Foldable dingy or nesting dingy

[alansmith]

I have a 30 foot Condor Tri down in San Carlos Mexico. My background is mostly racing when I still had hair. Worked my life away and now in mid 60’s. Retire next July 2019. Will be down in San Carlos getting oriented on the boat for two weeks in November and then again in February for 3-4 weeks. Super excited.

I need a dingy. The boat currently has a small inflatable kayak. But you can’t haul items around in it with out disaster knocking at your door. I have looked at my strength level...the wide beam of the nets...ease of launch and retrieval...costs....durability....load capacity...sensibility of different platforms....I’m just plain dizzy with it all.

I have a 4 hp 2 stroke Johnson that I completely refurbished. Weighs maybe 40 lbs. I also have an extra 9.9 hp Tohatsu...I think it pushes 90 lbs. My main propulsion is a new Suzuki 9.9 EFI outboard. I like the idea of a sailing dink...but not 100 percent convinced that it is worth the extra jing. My tri sails like a witch with her broom on fire.

I truly understand the pluses and minuses of every platform. Weight is the antithesis of Multihulls. Roll up dinks....make a lot of sense. But I hate putting holes in things. Wooden dingy’s are too heavy when they get over about 9 foot.
Nesting dinghies like the PT-11 are drop dead gorgeous and quite expensive just for the kit....(over 2K...and that is for plans, building materials, hardware...and sans glass or epoxy....and maybe 300+ hours). So, I think you would easily be 3500-4K into it. The foldable dingy like Portabote or Quick boats are going to be 2500-4K also.

I am just a coastal sailor so no plans, as of yet, to sail across wide vast oceans. But Sea of Cortez, San Juans, Bahamas, Exuma, Chesapeake, Ontario, Maine, Florida, River explorations like Carolina....this is my agenda.

So, Forum...between a foldable and nesting dingy...rowing capabilities, load carrying, toughness, ease of use, cost, and what not...how vote ye? Why do you vote that way....thanks for your time in replying. Almost crazy in Vallejo.

[Mike OReilly]

I’ve had a 10’ portabote for over 15 years now. Mine has been problem-free for that whole time, even when it ends up on rocky beach in a gale .

It’s relatively light. Rows well. Motors well with a small outboard (your 4 hp would be fine). Carries a good load. Stores on my deck so I don’t have to worry about pulling something around. And I don’t have to worry about rough landings, or babying it. It even has the option of a light lateen sailing rig. I have it, have used it. It’s a fun toy when hanging around in an anchorage.

[Dockhead]

Another variant -- a folding RIB like the Russian F-Rib (expensive and PVC, but still very good) or the Zodiac one (which I think can be had in Hypalon).


We have an Avon one which is out of production. It is very handy -- folds up to practically surf board size, and yet is not too bad as a RIB. Not quite like a full size normal one, but oceans better than an air floor or roll up inflatable.

[Pete7]

How about one of those open canoes?

Pete

[Pauls]

Take a look at Dave Gerr's Nester. An 11' nesting boat. He has made the design free for all to use. Buy a copy of his book "The Nature of Boats". It includes a chapter on Nester and plans. You can build one for the cost of materials - a few hundred dollars. Gerr is a top rank yacht designer. He knows what he's doing.

[Pauls]

https://www.gerrmarine.com/NESTER_DINGHY.html

[fxykty]

We’ve got a 2.9m aluminium double bottom RHIB, but it’s heavy and can’t be deflated and stored off the davits or deck so we’re looking for a lighter folding boat.

Does anyone have experience with Takacat? https://www.takacat.com/ultra-light-...ender-L-Series

[Caddy Shack]

We bought a new Portabote and used it for a year long cruise to Mexico. We love its functionality and how well it stows on deck. However, in a few short months the center transom hinge cracked, one oarlock broke, and many of the aluminum rivets failed. We were told by Portabote that we " must be doing something wrong ".

They did eventually send a replacement hinge when we returned to SF Bay, but we're stuck with buying (and replacing) the rest of the hardware ourselves, even though the boat is still under warranty, which my mind, has defeated the purpose of spending the money and buying new in the first place. It was not cheap so I would not buy a new one again.

[fernandosmooth]

Required I have not experience on this topic phrase. (this will stop soon enough)


So I have been looking in this recently.
I found this video, people with 25 years or more experience on this topic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTrzvjdKYvE

Then duckworks contains some plans to build inexpensive yet durable folding boats
Folding Boats


Sectional boats




One thing that I think should be light enough yet durable is a Kepler, although expensive I think it could last forever. https://www.klepperamerica.com/


For simple boat plans Michalak could be a good idea.
Jim Michalak




Hopefully it helps somehow and that I didn't make you more confused.

[Snowpetrel]

One huge benefit of a tri is the big trampolines, which can easy fit a decent sized rigid dinghy if you want. This could be the lightest and simplest solution. A two part dink adds weight, complexity and cost for little benefit in your case where deckspace is not such an issue.

I'd be looking at an 8-10 foot hard dinghy optimised for rowing and built as lightly as possible. That way the big outboard can be left behind. If you really want planing capacity and the big outboard then a lightweight rib or inflatable makes more sense.

Another neat dinghy is the Duo by richard woods.
http://sailingcatamarans.com/index.p...sailrow-dinghy


This is a bit small, but very lightweight.
https://www.clcboats.com/shop/boats/...ht-dinghy.html

[HopCar]

Take a look at the Fliptail. It’s a folding skin on frame boat that will plane with a 2.5 hp motor. Draw back is you have to build it. Plans available for 6, 7, and 9 foot boats.
https://youtu.be/FVOVfgw_vpM

https://woodenwidget.com/fliptail.htm

[01kiwijohn]

I have a Danny Greene designed Chameleon nesting dinghy. It's about 10 lbs, rows well, 2 hp pushes it fast enough, carries a ton. Happy with it

[Copacabana]

Originally Posted by 01kiwijohn

I have a Danny Greene designed Chameleon nesting dinghy. It's about 10 lbs, rows well, 2 hp pushes it fast enough, carries a ton. Happy with it

I'm going to assume you meant "100 pounds"...

I also have a Chameleon nesting dinghy. It's a great little boat (about 11 feet long). Rows like a rocket. I manged to get the weight down in construction by using thinner, but better quality plywood and slightly lighter cloth to sheath the outside. I think mine is under 80 pounds, which makes each half light enough to move around with no trouble. It takes less than 5 minutes to put together in the water.

[alansmith]

Oh, you guys , really did it. Now I won’t sleep for another week looking at all these latest permutations of possibilities. It is like feeding candy to a baby.

One of my issues...possibly any how....is that the dink needs to reside inside the cabin when I am elsewhere. So, nesting or foldable or inflatable are the only ways that will work. I love some of the 10-12 foot one piece boats...but I could never get it inside the cabin.

You guys gave me some options to look at that I hadn’t previously thought of...and for that...I hate you all....my wife won’t sleep either because I will be tossing and turning and mumbling to myself...she really hates that

[kmcshane]

Very happy with my 7'/11' nesting dinghy: glassed over ply with float/stowage hatches stem and stern (I bought it from the builders son):
Smith and Tenney 7.5' spoon-tipped varnished oars from Maine;
2.2 HP two stroke Suzuki;
two part windsurfing mast/sail.

I can carry the forward section myself, and of course the stern bit easily.
I use the topping lift and whisker pole to launch/retrieve, and assemble with four large wing nuts.

Holds three large, or four persons while rowing. I rarely use the outboard.
In chocks on the foredeck, it's a good place to lean/sit and I put skids to keep the bottom from getting scraped which double as handholds.

Upside down, dink covers three opening hatches (except in a seaway), so with screens I can leave them open for flow-through ventilation.

I'm tempted to attach the inflatable splash fenders, but want to keep the weight down. Might try to fit removable collar like the Pardeys do.
I think I have some photos attached.
Always like these dinghy threads, so thanks.