Here's my experience with dinghies over three and a half years of cruising a 38 ft.
ketch back in the 70's. Started off in the south of
England with a cute little cold molded 8 ft sailing dink that came with the
boat; it stowed on a pair of stern
davits - but the
boat was too fragile, the davits too heavy, and the dinghy could no longer be stored after the davits were removed to allow for a Gunning
wind vane self-steering
gear.
Sold it and bought an 8 ft
Avon "Redstart" for a replacement. Got to
Barbados 18 months later, rather tired of the saggy bath tub
Avon ("wear your seaboots!"), and bought a Mirror dinghy, which we stored on the fore
deck. Not the best place but OK in the
Caribbean. It was a blast to sail, yet as a dink it was a failure - proven by our stepping right thru the quarter inch ply bottom several times. Pretty much ruined, we gave it away in
Martinique. I did become a fan of the sliding gunter, however. Still, we kept the Avon, and carried on for another year until fetching up in
New Zealand, still without a solid dinghy. As we stayed here for 6 months, on the hook, we bought a used 12 ft open run-about, and installed the 2 Hp short-shaft Seagull we had started with back in blimey. This was very nice, and gave us quite a range. We
sold the "shore boat" just before sailing north in April.
But just before we sailed, we discovered love - a 7.5 foot riveted aluminum pram. Despite its tiny size, it rowed and powered nicely. Easy to pull up on the beach, and remarkably stable. It too stored on the foredeck - not the best spot, again - but a lot more convenient than the much heavier 10 ft. Mirror dinghy had been. So . . .
In four quick remarks, here is my summary -
(1) Three and a half years living with a
center cockpit ketch put me off center cockpits for ever, mainly because that configuration makes reasonable dinghy
storage impossible.
(2) I vowed I would never, ever have a boat that could not store a rigid dinghy on
deck, inverted, and abaft the main
mast (unless a schooner, of course). Aft
cockpit ketches are ideal in this, at least in the 32 to 45 foot range of boat most of us voyagers sail.
(3) Not to be forgotten, the black Avon "Redstart" was a very useful boat - a second dinghy, a load carrier when used as a towed barge, a
work platform around the topsides, fair under
power with the Seagull, and a great little dive boat.
(4) In my cruising, the ideal dinghy has turned out to be riveted aluminum! Light, tough, and
maintenance free. Lovely things. And highly recommended.
Here's hoping this little
reminiscence is useful,
- BH
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