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tender/dinghy for small ( 26') sailboat to take to Bahamas

10K views 20 replies 15 participants last post by  Jim_W 
#1 ·
I have a Pearson 26 that I am thinking of taking to Bahamas next year ( with the right weather window), trying to figure out what kind of dinghy to take - currently I have a 9 ft inflatable - with inflatable keel - it is supposedly portable ( take it apart easily) but that isn't the case - almost no chance of putting it together on the boat - it has an aluminum floor that is a bear to get in, has oaks but power it with a 3hp 4 stroke Tohatsu, not too keen on towing an iflatbale across the Gulf Stream - and too big to fit on deck forward of mast, also have an small inflatable kayak - that is fine for still water, no waves - but it is an adventure if the window is blowing over 10 knots and from behind.

Thought about a small 10-ft kayak ( not inflatable) that I could fit on a side deck . While not a small 26 , it is still a small boat so limited area to move forward on side decks of the Pearson.

Suggestions would be appreciated -
 
#2 ·
If your inflatable is hard to put together on board, perhaps carry it deflated and go ashore to assemble and pump it up. (Get a slip for the first night - despite the cost- set up the dinghy, and tow it from then on.) Kayaks would be a total distraction and problem waiting to happen: getting in, getting out, carrying anything, or going any distance.
 
#3 ·
We carry a pair of 10 foot kayaks on a 35 footer.. no issues but it's gonna be 'in the way' probably on a smaller boat.

My suggestion is to sell the 9 footer and get a 7 - 7.5 foot inflatable/RIB that you can fit on the foredeck if necessary. You can use the same motor (stowed on the pushpit when underway).

We have a 7.5 foot 'Southern Pacific' aluminum RIB that only weighs 65 lbs, it actually even rows fairly well.
 
#4 ·
Most inflatables with floorboards have the floorboards in sections.
I'd suggest leaving the larger ones in and removing the smaller one(s) in the bow and rolling the bow back to allow the dink to fit on your foredeck. It should be easy enough to slip the forward one(s) in if the bigger aft ones are in place and the rear tubes partially inflated, perhaps even in the water alongside the boat.
Otherwise you could get a set of davits and hang the dink off the stern w/o the motor. I doubt it weighs enough to alter your trim excessively.
 
#5 ·
You only need to disassemble/reassemble once, then just tow it around the Bahamas. I would try to figure out how to do it, whether fully or partial deflated.

However, as a kid on boats that size, we had a soft floor inflatable that was rolled up and stored. I was often the inflate kid. Two words........... electric pump! Foot pumping to inflate from rolled up is a major PITA.
 
#6 ·
It would be nice if you could work something out for your inflatable, but if you can't I can think of a couple of options.

I think you could probably fit a 12 or 14' coleman canoe along the side decks of a Pearson 26, but you will most likely have to paddle it as they are not well designed for motors. They are easy to paddle and can carry big loads though. You won't be able to walk up that side of your sailboat.

Another option might be the small 8' Walker Bay or similar boat inverted on the fore deck, bow forward. They have a much smaller footprint than a similar sized inflatable. This is what I currently use (although I have used kayak, canoe and inflatable/outboard in the past). I like the WB, because you can get the sailing rig for it. I have used my WB with sails and oars to go 3 or 4 miles to explore or get supplies. I am sure you could fit your outboard on it too, but they are technically only rated for 2.5 hp.

I have experimented with using an 8' pelican kayak as a tender and I really wasn't very happy with the results. I couldn't carry anything, it wasn't very sea worthy, and I was so low to the water I couldn't see approaching traffic, which was scary. A bigger kayak might work better, I'm not sure.
 
#7 ·
... and why not tow the dink with the motor mounted on the pushpit?

Take everything off and out of it, let some water accumulate on the floor (for ballast), put the oars in the cabin, use a bridle at either end of the tow line, snug the dink up close, and pull it behind you. If the weather unexpectedly turns ugly and towing gets too squirrely, you can always cut it loose.
 
#8 ·
The inflatable is one I got with the purchase of a boat last year - it is one of those Chino knockoffs - it works fine once assembled but getting it assembled is a nightmare - even when following you Youtube instructions- its the floorboards and metal side guides you have to put in, I wrestled with that thing for almost 2 hours to get it together - swore I would never take it apart again, If it had a soft floor - would be much better - maybe look to switch to a slightly smaller inflatable.

Interesting on the kayaks - seems to be two camps on them - some love them others think they are terrible to use as a dink.
 
#9 ·
We had a small inflatable on our Bristol 26. We designed a sailing rig: a T shaped frame, carrying lee boards in each side, a mast step in the center, and a jib at the bow. Gudgeons were added for the rudder on the outboard mount. All rigid members were PVC pipe. Main was cut to accomodate the VERY bendy spars. It was a cover boat on Messing About in Boats...
Fun to prove it could be done, but not practical...

Sent from my GT-P3113 using Tapatalk
 
#10 ·
another idea...

I have lashed my inflatable which, like yours, is a PITA to assemble, tightly on its side, so that that water is only touching one tube to the aft quarter of my boat. If I recall correctly, I bring the painter around a midship cleat, then back to the grab rope on the side of the dinghy, then around an aft cleat. I keep the painter tight, so that the dinghy and the boat move together.
 
#13 ·
I see you have two main choices: keep the current boat and figure something out, or sell it and buy something a bit smaller and easier to stow and inflate.

As to keeping the current boat, I think you might get away with bringing the engine onboard and towing with the inflatable empty and as close to the stern of the P26 as possible. The problem with the P26 is the outboard. If it wasn't for that, you could bring the bow of the inflatable right up onto the stern.
 
#15 ·
In your position with a slightly smaller boat I went for a small rollup dink with a 2 hp OB. Both could be stowed in a cockpit locker.

I would nix the idea of a kayak because there are places you will be faced with longish commutes carrying groceries and jugs of water.
 
#16 · (Edited)
I have a 26' boat...

7'6" roll up dinghy, has "slats" that roll up on the floor, 67 lbs

3.5 HP 2 stroke motor, 27 lbs

2 men and a dog...or 1 man and supplies and a dog.

Tows well with bridal. Fits on foredeck inflated.

Rolls up and bagged, lashed to deck ( just a little big for cockpit locker)

Wouldn't want anything bigger...Don't have room.

Had one smaller, didn't like it...
 
#19 ·
OTOH I have seen a portaboat flip over and dump its occupants in calm conditions just because another dinghy passed close by. Quite unexpected, obviously.. That owner switched back to a RIB soon after.

Plenty of happy users, I know, but still.....
 
#21 ·
I have a 25' boat and this thing is perfect

https://www.seaeagle.com/FastTrackKayaks/385ft
very stable, easy to paddle, single or double, sets up in 5 minutes, fits in cockpit locker. great carrying capacity, you can even stand up in this thing, and tracks very well much better than any roll up. I have the pro package. The best part is it only weighs 29# I had an 8'6" west marine with a 2hp honda and rarely used it because it was just to much trouble to set up. This fits on the deck when inflated too.
 
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