Dingy and pocket cruisers

[tmorgan]

We have a Sun Cat and plan to cruise coastal waters.  How do pocket cruisers deal with getting to shore when anchoring out?  There is not enough room to stow a dingy on the boat.  Many web posts discourage towing a dingy because it is unsafe?  I would just like to get some info from those of you who have done some cruising in a Sun Cat or CP-16, etc.

thanks,
Tom

[Bob23]

Tom:
   I own a 23 and have no problem towing a dinghy. Unsafe? Hmm...I guess if you tow it too close or only have 1 line that could present a problem but sailboats tow dinghys all the time.
   Bob23

[Seaman Deuce]

I just bought a COMPAC-16 and have wondered about that too. 

I'm going to scour the local Nautical Flea Markets and E-Bay for a two-man inflatable raft.  Like the one Coleman makes with 3 piece oars.  Keep it wadded up until needed then inflate with the pump I'll have on board for my air mattress.

[Paul]

Just thought I'd chime in and offer another thought.

Considering our little vessels only draw a small amount of water and most of us sail in moderately cool to very warm water, it seems reasonable to simply make a gentle grounding on shore, or at least approach 6" depth, and hop out.  OK, the rolled up pants get a little wet.  But, I will pay that price verses the option of hauling a dingy.  If anchoring is needed in a tidal zone, one could consider two anchors.  One used "out" and one on shore, or near shore with a line (loop) to haul the boat to the outer anchor.  Seems like I saw the idea in Burgess' Book.

Any thoughts?

[curtisv]

Paul,

Considering our little vessels only draw a small amount of water and most of us sail in moderately cool to very warm water, it seems reasonable to simply make a gentle grounding on shore, or at least approach 6" depth, and hop out.  (...trimmed...)
Any thoughts?

Thats all fine and well if you sail from a dock to a beach.

If your boat is on a mooring in 10 feet of water at high tide, wading gets you quite wet.  Not to mention its hard to get the cooler out to the boat. 

If you sail to a harbor where you must take a mooring or anchor out, then you have the same problem.  The groceries get soggy bringing them back to the boat anchored in 30 feet of water. 

I just got around to reading the prior issue of Good Old Boat where they review some folding dingies.  They didn't mention price but these seem to be attractive options if the price is OK.

The Portland Pudgies are really nice and double as a life raft but they are very expensive and rather big.  Maybe if I get a bigger boat.

I personally don't like inflatable because they don't row well at all and are the most likely to get stolen when tied to the public dinghy dock.  I currently row a Maine Salty, an 8 foot hard dinghy, reasonably priced.  Tows well but its flipped in waves a few times.

Curtis

ps - A CP23 drafts 2'3", not 6" and if you anchor in 3' or more you'll get more than your ankles wet.  Still in the summer its fine.

[Paul]

Curtis,

Thanks for the reply.  I didn't even think of mooring.  I'm usually at the dock or by a beach.  I certainly see your point, now.

You may want to check out B&B designs if you are interested in building your own.  Click HERE.

[curtisv]

You may want to check out B&B designs if you are interested in building your own.  Click HERE.

Paul,

Thanks.  The nested 9 foot looks nice.  I'm not fond of stitch and glue as a construction method but the plans might be worth having and maybe scaling down.

Right now I don't have the time to do much of anything and certainly not build a tender.

My neighbor built a 16 foot wooden sailing craft, entirely of hardwood, with a lapstrike hull.  She is all varnished and beautiful.  Sits in his garage while he tries to get the courage to take her out for a sail.  Another neighbor has built wooden kayaks and row boats.  Both are retired and one was a cabinet maker.

Curtis

[Paul]

Yes, tools and skills are certainly helpful in building your own vessel.  But, time is the most needed in such an endeavor.  Good luck in your search.

Paul

[Craig Weis]

Well as an education in boat building the local maritime museum offered a boat building course and the vessel built was a 16 foot lapstrate Joel White design from the WoodenBoat catolog of plans.

A fine boat, sail, row, or electric motor. The class of two girls and three guys with one instructor built this boat out of Ojibwa [sp] plywood both frames and stripping, with hardwood gunnel's, transom, breasthooks and other trim.

It was easy and we only used 'normal' hand and electric tools plus the West System epoxy mixed with saw dust to thicken it up a bit. This boat became the raffle boat at the Wooden Boat show for the museum. Took about 7 weekends to complete. Ready to build one for my self now. skip

[Rick Klages]

Ready to build one for my self now. skip

cool winter project!

[Lost Lake]

Ready to build one for my self now. skip

cool winter project!

I'll second that!   That would be a nifty reason to putter in the shop....

[mrb]

Tom and Seaman Deuce

For what it is worth I would forget the inflatable unless you go for a very good one.  The cheaper ones with oars will get you into trouble if there is any kind of wind or current.  They are ok if you keep a long line attached to your boat as you row to shore.  I carried one on a small boat on Oregon coast just as a back up life preserver.

I have towed a dingy in the past and had no trouble as long as I was under sail.  For me motoring was the trouble spot and then I would have to bring the dingy aboard.  Of course this was again in the pacific with some huge wave action. Have even had a canoe tied along side with no problem.

Bruce Bingham has a book called "The Sailor's Sketchbook" that has some good info on towing. Also good reading for those days you can't be on the water.

I wouldn't give up on the stitch and glue unless you have seen some and just don't like them.  I build a small pram that way and it carries my wife and I plus whatever.  Had just thought that the memory of good row boats was a dream but that pram rows like a dream.  You can get any number of plans on line and most often a set of full size patterns.  If you make a slight miss cut no big deal as the epoxy and filler go a long way in hidding those.  Check out Devlin Design on the internet.  He works out of Washington state and makes some works of art. Lots of information there

However you go good luck and better sailing
mrb

[Salty19]

Just a thought...

What about a folding foam based floatation platform, reinforced with luan?  Could do double duty as a suntanning "deck" and could potentially be paddled onto shore, from a short distance.  Or one person gets wet and pulls it in with cooler and wife aboard the platform. With some creative construction, this may be either folded and placed in the cabin or just towed behind while sailing.  It won't overturn, would be cheap to make, requires no license/registration, and would be useful in other situations.

My main concern would be just how large that platform would need to be vs. an inflatable and if too large..how to transport from home to the water.

Just thinking out loud here. However crazy the idea sounds, I thought I would share for consideration.

[Bob Condon]

I built a Shellback (plans and book from Wooden Boat).

If you purchase the rowing version, it is around 2000; The boat cost
me in materials about $700 and then it took me about a month
to build it in my spare time.

I would recommend both BOOK + PLANS because the book walks you through the process and the plans gives you the dimension.

I made a set of templates but they are not quite right so will remake them
and maybe make a few more to sell.

http://www.woodenboatstore.com/prodinfo.asp?number=603%2D002

====
I have a 28' cape dory and a 19' ComPac. The shellback is very easy to tow behind the boats. I did place a 4HP mercury 4Cycle outboard on it (added a motor mount to the transom) and that works quire well except it does not get to a full plane.


because it is motorize, it is registered with the state.
====

I am considering making a foam/fiberglass version (I friend of the family just graduated with a Marine architect degree from Virginia Tech so I may ask him for some pointers).

I am not in love with inflatables. The issues I know are they are hard to row unless you get a hard bottom, the place much more drag on the boat, you should take the outboard off the inflatable when under sail because the inflatable bounces a lot and I know a captain that came into harbor missing and engine.. It worked loose enough to flip it off...


====

[newt]

I am just finishing my dingy- using the finest materials I could get:
Wood (marine plywood, 2 sheets, quarter inch)  $120
other wood hanging around   - $ 20
epoxy    - $30
Bronze Oarlocks      - $35
Paint-primer and finish $65
Plans     -  Free from Hannu's boatyard website- Portuguese Dingy
http://www.gsahv.pp.fi/index.htm#XX4
Experience from building my own dingy  - Priceless

I found the dingy extemely easy to make, even for a first timer. If the word gets out this guy will put wooden boat out of business- because he makes boatplans for free and he loves it.
I am now making my own oars too...

Newt