[shananchie]

So how long does it take you to assemble and blow up your dinghy on the foredeck? I can do mine (apex 8 with a wooden floor) in 15 minutes. It takes two minutes to use the spinnaker halyard to lower the boat to the water or raise it on deck.

So why in the world would you drag it behind you, robbing maybe a half knot of speed and creating all sorts of headaches? It's just not seamanlike if you are traveling a long distance or encountering sea conditions that will play havoc with the dinghy.

You can buy a 12-volt air pump that will eliminate the aggravation of the manual foot pump. Plug it in, move it around the different tubes while drinking a beer and you're set to go.

 

[shananchie]

Rowing is the classier way to go.

With a good rowing dinghy, you can work up a good speed. Not to mention avoiding gasoline on board, fiddling with a finicky outboard, disturbing people in the harbor with wake and noise, etc.

I have an inflatable due to the size of my boat and have found that it rows OK with longer oars. I keep a Yamaha 2hp on the stern rail for longer trips, but prefer to row.

Of course, the problem with rowing is that you have to be in some kind of shape to do it. If you aren't strong enough to pull a dinghy aboard with a mast winch, you aren't going to be able to get any speed with a rowing dinghy. You also won't be able to get the outboard onto the stern rail.

So towing a dinghy with an engine on board becomes the only option.