Transporting Kayaks on RIB Dinghy

[Dave H]

With the increasing utilization of kayaks just wondering if anyone out there has had much success carrying the kayaks strapped to the dinghy while towing. I have two 14.5 ft plastic kayaks and a 12ft RIB...they all are capable of being carried on deck when required but normally we tow the dinghy. Up to now we've strapped the kayaks to the side decks but they do tend to get in the way when sailing....one has to be careful not to allow one of the jib sheets to get underneath the kayaks when tacking etc. We are normally sailing within protected BC coastal waters so wave action is not usually an issue.

[kccollbran]

I'm taking 2 kayaks to La Paz, planning to stow them on the stancions on the foredeck. Have you tried this?

[Dave H]

We presently stow them up against the stanchions. This works reasonably well most of the time but I would have concerns if heavy weather was a factor. If you had seas breaking across the foredeck it could put heavy loads on the stanchions if the kayaks were secured against them. We have found that keeping them fairly far forward worked best in keeping them out of our way. I tie a short line from the bow of the kayak down to the toe rail in an attempt to minimize the risk of catching a jib sheet underneath. Most of the time it is not an issue when tacking as long as you monitor where the lines are lying prior to each tack. Have on the odd occasion gotten into a situation where the lines and sail are flogging for short periods and in that sort of situation it could be possible for a line to slip under the kayak. We sail a Beneteau 42s7 so we have fairly wide side decks...keeping the kayaks forward allows us to move forward a little easier though.

[Faster]

We have tried carrying a kayak on an inflatable dinghy.. it can work but is awkward to set up. Carrying two would be difficult, they are beamier than you think as a rule.

In order to be able to sail and avoid interference with the kayaks we have always lashed them to the lifelines but outside the stanchions aft alongside the cockpit. They are light enough to easily manhandle them into position and not put too much strain on the stanchions and lines. The only time they proved a problem was in a big breeze and waves where we tended to put some water in them now and then. In the future on a day like that we'll put them up on deck somewhere.

Picture below to show what we do:



Mind you, ours are only 9.5 feet long - fourteen footers may be more of a problem.

But I think you'll find the hassle of lashing one or two (if possible) onto your RIB will be too much....

[WuWei]

Hi! We have a 12.6 Hobie Tandem Mirage Outfitter kayak that we tow behind Wu-Wei. Tow? Heck yeah. The drag is minimal, we no longer have to tow a dink that slows us down, mess with the outboard, worry about leaks... Oh, but wait! The new-dink has foot pedals and a rudder for steering (okay, so we stow the pedals until we need them) and, drumroll please..... a sail. Pretty sweet. We just sold the old Johnson outboard on Craigslist and are going "free-power" on the dink. Yep. Sure, the kayak was expensive. But, patching inflatables and dealing with an outboard has gotten old really quick. I cruise for fun, and the inflatable was not fun. Ditch the inflatable, and learn your kayak better. Less you have to deal with. Or.... Buy a HOBIE!