[C38] New Topic: Dinghys

Sat Jan 15 08:39:54 EST 2011

A dinghy that tows well can make up for a lot of other head aches

When we got our C38 it came with an AB 10.6 double floor RIB. One the
plus, the RIB was fast, sturdy, virtually unsinkable (the double floor had
an enormous air space), and capacious. That's the boat we used to explore
around the bahamas (family of four and a big dog) and we never could have
gone all the places we went in a row boat.

The boat was impossibly heavy. Bringing it on deck with just two people
was awful (even dragging it up the beach was a nuisance!) and it took up
the entire foredeck.  But it towed well, so in the 3 seasons we used it, I
don't think it was on and off the deck more than about 5 time. Even in
semi-sheltered water I never worried about having it behind the boat.

Tom's RIB might row well for an inflatable. Not the same thing as rows
well  ;-) (A Gloucester Gull will make you a bit of a snob in that
department!)

> I'm enjoying the different takes on dinghies.
>
> Like most things, there is no "one shoe fits all" approach to dinghy
> selections.
>
> After seeing some of the replies on this forum, I'm surprised at some
> mention personal experiences of tow ability vs. launch ability of various
> dinghies.
>
> Our RIB towed very well, even with the outboard and fuel.  At any speed
> that produced a stern wake, we would tether the boat so that it would ride
> the leading edge of the stern wake and surf behind us.  We used a double
> bridle to tether the dinghy straight and at times the dinghy bridle would
> go slack as the dinghy tried to catch up to us by surfing down the stern
> wake.
>
> We could often travel faster towing than with the motor stowed on the
> stern
> rail and the dinghy stowed on the bow.  It seems the extra weight on the
> 38
> reduced our speed overall more than the speed loss from towing when we had
> a stern wake.
>
> The transom plug on the RIB is a one-way flapper valve so any water in the
> dinghy is self bailing.  Even in rough seas, the RIB never took in any
> water anyway so the only water it received was if it rained and the self
> bailing drain plug took care of that.
>
> We sold the 38 but we still have the 10' RIB, along with several other
> dinghies.  The RIB is by far our favorite because of its volume, dryness,
> easy towing, speed and unlike the experiences of others, our RIB is very
> easy to row.  Not all brands are alike.
>
> We had a neighbor on our dock with another brand RIB and his neither towed
> well or rowed well.
>
> As I said, no dinghy is perfect for all occasions but for me, the RIB we
> have is as close as I will get.
>
> Because of the exceptional stability of the RIB, we have no problem
> getting
> people on and off.  We have a smaller hard shell dinghy that is very
> tender
> in similar conditions.  Some of our guests have been older sailors and
> getting them on and off was a fright with the less stable dinghies.
>
> Tom Troncalli
> Extreme Boataholic
>
>
>> [Original Message]
>> From: Craig Steinkraus <Navion at Charter.net>
>> To: Catalina 38 Listserve <listserve at catalina38.org>
>> Date: 1/14/2011 10:28:30 PM
>> Subject: Re: [C38] New Topic:  Dinghys
>>
>> Jay, I bought my first dinghy from    www.boatstogo.com     Air floor
>> and
> a
>> V bottom. Not the best dinghy in the world, but the price was right and
> used
>> it for several years before upgrading to a RIB.
>>
>> Craig Steinkraus
>> "Wings" C-38 # 280
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Jay Sorensen" <jsorensen at novarx.com>
>> To: "Catalina 38 Listserve" <listserve at catalina38.org>
>> Sent: Friday, January 14, 2011 7:46 PM
>> Subject: [C38] New Topic: Dinghys
>>
>>
>> OK, I'm sort of dubious about asking this question.
>>
>> Now that the boat is looking good and safe the family of 4 is planning
>> on
> a
>> 10 day or so cruise to Catalina, Santa Barbara, and San Clemente Islands
>> here in So. Cal this summer.  I have done the trip before delivering
> boats
>> to Santa Barbara, Marina del Ray, Long Beach, etc. for races and have
> always
>> used the local shore boat to get ashore.
>>
>> But first mate Dorothy likes the concept of instant access to the shore
> for
>> her jogs, dining, etc.  And what the first mate wants, the first mate
> gets.
>> Maybe I should start calling her Admiral..............
>>
>> We have a tandem kayak but that is not a stable way to leave the boat.
>> We've tried!
>>
>> Anyway, probably like others out there I don't want to spend a lot of $$
> for
>> something that will not be used often.
>> We don't need a high power planing dinghy because the anchorages are all
>> close to where we want to go ashore.
>>
>> I'm thinking about either a 10' Haypalon inflatable with a < 10hp engine
> and
>> a soft bottom or a 12' folding boat with a similar or smaller motor
> (after
>> someone on the board said they used one.)  Together we all weigh apx
> 600lb
>> so we are approaching the upper limit of the 12' porte-a-boat.  Used
>> ones
>> are less expensive here and may stow better on the raiing??  But do you
> get
>> what you pay for??
>>
>> We do not have davits, and will store it on the foredeck during
> crossings.
>> The ability to roll up the dinghy and not deal with floorboards seems
> like
>> it would be a benifit.  But a folding boat stored across from the kayak
>> seems like a nice balance.
>>
>> So what do you have out there and what do you think will work for our
> first
>> dinghy?
>>
>> Thanks!
>>
>> Jay & Dorothy Sorensen
>> C-38 #311 Broad Reach
>> San Diego, CA
>>
>>
>>
>>
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