Index

The Dinghy - Rigid or Inflated, Carry or Tow.

INDEX  - Rigid, Inflatable, RIB, Carry, Tow, Nest.

There is usually a love, hate relationship with the tender, dinghy or pram.  A rigid usually rows and tows very well.  Not so a soft bottom inflatable.  However, a rigid inflatable boat (RIB) tows well.  The buoyancy, comfort and dryness of an inflatable can't be beat.  I've posted this Tech Tip for all those sailors who tow their dinghy over the deep blue brine.  It's in those deep troughs that the dinghy can assume a mind of its own, pulling the stern of an SJ23 sideways.

RIGID DINGHY - Tows straight and rows well.  I usually set the tow line length so the dinghy is just inside the trough behind me.  I tows very stable back there.  A rigid dinghy takes a lot of room on the deck which is why the nested or stacking dinghy was designed.  That is, the fore and aft halves join at the middle with two bulkheads.  The advantage is that it stores in half the space.  They tend to be small though.

INFLATED DINGHY - Lots of reserve buoyancy, stability and comfort if you can keep your bum dry sitting on a tube.  Be very careful beaching it to prevent a puncture on rocks.  Wash the sand off your feet before you step onboard so it doesn't work its way between the floor and the tubes to create a leak.  A soft bottom dinghy tows heavy and tends to wander left and right.  For that reason, use the bridle arrangement shown here. 

RIB DINGHY - The rigid inflatable boat (RIB) is a hybrid of a rigid and an inflatable boat.  If you ever have an opportunity to try one, go for it.  It really is the best of both worlds.  The towing bridle works even better on a RIB. 

• Tows well.

• Rows well.

• Motors well.

• Comfortable to sit on.

• Has lots of buoyancy.

• Dry (usually).

CARRY ON FOREDECK - An 8' long rigid dinghy can fit on the foredeck, usually upside down.  It looks a bit goofy right side up on such a small sailboat as an SJ23.  However, you are on a recreational boat, so make it suit your needs.  Under sail it should be turned upside down so the jib sheets don't foul and must ALWAYS be tied to the gunwales so it can't get blown off. 

"A nested dinghy takes half the space of a full size dinghy and it might be possible to carry it on the cabin top.  Consider the fact that the boom is about 14" above the cabin top when the main is sheeted hard on a beat.  Keep in mind that this space will vary according to the rake of the mast.  The boom will likely touch the top hoop of a dodger.  There is more space on the foredeck to assemble the dinghy".  Gleno

" I have a 6' Columbia dinghy that can't fit on the foredeck with the bow just inside the pulpit.  It can fit on the cabin top under the boom but makes access through the companionway difficult.  Towing it noticeably slows the boat.  I use it mostly at the anchorage to row between shore and the boat, only 100' or so".  Harry

TOW A DINGHY - I bought a Walker Bay 8 in 2000 just after it came on the market as it was the most stable dinghy for rowing to/from my mooring and has no hull maintenance other than occasional washing.  This ended my use of a canoe as a tender.  I hardly ever tow it because the drag reduced the speed under sail too much and I don't need it for an afternoon float.  Later that summer while motoring to another anchorage, I discovered how little towing resistance it has.  If I tow my dinghy with the line tied to the top of the pushpit and goes to the bow eye that is low enough to keep the bow up a bit.  The kedge does a good job of keeping the dinghy in a straight line behind Panache.  But if I'm in large waves and the dinghy decides to take a tack of its own, I may use a 3 point bridle (shown above) to keep it tamed.  Use floating polypropylene or Dyneema floating line so it doesn't wrap around the propeller.  My dinghy has never capsized under tow BUT one time I forgot to remove the 2HP outboard and came close to loosing it in rough water.  That was not a good day!  The extra weight on the transom changed the balance aft too much and that's the last time I towed it with the outboard on.  The oars are always tied (square lashing) to the central seat so they are there when I arrive.  Thanks to the SJ23 shoal draft keel I can nudge Panache to the shallows and step on shore almost anywhere, which is another reason why I seldom tow the dinghy.  However, there are some rocky shores around here that make it mandatory to access shore.  I never did convert it to a RIB by adding the gunwale flotation option.  Bob

UPDATED NESTING DINGHY (Tow or carry) - "I built this Chesapeake Light Craft's nesting dinghy as a fun winter project during COVID.  The bow fits inside the stern, after you cut the dinghy in half with a hand saw.  That was a very tense day as it took nerve to make that cut.  I considered not doing it at all as it must be cut very precise, which you can do only once.  But it worked out with some fairing to smooth the surfaces as can be seen below.  The dinghy is handy to get us to shore on our cruises around Wabamun Lake."  Tim

Nested dimension are (57x48)" which fits the foredeck of an SJ23 just fine.
The two halves are connected with SS bolt and wing nuts.
Each half can support an adult in the water as the seats are equipped with foam flotation.
Carrying capacity is 375 lbs. when two halves are bolted together. 
CLC Boats web site for plans or a kit.
 

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