Rowing Dink and Stability

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by cwoflyboy

I have a Avon which has been good but think I would like to try a hard dink.
I snorkel some and wonder how hard is it to get back in a hard dink.
I'm considering a Walker Bay or WaterTender. A cathedral hull WaterTender would be more stable but am not sure how well it would row.
Advice/thoughts would be appreciated.

JMHO, stay with an inflatable if you want to get in out of the water. It may not row well but is less likely the capsize. A hard dink your only option in is the stern.

Now if you are speaking row boat not dink?

[mnh]

Second the Dinghy dogs on our Hard 10 1/2 ft. Dink. Obtained from "Harvey Products".
Have used them for decades. It makes a "rolly" hard dink a totally stabile platform. Add a sailing rig, a 2 horse electric, and you are ready to go!...I have no financial interest in Harvey Products...mnh

[phydeaux]

Agree with bassears. Used an older Walker Bay, and was just fine with rowing and sailing, and with a 2hp Honda. The RIB version is even better. More stable and easier to board. Both have towed just fine. BTW, have a Trinks Maus, and love it, but it's too heavy for the wife and kids to lift.

[sailm8]

I had an old mast step leftover from a prior boat. It was shaped like a horseshoe with a support leg that made a 3 point attachment. I fastened it low on the transom and use it as a step to get in the boat from the water.

[Blue Crab]

Having tried the goofy-looking pool noodles, I outfitted my Trinka-wannabee dink with three old fenders each side. Can stand on the gunwales now, and easily enter from amidships from the water. I had the fenders laying around so there was no cost, nor did I bother to clean them, and ditto for an old lifeline cum cable lock, and holes in the oar blades. I've had that dink thru thick and thin. It rows like a dream, I may sell my small outboard that hasn't been needed all year.

[Polux]

What makes a dinghy stable is beam and weight.

Unfortunately normally those are two things you don't want on a dinghy unless you have it on davits and have a big yacht or don't mind to lose more than 0.5K towing the Dinghy

[Snowpetrel]

Water ballast can work, a mate added a tank into his tippy dink. Helped a lot. Just a jerry can full of salt water under the seat could help.

You could also rig up something that hangs in the water on the opposite side such as a bucket full of water, sitting at waterlevel so it only kicks in when you lug your body over the opposite side, or end.

I used to snorkel out of a kayak. I rigged up a rope loop that I could get a foot into. Simple, but it made a big difference.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[Scout 30]

I agree that inflatables are much easier to enter from the water but if you plan to row a hard dink is the only way to go. When we got our Bauer 10, great boat, it really drove home how miserably our Avon 3.4 rowed.
Bauer boats 10 sailing dinghy - BAUTECK MARINE INC.
Here's another option instead of dinghy dogs. Much cheaper & can be used as beach rollers but you'll have to devise a way to attach them which shouldn't be too hard.
Beach Roller
Dinghy too tippy? Add Dinghy Dogs

[Polux]

Originally Posted by Scout 30

I agree that inflatables are much easier to enter from the water but if you plan to row a hard dink is the only way to go. When we got our Bauer 10, great boat, it really drove home how miserably our Avon 3.4 rowed.

There is an intermediate option, worse than the dinghy with rigid bottom but way better than the normal ones, some that have the bottom fully inflatable at a high pressure. The high pressure gives not only the right shape to the bottom but give it also a lot of rigidity. They are lighter and can be rolled away.

[alctel]

I have a porta-boat and it rows really well.

Couldn't tell you about getting into it from the water though, as around here you'd become unconscious from hypothermia pretty quick

[Scout 30]

Originally Posted by Polux

There is an intermediate option, worse than the dinghy with rigid bottom but way better than the normal ones, some that have the bottom fully inflatable at a high pressure. The high pressure gives not only the right shape to the bottom but give it also a lot of rigidity. They are lighter and can be rolled away.

That's actually what we have. The high pressure inflatable floor is really quite firm & the inflatable keel under it gives it a good shape for motoring. Just not for rowing.

[Polux]

Originally Posted by Scout 30

That's actually what we have. The high pressure inflatable floor is really quite firm & the inflatable keel under it gives it a good shape for motoring. Just not for rowing.

Then I guess that it depends on the model because on mine I rarely use the engine. Mine is also quite light (only 16kg) and that also helps to be easily rowed...not much to stability if the boat is not moving (rowed or motoring).

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by Polux

There is an intermediate option, worse than the dinghy with rigid bottom but way better than the normal ones, some that have the bottom fully inflatable at a high pressure. The high pressure gives not only the right shape to the bottom but give it also a lot of rigidity. They are lighter and can be rolled away.

This is/was my second option for a dink. My principle needs are on-deck stowability, along with decent rowing characteristics. But I've heard mixed reviews of the reliability of high pressure floors. Any issues Polux?

[cwoflyboy]

Thank you all for your responses. Lots of good info.

Dale Moore aka cwoflyboy

[Polux]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

This is/was my second option for a dink. My principle needs are on-deck stowability, along with decent rowing characteristics. But I've heard mixed reviews of the reliability of high pressure floors. Any issues Polux?

No. I is a relatively inexpensive dinghy from Plastimo (a special series, light and with the high pressure bottom), this will be my 5 eason with it.

The only problem is that I have to add some pressure each 15 days or so to have it fully pressurized, but it regards more the floaters than the bottom. Normal since I have it all the time at the strong med sun and it is not an expensive dinghy.

I bought if for the light weight (the pressurized bottom contributes to that) and because it is narrower than almost all dinghies of the same size (250?) and that allows me to have it over the cockpit without hampering the passage to the forward part of the boat. On my last boat the dinghy obstructed the passage and on heavy weather it was complicated to go forward.