Nesting Dinghy

[crazyoldboatguy]

I have read thru the searches and find some references to nesting dinghys vs RIBs, porta-botes and the like. Anyone here who built a nesting dinghy? I am looking at a few examples. Would like to buy a kit but may end up with some plans - not that I have all that much time.

I'm just not an RIB kinda guy and the little hard Bulls just don't have the capacity

[kentobin]

Hello crazyoldboatguy,

I'm in a similar situation with an 8 foot dink that I've found to be to small and no room for anything larger. After spending a lot of time searching I came across the plans for a Chameleon by Danny Greene. Haven't built one yet but just wanted to make sure you check it out if you haven't come across it.

Alberg 30 sailboat project: Nesting Dingy
Chameleon
Gecko
http://wendyhinman.com/wp-content/up...s-Mag-2014.pdf
http://www.goodoldboat.com/promo_pdfs/March12_Promo.pdf
Building Robbie | Sailorgirl Jewelry
DoryMan: Chameleon

[crazyoldboatguy]

I saw that one - thanks. I am looking at one (Wave Dancer Yacht Design - wholesale plan sales) that I like. It's 12' long. What I like about these boats is that they seem easier to assemble than a Porta-Bote. With built in flotation/storage compartments that are also seats. Building one adds to the very long construction list I have but it may well be the at to go.

[MooGroc]

I built a 10' nesting spindrift. I nest it on the foredeck when offshore and tow it when inshore.

I tows great, rows great and goes nicely with a 2.5hp outboard. Someday I'll get around to adding the sailing options.

I recently added dinghy davits to my 36' cruiser but find the 10' Spindrift a bit too long for them. I'm considering building an 8 foot non-nesting dinghy.

Here's a picture. I had not yet installed the rear seats.

[crazyoldboatguy]

Originally Posted by MooGroc

I built a 10' nesting spindrift. I nest it on the foredeck when offshore and tow it when inshore.

I tows great, rows great and goes nicely with a 2.5hp outboard. Someday I'll get around to adding the sailing options.

I recently added dinghy davits to my 36' cruiser but find the 10' Spindrift a bit too long for them. I'm considering building an 8 foot non-nesting dinghy.

Here's a picture. I had not yet installed the rear seats.

The traditional look is part of why I am drawn to these tenders. It matches up with the traditional vessel I am reconstructing. Can you tell me how connecting these nesting dinghys goes for you? Easy/hard? Do you ever do it when the sections are in the water? On your deck?

It's really handsome.

[Jon Eisberg]

Originally Posted by MooGroc

I built a 10' nesting spindrift. I nest it on the foredeck when offshore and tow it when inshore.

I tows great, rows great and goes nicely with a 2.5hp outboard. Someday I'll get around to adding the sailing options.

I recently added dinghy davits to my 36' cruiser but find the 10' Spindrift a bit too long for them. I'm considering building an 8 foot non-nesting dinghy.

Here's a picture. I had not yet installed the rear seats.

Yes, Graham's Spindrifts are very nice little boats... I built a 9-footer about 10 years ago, here's the bow section stowed on the foredeck of my 30-footer...




I enjoy rowing, and having tried pretty much every tender alternative at some time or other, I figured I'd give a small nesting dinghy a whirl... I took it on a trip south one winter, and found it to be such a PITA to deal with on a daily basis, that I purchased an Avon Lite RIB with a folding transom at the boat show">Miami Boat Show, and have never looked back :-)

I still use it from time to time when sailing my local waters, an know I'll just be towing it in flat water all the time... But the whole chore of assembly and disassembly, hoisting it back aboard, just way too much drama for my taste, particularly when singlehanded... Part of that is the size of my boat, I'm pretty restricted in the amount of space i have to deal with the thing... And, part of it is how ugly the massive box shape is when brought aboard, how vulnerable it might be to a boarding wave, and how much the excessive height restricts forward visibility from the cockpit... On larger boats than mine, of course, all that could be far less of an issue...

In terms of its utility as a tender for extended cruising, it doesn't come close to comparing to my RIB with a folding transom. So much easier and less obtrusive to stow on deck, much easier to get over the side, bring back aboard, or hoist out of the water to secure it at night. In the water, far greater stability and load carrying capacity, much drier ride, and it doesn't row all that badly...





I realize there are many out there who love their nesting dinghies, more power to them :-) Again, for a coastal cruise in protected waters in a place like Maine, where you can be towing your tender all the time, it can be a nice choice... But for a more extended cruise where you will be bringing it back onboard routinely for open water passages, in my opinion they're far from ideal... If I had a larger mother ship, my opinion might be a bit more charitable, but I wouldn't bet on it...

:-)

[Tetra]

I built the B&B TwoPaw8, an 8' nesting pram that's the sister boat to the Spindrift mentioned above. I built her with the sail rig option. She's a great little boat and certainly carries a load. PM me if you have some specific build/use questions. I can send you a link to build and sailing photos if you'd like to see her.

[crazyoldboatguy]

Stowing of any such tender/dinghy is a consideration. Any such item could be washed overboard or damaged by a large boarding sea. Even a properly lashed liferaft. I appreciate your viewpoint.

[akopac]

We love our Danny green camilian and would never think of getting an inflatable again

http://www.mytripjournal.com/travel-...xy-horse-power


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[Moonshine36]

Chesapeake Light Craft Company makes a really nice nesting dingy as does the Port Townsend Water Craft (PT11). Have seen them both and like them both, so depending on which Coast your on you have options. My wife built the 17 ft. rowing wherry from Chesapeake Light Craft and loves it, so I can vouch for their nice plans and kits. As for a Rib, we have one on the fore-deck of our 36-foot sail boat, Cheoy Lee 36, Luders design sloop. I use the spinnaker halyard to pick her up and put her on the fore-deck when we're doing a longer passage and inshore we just tow it. Aluminum hull in the water when towing, then throw 3 or 4 adults in the air chamber hits the water, doubling the beam. She tows well or handles well with a small outboard and several adults on board. We are very happy with a RIB but really like the looks a construction of both of the nesting dingy.

[MooGroc]

Originally Posted by crazyoldboatguy

The traditional look is part of why I am drawn to these tenders. It matches up with the traditional vessel I am reconstructing. Can you tell me how connecting these nesting dinghys goes for you? Easy/hard? Do you ever do it when the sections are in the water? On your deck?

It's really handsome.

Connecting the two haves isn't hard. Just 5 bolts with wing nuts. I've done it on deck and on dock, but never tried in the water. I suspect it would be possible.

It is awkward to deal with on the foredeck, but as a costal cruiser, it's mostly being towed or in the davits.

[Jon Eisberg]

Originally Posted by crazyoldboatguy

The traditional look is part of why I am drawn to these tenders. It matches up with the traditional vessel I am reconstructing. Can you tell me how connecting these nesting dinghys goes for you? Easy/hard? Do you ever do it when the sections are in the water? On your deck?

It's really handsome.

I've heard others claim to assemble them in the water, but in my experience it would have been pretty awkward to do so in anything other than flat calm conditions... Even then, it would seem far easier to assemble prior to launch...

Here was the method I used, given my limited foredeck space...

Hoisted the stern section using the spinnaker halyard up and over the lifelines, then securing it against the hull hanging vertically, transom down...

Then, lifting the bow section up and over, in place against the stern, and bolting the two together... then, re-attach the bow to the halyard, and lower it into the water, which invariably shipped a bit of water that needed to be bailed out...

Might sound simple enough, but in any kind of breeze, or in a choppy anchorage, it could be a bit of a challenge... And, from start to finish, it almost always seemed to take about 15 minutes, if you wanted to take sufficient care to avoid marring your topsides, etc... In comparison, once my inflatable is pumped up in a matter of minutes, hoisting it up over the lifelines and tossing it over the side can usually be done in about 30 seconds... And, usually no bailing afterwards... :-)

It's a good thing boats like the Spindrift tow so easily and well, because I found myself towing it a LOT more than I do my inflatable...

:-)

[Argyle38]

I have a Spindrift 10N that I'm quite happy with. I have a sail kit with it that I've modified a bit (reduced sail area a little by increasing boom height) to suite my need but they sail very nicely. I generally assemble it in the spring and disassemble in the fall. I consider the nesting capability a 'once in a while' kind of thing because it is a bit of trouble.

My 38 footer has a good size foredeck so I should be able to fit the dinghy there for any offshore sailing. For coastal stuff I have removable davits and the dinghy fits will under those.

I still plan on having a small inflatable aboard as well. In some cases if it's more convenient (don't feel like assembling the Spindrift) or just to have a second "car" if me and my wife have different plans on a particular day.

If I were to build one from plans (I bought mine already built), I would try to increase the freeboard by 3-4 inches, if possible. It would make it a little bit of a drier boat in chop. Two adults and groceries is a load for this boat in any kind of chop.

Over all I like it a lot though. Even if the inflatable becomes the go-to because of convenience, the Spindrift is still a lot of fun (especially with the sail kit) so we plan on keeping it with us.

[akopac]

Interesting. I have never assembled our dinghy on deck or on shore. When we christened her we even assembled here in the water. We throw both halves overboard with painters tied to the boat. I jump in the aft half and bolt the 2 together with 4 bolts. Whole operation takes about 10 minutes. Ours tows great but we put her on deck if we go for more than a day sail. Each half weighs about 50 pounds and I use the spinnaker halyard to brig them aboard. I made a lifting bridle to hoist her a foot or so out of the water so she doesn't bang around at night. 3.5 Mercury either stays on the dinghy or goes on board by hand. It's so light it needs no engine lifting arrangement. I understand why Danny Green eliminated rh point on the Bowie fits better when nested and Serbs no useful purpose as it's not cutting water under way. The bow compartment has great storage for anchor rode and life jackets and is easy to walk up to board other boats or at the dock. It is almost water tight if built right.


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[UNCIVILIZED]

The PT11 from www.ptwatercraft.com is a kit, which you build yourself. There are plenty of videos of how it's done. Ditto on how the 2 halves of the dink can be assembled in the water, & how it handles in various modes.
Although, I think that it'd be "challenging" to put it together in the water if there were much of a chop. But then I haven't tried to/had the chance to as yet.

Another nesting dink which comes up a lot is the "Nester" design, by Gerr Marine I think. A search will find it fir you quickly.
Also, if you do some digging around on the WEST System site, & it's sister publication www.Epoxyworks.com you'll find some other tenders, including the nesting type. And perhaps as or more importantly, their designers, like Paul Butler, for instance. Whom, I imagine, given a list of dingy requirements, could custom design one for you, or modify an existing design to make it work.

And a reference which would aid you a LOT is Stan Grayson's The Dinghy Book It has a lot of important reference material in it concerning dinghy designs & features, dimensions of certain areas to make rowing much easier. And or to check in a perspective design, before you buy or start to build it, etc.

On dingy stowage, especially in terms of nesting dinghies, there's one area which a lot of folks overlook. That being the aft most portions of a vessel, even to include (overtop of) part of the cockpit.
While you may have to move the wheel forward (up to where it's protected by the dodger), & perhaps relocate your traveler. All you really need back aft is about a 4'x6' space. Such are the dimensions of the nested PT 11.
So if you've got an older vessel, with a big after deck & lazarette, or large cockpit, it's something to think on.

Plus, of course, if you've got a large cabin top (aft of the mast), stowing a nesting dink up there is an option as well. The catch being that if you normally keep watch from behind/beneath a dodger, you'll need to alter your habits a bit. Thanks to the loss of visibility of stowing a hard dink up there.
Unless... you go the truly wild, & uncommon route, of making both ends of the dink out of acrylic or lexan. I've seen a few, but have doubts as to their true usefulness for visibility, & durability, given the beatings that most dinks get.

Sadly, unless you have a custom, or semi-custom boat, sailing yachts simply aren't designed with dinghies in mind any more. And the davits craze only started about 2 decades back. Before then, they, & stern arches weren't all that common.