Dinghy Advice

J

Jonathangolds

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Joined
Jun 18, 2001
RO Number
4997
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15
My boat will be on a mooring for at least the upcoming season and posisibly the foreseeable future so I need a dinghy. I'm looking for advise on what to get. Inflatable, fiberglass or AL. Any other options?

My primary concern is that it be stable and require as little maintenance as possible. My boat is a 23' so I will not be cruising with a dinghy. I'd want something that could either be rowed or with an easily removable/transportable motor.

We are adding a canvas top to the boat this year so, if we went with a small enough inflatable, I suppose I could lash it to that for use while away from home but, that's very unlikely and would limit it me to something under 8' (our beam).

Thanks,

Jon
 
The most stable dinghies are inflatables - difficult to capsize under normal conditions and accomodate many outboard motor sizes. Inflatables however, are not the best choice for rowing - should be covered when not in use to prevent UV degradation and if left unattended on shore for long periods, are subject to theft.

If your intention is to use it as just a taxi between shore to mooring, I would recommend a hard shell fiberglass dinghy - the most popular choice for that purpose. Used ones are almost given away, since most people today use inflatables as tenders. A beat-up inexpensive one - say 8-9 ft, is easy to row and would not be attractive to theives either. I have found that the round bottom types can be a bit tippy though.

Steve
 
How about filling in a few more details?

How far would you need to row to get out to your mooring?

Is the distance you have to travel well protected? What is the wind like?

Would you be rowing out the boat alone, then bringing the boat to a dock to load passengers and gear, or would you need to row all your gear and passengers out to the mooring?

What would you be doing with the dinghy when you go home?

The worst case scenario is that you intend to carry your dinghy with you from home, launch it, row out to the boat with all your gear, leave the dinghy on the mooring when you go cruising. In this situation you would need something that is easy to row, can carry gear and passengers, and wouldn't be a target to thieves.

Small, soft bottom inflatables are a real pain to row. Many of them have such poor oarlocks that it can be a real challenge to move at all let alone in a straight line. Add a little wind blowing you off course and it can be real tough to row even a short distance.

Inflatable keels help a little bit, but they are still not the easist to row. A rigid bottom inflatable that has decent oars can be okay to row. These boats are fairly heavy, however, so if you intend to take it home with you every weekend then that will be another challenge.

If you can leave the dinghy in the water at the marina then I would look for some real cheap fiberglass rowboat, such as a Livingston or similar. Something so old and beat up that no one would steal it.

If you can't leave the boat at the marina and you only needed to get yourself to the boat then a small soft bottom inflatble could be okay. You can deflate it and put it in the trunk of the car when you are done. With just yourself in the dinghy it would row okay, but you really wouldn't like it on a windy day with a passenger and gear.

If you have to take the boat home with you, and you want to make it out to the boat in one trip with all your crew and gear then I would recommend an aluminum boat. They row really easy, you could put a small outboard on it, they are quite stable and are not too expensive. If you have a truck you can buy/make a rack arrangement that will carry the boat up top fairly easy, or you could tow it on a trailer.

Rod
 
I am a big fan of the little Boston Whalers. They all share a basic hull design that hasn't changed in decades. And why would they change it? The boats are all but impossible to tip over, remarkably stable, unsinkable and provide ample room to haul the necessities of life. The smallest is the 11 foot "Tender". I've rowed one and it is easy. You can also put a 30 hp (I think) motor on it and zip around. I own a 13 foot version, slightly fancier with a 40 hp motor. Four adults and a bunch of groceries fit in the boat just fine. It's lots of fun for exploring.

All the best!
 
I use a 10.5 rib , it was taken home the first 4 years but last year left it on the dock. It did ok but the saltwater and things that grown on things left in the water were bad.the presure washer cleaned it up good, but the sun dry er up a little. When we need it when we go somewhere, just tow it on a line back out of the wake. and when we don't need it just leave it on the moreing ball. And I allso deflated it once and store it on deck . There a soft side and could easly get cut or broken. I looked at the hard preform boats and just didn't seem to fit in right. I like the ribs cause u can bring it up on deck if needed.but think about how your going to use it, where and when. and see what type works best for what u need. And shop around the price for the same thing can change by alot.but the best thing would to have more money than you could ever spend and not have to worry about it. I still have 10 more years of paidment on my boat and it was used. I sometimes wonder if I can even aford this sport at all. If this don't make any sence, well a close friend died Sat. and I'm still trying to figer it all out.
 
Sorry to hear about your friend Freddy.

For those looking for more information...

90% of the time I would be taking the dinghy on my own to the mooring (I'd guess a 60-80 yard distance) and then return to the dock to load passengers and gear.

There are racks to store inflatables out of the water and a dock to store "regular" dinghies. Theft of motors is a common occurence so if I get a motor it needs to have an integral gas tank and be easily removed to take home with me.

My father, who's in his early 70s also occasionaly takes the boat out on his own. He is in good shape physically but I do worry about him losing his balance getting from the dinghy to the boat. His stamina is fine for rowing but he's not as limber as he once was.

I guess the real questions are;

Can I pack up to two people and two backpacks in an 8' dinghy?

Is the increased cost/maintenance of a motor justified by the increased stability of an inflatable or would a rowable AL or FG be safe enough?
 
Most 8' dinks will carry two, the bigger ones are steadier. For your purposes I'd think an aluminum, fiberglass or plastic skiff would do fine, but only you can decide if it's stable enough. I'd skip the motor, a new one will probably get stolen and an old raggedy one will be a PITA.

Rowing is good for the ticker, anyway. :)

My condolences Freddy.
 
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