Another Dinghy Thread!

[wakesurfboy]

Hello,

I try to read all the dinghy thread here and still searching for the perfect dinghy solution. I own a Jeanneau 39 DS and I need a dinghy for mooring and island cruising for diving and exploration. The Dinghy need to be fast and powerful but that requirement will make it heavy for sure. My boat is relatively high on water and clean design so I don't want a Davis or putting a dinghy on the bow section.

My idea, never see it on forums (maybe because it's crazy), it's to buy a strong 11' RIB with console and let the motor always on the dinghy and tow it! When cruising, i will keep a cover on it for water repelling from waves or rain.

I know it's not ideal to tow a dinghy on costal cruising for a long distance and also keeping the motor on the dinghy but this kind of dinghy (Caribe DL11 New) seam very tough and stable. Because I need a motor size permitting planning with two people with scuba tanks & stuff (Honda 20-30 per example), that will make the motor difficult to remove from the dinghy so it's why I have the console dinghy idea.

Anybody try to tow an 11'-13’ dinghy with console and medium size motor on it?

[eherlihy]

De ' ja vu - again

[sailingdog]

I'd point out that if you're towing such a large dinghy, your chance of losing it in any sort of bad weather is pretty high....It will also be a huge target for thieves...

BTW, if it has a console, stowing it uninflated is almost impossible.

[wakesurfboy]

Originally Posted by sailingdog

I'd point out that if you're towing such a large dinghy, your chance of losing it in any sort of bad weather is pretty high....It will also be a huge target for thieves...

BTW, if it has a console, stowing it uninflated is almost impossible.

For the tow system, I think about a fixe system that can lift the rear of the dinghy with the motor on.

There is a thieves problem in the Florida Keys and the Bahamas?

[killarney_sailor]

You see power boats in the Bahamas with 'dinghies' (some 24' center consoles with immense outboards - being towed behind, in some cases as much as 200' feet behind. I guess it would work but you could lose it (need to wait for very nice weather to cross to the Bahamas or other open water trips) and it would slow you down. The fancier the dinghy the more likely it is too be taken. In chancy areas we would always hoist ours to deck level with a spinnaker halyard - no davits with vane steering. Yes there are thieves all over, in the Bahamas, Nassau is terrible for crime while Mayaguana seems perfectly safe.

Overall I would suggest that you compromise with getting the largest dinghy/motor that will fit comfortably on davits. Always towing would be too restrictive in many areas including Bahamas and the Keys - for example, we had one squall on Abaco Banks in fairly protected water near Allans Cay with wave trains from north and south converging in quite chaotic ways. Would not have wanted to have a valuable dinghy/motor being towed. We were towing our air floor dinghy on this short (15 mile trip), but the motor and all gear were onboard.

[wakesurfboy]

Originally Posted by killarney_sailor

You see power boats in the Bahamas with 'dinghies' (some 24' center consoles with immense outboards - being towed behind, in some cases as much as 200' feet behind. I guess it would work but you could lose it (need to wait for very nice weather to cross to the Bahamas or other open water trips) and it would slow you down. The fancier the dinghy the more likely it is too be taken. In chancy areas we would always hoist ours to deck level with a spinnaker halyard - no davits with vane steering. Yes there are thieves all over, in the Bahamas, Nassau is terrible for crime while Mayaguana seems perfectly safe.

Overall I would suggest that you compromise with getting the largest dinghy/motor that will fit comfortably on davits. Always towing would be too restrictive in many areas including Bahamas and the Keys - for example, we had one squall on Abaco Banks in fairly protected water near Allans Cay with wave trains from north and south converging in quite chaotic ways. Would not have wanted to have a valuable dinghy/motor being towed. We were towing our air floor dinghy on this short (15 mile trip), but the motor and all gear were onboard.

Thank you Hillarney for your experience you share in islands.

My Dinghy will be eleven or twelve feets with a 20hp motor so it's not that huge (500 lbs). I'm thinking about a fixe towing system with locking device placed on each ends like this one that can hold 8000lbs breaking:

The Towdster

Or this semi lifting and towing system:
Davron Marine Products (Dinghy-Tow)


About the Florida Key's for thieves?