Tenders

[Mike Goodwin]

Who uses what ? What do you like or dislike about your tender ? Do you tow or stow ?
I'm working on a design for a tender that can be towed or stowed on the foredeck , we'll see .

Mike G

[Mike Goodwin]

I agree , 8' is too much for the foredeck & I bet you have 4' of beam too . 6'6" seems the max length that will fit and allow access, however limited and not foul the headsail .
One of my design requirements is to allow access to the forestay and  anchor handling , now if it only works as a dinghy remains to be seen .

[glissando]

James Baldwin, dual-circumnavigator and owner of the Triton "ATOM" has a small plywood pram that is designed to combat the size and stowability problems.  It's built with the stich and glue technique and is about 6.5' in length.  Check out his article at:

http://www.tritonclass.org/mir/ATOMSTENDERS.htm

This dinghy actually looks usable despite its small size.

On our Triton we have an 8' Fatty Knees that will just fit on the foredeck if need be.  It's definitely awkward.  We usually tow it.

Tim

[D. Fox]

Steve, can you deflate yours and stow it in a cockpit locker?  That seems the ideal approach to me.  I don't have a tender but am looking for one, and was thinking of going in that direction.

Dan

[commanderpete]

Here is my old dinghy after a 50 mile tow to NYC.

Looks even worse now after sitting on the side of the garage for years.

Please build me something new or I might get tempted to fix it up.

[Theis]

I have a Walker Bay 8ft (West Marine) which I tow when I cruise.  It does not appreciably drag the Ariel/slow it down.  It is not as stable as the inflatable, but it rows, I would surmise, one whale of a lot easier and faster.

[Brent]

I'm planning on it, but I need to get #66 in the water first

Considering building an 8' stitch-and-glue plywood/epoxy dingy. Can't recall at the moment, but I remember seeing step-by-step instructions in a book. I think "Good Skiffs" was the name.

There's a raffle going on locally for an inflatable, trailer & outboard. That'll do if I win; not that I'm counting on it, but the odds are much better than the state lotto

[dasein668]

Dasein  tows a Quicksilver 230(?? I can't remember the model...) which we inherited from my in-laws when they upgraded. It has an inflatable floor and keel, and is rated 2 persons/610 lbs. Its extremely stable, but rows rather like a barge. It rows so badly that we bit the proverbial bullet and bought an outboard.

But it was free....

It's about 7 feet long.

Given the choice, I'd prefer a rigid tender... better rowing ability, if nothing else.

[Janice Collins]

I  have  a Walker Bay  (8 ft.) just like Theis.    It  rows great  with one person in it.   Add a second person and stuff and the ease diminishes.   I love not having to deal with an outboard though.
Its light, so it tows great.    But it is too tipsy, not that easy to pull up an anchor with .

It comes with a sailing rig, in fact they race them  here off of Water Island.  Is made of polyethylene.  I can clean off the marine growth  pretty easy from the bottom.

My favorite dinghy was a 6'  something  fiberglass.   It rowed great , was sturdy and when we attempted our sail to St. Martin, ( that's another story) it fit on top of the cabin top (just aft of the mast.  For other long day sail s, it went up on the foredeck.  

For me now, the only way I would pull  up  a dinghy on deck would be an extended passage.

[ebb]

has anybody used a foldboat?   had experience with one?  why is or isn't it an option?

[Theis]

I have heard of rigid kayaks being towed, but foldboats might not be a good solution.

As I recall, they are quite heavy, and storing them on the Ariel, because of the bulk even when collapsed, could be difficult.  They are too big to fit in the cockpit lassarette, and too heavy to carry below.  I may be wrong in these regards, and my information out of date, but that is my recollection.

Lastly, I don't know if there is enough space on the Ariel to assemble a folboat.  I would suspect not.  

These are thoughts based on my recollection and experience, but I don't know about the latest thing.  Another alternative is an inexpensive blow up rubber raft.  It is cheap, works, and is lightweight and relatively compact when collapsed.

[ebb]

sorry,  by foldboat I meant not the kyack ones but the polypropoleen- hinged dory shaped thingees you see at boat shows.  Seem to remember they shut 3" flat but they're still 10' long whatever.  100% plastic with flotation.   Has anybody used one?   I thought it would easily tie along the sidedeck.

There is also an obscenely expensive folding hardbottom red inflatable whot sails...that I also have seen at boatshows.  Cost as much as an Ariel.   Tinker something it's called.   The queen of england has one in her bath.   Has anybody sailed one?

Gee, It's slowly coming back...  remember a website where the guy had a little dingy that he had added inflatable tubes to the sides,   Deflated it fit on his deck or cabin top.

[Janice Collins]

i'M CONSIDERING AN OCEAN KAYAK,  IT  COULD  be tied to the side  decks, it would be in addition to my dinghy though.  
Just for the fun of it and to increase my scope of investigating  shorelines.

[noeta-112]

To satisfy the curious as to who's got what .... here's a pic of my ....whatever brand it is.... tender. I have no idea re manufacturer but it is 9 or 9 1/2 ft. and quite stable. Rows pretty well and has seat floation fore and aft. Picked it up in Stonington, Me,  from a lobsterman who was gettin outa fishin!

[noeta-112]

This might be a bit betta