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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

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Alternative dinghy?

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Sryth
Deckhand

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USA
22 Posts

Initially Posted - 06/26/2005 : 19:26:24

I purchased my first boat (a Catalina 25) about a month ago. Since then, I've been working and cleaning this thing, but now it's ready to go in the water! I've got a mooring on the Hudson River, and am now shopping for a dinghy.

My mooring is pretty far out, so I'd prefer something powered. I was looking through the local classifieds when I came across an ad for a waverunner. I could use the waverunner to get to/from the mooring, and I could bring the Cat to the dock to load/unload passengers and gear. Would I be able to successfully tow the waverunner when I go sailing? Having a PWC available when I'm out on the river would be pretty cool.

Someone suggested that I get a small speedboat...like a 13' Boston Whaler. How much is too much when it comes to towing?

Edited by - on

Oscar
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
2030 Posts

Response Posted - 06/26/2005 : 23:31:01

Drag of towing anything is going to cost you speed....a 13' whaler will slow you down by half (wild guess). inflatables will cost you 1 knot or so....a Walker Bay 8' slowed my 250 by 3/4's of a knot. They row very well, and will take a small outboard. They are also indestructable.

Edited by - on

Leon Sisson
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1893 Posts

Response Posted - 06/27/2005 : 00:14:05

I agree with Oscar. I have an 8' plywood pram that slows my C-25 by about 1/2 knot when being towed. I think the PWC as a dinghy is an all around bad idea, but I'm not a huge fan of them any way. I think a lot of folks on moorings leave their dink on the mooring while they daysail. Helps in finding mooring again, discourages mooring squatters. (May encourage dinghy thieves.)

-- Leon Sisson

Edited by - on

pjeffarch
Navigator

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USA
135 Posts

Response Posted - 06/27/2005 : 00:49:52

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Sryth
 I purchased my first boat (a Catalina 25) about a month ago. Since then, I've been working and cleaning this thing, but now it's ready to go in the water! I've got a mooring on the Hudson River, and am now shopping for a dinghy.

My mooring is pretty far out, so I'd prefer something powered. I was looking through the local classifieds when I came across an ad for a waverunner. I could use the waverunner to get to/from the mooring, and I could bring the Cat to the dock to load/unload passengers and gear. Would I be able to successfully tow the waverunner when I go sailing? Having a PWC available when I'm out on the river would be pretty cool.

Someone suggested that I get a small speedboat...like a 13' Boston Whaler. How much is too much when it comes to towing?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

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atgep
Master Marine Consultant

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1009 Posts

Response Posted - 06/27/2005 : 05:54:18

I use a kayak. It is simple, can't sink, and tows nicely.

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Gambit
Navigator

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USA
160 Posts

Response Posted - 06/27/2005 : 07:13:12

My mooring is quite a way as well. When one of my oar locks broke and a replacement was not easily found I came up with this alternative. I have a trolling motor and a portable battery jumper that is designed for either providing a jump or running dc gear. I put those two things on the dingy and quietly hum out to my boat. While sailing I take the trolling motor off and lay it in the dingy so it is not obvious. This is easier and speedier than rowing, especially in rough weather. You should be able to get those two items for about $125, plus your dingy.

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dhunt
1st Mate

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USA
83 Posts

Response Posted - 06/27/2005 : 08:47:12

NO on the PWC! Get something that you can row if you want to (or have to). If you've ever seen a PWC swamped, with it's engine compartment flooded, floating about 6" above the water and needing to be rescued along with it's passengers, you'll see them as toys but not as tools. You'll also want to get supplies to the Catalina and that requires a proper dingy.

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Sryth
Deckhand

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USA
22 Posts

Response Posted - 06/27/2005 : 09:56:03

Thanks for the responses! I'm slowly beginning to realize the impracticality of using a PWC as a dinghy. As far as getting supplies out to the boat, I'll likely be bringing the boat to the dock each time to load passengers anyhow, so that's not really an issue.

I guess I'm back to looking for a real dinghy. Any recommendations for a towable dinghy that's not too expensive? I've been looking at RIBs, but they seem pretty pricey for something that can be punctured! Am I really best off with a Walker Bay 8' or equivalent?

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ddlyle
Captain

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302 Posts

Response Posted - 06/27/2005 : 18:36:37

Don't forget about the kayak.
You can carry some gear in them, they're speedy (good against wind or current vs. a plain rowboat) and they are lightweight.
I suppose they could be towed with little drag.

Edited by - on

cclark
Navigator

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USA
104 Posts

Response Posted - 06/27/2005 : 21:28:30

Gambit,
What size is your trolling motor? and What size is your battery?
I've been thinking of this for my Walker Bay 10.
Thanks,
Chris
<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Gambit
 I have a trolling motor and a portable battery jumper that is designed for either providing a jump or running dc gear.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

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seastream
Navigator

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USA
242 Posts

Response Posted - 06/27/2005 : 22:10:04

I'd say no to PWC. Can't carry anything. As to the dock, usually my wife and I just want to pack lunch and go...no messing with the dock. We use the dock for major loadings or when picking up several friends for a sail. We bought a $100 blowup at Sams club...quickly found out that even if the oars and locks WEREN'T junk, rowing the mile round trip while fighting some currents would get old quick. Said blowup is now in the family pool. We now have a new 9 foot Zodiac with a 2hp 4stk Honda and couldn't be happier. Plenty of room for 3 or 2 and some luggage. Usually leave the dinghy at mooring, haven't tried towing or carrying it on the bow. Might if/when we need to. Theft? Not worried, mostly 'cuz no one else seems to be. They all leave their similar dinghys tied up, with motors, no locks, no worries. That's NH for you. If theft happens, that's what registration and insurance are for.

Bob

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Gambit
Navigator

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USA
160 Posts

Response Posted - 06/27/2005 : 23:27:43

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by cclark
 Gambit,
What size is your trolling motor? and What size is your battery?
I've been thinking of this for my Walker Bay 10.
Thanks,
Chris
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
[/quote]

I have an Endura 30 which has 30lbs of thrust. The battery is a 12 volt Schumacher Automotive Jump Starter. It is less than half the weight of a normal battery and is easy to carry. It plugs into any outlet to recharge. The motor handle extends forward so I can steer from the center bench and keep weight distributed evenly.

My dingy is at least 8' long and we motor fine on all motor speeds. I think it would work for you. I would not go any less in thrust power but 30 should do.

I had me and my 12 year old son ( 370lbs combined weight) and coolers and junk and we cruised no problem. The nice thing is being able to let my son steer, much quicker with that than the oars and more relaxing. The set up and takedown is no longer than fiddling with the oars (although I do still take them).

Hope this helps with your decision.

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river ripper
Deckhand

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12 Posts

Response Posted - 07/20/2005 : 01:37:54

We're Hudson River sailors as well. Moored for a few years just north of the newburgh beacon bridge and used a walker bay 8 and oars. now at a slip on the rondout creek (Kingston) so I have an extra walker bay 8 if you wish to get a used one. BTW, I'm sail #5437- hope to see you out there!

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mfasis
Navigator

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114 Posts

Response Posted - 07/20/2005 : 08:14:08

Hey River,

How much are you asking for the dink?

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PamC
Navigator

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171 Posts

Response Posted - 07/20/2005 : 16:45:08

This is my first post here. We are enjoying our first season with our Cat 25. As for our dinghy we got a Porta-Bote. Okay, so it's not the prettiest girl at the dance, but it's lightweight, easier to row than any inflatable I've ever rowed and it folds down to the size of a surfboard. I especially like it because it has a flexible hull so we can both stand up in it on the water and it displaces water to provide stability. It's especially appreciated when I'm passing a cooler or squirmy dog up to someone in the cockpit. The company claims it will get up on plane with a 3.5hp, I wouldn't know as I can't get Dave to row that fast! We're now looking for a motor for it. I'd appreciate opinions about electric vs. gas. Thanks! This forum has been a big help already.

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Leon Sisson
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1893 Posts

Response Posted - 07/20/2005 : 18:21:41

Hi Pam,

Congratulations on selecting such a fine sailboat! Welcome to the group! If you're new here, let me just say I think you'll the folks here very helpful. (If you're not new here, then you already knew that.

)
<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by PamC:

As for our dinghy we got a Porta-Bote.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">I've read high praise for the Porta-Bote as a dinghy. I (and probably others) would like more detailed info on how that works out as a tender over the long haul.
<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by PamC:

The company claims it will get up on plane with a 3.5hp ... opinions about electric vs. gas.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">I don't think you'll find a readily available 3.5HP 12V trolling motor! If you can get by with around 30# trust, wrestling and charging a battery, and whatever limit on range your choice of battery imposes, then I think electric is a fine way to go. As for gas, I'm a strong advocate of 4-strokes. Honda has a 2HP 4-stroke I lust for. Yamaha and maybe Tohatsu sell slightly larger 4-strokes.

Do you know if there are any sailing accessories available for the Porta-Bote? I have an 8' plywood pram which can be rigged for sailing. I find sailing it a fine way to tour new harbors after anchoring for the evening, without having to deal with either an expensive and noisy gas engine, or a battery that's going to have to be recharged somehow. Now if you have lots of generator capacity on board, a trolling motor starts to look even better. I'm considering spending about the cost of that 2HP Honda kicker on a 2KW 4-stroke portable generator instead. That should resolve all charging issues. Perhaps there would even be a way to use the generator in the dinghy to extend the cruising range of a trolling motor!

-- Leon Sisson

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river ripper
Deckhand

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12 Posts

Response Posted - 07/20/2005 : 23:16:30

Mark,
it's 3 years old, tan color, comes with oars. a few scratches but no major. I'd take 250 for dink and oars with the admirality's consent, of course!

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PamC
Navigator

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171 Posts

Response Posted - 07/21/2005 : 16:18:03

Thanks for the friendly welcome Leon! The rep we bought our Porta-Bote from has used one as a tender for his sailboat up in Puget Sound for several years and loves it. The Porta-Bote does have an optional sail kit you can buy. I believe you get a lateen rigged sail, a couple of lee boards, rudder & tiller and all of the attendant rigging. It's down the list aways right now though. Behind some chain & an anchor roller for the new Bruce! Thanks also for the info on outboards. A gas motor would serve our purposes better, but I was hoping to get off cheap! Hey, I've only been a boat owner since November and sometimes I forget that you never get off cheap with a boat. I've gotten some good feedback from owners of the Yamaha 2.5hp 4-stroke, although that Honda 2hp looks good too.

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John V.
Admiral

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USA
559 Posts

Response Posted - 07/27/2005 : 13:58:05

ditto the Walker bay 8. I was going to build a new dinghy this spring and just ran out of time. I bit the plastic and bought the WB8. it rows very well and can carry two adults without difficulty.
I recently had dinner aboard Karen Larson and Jerry powlas' C&C30 Mystic. They anchored about 500 ft astern of me and being the one to bring the wine I assumed that they would have a corkscrew. Not so....so I rowed back to Nin Bimash II for the device into a 15 kt wind. the walker bay tends to track straight and does not try to round up when you take a break. The oar locks come with a little O ring that makes it doarn near impossible to ship oars easily so I took em off with no problem. I concur with those who praise this little plastic tub. With a very traditional look it tows well and after 6 days in Lake Superior with good result I am sold.

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GeorgeB
1st Mate

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90 Posts

Response Posted - 07/28/2005 : 10:34:06

Hey Good Morning all!

I'm also looking for a dink and have just about decided that a Walker Bay would be the way to go. However I've come up with a temporary solution that shows promise of lasting. During some dickering with my Father in Law

, I ended up with a 16ft Ouchita aluminum fishing boat with a Johnson 6hp.

I cushioned the gunnels with foam pipe insulation, and started using it to go out to the mooring. Last week when I convinved the Admiral to go on an overnighter, we towed the fishing boat.

It did a great job, tows great, is very stable for getting on and off the boat at the mooring. Has lots of load capacity, its light enough for two people to carry, Has lots of speed and makes a good boat to go exploring in. It is rugged enough to run up on our rocky Maine shores. This soultion may allow me to buy a new roller furler

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Sryth
Deckhand

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USA
22 Posts

Response Posted - 08/10/2005 : 14:26:29

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by GeorgeB
 I ended up with a 16ft Ouchita aluminum fishing boat with a Johnson 6hp.

Last week when I convinved the Admiral to go on an overnighter, we towed the fishing boat.

It did a great job, tows great, is very stable for getting on and off the boat at the mooring. Has lots of load capacity, its light enough for two people to carry, Has lots of speed and makes a good boat to go exploring in. It is rugged enough to run up on our rocky Maine shores. This soultion may allow me to buy a new roller furler

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
I was actually thinking of getting one of these; I bought a cheap (~$350 Sevylor T68) inflatable for this season, but it's too much for me to get together alone. Did you remove the motor when you towed the fishing boat? What kind of speed penalty did you take from towing?

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stampeder
Master Marine Consultant

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1608 Posts

Response Posted - 08/10/2005 : 15:33:37

I've been monkeying around with a bunch of tenders - first I tried a plastic Coleman canoe, then a cheap kayak,inflatable kayak, then a $150 inflatable, then a 7'11" AVON inflatable,and have finally settled on a 8'6" Zodiac. All of these tenders had their own appeal - from financial to practical but I finally settled on the bigger Zodiac because of safety and peace of mind but mostly - because of my dog. The highest point of the Zodiac is the bow, my dog confidently scrambles from the bow of the Zodiac to the cockpit - she did this with no encouragement from us.

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Rich G
Navigator

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226 Posts

Response Posted - 08/11/2005 : 09:20:44

my dog confidently scrambles from the bow of the Zodiac to the cockpit - she did this with no encouragement from us.
________________________________________________________________________________

Wow. What kind of dog? Must be small and light to make that kind of a leap. My stepmother almost ended up in the Hudson river trying to get up from my inflatable, and she's sort of a dog.

(i think i'm going to hell for that one)

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stampeder
Master Marine Consultant

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1608 Posts

Response Posted - 08/11/2005 : 16:51:00

Wiggins is a nimble 6 year old 'Soft Coated Wheaton Terrier' She is confident on the boat...at 26 LBs, she can easily jump from tender to cockpit.

Unfortunately, she also likes to explore my dockmates boats too.

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