Dinghy recommendation for SMALL boat...

[Latitude42]

I have a 19' Spindrift (Starwind) sailboat. Getting things fixed to do some sailing on Lake Michigan & Superior this summer. Some of the destinations I'd like to visit seem to require a dinghy. In the past I just beached my other 19" I built, this one draws 18".
So, what would be a manageable dinghy for my 19' sailboat?
I have a 1.5hp Cruise-n-carry I could use on it...

Thanks.

[tenchiki]

I got a 7ft Achilles inflatable when I had a Montgomery 17. It worked out reasonable well; it is very rugged, too (I'm pretty sure it is Hypalon, not PVC) I still use it on my Dolphin 24, a lot of years later. I only row it, though an outboard mount is available as an option.

[Dennis.G]

I would think just an inflatable kayak would be good if main use is for beaching in remote areas. Something like an Advanced Elements Island Voyage 2. I had similar on my Dana 24 and was fine. If instead you are looking to mostly use to row up to dingy docks a small roll up inflatable dingy is better (a bit hard getting on/off dock onto kayak, but doable). We actually had a cruise-n-carry too and made a bracket for the kayak and motored sometime, but I would consider just paddling for simplicity and ditch the little outboard. Your biggest issue is storage space - you want something that can roll up into a small package and can inflate without requiring a lot of deck space to do it.

[Don C L]

Having tried various arrangements I would echo Dennis's advice: a good 2-person inflatable kayak, for such a small boat. They are faster than rowing a donut and with the nearly rigid inflatable floors they are stable and easily handled. I too would choose to leave the outboard at home, but if you need it there are models with transoms. I prefer using a kayak paddle since the propulsion is nearly continuous and I can make much better headway in a headwind.

[Mike OReilly]

Don't know your boat, but what about a small portabote? Perhaps the 8' model.

I've used the 10' version for over a decade now. It's fairly light. It rows well, and moves easily with a small outboard. It's also pretty indestructible, so you don't have to worry about wear to beach it.

It does take some space to store on board, but it might work.

[Cowpoos]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qe0DUh8BkhI

[Latitude42]

I agree the Kayak would work great for just me... but if I were to transfer supplies or fuel, I think I might be inclined to go with the inflatable. I found a 7'6" one that might work... but PVC or Hypalon??

[thinwater]

^^ Either will probably be OK with so little UV. It's just about quality.


Body Glove make a cheap one that is a SUV with a seat. The Paddle North Karve is nice. I have an Airis Sport, but it's out of production.


Honestly, I would probably consider towing a hard kayak, if you have one. It's only 3-5 pounds of drag at speed.

[Don C L]

I have an "expedition" size 3 person whitewater kayak that will hold 850 lbs. That's a lot of groceries! BUT it is 14' long and admittedly it is a little bit of a hassle inflating it on the foredeck. Even their 2 person at 12.5' holds 750 lbs. Mine is made by Sea Eagle, I'm pretty happy with it, had it for over 6 years. The nice thing about it as I mentioned is I can paddle it into a headwind, even when it's loaded with the whole family. Now, would I like to have a nice little RIB with a 10 or 15 hp engine? You bet! But everything has its limitations...
oops, I wasn't paying attention, hypalon would probably be my preference, though my kayak, for my purposes has been fine.

[Latitude42]

I do have a 13' hard Kayak, I never thought about towing one... I might give that a try. How well do they tow, any recommendations on the best way to accomplish that?

[Shrew]

Originally Posted by thinwater

Honestly, I would probably consider towing a hard kayak, if you have one. It's only 3-5 pounds of drag at speed.

It would need to be a sit-ontop or you'd need a way to seal it. They are not self-draining, and that will be a tremendous amount of drag if/when it gets swamped. Even splash over many, many hours will eventually cause an issue.

[carlosproa]

You may want to consider a nesting dinghy. Not sure how much space you have up front but there are many models that nest in 4 ft.
Another potential solution is to build a foldeable dinghy, there are several free tutorial on how to make one, and many kits if you rather built precut

[carlosproa]

Here is a link to one foldeable that can sail, rows, and take a 2 HP engine

https://youtu.be/fhEdd8fDfmk

[tkeithlu]

To para-quote the late great designer/racer J.H. Illingworth, "It is worth almost any sacrifice to carry your dinghy on deck."

Towing can be done, and can be a pain in the butt. If you can select a foldable or inflatable boat that will meet your needs, go with it.

[Greg K]

We bought a Bombard AX1 for our boat. Fits inflated on deck in front of the mast with room to get by and access anchoring/mooring cleat. It's tiny, but for two average sized people it's enough to get you ashore when on the hook. We don't bother with an outboard.


https://www.bombard.com/en/shop/prod.../ax-1-roll-up/