Fast Sailing Dinghy as Tender?

[Franziska]

Hi,

looking for the impossible :-) here.

While I enjoy sailing my 35ft cruising cat, I sometimes dearly miss dinghy sailing.
I love pushing my Laser Radial to the limits.
Still, it's to big and impractical to be used as a tender.

Currently I have a 2.45m Terhi hardbottom dinghy which can be rowed and motored (4Hp) but does not sail at all.

I am looking for a dinghy which can be sailed well enough, almost as good and sporty as the Laser (sidedecks for proper hiking!),can be modified to be used with the 4Hp outboard and can be rowed as well.
Looks and feel sporty.

CRITERIA:
*Max Loa 2.90m
*Should be able to carry max two persons and a large backpack.
*Fast sailing with one person (1.74m, 65-70kg),wide sidedecks.
*Sailarea about 4-5m2
*Free standing rig
*Not too tippy.
*Hardbottom.
*4Hp Outboard
*Rowable
*Reasonable freeboard

So far I looked at:

*Zoom 8 Dinghy (would need modifications, might be too tippy)
*RS Tera (fear I am to tall&heavy)
*Laser Bug (fear I am to tall&heavy)

Do you have any other dinghy tenders who might fit in mind?
I can reinforce with an extra strong transom or the like.

I am aware that it is a compromise almost impossible to find, but maybe someone knows of something suitable.

Thanks!

[SailingPNW]

You might want to check out the pt11, not sure if it's fast enough for you, and I think it has a max 2hp, but it might be about the right size.

http://ptwatercraft.com/


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[Jim Cate]

A lot depends on what you mean by a "tender". If it is a toy that you sail around on Sunday arvo in your weekend anchorage, then sure, some of those suggested boats might well work for you.

If you mean a tender for a cruising boat, I think not. When you depend upon your tender to move all people fuel, water and goods from shore to boat, especially keeping at least some of that stuff dry, well, it is hard to beat an inflatable or a normal hard rowing dinghy with a bit of freeboard and lots of reserve buoyancy.

Enlighten us further...

Jim

[laika]

Just a quick lob over the plate..an inflatable windsup (wind surfer / paddleboard)..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7QYAMmLrSU

I fear it satisfies almost none of your criteria however

This was the practical solution for a sailing / touring / thrill-seeking / fair-weather sometimes dinghy for my vessel.

[Franziska]

To the enlightenment ;-)

I am looking for a classic compromise and am well aware of the requirements for a tender,which the boat should fulfill.
See criteria.

That's why I am not really convinced of the Zoom for example.

The compromise would be to carry 2+backpack when rowed,not 3-4 as normal.
Rowing of such a boat would be naturally more easy as it has a finer entry.
Small outboard is enough.

Still most tender type dinghies have no wide sidedecks.

If the Zoom would be a little more stable and have marginal more freeboard it would be close.

I'm looking for something which can be used reasonably well as Tender but can be sailed with fun in a sportive way too (hiking comfortably is one of the features needed to be possibly to do so).

Regarding dryness.I could mount a drybag or drum in the bow.
Or have an enclosed bow with a dry space doubling as flotation chamber.

Basically this thread is about seeing what's on the market, and of what I may not be aware of.
Sure there are others who would like something like what I describe.
If there is nothing suitable I will draw one myself or modify something close to what I want.

Sent from my C6603 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[micah719]

If you're not frightened of building it yourself, try this:

Daniel's Boat - John Welsford Small Craft Design

Or one of the other small boat designs on JW's page. Send him a mail about stretching a shorter boat, or shrinking a bigger one to fit.

[Gravy26]

How about a Fatty Knees?

Fatty Knees Dinghy Design: A solid dinghy that's fun to sail

[mikehmc]

having sailed me walker bay with 'performance' sailing package for the last three years, i am interested in this thread.

it is an ok inshore dinghy (3 peeps, or two peeps and two crabpots), pretty stable, light, and rows ok. but it is too light (just thin plastic) to take more than a 2hp. seems like anything less than a plane is just fast rowing by motor to me.

even though i sail it alot it is sort of a joke to sail.. have sailed it backwards a few times. it is fun in a fair wind (10-15). and we have sailed many times touring anchorages with two adults and a teen. a crowd for sure. I am not recommending it for your purpose, but it is not a broken idea.

BUT, my original goal was the same as yours. some excitement in sailing off the mothership. it met the purpose. But in the end we dont sail it enough to justify carrying the spars around with us on our little islander 30.

and now, i want to get up on a plane. I have offered it as a trade to a rib which i could put a 9.9 or a 15 hp. I have a couple boats interested in the trade and it might work out, but I suspect will probably sell it next year.

But I am STILL interested in the idea. Very open to seeing ideas in this discussion. i have wondered if there is a fold-a-SAILboat, or inflatable option to store.

[BHI_Guy]

I second the PT11 recommendation. If you don't have time to build it, there are builders who will do it. I just put down a deposit on one. As a long time Laser sailor, I love a sailing dinghy but of course a Laser has no storage and you will get wet. The PT11 is an excellent sailing craft, and you can put a 2HP motor on it or row it. I'm planning to put a Torqeedo on mine when I'm not in the mood to row / sail. And of course, it's a pretty boat.

[DMCantor]

We sold our Walker Bay and moved to an inflatable. The WB was fine in smooth water, and we loved the easy rowing, but as soon as the swell moves in, it is wet, wet, wet. We had a memorable experience clearing in to Saba, with steep waves at 3-4 feet in the lee of the island, and that was enough for us. When the first mate is in the "we're gonna die!" frame of mind, it is time to look for another solution.

[cwyckham]

Originally Posted by laika

Just a quick lob over the plate..an inflatable windsup (wind surfer / paddleboard)..

I fear it satisfies almost none of your criteria however

This was the practical solution for a sailing / touring / thrill-seeking / fair-weather sometimes dinghy for my vessel.

That's actually pretty cool. Seems to be something funny with the sails, though. The aft third are all luffing pretty badly in all the videos. Seems they need a tweak.

[westsail374]

Check out the Trinka 12. It's a much more performance-oriented boat than its shorter siblings. It fills all of your other requirements.

[barnakiel]

The fast one will be the wet one. And trippy very likely too. That's part of the price for going fast.

Have a look at Musto skiff and similar water toys perhaps.

b.

[zboss]

portland pudgy with sailing setup?

[Stumble]

The biggest issue i see here is the requirement that the mast be free standing. Small boats by definition don't have the distance between the mast base and the partners (if any) needed to support the lateral loads on a sail plan sufficient to qualify as a performance boat. If you can tolerate a simple stayed rig with quick disconnects there are a lot more options.