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

[CapnK]

The pool-noodle idea is ingenious. :D

[AdriftAtSea]

Just remember, the stainless steel cable doesn't have to be cut-proof.  Most thieves are just opportunistic bastages... and if the cable makes it less convenient to steal than the next dinghy over, they'll take the next dinghy over instead. 

It's like if you're out in the woods and you and your friend run into a hungry grizzly bear, you don't have to out run the bear, you just have to out run your friend. :D

[maxiSwede]

Noodle Keel

  Next problem was the lack of directional stability.  Rowing was easier, but a slightly uneven pull would cause you to slide sideways.  I did not want to invest in an add on inflateable keel, so I went to the dollar general store and bought a pool 'noodle'.  These foam tubes are hollow, and will take a piece of 1/2" PVC pipe nicely.  I wrapped the ends of the pipe in a generous amount of duct tape so they could not get to the halypon floor and cause chafe.  I

Given my limited knowledge of English, I don' really get it. What is a 'pool noodle'? ??? This posting describes exactly what I've been thinking of doing to my own deflatable dink. Haven't yet figured out the details though. The pvc tube for electrical cables is my starting point though... You don't think you could post a pic of that little 'installation' do you?

Since I am swedish, and we are about handing those Nobel prizes out, right now, I guess I could suggest a 'Boater's  Nobel Prize' for you...   ;) ;D ;) ;D

[maxiSwede]

 

It's like if you're out in the woods and you and your friend run into a hungry grizzly bear, you don't have to out run the bear, you just have to out run your friend. :D

;D ;D ;D ;D That's some food for thought upon the choise of friends, erh?   8) :P

[Lynx]

maxiSwede -  a noodle is a water toy. It is a long round foam with a hole in the middle. Can be lots of fun.

[Fortis]

Swede, think heavy-duty pipe laggin insulation made of semi-rigid close cell foam.

You would use them quite a bit on water pipes running outdoors where you are.

[AdriftAtSea]

Alex-

I don't see why that wouldn't work as well as a pool noodle.  The only issue I see is the pipe insulation is usually split all the way up the side... so you'd need to tape it closed, so the PVC core couldn't work free by accident.

[sharkbait]

Hi all , been reading here for awhile , this is my first time posting.
I just sold my Cal 29 with an inboard and bought an Ericson 27 w/ O/B.
The question I have is can I use the 8 hp honda longshaft O/B on an inflatable dink for
next winters Mexico trip? I don't want to waste money and space on a dedicated dink motor
unless I absolutely have to.

[Gus]

Welcome! I'm sure someone will answer your question in no time (bunch of great skippers in here) One thing I know is that I don't want to remove my 9.9 outboard (87 something pounds) from the boat once I'm in the water.

Gus

[s/v Faith]

sharkbait,

  Welcome to the board!

I think you will be able to use the outboard, most 'long shaft' motors have a 25" shaft,  which will cause your transom to flex under a bit more then it might with a short (typically 15") shaft.  I have a 20" shaft yamaha 6hp in my well, I mounted it on an avon R-280 inflatable I had for a while and found it flexed the transom a bit.

  I do not use the Yamaha for my dingy, as it is a chore to remove and replace.  I prefer a smaller (I have 3hp Johnson, and Yamaha outboards) for the dink.  They are quite a bit lighter then my 66# Yamaha and it is a 2 stroke. 

  If your Honda 8 is a 4 stroke it is likely to weigh quite a bit more.... might be a real handful to lift on and off the boat.

  Glad to have you aboard, look forward to hearing more about your boat and travels. ;D

 

[Captain Smollett]

I used my Johnson 8 HP long shaft on the dink last year.  I never got above just a crack over idle cuz I did not want to torque the transom.  But, it worked; for me, it's not a long term solution, though.

[Lynx]

I really depends on the dink and your strength. What can your transum handle? Do you have another way to move the motor off the boat and onto your dink than by hand? Have you tried it at the slip/Dock?

I have a 2 hp Honda, 28 pounds. I can move it with one hand while the other is doing something else. I see a lot of these around here. Pushes my hard dinghy at 5 mph without a problem.

As a reminder. Always tie off your motor before moving it.

[AdriftAtSea]

While you could use it on the dinghy, I wouldn't recommend using a long-shaft OB on a dinghy.  The prop will be much lower in the water than it should be, and will exert more torque on the transom, since it isn't right below the transom as it should be. Depending on the type of dinghy and the construction, it might be okay short term, but definitely not an ideal situation.  Also, the long shaft will increase the effective draft of the dinghy, making approaches to beaches and such more difficult.

[sharkbait]

I haven't bought a new dinghy yet.The old one was sold with the Cal.
I just saw an 8' RIB on craigslist for $600

[Captain Smollett]

If you are in the market for a new dink, I'll mention Saturn (do a google search for Saturn inflatable).  Very well made boats - they were designed for and used by the ROK military; we bought one last year.

[AdriftAtSea]

Just be aware, all the Saturn inflatables I've seen are PVC, and I don't believe they're made in hypalon.

[Captain Smollett]

Yes, that's right.  But  there is little problem, imo, with PVC for a boat that spends MOST of its life stowed in a bag out of the sun. 

[AdriftAtSea]

Very true, but that isn't necessarily how the OP plans on using it. :) 

If he's planning on leaving the boat inflated and stored on deck, or towing it, he may want to get a hypalon dinghy instead of a PVC one.

[WF]

*I apologize in advance if I missed a pertinent thread in my search concerning this subject*

I'm beginning to deal with the 'dinghy problem' for my Yankee 30.  I'll be cruising fairly extensively and really want a hard dinghy, specifically a 7' Fatty Knees with sail kit.  An inflatable would obviously be easier to stow, but I don't want to lug around an outboard and gasoline.  My obvious problem is stowing the hard dinghy, the Y30 has a baby stay that keeps stowage on the foredeck difficult, so it'll probably have to go on the coach roof under the boom. 

So...
If anyone has some thoughts on this or pictures of your hard dinghy stowed on your boat I'd be very appreciative.  I'm trying to find a 7' Fatty Knees to borrow from someone to try it on my deck before I spend all that cash.  If anyone has one in Seattle I'd love to borrow it for a very short time just to check it out.  BTW I'm at Shilshole.

Thanks.

[Delezynski]

Think PortaBoat. Here is a photo of ours folded. On the stbd. side deck.
http://www.svguenevere.com/photos/jeronimo.jpg

That's how we carry an 8 foot dink on a 27 foot boat.

Here is a shot with it setup next to us, ready to go snorkeling.
http://www.svguenevere.com/photos/guenlobos.jpg

Greg