the rail while it was up there). To lift the dinghy onto the foredeck for storage with the outboard off I simply disconnect the two port side bridles from the lifting shackle and run the painter forward to the bow fair lead to hold it where I want it for lifting. Now when the dinghy is lifted, it comes up sideways then we just pull it forward a bit to clear the lower fwd stay, swing it onto the deck and drop it on its side. I find it stays on its side resting on the inside of the fwd stay generally and I can disconnect the halyard, tidy up the bridles, then lay it down and slide it back so the transom is back close to the mast then tie it down. Sorry if I'm stating the obvious here, but I've watched a few folks struggling with their dinghies on the foredeck, either lifting them by the painter, way up in the air and catching massive amounts of wind or upright and then having to flip them over. If there's minimal wind I easily do this singlehanded this way. If it's windy, it's easier with two people, but there's a cool trick using the pole that I've seen used that would even make that easy singlehanded.

In lieu of permanent wooden chocks on the deck, I now just use a couple partially deflated fenders under the stern to keep it from rubbing on the middle hatch in front of the mast. The front tube sits on the fwd cabin hatch and I just put a small patch of camping mattress foam on the hatch to protect the dinghy from chafe on the frame. A friend has an 11' dinghy and I plan on swinging it onto the foredeck (both upside down as I do now and upright with the outboard,as SV Delos does) to see how well it fits as we're thinking about changing ours out for an 11' in NZ.....the kids keep growing and with 4 aboard and full gear the 10' won't plane for those further away dive/snorkelling sites!

Lots of options! Gotta love it! By the way......great choice of boats ;-)

[Terra Nova]

Many common dinghies don't row well, but do very well all the rest of the things for which we need one. A 3-4 hp outboard can propel my Avon much faster than I can row and farther than I could endure. 3.5 hp just barely planes it with only myself. If I have to slow down when loaded that's OK.

Having a dinghy that will plane, solo, is one thing; one that will plane while heavily loaded, another. Speed costs money. On a large yacht it is usually easy to find space to carry a high speed dinghy and the machinery necessary to handle it. On more modestly sized yachts the size, windage and weight of one can be overwhelming.

Originally Posted by Dr. Sea

Just use a Hawkeye hand held electronic depth sounder. Much cheaper than a permanently mounted depth sounder and no installation required.

That looks ideal for float tube fishing.

[CdS2 Roland]

Hello,
After 6 years sailing around the world and 3 dinghies, I would : the biggest you can store safe on board, with the biggest engine you can lift. We have now a 10 feet AB aluminium RIB, with a 20HP/4 stroke (same weight and size than a 15HP). With each size of dinghy you are doing things you can't do with the smaller...

[Terra Nova]

Originally Posted by CdS2 Roland

...the biggest you can store safe on board, with the biggest engine you can lift...

...says the guy with a 56' boat.

[Cheechako]

The 10 Ft RIB is the overwhelming choice for cruisers. I've had 9 and 10 ft while out cruising. The 10 ft is much more stable dry boat.

[JPA Cate]

I just wanted to add that the tube diameter size really affects how dry the dinghy is in use. Tube diameter of 18" is way, way dryer than 16", and so on. Since our dinghies are sort of all purpose vehicles, like a pickup truck in a way, used for hauling water, fuel, groceries and laundry, their ability to assist dryness matters in cruising.

Ann

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

I know your right, just I guess have a problem with wheels on a boat. The other day the wife and I were out on a ride and I commented on how nice a depth finder would be to have, you know to use it to "scout" for the bigger boat. Now wheels?

I already bought a trailer to take it home for the winter, it has it's own registration.
I wonder when you just say to heck with it and get a little one with I don't know, oars?

Just kidding really

Yeah, pretty soon, your dingy starts being like a second yacht. Wheels, big OB, Oars, emergency bag, Dol-fins, anchor, fuel tank, tiller extension, depth sounder....
Depends on the situation I guess. It's all a trade off. Not had the wheels but wished I did a couple times for sure. They would be almost necessary on rocky, barnacle crusted beaches.

[CaptainBW]

At least 10 feet with an engine big enough to plane with 2 people (different with each dinghy). Anything smaller and you will be wishful that you had something bigger.

[RKsailsolo]

Originally Posted by carlylelk

I was looking at the AB "Lumina" (aluminum hulls). They're light, and I would think durable for beaching. Have you had any experience with them?

Duane

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...be-144996.html

[River Cruiser]

I have a 17' Logic Marine center console with a 50 hp Merc 2 stroke, I like the size and the speed available when needed. It is about as maintenance free as anything I've ever seen, and the hull can take a beating without any damage. They used to make a dingy that looked like a rib of the same tuff material, a friend had one and I thought it would be a excellent dingy. I don't know if they kept making it after Genmar bought them out and changed the name to Triumph. http://www.boats.com/on-the-water/lo...me-technology/


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