Dinghy!

[Rumdirty]

Anyone tow or bring along a dinghy?

I'm back to putting my boat at a marina. Keeping it on a trailer just doesn't allow for nearly as much use. Just a couple of more projects and I should be ready for launch. Got to thinking though.... I'm near the coast and have quite a few bays in the area to explore. Wife has expressed in interest in spending the night out on anchor which is fantastic.

While out I like spending time crabbing, fishing, and plain old cruising around and poking my nose into interesting places. Places where my won't fit and has no business going. I'm just wondering if anyone has a dinghy for their Mac and could recommend something I could tow behind.

I'm thinking rigid bottom just because there's no doubt in my mind I'll be scraping bottom MANY places and times. Heck, I already hit bottom pretty often in the Mac.

[NiceAft]

Mike,

This is a topic explored many times but ver the years. The replies are quite varied. You have already solved one problem by identifying that you want a rigid bottom. There are many many manufacturers of the type of craft you want.

Now you have to decide if you want an inflatable with a rigid bottom, or a rigid dinghy. Members here have both.

You’re in Mt. Holly; are you referring to the Delaware, or the Jersey Shore? I know nothing about crabbing, so if the previous question appears silly, oops.

Your pocketbook will also be a major determiner of which you get.

The one thing I can recommend is not to get an outboard heavier than what you can lift while sitting in the dinghy. A 6hp weighs somewhere around 50lbs.

I have a 9’ Achilles inflatable (15 years) with an inflatable keel, and an inflatable floor. It’s powered by a 6hp Mercury four stroke. It’s a Hypalon dinghy.

P.S.

I just thought of something else.

If someday you intend to tow the dinghy for some distance, think a trip of a few days, then you may not want a a rigid dingy. You may want an inflatable with a rigid bottom. That won’t sink if you encounter rough water, a solid dinghy will ( unless there is some tube going around it).

[opie]

My dinghy is a kayak. To each his own....

[Herschel]

I chose an inflatable, but I chose one that I could put a sail kit on and haul around with my travel trailer with my "boat" in the bed of my pickup. That way, I always have a sailboat handy even when not traveling with my Mac. I know that is unusual, but it has worked out for me. This particular model carries my 2 h.p. Honda 4 stroke very nicely.

[Russ]

If I recall, you are sailing in Barnegat Bay. I cut my sailing "teeth" sailing those waters.

There isn't a rock in that bay so a hard bottom probably isn't necessary (although after Sandy a lot of cars disappeared in there). It's all mud and sand bottom.

You will get a hundred different opinions on this topic and all are correct for the captain using them.

If it were me, I'd go with an inflatable. There are many with rigid floors that make them easy to use.
As mentioned above, they can't "sink" and are very stable. They don't tow as well as a hard dinghy but can be deflated and stored on deck. I've stored mine on the foredeck and inflated it while out.

That's what I have. I also have a small 2.5 Suzuki 4 stroke. Plenty of power to push the dinghy and only weighs 30 pounds so it's easy to remove.

We sailed Barnegat Bay in a keelboat with a 4' 2" draft. The deepest part of that bay is 8' deep and much of it is VERY shallow ( < 3' deep). That's where the Mac shines. A favorite place to anchor was Tice's shoal and we bumped a lot on the sandy bottom. However, we could dinghy in and then walk across the island to the ocean. Unfortunately, on weekends EVERYONE and their grandmother went to Tice's shoal. But at night most left and sometimes you can hear the ocean crashing on the other side. Good times.

Little 2.5 Suzi on the stern seats.

[Rumdirty]

Thanks everyone for each of your replies.

NiceAft - Hey neighbor! Yes, 99% of all my boating is along the shore area. The are no silly questions. I'd come straight to you concerning activities in the Delaware! Feel free to ask me anything about the bay area. I'm now by Great Bay and will have the boat on the Bass river (brackish). Fun for crabbing and fishing too. I have two brother in laws and all three of us has a different boat. Pocketbook is always the major determining factor! Good point on the OB. I used to think 9.9. Now as I get older and have more and more back issues, I'm leaning toward a 4-6 Never considered from a sitting position but it makes sense now that I think about it.

Opie - I have a couple kayaks too! Love em and still use them.

Herschel - Holy cow! That's fantastic! Does it need a keel/centerboard of some kind? I would LOVE the option of a sail/motor dinghy! May I ask what you have and would you still buy it today?

Russ - I've moved further south along the water. It's still mostly sand and mud but I like to explore all the creeks, runoffs, and marshy areas. I just figured hard = safer. I do think a rigid inflatable is going to be the way to go. Especially if I find a sail kit for it The marina next to me specializes in Suzuki so I'll stop and take a look at the 4 and 6 hps. They bay can get a bit spirited so am leaning a bit more to 6hp. I'm a pretty big guy. First time I snapped my dagger board was a run back from Tices shoal. Waaaaayyy to crowded for my tastes. In Great Bay i just have lots of fishermen to contend with. Everyone goes home with the sunset. Get some amazing views of Atlantic City skyline from there. I like how the motor is mounted. I also really like your modified arch. Do it yourself?

Thank again everyone! I'm now going to see what I can find in a inflatable, rigid bottom, sailing/motoring dignhy

[Chinook]

Weight and ease of stowage seem to be the trade off in considering a hard bottom dinghy. We have an inflatable and have used it in all kinds of bottom conditions, ranging from soft sand to mud to coral to barnacle covered rocks. Bottom of our dinghy is in fine conditions, with just a few superficial scratches, after 9 years of hard use. Care in where you land, plus being willing to hop out in the shallows and lift a bit to get the dinghy up onto the beach, goes a long ways toward preserving an inflatable's bottom.

[Herschel]

Herschel - Holy cow! That's fantastic! Does it need a keel/centerboard of some kind? I would LOVE the option of a sail/motor dinghy! May I ask what you have and would you still buy it today?

My dinghy is an Achilles LT-4. The sail kit includes heavy-duty, "kick up" plastic leeboards on either side. The bottom is flat formed with three-fold, accordion plywood connected with fabric similar to the hull. The hull is Hypalon. I purchased the boat from Defender and the sail kit from Sailboats-to-Go, which markets cheaper PVC type dinghies for their kits. But, after two of the cheaper ones (Intex and similar) left me with disappointing results, I decided to get a dinghy with quality construction by a name brand from a solid company. Defender assured me that, if I needed repairs to the Achilles, I could send it to them for same. I went with the "double ender" style LT-4 model because the Sailboats-to-Go rep stated those type hull shapes had better sailing characteristics than the typical cone shaped dinghy sterns. As such, it is rated for only 2 h.p. As it turns out, my 2 h.p. Honda is about all the weight I need to be manhandling around my Mac cockpit. The boat weighs about 45 lbs. including floor boards. Also, about as much weight as I care to be undertaking these days. I have, also, used my trolling motor with the boat, which gives it about 2/3 the speed of the 2 h.p. when at the highest setting. I stow the battery under the seat. Due to the weight of the battery, I don't do this off the Mac, just when using it off a beach. The only drawbacks to this rig is the size (8 ft.; 3 adults) and lack of any kind of a keel. Even so, it will tack up wind, but not against any decent current. A similar boat with a hard inflatable bottom with a keel of some degree would be an improvement for beating to windward and steering in a current. I did have to build an extension to the standard transom that comes with boat the to accommodate the rudder assembly that came with the kit. Doyle sails added our mascot, the Rubber Ducky!

[DownSouth]

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[DownSouth]

Herschel - Holy cow! That's fantastic! Does it need a keel/centerboard of some kind? I would LOVE the option of a sail/motor dinghy! May I ask what you have and would you still buy it today?

My dinghy is an Achilles LT-4. The sail kit includes heavy-duty, "kick up" plastic leeboards on either side. The bottom is flat formed with three-fold, accordion plywood connected with fabric similar to the hull. The hull is Hypalon. I purchased the boat from Defender and the sail kit from Sailboats-to-Go, which markets cheaper PVC type dinghies for their kits. But, after two of the cheaper ones (Intex and similar) left me with disappointing results, I decided to get a dinghy with quality construction by a name brand from a solid company. Defender assured me that, if I needed repairs to the Achilles, I could send it to them for same. I went with the "double ender" style LT-4 model because the Sailboats-to-Go rep stated those type hull shapes had better sailing characteristics than the typical cone shaped dinghy sterns. As such, it is rated for only 2 h.p. As it turns out, my 2 h.p. Honda is about all the weight I need to be manhandling around my Mac cockpit. The boat weighs about 45 lbs. including floor boards. Also, about as much weight as I care to be undertaking these days. I have, also, used my trolling motor with the boat, which gives it about 2/3 the speed of the 2 h.p. when at the highest setting. I stow the battery under the seat. Due to the weight of the battery, I don't do this off the Mac, just when using it off a beach. The only drawbacks to this rig is the size (8 ft.; 3 adults) and lack of any kind of a keel. Even so, it will tack up wind, but not against any decent current. A similar boat with a hard inflatable bottom with a keel of some degree would be an improvement for beating to windward and steering in a current. I did have to build an extension to the standard transom that comes with boat the to accommodate the rudder assembly that came with the kit. Doyle sails added our mascot, the Rubber Ducky!

Looks good guys, does the LT-4 handle the 2hp engine okay? Does it allow full power without bending the rear part of the dinghy? I have a Honda 2.3 air cooled and was thinking of buying this dinghy.

DownSouth

[finding41]

I tow a 7' Boatex fiberglass dinghy when I'm in Georgian Bay. It's been in 10' following waves and didn't take on any water.
It's kept about 10' behind.
Sure some times it yanks the tow line tight and if I stop the boat fast it will bump the transom. (If I'm stopping fast there's more to worry about than the dinghy marking the paint.)
I'm currently looking for a Walkers Bay 8 with the sailing rig for the other boat. Im tired of dragging a dinghy around just to share it with the other boat. (I've been keeping one Mac in Wiarton most of the summer. It should have its own dinghy.)
Marty

[Herschel]

Down South asked:

Looks good guys, does the LT-4 handle the 2hp engine okay? Does it allow full power without bending the rear part of the dinghy? I have a Honda 2.3 air cooled and was thinking of buying this dinghy.

Yes, it does nicely. As you can see if you magnify the original pic, I did attach a larger transom off an old Navigator inflatable that previously went to Davy Jones Locker. I did that so I could fit the rudder from the sail kit on the transom. The 2 h.p. Honda definitely fits the standard transom, though. Absolutely no buckling underway because the floor is three transverse pieces of 1/4 inch plywood that fold up according-style for storage in the bag. Plus, the two air chambers are rock solid hypalon when inflated to specs. My wife and I scoot along very nicely at full throttle. A high pressure inflatable floor would bring down the weight of the boat considerably. But that is not an option. I enquired about buying a replacement floor that was high pressure inflatable, but the dealer said that not using the standard floor could jeopardize my 5-year warrantee. Having sent two previous cheap PVC inflatables to boat with Davy Jones, I decided to stay with my warrantee. The LT-4 is 57 lbs. but the storage bag is heavy duty and fairly easy to handle. https://www.inflatableboats.net/achille ... lt-4-2019/

[NiceAft]

I can’t report about the LT-4, but since I also own an Achilles (LSI-290E Sport Tender) https://postimg.cc/S2fVbVJ8, I can attest to the quality of their Hypalon inflatable’s. Mine is fifteen years old and going strong.

When I went to the 2004 Annapolis sailboat show, I had the intention to purchase a Zodiac. After comparing the two inflatables, I purchased the Achilles. Both are good, I just felt I wanted Hypalon instead of PVC.

[DownSouth]

Down South asked:

Looks good guys, does the LT-4 handle the 2hp engine okay? Does it allow full power without bending the rear part of the dinghy? I have a Honda 2.3 air cooled and was thinking of buying this dinghy.

Yes, it does nicely.

Thanks for the advice, much appreciated I have ordered one (here in Australia) seems the boat with the best carrying capacity / weight / quality Hypalon boat that I have a chance of getting from the rear 26X berth to the water!

I have a Honda 2.3hp - I will let you know how it turns out.

DownSouth

[Bill at BOATS 4 SAIL]

I have a "Porta-Bote" (you can google that for info). Folded up, I can carry it inside the shrouds of my 26X, lashed to the stanchions. The first time(s) that I used it, I thought that I was going thru the bottom of it when I stood up, but I got used to it. I'd thought of using an electric trolling motor on it, but so far I've just used oars.