Towing a dinghy with my CP 19/3

[MOlson]

Love my new to me CP 19/3

I would very much appreciate some input, advice, suggestions on towing a dinghy.

Good idea, bad idea, what type, RIB, Walkers Cay type, etc.??

Love the idea of being able to go ashore for supplies, etc on trips of several days, with all the fees and hassles.

Thanks,

Mark O
Lise Marie II

[wes]

Your 19 draws 24". Where exactly could a dinghy go that the 19 itself couldn't go? Towing a dinghy will really slow you down. I'm casting my vote for "bad idea."

[AislinGirlII]

Reminds me of how it is down off the Mississippi Gulf Coast..there are places where it goes from 6 feet to 1 foot well off a barrier island so I'm pondering the same thing for my CP23

[Tom L.]

Here is my opinion. First our boats are really small, they are not much bigger than a dinghy in the first place. The only dinghy I would consider for our boats is a small inflatable like the Achillies LT-2 or LT-4. Avon makes one but too expensive. Check out defender for the Achillies.  They are light weight because they don't have a wood transom and can be easily handled, less than 40# for the LT-2. They will not row very well so if you are planning long trips ashore forget it. But if you are going to anchor off a beach or near a dinghy dock...no problem after all we can get in really close. Most of our sailing is done in protected waters so the smaller inflatables can be towed. The best way to tow is to bring the inflatable up close to the transom and if possible actually rest the bow on the transom with just the transom of the inflatable in the water. I personally wouldn't bother with a motor too much hassle. We just don't have the room for all the stuff on our little ships.

So if you want to anchor off and don't mind a short row it is a good solution.

[marc]

I've been thinking about this too. I've decided just to use an inflatable Sevylor boat that I already own and to inflate it once I reach my destination. I have a 12 volt pump that can inflate the tubes in about 5 minutes. I had been thinking about towing a dingy. If I went that route, I was going to try a modification of this towing arrangement that I happen to stumble upon on-line.

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/macgregor/outside-17.html

I wasn't going to do anything as elaborate as described here, but I planned to use my ladder to keep the dinghy's bow lifted up and reduce drag.
Hope this helps.
Marc

[wroundey]

Last week I took my CP16 over to Carlyle Lake for a great afternoon of sailing. Since my winter project was the construction of a Portugese dinghy, I took that along also. I pulled the dinghy behind the 16 with about 15 feet of line. Towing it was not too bad, but I did notice that since the dinghy does not have a skeg, the dinghy  was scooting around behind me a bit. But my girls had fun getting towed in the dinghy - even though that really slowed us down - but it was a fun family day with nowhere specific to go.

[brackish]

Reminds me of how it is down off the Mississippi Gulf Coast..there are places where it goes from 6 feet to 1 foot well off a barrier island so I'm pondering the same thing for my CP23

I'm using an inflatable Sevylor, the three person fisherman a fairly stout model.  It will fit in the forward most V-berth compartment along with several different pump options, (manual, battery operated and 12v plug).  It is all I need for my 23 and I don't have tow it slowing down the sail. 

However, You are showing Cat Island, (I was there this past week) and for Cat, Ship, Horn, the only places worth going generally have fairly good access spots.  For instance, on Cat, you can go up the canal channel good anchorages just inside with draft for a 23 and nose up to the bank depth, or you can go around to Smugglers cove and have same close access.  In the summer, wading in from a hundred feet or so is certainly a possibility.  Truthfully, I've never gotten my inflatable out for those islands.

Passed by your boat on Tuesday at LBYC yard.  Seemed lonely.

[AislinGirlII]

Brackish she had company today and am stepping mast early Tomorrow and finishing up some other stuff.

[skip1930]

Didn't I read somewhere where a dinghy should be towed from an eye closer to the waterline then to the sheer?
Maybe she'll tow straighter and not gyrate port and starboard from the centerline? Great place to stow extra gasoline and other supplies.
As to speed ... well it's a barge with a s.o.g. of maybe 5.4 knots. How much faster do anyone want to go? [lol].

skip.

[Shawn]

" The only dinghy I would consider for our boats is a small inflatable like the Achillies LT-2 or LT-4. "

I used a LT4 on my 23'. A bit heavier than the LT2 but it has larger tubes (a little drier) and a larger capacity. They have a folding plywood floor you can put in but I used mine without it. I inflated it on the water which is a little tricky. Basically get a little air in each section them have it float next to the boat while filling it the rest of the way. A 12v inflator makes the job fairly easy, just awkward. Didn't try rowing it, I used a Tanaka/Gamefisher 2 stroke air cooled 3hp engine on it. Drove it fine and was pretty lightweight. Without having the plywood floor in you need to be very careful in moving the engine into/out of the dinghy. After inflating on the water I tended to tow it back to dock and deflate it at the dock. It towed OK but you could certainly feel the extra drag back there.

Biggest issue is just where to store the deflated dinghy in the boat. I only carried it when I knew I was going to use it.

If you inflate it on land you would probably want to use the floor. Would be tough to assemble it with the floor on the water.

Another potential way to carry the dinghy is with the front half inflated and rear deflated and keep it on the foredeck or right behind the mast. It would be about 4' long like that. I'm going to try that method on my Sabre.

Shawn

[Tom L.]

I mentioned the Lt-2 and 4 because that is what I was most familiar with. But I have also been looking at a Intex Mariner 3 or 4. Very inexpensive compared to the Achilles boats. Any one have experience with the Intex inflatables??

Reasearching the web has a lot of info for this boat. Small lake fishermen modify the boat, for fishing, with plywood floors, seats and all sorts of modifications. The boat comes with a slat floor which would probably be OK for our type of use. Just thinkin.

Tom L.