Tow Your Dinghy or Leave at Anchorage?

[kcmarcet]

Just wondering what people do with the dinghy they use to get to their boats they leave at an anchoring field? I just bought my first dinghy, a little west marine two person inflatable to get out to my daysailor that will be left at an anchoring field. It seems to me that it would make a good little emergency life-raft in an abandon ship situation.

[whatever]

Why would you want to leave it at the anchorage?

[kcmarcet]

Just keep from having to tow it behind the boat I guess. I thought I had read a thread either here or somewhere else about just leaving it behind at anchorage to mark your spot.

[John A]

Originally Posted by whatever

Why would you want to leave it at the anchorage?

As always, it depends.
You don't need to tow the dinghy if you're going to race.
No need to worry about the painter fouling the prop.
If you've got a premium spot that you'd like to save for your return, tying the dinghy to the anchor rode saves your spot..
If you've really got a good anchor set and don't want to re-anchor.
If you just don't want to raise the anchor.

[imagine2frolic]

This is just my ghetto upbringing. Will the dink still be there when you return?........i2f

[John A]

As always, it depends.

That wasn't the question.

Will someone break into your house while you're sailing?
Will someone steal your car while you're sailing?
Will someone break into your boat while you're home.
Will someone decide to sight-in their 30-06 rifle on your boat?

There's all sorts of things to worry about, if you're so inclined.

regards John

[Hud3]

I stopped leaving my dinghy on our mooring here on Nevis while we were out day-sailing because the G-D pelicans would roost on it and make the most horrific mess you've ever seen. And this from the National Bird of Nevis. Disgraceful behavior!

[Alexei]

I'll confess to being a slacker when it comes to sailing, and reveal that I've not taken Icefire off her mooring in the Ashley since I completed my trip from Annapolis to Charleston last month (shameless plug for my blog where you can find the diary of the trip here: Sails and Stars be sure to click on the adsense ads. :P ).

That said, my plan was to leave the dinghy tied to the mooring pendant when I depart, unless I intend to anchor out somewhere. Why? Well, the mooring field here is a bit of a waterworld/wild west kind of place. Apparently, folks will just park on your mooring if it's left unattended for a while. Of course, for a while generally means longer than a day sail, but if I'm just day sailing do I really need the annoyance of a dinghy behind me? I think not.

My $.02

[Polunu880]

In San Diego all the mooring is controlled by the port district, no free mooring to speak of, pay a fee anchor, or get in the permanent mooring field and pay a monthly fee (rent). I just leave my dinghy on the mooring when going out, some times i lock it to the mooring, some times not, but for my money the only time i worry about my stuff being swipe is when a dirt dweller has access to it like when I am on a dock.

[zeehag]

Originally Posted by Polunu880

In San Diego all the mooring is controlled by the port district, no free mooring to speak of, pay a fee anchor, or get in the permanent mooring field and pay a monthly fee (rent). I just leave my dinghy on the mooring when going out, some times i lock it to the mooring, some times not, but for my money the only time i worry about my stuff being swipe is when a dirt dweller has access to it like when I am on a dock.

the san diego moorings are controlled by san diego mooring company and are not free. there are regular mooring tenants and there are transients....ther eis no reason to need to take the dinghy with you on a day sail from moorings in san diego---no one will remove it --unless some yacht club member or a marina dweller comes by and steals the mooring for a day, illegally, and removes dinghy whether deliberately or accidentally. these folks do not understand they are , in fact, thieves--they are stealing someone's paid mooring, as well as releasing the dinghy from the tether it was tied to for safe keeping......

btw--the last time the port district had control over the mooorings was 6-7 yrs ago

[Blue Stocking]

Not trying to hi-jack this thread (Mods bump it to new thread if you wish), but what are your legal rights if you return and find:
A. an unoccupied boat on your mooring.
B. an occupied boat on your mooring, but refuses to move.

I have been involved in this type of situation (A), and it can be very complicated in my area.

[kcmarcet]

Okay, seem like it largely depends on the situation like everything else I guess. I think that I will probably leave it holding my anchoring spot, just because I don't think I will need an emergency raft while daysailing, and I am not real worried about it getting taken away while I am gone. On a side note, perhaps I should make this a new thread somewhere, I took the biggest step in becoming a sailor today, the "Yo-Ho" is actually floating in the water. I didn't actually get to sail today. Spent too much time playing around with stepping the mast and getting everything all set up. But I did learn / decide somethings today. (1) trailer boats are too much work to trailer all the time. (2) Deck stepped mast are not so nice as they appear to be. But anyway she floats and I might actually get to sail around the bay / harbor tomorrow.

Thanks for all the advise (on all my questions as stupid as some may have been)

[blahman]

KC,

FWIW, I had a boat on a mooring for a while in Miami and I generally took it with me whenever I went out. On a 32' full keel boat with 5'8" draft, if I wind up finding a shallow spot, it can be a challenge to find my way off. Having a dink on board or behind is useful for kedging or moving a line to another boat. In addition, it lets me anchor in good water and get to and from shore easily.

If I had a shoal draft centerboard boat, I might not care so much, but it's something I have to think about with a deep keel.


As for preserving your mooring, I've found attaching a fender or some other float (we used an alligator-shaped pool float for a while) generally "marks your spot".

Cheers!
Aaron

PS, whereabouts in south Florida are you? We keep our boat on Charlotte Harbor now.

[blahman]

Originally Posted by kcmarcet

...(2) Deck stepped mast are not so nice as they appear to be...

The key to trailerable sailboat success is a good tabernacle (mast-base pivot) and fixed guys attached to the side of your lifting strut (usually boom). If you set it up right, it can be an easy one-person job; connect your jib stay and forward/upper shrouds, then haul on the mainsheet or end-of-strut tackle to raise the mast until the forestay is tight, then attach your backstay and lower afters. I've dropped the mast on my W32 three times by myself. In fact, it's easy enough that I prefer to do it to service the masthead, rather than climbing aloft and straddling myself for an hour.

A poorly thought-out stepping system is dangerous, no matter how many people are helping. Time will help you figure out what works for you though.

Fair leads,
Aaron

[kcmarcet]

Well maybe a better engineered deck stepped system is better mine is an absolute nightmare without two people, I have realized this, so the next time it needs to come up or down I will bring a 6 pack of cold frosty beverages with me as payment for a hand with the mast.