Show me your little Dinghy / Tender / what have you....

[BobW]

Mike,

That's a beautiful and inspirational dinghy.  Used to be I didn't think I had the know-how, but that's not the case any more. Someday, though,  I will solve my space problem and build me a dinghy, too.  Seriously, living in an apartment leaves me no place to build - or store - a boat.  So, I'll keep looking at, and collecting, designs against that day when I've got more than a 6' x 12' patio full of stuff. :)

[AdriftAtSea]

Only problem I see with that very pretty dinghy is that it is far too large to store aboard almost any of the boats we use on Sailfar.  :D

[Oyster]

There has never been a boat too small that a dinghy cannot be adapted to using this process, even with the many features of the nesting dinghy builds. There are plan sellers that actually feature stock plans for rigid hulls that will indeed store on deck if you do not wish to tow it.

http://www.bandbyachtdesigns.com/


http://www.messing-about.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5297

Check this out, actually using the feature to carry his boat inside an RV.

[Cmdr Pete]

Why didn't I think of that?

[Oyster]

Oh that was so 1980s. ;) Heck I can build just about anything that will fit on deck. But the ease of walking into Waste Marine and walking out with a "sheetrock" bucket, or a "blowup" doll is hard to beat for the mid range boat guys. I personally just like something different which many of the nesting plans have offered for a lot of folks. I didn't need it and want the split unit as I will be using this hull independent of any other boat hull in most cases for now.

[Ol' Coot]

Mike,

Did you design the boat yourself or work to someone else's set of plans?  If your own, was it just for the satisfaction, or did you have specific ideas that weren't addressed on other dinghies?

Kevin

[Oyster]

Well where do I begin without rambling here. First came a new custom built sailboat that I needed an engine, which was also an interim boat for a larger cruiser to be built for a true retirement hull, something thats more favorable for my needs and potential longtern boating.

But along those lines I needed more than just a simple two hp power engine that was also needed as an aux. engine for the sailboat.  I also needed t be able to move any dinghy around with just my wife and me and when you leave past the eight or ten foot size, its hard to do so.

I need more room than what most on deck tenders allow in the interior space since they are so small. I also felt the need and wish to have a boat to gunkhole down the road, and rest on top of the proposed cruiser which also created some handling of a larger hull than the liteweight eight footer that is pretty easy to handle and to rest on top without some weight issues of a larger hull.

Yes I designed and built this hull as a combination hull that will also allow me to use it independent from any hull, gunkholing and to allow me to also use an engine that will also work as an aux engine for the 23 footer now.

So you see the transom which is raised from the side freeboard to accomadate the long shaft that was required for the 23 footer that will also give me more than just a pusher engine to get ashore for stores.

Many plans now require the method of epoxy and glass tape, which also increases the costs of the small craft and additional work for mixing, filleting, and gluing, and also down time for the epoxy to dry during the severe cold weather that we have had this past month.

This created what you see, okume plywood, which is pretty liteweight, and meranti a more durable bottom plywood. I framed it out of cypress, a medium density that is not that heavy, but hold fasteners okay, which I also had and is pretty good when dealing with the elements.

I have a very bad habit of building for a specific need for all of my boats, and have never really found too many production products or plans that fit my taste either.

I hope this has not been too confusing. When I write, I have a bad habit of rambliing on, taking for granted that others are perfectly good mind readers of what I am thiking about.

As a side note, I received a PM but hit the wrong button for a reply. So that is why you did not receive a response. I am not too computer literate.

[s/v Faith]

Oh SURE Mike.....






  ...build your own dingy....   :P





Classic lines, Cypress gunnels.......   ::)






OK... FINE!   >:(



  ........Sure, it may have more class then MY dingy......





But!






  You know what...? 


  There is One contest it will NOT win.... ???  ???










She ain't gonna win any 'ugly dingy contests'...    ;D








Just teasing, man, that is a nice dink  ;D :D ;D :D

[Oyster]

LOL!! Well I have never been much into contests for sure. I just like successfull ventures, of course from my perspective. Victory from  my perspective is when I get up in the am, and all designed  components are in working order.  ;D I actually had a fellow on my second outing stop me and ask me if the boat was for sale. He need a larger dinghy or simular hull that was semi portable to go across to his bird watching island so he could carry the additional goodies that was required for his SWMBO to replace their kayak. I told them a larger kayak was still cheaper as not to cause him any pain of impulsive decision making.  :(

[WayneS]

I have a 25 foot Cheoy Lee Frisco Flyer, and it's got limited storage room.  I want to have the 8-foot Achilles, deflated, in a bag on the foredeck for Mexico cruising.  I have some thoughts about the bag, and would appreciate input.

I messed around with the inflatable, transom mount, seat, floorboards and oars until I thought I had found the best neat, compact way to package them, and designed a bag to fit.  I plan to have a bag made as follows (unless you folk have better ideas):

The material will be medium weight marine vinyl with polyester backing, sewn by my excellent, inexpensive canvasmaker; a zipper will run the length of the bag, with a zipper cover which closes with Murphy fasteners- these days called swivel fasteners.    Shape will be rectangular, the down side flat and the upper side rounded. There will be reinforcing straps, and I doubt that a pro sewing machine could handle them, but may be wrong...I will probably have to add the straps with a hand sewing awl.  There will be wide dacron strapping over both sides of the outer edges, all the way around.  Two additional dacron straps will run diagonally across the bag, each of them secured for about six or eight inches at each of the four corners, and with a quick-release metal buckle; each of these straps can be tightened and loosened.  At each corner, where these straps are sewn on, there will be a loop, and a fairly large stainless carabiner in each loop.  These will fasten to screw eyes, made by ABI, which screw into fittings recessed into the deck, and can be removed when not in use.  These fittings will have backing plates.

There will be handles for carrying.

The thought is that I could store the Achilles on the foredeck unless I got into pretty unpleasant weather, in which case it would go into the cabin.  I could also remove the bag to transport the inflatable. 

Ideas?  Comments?

[AdriftAtSea]

That actually sounds like a pretty workable scheme for storing the dinghy.   However, it might just be simpler in the long run to have padeyes or screweyes in the deck and then lash the bag down using rope.  You really don't want the bag to move at all if possible.  Six folding padeyes would do the trick quite nicely and still be out of the way when the dinghy is stowed below.  If you want to make it easy to lash down, make two 1/4" shock cords, with five hooks, that go between the six padeyes in a M shape... One forward, one aft. In good weather use just one to secure the dinghy, in heavier weather, use both.

[Lynx]

Just make sure that you can get to the foresail in a blow and the anchor.

How heavy is it? Will you be able to get it below when it gets ruff?

Your Mexico passage should be less than 1 week, can it be stored below?

[CapnK]

Hi Wayne - Welcome Aboard! :) Grog to ya' for joining, and for having such a pretty vessel! ;D

Sounds like to me you have it all figured out, and that it would take some serious action indeed to make you have to stow the bag belowdecks. The only thing different I would do would be to add a few of those deck fasteners (3 to a side?), just to make smaller the amount of exposed bag between anchoring points. Since they are removeable/addable, you could use 4 at the corners usually, and only add the extras in prep for a big blow.

[WayneS]

As my Mexican friends would say, "Mutchos garcias."  (Ouch!  Put down that winch handle!)  All comments much appreciated.

I measured pretty carefully, and access to the anchor and chain/line locker should not be impeded.  In fact, this setup should give me a place to sit while launching/retrieving the anchor in calm weather.

I especially like the idea of adding two more securing points.  Those recessed eyes are great, but pricey (something like $51)... but Ernie Minney's used-gear chandlery is having its celebrated Swap Meet on June 3.... I swear, if it weren't for that guy, a lot of us Left Coast types could not go cruising.

Thanks again, & thanks for the welcome.  Hope this little project works out!

Best-- Wayne

[AdriftAtSea]

Wayne-

Probably not a good idea to sit on the stowed dinghy, as it can cause some problems with damaging the fabric of the dinghy IMHO.

[CapnK]

I hope that Dan doesn't take this the wrong way, but - hey Wayne, ya only live once - go ahead and sit on the boat. :D

When I first got my Walker Bay dink, she was almost brand new, even tho' she was 2-3 yrs old at the time. For a while, I fretted about keeping her that way. Then I took a trip, and had 40 miles of following sea. She kept running up and into the stern of my boat, at the time a Com-Pac 23D, and it soon became exasperating. The only easy fix out there was to tie her right up on to the stern quarter, literally. The rest of the run - she was no problem.

Then when I got to port I discovered that the corner piece of stainless on the CP23D had chewed up the rail of the dinghy, making deep scratches and gouges, and all of the sudden the dinghy was new-no-more. And ya know what?

Didn't make a poo of a diffference in how much fun I had, and have had, and will have, with the dinghy. She's a lil beat up and battle-scarred, but she works, and the wear marks she has have all come from my *using* her, and that makes all the difference. Using her to help make memories, not just keeping her as a showpiece. Things are just *things*, and the only way they stay New is when you don't use them, which, to me, means you aren't *living*.

My dink - she could still be pretty and scratch free, but my life wouldn't be any better for it.

Things wear out; memories never do.

We should own things; they shouldn't own us.

Sit on the boat, Wayne, and have a toddy at sunset for me and my dinghy. :)

I apologize for waxing somewhat poetic, but I met a bunch of cruisers today (some of which may join us here eventually), and when you are around people who are just *living*, well, I guess it wears off on ya. :)

[AdriftAtSea]

CapnK-

The onlyy reason I mentioned it...was that an inflatable with a hole is not so useful as a dinghy... doesn't hold air so well.  A walker bay can take a lot more abuse and still serve its function as a boat's "car".  My Porta-bote gets beat up...but can take it... my inflatable dinghy I take a bit better care of...

[Lynx]

CapnK - If you have a 60 foot tow line instead of a short painter, would the dinghy hit the stern in the 40 miles of following sea?

I recently got one of the water toy tow ropes 60' x 1/2 (maybe 3/4) and was happy with the 120 mile tow but it was not in any seas to speak of.

[Frank]

Towing a dingy offshore in any weather other than near calm...(remembering weather changes quickly) will sooner or later bite you..it simply will be trouble.

[CharlieJ]

Agree completely. We have towed our Minipaw offshore for several days at a stretch, even in some heavier weather. NOT HEAVY weather but we were reefed and had the jib reefed, mostly to slow down.

I tow offshore with the definite thought fixed firmly in mind that the dinghy is expendable. Should the weather turn really snotty and that dink cause the big boat problems, that towline would be cut in a heart beat. If you are gonna tow outside, that has to be your mind set.

I've cut away a dinghy once before- a 12 foot Achilles in the Chesapeake. We later recovered the dinghy but at the time it was cut loose it had become a danger to the mother ship, so away it went.

We are currently searching for an inflatable that is small enough we can deflate and stow in a cockpit locker, in the Vee berth  or on the main cabin sole when offshore on a prolonged voyage.