Hard Dinghys out there?

[dsprygada]

Just took possession of a Manta 40 Catamaran. Looking for input on anyone using hard dinghys. Ready to take the next step(sell the house) in becoming livaboard cruisers for 5 years or so. We want something very durable and long lasting. Saw Boss Boats hard dinghy that looks just like an inflatable, but is fairly heavy at 195 lbs. We have davits but we''re looking for something in the 110 - 125 lb. range hopefully. RIBs are the other options if we have to. Any thoughts out there? Thanks in advance>

Dave

[Stormer]

You might want to consider a Trinka. These are beautiful little sailing dinghies that can handle a 2 hp outboard, be rowed, and (of course) sailed. I believe they come in 8 and 10 foot models. The 8 can be easily hoisted up on davits by one individual (I know, because I have a Trinka 8 hanging off my stern on davits). The drawbacks: they are expensive. May run you in the high $2k range for one. But then again, you get a sailing dinghy as well as a little motor launch. Also, they are not as stable as an inflatable, but then no hard dinghy is.

Just my 2 cents...

[hamiam]

Given that you have davits, I would strongly suggest looking into RIBs. Combines the stability of an inflatable with the speed and handling and sure-footedness of a hard dinghy. While the sun does attack the fabic you can radically increase useful life if you either (or both) cover it when not in use and/or use 303 protectant on it. Good luck.

[Billpjr]

My advice is to do the hard dingy. I''ve cruised with inflatables and they aren''t durable enough to withstand poking from fish fins and other fun stuff you do while cruising. Get one with hard chines instead of a peapod (rounded) shaped hull. Hard chines give more initial stability and are better for on/off loading without being too tippy. Get one that has a little stern rocker so it tows well when doing short hops in smooth water. Plumb bows with deep forefoots won''t tow as well as others. I''ve used the molded plastic types and like them for lightness but they aren''t as durable as fiberglass. If you can find anything similar to an old Dyer 10 grab it. If you are looking for a larger boat then throw what I said out the door and find a 12'' aluminum boat from Sears.

[gunnyman]

I have a Boss 8.5 and it weighs in at a shade under 125#. Capability of up to 15HP. Well built and stable. Not inexpensive but worth the investment to keep my wife happy. One would compliment yor Manta. Had the chance to look at one in Annapolis. Nice boat and I am sure you are a happy owner.

[jgeissinger]

Walker Bay boats are available in both 8'' and 10'' versions,and are much less expensive than either inflatables or fiberglass boats. We''ve used a 10'' one for 3 years now and really like it. It has good load carrying ability, is stable, and can actually be rowed, though we use a small 3hp outboard most of the time. Contrary to what a previous post said, the molded plastic is much, much more durable than fiberglass (I know,I''ve had several glass dinghies). It can''t crack, it can be dragged across rocky beaches with no damage, and it can be left in the water for (relatively) long periods without fouling. They look good, too.

[Billpjr]

I''d say wait until the Walkers are 10-15yrs old and compare them with the glass dinks. My 10'' Montgomery glass dink came before my plastics and is still around after 30 yrs and 5 sailboats. My two plastics lasted a little over a year each when cruising in the Bahamas. They flexed a lot, work hardened and got brittle in a few places. Walkers flex more than mine did. I liked them for the lightweight but my experience didn''t show long life. I had a 4hp Johnson on them.

Don''t get me wrong, I like the Walkers and would consider one if my 10'' glass dink wouldn''t fit. The only question I have about Walkers is the wheel...does it really survive multiple beachings over rocks?

[ian6460]

Have any of you had experience with Carolina Skiffs? We are considering one instead of an inflatable. I''m not familiar with Dyers. How would they compare?

Ian

[dsprygada]

Thanks to everyone out there for your input. It seems we are close to choosing the 10 ft Walker Bay RID with the inflatable sponson. It appears to be comparable with the performance of inflatable RIBs, fairly durable, and comes in at about $2000 (cheaper than a RIB would cost you). With the inflatable sponson they look to be fairly stable.At 149 # they are a little heavy for their size but the 6 HP limit for the motor will keep me at 200# total weight which is in the range I was looking for since I have a sturdy arch system on the Manta 40.

The Livingston twin hull looked interesting, but looks like it wouldn''t be as stable. I''d could make a dinghy out of a plan kit (as I have made a Cedar Strip Kayak recently), but I have a transportation issue getting it from MI to FL for a reasonable cost when we set sail for a month. Yhe Carolina Skiff I just looked at were all too heavy (250#)and wouldn''t work as a dinghy. Although they looked nice for other uses.

Thanks again for your input.

Dave on soon to be ...s/v No More Mondays

[capttack]

Can I add to the questions??? I have a hard dink, and don''t want to bash up the sides of my sailboat. Any suggestions on material I can use for replacing the rub rail on the dink? Or where I can find rub rail replacement material?