A Better Dinghy

[bbfields]

I am looking for some suggestions on a new dinghy. I don't use an
outboard, preferring to row and would like one which is small
enough to keep on deck. I am wondering what others are using and
what you might like or dislike about your dinghy. My last
dinghy(stolen) was a 9.2' inflatable which was too big but
otherwise nicely accomodated our family of four. Our Morgan is a
386.

 

[bobclark]

John,
Chosing a dinghy is purley subjective. The best that I can advise is that you consider your needs. List them as facts, and then list the type of dinghy that will perform your needs the best. For instance, a family of four needs a stable dink. Inflatables are stable, but don't row well. The best rowing boats are hard, and not stable.
I tow a hard Rhodes designed 8' dink. It accomodates 2 and 3 just fine. We have had 4, but only for a short run on a smooth sea. I enjoy this dink because with 7' oars it rows great. It is also a sailing dinghy, which has provided hours of enjoyment, and entertainment, especially for kids(i'm a big kid). With a 2 1/2 hp outboard it is the family ferry.
However, when we go ashore with a few people it is the guy with the larger inflatable with a 6 or more hp motor that does the ferry work, because it holds more people and stuff with out tipping.
There is know such thing as the perfect dinghy. Like all things in life, it is a matter of knowing the facts, considering your needs, and making the best compromise.
Larry

 

[billh7]

John,
My wife and I use a 10.5 ft. fiberglass dink on our 382.Our first dink was a 8.5 ft. hard rowing/sailing dink which worked pretty well but we wanted something a lottle bigger. The 8.5 fit nicely upside down on the foredeck and was easily hoisted into place with the main halyard until we got davits then the dink hung there most of the time. The 10.5 footer is more stable and roomy and rows easily ( good exercise ). It will also fit on the foredeck or davits.I know your quandry as we suffered the tortures of the damned trying to decide on hard or inflatable and finally settled on hard mostly because of their durability....we've seen too many inflatables shredded by barnacles. Also inflatables seem to be more prone to theft. Anyhow...good luck in your search.

 

[bbeach]

<div>For my retirement cruise to the Med and on, I gave up a hard dink for a 8.6' folding RIB made my Bombard after they were bought out by Zodiac. That means it's hypalon now and not PVC which they were known for. I needed a stable dink that could ferry a lot at good distances to anchorages and with a good engine - this is my second car now that I'm cruising.
The fold-up feature was the selling point for me. Where most RIBs have solid transom-floors, my dink's transom folds inward and down, creating a package that's only 5' long and 4-6" high, which sits beautifully on the fordeck. The boat takes up to 8 hp which makes it plane easily with 2 people plus gear. We used it to get to snorking spots way out on the reefs in Bermuda with 2 adults and 2 kids - not planing obviously. I went some 4-6 miles up the Guadiana River in Portugal once the big boat couldn't go any further. Can you tell - I'm biased. I bought a product that I thought would work and guess what - it does!Good luck- Larry was right - dinks are like buying cars - everybody has a reason for the one they chose.
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[bert]

<div>The question of hard dingy versus inflatable will go on forever, everything is a trade off. I sold my Avon RIB and replaced it with an 8' hard dingy built by an outfit called Gig Harbor Boat Works (www.ghboats.com). I used this on a cruise to Southern California and the Channel Islands last fall and was very satisfied. Given the opportunity I would not go back to the inflatable.Check out Gig Harbor. I did a lot of research and they definately provide a better bang for the buck than some of the more popularly known makes.

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[balthazor]

John, like you I like to row, as does my spouse. Our Avon is useless for that--and is now too small, anyway, as our family grows. On the other hand, I spend enough time in open water that getting a dinghy on deck without taking over sail handling and lounging space is also importanat to me.
I am right now awaiting two bids on building a "nesting dinghy" designed by Dave Gerr. See his "The Nature of Boats" book. Gerr sells the blue prints for $45. If I decide to spring for the expense (I have no idea what it will cost and I am incompetent to do it myself, although it is an easy project for a boat builder) it will be 11 feet by 4 1/2 when put together, a little over 5 1/2 feet nested on deck.
Some friends of mine used another nesting dinghy for 3 years in the south seas. Theirs was narrower and lighter, but also tippier--I am going with Gerr's because I have little kids. I think Dan Spurr's book on upgrading the cruising sailboat has something about nesting dinghies, too. There may be a few available commercially, I am not sure.
I think were I travelling like Tony, the inflatable with outboard is the way to go. You really need a water taxi in those situations. When I get the bids, I will try to remember to post the cost--although in one case, it is a friend whom I am hoping (although I urged him not to) will give me a "break."