Mac 26D - Dinghy on foredeck?

[billder99]

I'm picking up my new (to me) 26D next Friday... woohoo? I need a dinghy for this boat, my wife and I (appx 350# combined weight). Would one of the 8' Bic 245 Sportyaks fit on the foredeck? ( https://www.westmarine.com/buy/west-marine--8-sportyak-245-rigid-boat--19948561?recordNum=2 ) Any issues with lifting 100# with the halyard?

What are you guys using for dinks?

EDIT: This may be the best dinghy option I've found for a Mac26... assuming you are physically able and enjoy paddling... on Amazon, Intex Excursion Pro inflatable 2-seat kayak... packs small, lightweight, stows & deploys easily, inexpensive... : https://www.amazon.com/Intex-68309EP-Excursion-Pro-Kayak/dp/B07F88P35C/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=inflatable+kayak&qid=1644522574&s=sports-and-fitness&sprefix=inflatable+kayak%2Csports-and-fitness%2C235&sr=1-5

[Wyb2]

I was looking at this:

https://directboats.com/clearrowboat.html

But I haven’t measured to see if it will fit on the foredeck. I would be skeptical of the west marine one you linked because it’s a double-vee style hull, so the bow is wider where you would want it to narrow to fit the shape of the foredeck.

The inflatable kayak is probably a good bet if you don’t need an outboard. Inflatable dinghy’s are usually miserable to row because they are basically designed around the outboard.

[OverEasy]

Hi Wyb2!


What a nifty idea!
A ‘glass’ boat so I can ‘see’ the hammerhead sharks sizing me up for dinner!

[ris]

We have a 6 year old west marine 9ft blowup dinghy with a wood floor. Do not buy a wood floor get a air floor. They are much lighter and neither will plane with two people so get a small 2.3 hp motor like a Honda or something. Our dinghy has a blow up keel under the floor and it is extremely easy to use the oars. In fact we rarely use the motor unless we are going over a 1/4 mile or the wind is blowing. In fact it is a pleasure to row. I often row it while fishing when we are anchored. As all boats the Mac has limitations. If you accept its limitations it is a great boat. That is why we pull our dinghy. Here is a pic from the last 3 days when we were exploring the Kissimmee River here in Central Florida. We had another couple with us. We cooked mostly on shore, had a fire ashore but we slept and explored on the boat. One couple slept in the Vberth and one couple in the cockpit. Lows in the 50s at night and low 80s during the day.



Richard

[Wyb2]

Hey OverEasy, yeah I figured it would be a pretty neat perk, especially for kids. The white version is only $100 cheaper, at least on that website, so seems like a no brainer.

Ris, we inherited one of those wood floor west marine inflatables with our old boat (may have been an 8 ft’er), and used it briefly before the whole floor started to separate from the tubes. I agree with everything you said, but would just add that the rowing behavior you described could be called miserable compared to a decent hard dinghy. In a rowboat-style hard dinghy, you can row that 1/4 mile upwind in 1 ft chop, with a passenger. My intent/goal is to not have a dingy motor, just oars, so I’m prioritizing that highly. Of course inflatables are very common for a reason, they have other advantages (like not trying to flip over when you stand up).

[NiceAft]

Wyb2,

In that see thru tub, while you're in the water, and some fool in a power boat passes too close at to great a speed, you're in trouble if you get either rocked and swamped or flipped,

If an inflatable fills with water while towing, it won't sink. If an inflatable flips, it won't sink. If a quality inflatable has a chamber punctured, you will be swamped, but you will not sink sink.

Ris said his inflatable has an inflatable keel along with the inflatable floor. That probably means his boat has four chambers.

[Wyb2]

Wyb2,

If an inflatable fills with water while towing, it won't sink. If an inflatable flips, it won't sink.

Agree and agree. Inflatables have several advantages, super stable, will pretty much never sink, can carry more people (they can just sit on the tubes). Rowing just isn’t one of them.

Most places we went when we lived on our Catalina 36, inflatable dinghy’s were way more popular, often nearly universal. One notable exception was Maine, which at first was curious (we didn’t spend a ton of time there, but this is my recollection). Then you notice how, unlike a lot of the US east coast, there are a lot of places in Maine you can just pull ashore and walk around, you don’t need to find a marina or town dock to tie up. Then you notice the total lack of sandy beaches, jagged rock is the norm. Dragging an inflatable dinghy across jagged rock is problematic for obvious reasons.

It’s just about the right tool for the job. For most people, the inflatable ends up being the right tool.

[NiceAft]

If Maine is the place you will be going to, then one of these may be the best of both worlds.

https://achillesboats.com/boatmodels/rigidhulls/hb_fx/

or

https://achillesboats.com/boatmodels/rigidhulls/hb_lx/

[billder99]

Thanks for the suggestions you guys. After much reading and thinking, I updated my OP with an inflatable 2-seat kayak. This may be a perfect solution for us... we both like to paddle and we are comfortable kayaking, plus this kayak gets good reviews for efficiency thru water. I've decided the Mac26 is too small for a second outboard, so efficient paddling and durable boat are the key criteria.

My one big remaining question... can you tow an inflatable kayak in good weather? (I will deflate and stow on foredeck if weather gets too rough to tow)

[Misha]

For last 10 years I use older model of Saturn kayak on my 26M and love it. It is similar to this one https://www.saturnboats.com/inflatable- ... ak-en.html. My one used to have 4 skegs by now 2 left. The only time I deflate it is for winter storage. When we are not on the boat I partially deflate it and push inside or cover it with tarp and fasten to deck. We keep the boat on Georgian Bay. Winds and waves frequently getting bad there but I never had an issue with towing this kayak. It is very stable. BTW: we paddling it with canoe paddles.

[billder99]

Great feedback Misha, thanks! Are you at Georgian Bay, Lake Huron? I've never been there... high on my bucket list.

[NiceAft]

Some believe that Georgian Bay should be counted as the sixth Great Lake.