Leopard 45: Dinghy weight and size

[Candyman]

Hello Mates

We are new to sailing, first boat is a new Leopard 45 we taking delivery on in July. While I was talking with the folks from Leopard at the boat show, they told me they would not reccomend a dingy of 600lbs, but much less.

The dingys we like are the ones with center consoles and electric start etc, Walkerbay 11-12' etc. or similar,,But they are in the 600+lb range,

Has anyone any experience with too much weight off the back of a 45' Cat or anything in that range?

We plan to do a lot of diving/fishing and exploring in the dingy,,so not just a get to shore and back project for us.

Any help is greatly appreciated,

Cheers
Paul & Sandy

[barnakiel]

I believe your davits should be clearly marked with max load. If they are not, send an email to the manufacturer of the boat.

b.

[Candyman]

Thanks for the input!

The davit system is very strong and can handle up to 800lbs, thats not the issue Iam concerned about, my main concern is will the difference between 400lbs and 650 lbs hanging off the back of a 45' Cat effect the performance that is noticeable?

[UNCIVILIZED]

Out of curiosity, what do you plan to do with a 300kg+ "dinghy" when you get to the beach. As unless you're crew's made up of Olympians, there's no way you're getting that thing far enough up the beach to be out of reach of the tide.

[barnakiel]

Every load, no matter where placed, will affect the performance of any boat.

If your sterns are buoyant and wide, they will take the extra load graciously. If you find the boat is not sitting flat then well ;-( you will add some water in forward tanks.

600 pounds is not a huge % of a cruising 45' catamaran displacement. If the davits are rated for the load this is an implicit information from the designers.

Mind a heavy dinghy can be limiting in how and where you can land.

b.

[Dave852]

It will definitely affect the performance and its weight in the wrong place to boot. If the sales people are not recommending it you should listen as I find they normally overstate the load carrying capability as that's want you want to hear. The comments about getting it of the beach are spot on as well. If you really need such a dingy spend the money for a high-tech super light model. I have seen so many people buy a heavy dinghy and regret it. Don't do it.

[rajsach]

We went with a jockey console when we bought our leopard 44 last year. I thought that would be a compromise between a regular tiller and a center console. It seems to have worked well for us but it definitely added more weight. Although your davit system and your winch can handle it you will need to most likely upgrade the breaker that leopard provides. It was inadequate. I upgraded it to a 30 amp and everything works perfectly now. I also added a waterproof outlet next to the rocker switch for the davit system for using air pumps etc. It's on the same breaker as the winch.
I agree with what others have said about the extra weight and size of the dingy being difficult to beach. You basically cannot beach it except for when you're letting people on and off. I get around it by using a bow an stern anchor. I anchor stern to the beach and then put a second anchor on the beach. This works well however it means you will be getting wet to about the waist level going in and out of the dingy
What brand of dinghy are you getting? Leopard "threw" in our dinghy as part of the deal and it is an Infanta brand from South Africa. It's a nice dingy but very difficult to get customer service. I am missing a simple little oarlock and I've had a difficult time getting it. So keep that in mind if you're getting that brand from R&C

[UNCIVILIZED]

The thing about "beaching" a dink like that yes you have the power to go in & out of the surf line. But if there's anything more than 1' beach break (surf) you can't even touch the sand with it to put folks ashore, as it'll get pounded into the bottom with each wave's rise & fall. And she'll be too heavy to drag on shore up above the surf line, even a few feet.
Which to me, if you can't go ashore somewhere that there's not a dock, then you lose a HUGE part of the reason for even having a dinghy.

Trust me when I say that even if your dink weighs but 120lbs, when you're dragging it 50yds up the beach, through the sand, you'll be wishing it was only 80lbs in a major way.

And obviously oars, or sails, are a no go in such a heavy dink.

[goat]

Originally Posted by UNCIVILIZED

Out of curiosity, what do you plan to do with a 300kg+ "dinghy" when you get to the beach. As unless you're crew's made up of Olympians, there's no way you're getting that thing far enough up the beach to be out of reach of the tide.

Too easy. Just carry a dinghy on the dinghy. Anchor the big one out aways, and take the little one in.
[emoji6]

goat

[savoir]

An 11 foot dinghy will fit for sure but I'm not certain about the 12 foot size. You should check the available clearance at the aft end of the hulls of your cat. A dinghy that is too big will scratch and scrape the hulls each time you raise or lower on a windy day.

As for the weight - 600 lbs is just plain crazy. Much can be learned from watching what others are doing. You will see plenty of 600 lb center console dinghies in Newport on any summer afternoon. Go to a dinghy dock somewhere remote such as Majuro or anywhere in the Pacific with a beach and you never see them unless a superyacht comes in. And the reason is . . . . .

Take a look at the AB Navigo which is designed for dive use. With a 15 hp outboard it weighs in pretty close to 300 lb. At the lightweight end a 10ft dinghy with an 8 hp motor should only weigh around 220 lbs. You can pick from several brands.

Never buy anything that you cannot haul up to the davits by hand.

[Cotemar]

Maybe this will help.

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ml#post2175314
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[hobopacket]

Yeah. I agree with everyone. Keep it light, a big heavy dingy is only good for tying to a dock, no good for all the stuff you want one for.

[Grassy]

The lighter the better. Two persons should be able to wheel a good tender up a beach. No fun going ashore for sunset drinks and having to almost swim ashore in case your tender gets stuck as the tide drops.
A lot of very experienced cruisers are going for high tech light weight tenders from OC Tenders.com in New Zealand.
They are currently close to releasing their first center console model.
Also check out their fb and blogs as their website does not contain much feedback from their many satisfied customers