We hang a typical RIB from the davits and will continue to, but I’ve always wanted to bring a sailing dinghy along as well. I could fit one up to about 10ft, upside down on the foredeck.

My first sail ever as a kid was in a Dyer. I see an old Eli available on Craigslist. Any recommendations,
particularly if still made? Any warnings?

I’m looking for more of a bath tub to gently cruise around anchorages, maybe even row for exercise, not a SunFish. Saw a Trinka 10 that looked really nice. Are they worth the $$?

You might care to look into the Tiwal or the Ducky 13 (for the less limber!). Fun boats.

Thanks. Neat ideas, svH. Looking more for the bathtubs that could be rowed too.

p.s. I’m familiar with the Walker Bay. It would work, but think I prefer bronze attachments to plastic.

If you are up for a winter build project the kit boats from Chesapeake Light Craft are pretty nice boats, I have been around quite a few. For your purposes the Passage Maker Nesting Pram would be pretty slick; quick, stable, beautiful, sails and rows.

https://www.clcboats.com/modules/cat...ooden-boat-kit

At any rate, in the 10 ft range I personally would steer clear of the pointy bows and go with a pram bow. Climbing down from a 50+ ft boat into the bow of a fine bowed dinghy might not be a lot of fun. In that size range the extra stability, space and load carrying capacity of a pram bow is well worth the trade off. I do not have a specific model in mind, but something along the line of a Mirror would be nice.

As @Arcb suggested, CLC boats are awesome. They're some of my favorites, and if you like assembling boats, they're great.

something completely the other direction may be a Portland Pudgy.

Sailing Dinghy | Portland Pudgy

It does everything you want, and even looks like a bathtub! :-D

I had a Trinka and loved it, but it wasn't a good primary dinghy. If you want something with enough space for two (10' is a bit small for two adults) you could consider a nesting dinghy. There are some really nice ones out there that sail and row well.

I have and love my Minto. It is a beautiful hard shell dinghy that both rows and sails well. You can see photos and adventures with it on my website at https://ben.lobaugh.net/?s=minto.

What I love about the Minto
- Elegant, classic looks in the water.
- Proven design. The Minto has been around for a long time. It was the dinghy to have in the Northwest till RIBs became popular. It is still a more common dinghy to see.
- The wife thinks it is cute and loves it.
- It rows exceptionally well. Smooth and easy through the water. We rowed a mile out from a marina to our anchorage and it was a piece of cake. Good speed while rowing too.
- It sails like a boss! I regularly get it into the 4 knot range. The Minto is amazingly stable under sail. The wife and I love to go out sailing in it. You sit on the bottom, not on the benches.
- It easily accommodates my wife and two dogs (Lab, Boxer), and myself.
- Easy to get in and out of. Sure it is tippier than a RIB, but once you know how to get in it is easy. I life my dogs by hand over the transom of my Lancer 36 and plop them down into the Minto no problem.
- Super tough fiberglass shell with teak railing.
- Sail rig is easy to set up, can be set up in a couple minutes.
- Sail slides up a track, not a sock! You can raise and lower the sail on demand. There is also a lot of tweakability on the sail, which the racer in me likes. In fact there is a small collections of Mintos on Lake Union, Seattle and we race each other when we are not on our "big boats".
- If desired you can put an up to 4 hp motor on the back.
- Neutrally buoyant. Yes, I filled one to the gunwales with water to test it. The Minto on the back of my neighbors boat .
- Tracks really well when towed. Hardly feel any pull when it is behind my big sailboat.

What I do not love about the Minto
- It can noisily bang the hull. This is not truly a detractor from the boat itself. The issue is endemic to any hard shell dinghy. Figure out how to tie it up properly and there will be no issue. That first night on anchor that is smacked the hull was like an alarm waking me up! Now it is a non-issue.
- Tippier than a RIB. Duh, this is by design of most hard shells vs RIBs. Spend some time with it and you will quickly learn how to deal with the tippiness. Non-boaters get nervous getting in and out of the boat the first few times. I have a RIB also, which I recommend you keep around. It provides a lot of flexibility when cruising when you can decide which dinghy to bring based on wh will be with you.
- Space it tighter than a RIB. Even the smallest RIBs let you sit right on the gunwale without issue. In the Minto you have to be inside. I mentioned my wife, two dogs, and myself fit but there is not much room left. It is not uncomfortable, just full. This is an issue with any hardshell.

Overall I highly recommend the Minto. Great boat. Rows and sails awesome. Looks great.

Here is a pic of my buddy sailing it in the infamous Seattle Duck Dodge race

Another cool self build dinghy is the Port Townsend 11 or PT11.

buy_a_pt11

The thought of building my own dinghy appeals to me but the idea of adding yet one more project to complete does not. There are schools that you can attend that will walk you through building your own in a week.

https://www.thewoodenboatschool.com/...rly-dinghy.php

https://www.clcboats.com/boatbuilding_classes/

Not that I'm biased or anything but you should take a look at a Spindrift. If you're not into building there are used ones for sale. No problem carrying two people while sailing and can be rowed and motored as well.

2013 10? Spindrift ? Wilmington ? NC ? Boats | B&B Yacht Designs

Love our (8ft) Fatty Knees.. !

Fatty Knees Dinghy Design: A solid dinghy that's fun to sail