Dinghy Finally Sold

[Dockhead]

They say the two happiest days of boat ownership are the day you buy it, and the day you sell it . . .

That has never been the case for me, but today it was.

My old dinghy was a great performer, a proper little motorboat. Wheel steered and 25 horsepower. It would plane with 5 people on board and with its deep v hull handled excellently. I had many wonderful adventures in it, including some "dinghy cruises" lasting all day, exploring estuaries I couldn't get up in the mother ship.

But this heavy beast -- an Avon 340 Rover RIB by the way -- could only be carried in davits, which without exaggeration have been the bane of my cruising life with this boat these 7 years. By the time I got back from the Baltic last August, I knew enough was enough, and I carried out a surgical davitectomy, getting rid of the hated things once and for all, and acquiring a folding RIB (Avon 310 Lite) which could be carried folded on the foredeck on ocean passages.

Since then I've been trying to sell the old dinghy. It had accumulated quite a few defects by this time, in fact, I think I would have to say that it was probably nearing the end of its normal service life. So it's absorbed a huge amount of time getting it and keeping it ready to show to potential buyers, and then awkwardly dragging it around whenever I repositioned my boat, since the proper davits were gone (replaced by much lighter, manual ones, not rated for that amount of weight).

Finally, today, someone took it off my hands.

Having a wee dram to celebrate. I feel so much lighter.

Funny, I got almost as much for it as I paid for the new one.

[CSY Man]

Friend of mine got a 310 RIB with wheel steering recently, 30 Honda and tiny Bimini, seats, storage, lights, set .
It came in at $19,000.00.
How much did you get for the 340?

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by CSY Man

Friend of mine got a 310 RIB with wheel steering recently, 30 Honda and tiny Bimini, seats, storage, lights, set .
It came in at $19,000.00.
How much did you get for the 340?

Less

[Cheechako]

Report back next year after you clean, dismantle, hoist and store it all season! :>)

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

Report back next year after you clean, dismantle, hoist and store it all season! :>)

I'm painfully aware of the drawbacks


But I DO have davits, and I can take the motor off this dinghy unlike the old one.

So I will only deflate and store for long passages. For shorter ones, in decent weather, I will put the motor on the pushpit, and the light RIB in the davits, like we always did on previous boats.

I've done four North Sea crossings with the old dinghy in davits, together with the 25 horsepower motor. Once in a F9, and never in less than F7! Never again!

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

I'm painfully aware of the drawbacks


But I DO have davits, and I can take the motor off this dinghy unlike the old one.

So I will only deflate and store for long passages. For shorter ones, in decent weather, I will put the motor on the pushpit, and the light RIB in the davits, like we always did on previous boats.

I've done four North Sea crossings with the old dinghy in davits, together with the 25 horsepower motor. Once in a F9, and never in less than F7! Never again!

I thought you said you had a "Davitectomy"? Oh, I see you replaced the heavy ones....

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

I thought you said you had a "Davitectomy"? Oh, I see you replaced the heavy ones....

Exactly

[Tayana42]

Happy to hear your much loved tender has found a new owner. As much as I love my boat I've never felt attached to a dinghy. For me it's just a way to get me and my stuff to and from shore or for short trips. Changing from one dinghy to another is only traumatic economically not emotionally.


S/V B'Shert

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Tayana42

Happy to hear your much loved tender has found a new owner. As much as I love my boat I've never felt attached to a dinghy. For me it's just a way to get me and my stuff to and from shore or for short trips. Changing from one dinghy to another is only traumatic economically not emotionally.


S/V B'Shert

LOL on the financial trauma.

As to the emotional one -- it you're downgrading, like I did, it's sad to lose the capabilities. I used to use my old dinghy for short passages in calm weather even in the open sea -- to take a passenger into another port, to cross the Solent to pick up a part (many times), etc., and even for longer day cruises up estuaries. It was a proper little motor boat, which the new one definitely is not.

But there's no question about its being the right decision.

[a64pilot]

I'm in the middle and like it there.
3.1 M, high HP tiller steered RIB, not too heavy, but it is as Dock says, "A proper little boat", keeps us pretty dry and we can cruise for hours at 20+ kts.
I like being able to go see whats up river or on the other side of the island.
It is heavy to drag up on a beach in any real surf, so I put wheels on it. I'll see how well that works this Summer.
Being able to get it out of the surf is important to me for where I use it.

But I want a "proper little boat", lot of security when the big boat is 5 miles away and a Summer squall picks up.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

I'm in the middle and like it there.
3.1 M, high HP tiller steered RIB, not too heavy, but it is as Dock says, "A proper little boat", keeps us pretty dry and we can cruise for hours at 20+ kts.
I like being able togo see whats up river or on the other side of the island.
It is heavy to drag up on a beach in any real surf, so I put wheels on it. I'll see how well that works this Summer.
Being able to get it out of the surf is important to me for where I use it.

But I want a "proper little boat", lot of security when the big boat is 5 miles away and a Summer squall picks up.

II like your phrase " I like being able togo see whats up river or on the other side of the island."

I think that touches the essence of the question.

It's a primal instinct isn't it - to explore. It's one of the big attractions of cruising. And the dinghy is the crucial "last mile".

One of the key attributes I want in my next boat is really excellent dinghy storage. Namely, a dinghy garage just like what the Halberg Rassey 64 has. I'm willing to give up accommodation space for that. And a 3,6 Meter or so RIB, maybe with jet drive. In order to seamlessly access that last mileage really explore the places we cruise to.


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