Big enough boat to carry a hard dink or RIB?

[Stephan]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

The sales personnel don't know how big their RIBs are, disinflated. This led to some frustration!
Ann

Perhaps you mean "uninflated" :-), not 'disinflated'.

Yes, the information that you are asking (distance between transom and the bow, upside down) is not published by any of the RIB builders. There are dealers who try to record that data when they have a boat open.

Defender Industries is one of them. But, with over 500 different models offered it is impossible for them to have the data on every one. YOU still need to give them the models that make sense for you and they can check their database. You need to speak with their Boats & Motors Dept, as the Contact Center staff does not have access to that unique data.

Image attached that they use.

You might also have a look at a folding transom RIB, which my wife and I used for 4 years on our last boat. Folded like a surfboard, came with a padded bag and stowed below for longer passages. It was also plenty stable for 4 adults, but we were usually only 2. It was a great compromise.

We used a Zodiac Wave Compact 310 RIB [PVC], but there are Hypalon versions from Achilles & Zodiac that also have the folding transom feature.

Good luck!!
Stephan

[john61ct]

Originally Posted by Don C L

new inflatables out there? There are a lot of various permutations that also row well and sail too

Exampes?

[Eskimo]

Originally Posted by Jammer

Sorry for another dinghy thread. I'm trying get a sense of perspective.


How large of a sailboat is necessary to reasonably carry a RIB?


How large of a sailboat is necessary to reasonably carry a hard dinghy?


I understand that dinghys are (like everything in boating) always a tradeoff. There's a clear tradeoff between dinghys that can be folded and stowed anywhere (including below decks), and the much more functional dinghys that have to be stored on the foredeck.


When I move to a larger sailboat, I would like to be able to carry a hard dink. I'd like some guidance as to the sort of size range I have to look at to do that.


A related question, the inner forestay on a cutter obviously has the potential to get in the way of dinghy storage on the foredeck. Is this usually a serious problem, or does the customary further-aft placement of the mast on cutters (as compared to sloops) make up for it? On the other hand, does the dinghy get in the way of, or shadow, the genoa on a sloop?

We have owned a Dawn 48 ketch for 18 yrs. We built fore and aft SS rails on the aft deck so we can crane up to a 12' RIB with up to a 25 hp o/b and up to about 350 lbs. We have electric primary winches and can lead all halyards and sheets to the electric winches so it takes about 5 minutes to get the dink aboard and strapped down. This is much more secure than a dinghy on davits and allows for a larger, faster, drier dinghy that what can be flipped upside down on the foredeck. The mizzen adds some nice horsepower once the sheets are cracked too. Lots of ways to do things on a boat but this works well for us. Also I would not want a much larger boat without planning to take extra crew along, but that's just me.

[fatherchronica]

We have a nesting 12 foot long dinghy on our 36 foot Cape George cutter that fits ahead of the mast on top of the cabin and extends forward just under 2 feet to the front side of our 2 propane canisters on the deck. It takes my wife and I about 25 minutes to flip the 2 pieces and bolt them together use the 3 jib halyard to lift and lower it into the water, we are in our mid 60's and I, the man, have had 3 back surgeries and 2 right shoulder surgeries, so we do not rush. It obscures the view some from our pilothouse, but not from the cockpit too much. It might go go faster if it were a professionally built dinghy, but I designed it and built it with Ryobi 18 volt power tools on docks and beaches here and there and I am just a nut job I have been told. I saw a guy selling almost identically sized 2 piece dinghy kits later at the Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival that he said could be attached in a minute in the water, but he had a specially designed system instead of 1/2 " nuts washers and bolts.

[kmcshane]

Ted Brewer 30' cutter with nesting dink:
nested 7'2" fitted on chocks inside staysail stay;
wingnuts attaches fore to aft (both float independently)
full size 11'6"
Sails with a windsurfer sail and mast;
Motors with a 2.2 Suzuki 2 stroke;
Rows with Shaw and Tenney 7'6" spoon tips.

[AJ_n_Audrey]

I put an 11 foot hard dink on the foredeck between mast and staysail stay on my boat, but I had to remove the staysail boom to do it. The staysail boom base made a handy attachment point for a bow cradle for the hard dink. I am now converting to an RIB though. Fyi, I absolutely do not miss the staysail boom. Never had a problem tacking the genoa or staysail, really.

[Hoodsail]

I had an 8.5 foot inflatable from Defender that the mice ate - two winters ago...so if in new england, be aware the little critters may set up house inside after eating multiple holes thru. Someone posted a link on CF recently for GAboats...Black Fly 8 - Geodesic AiroLITE Boats
and i am sold on these build it yourself, kits...altho requires a good deal of time to build, but not an inordinate amount of wood working skill, the 8 footer weighs only 28 pounds. it'll fit between the front of my dodger and aft end of mast. Oh, and i have yet to build it...thnks

[john61ct]

very inspiring site, 8lb boat carrying a family!

yes in still water 8-)

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by john61ct

Exampes?

I have no stock in this company but I have had one of their largest kayaks for 6 years and my friend also has one. He opted for the little sail and a mount for his electric motor on his. So far they are holding up well. He also appropriated my inflatable seats for lounging around on his boat. He won't give them back.
https://www.seaeagle.com/

This company seems to have decided to try to tackle every inflatable possibility. I gotta say mine has served me well for my little boat, but considering how rigid "drop-stitch" inflatable floors are, I'd be looking for that in a dinghy now too if I was going to wrestle an outboard around too. A few companies now make inflatable SUPs that are plenty rigid, and this company also makes an inflatable canoe too. Personally I prefer the large tubes for a more stable entry and exit when snorkeling.

[GWB]

Originally Posted by Pete7

Does the boom not have a kicker?

Pete

Soft vang to the rail

[Fore and Aft]

Does anyone store their rigid dinghy right way up? I have been thinking about this lately as our 8' dinghy is stored just behind the mast upside down. Its a real pain to roll it over and I often wonder if I had a cover made and 2" bung in the dinghy would it be safe enough?

I only store the dinghy upside down becuase thats what everyone seems to do?

Cheers

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by Fore and Aft

Does anyone store their rigid dinghy right way up? I have been thinking about this lately as our 8' dinghy is stored just behind the mast upside down. Its a real pain to roll it over and I often wonder if I had a cover made and 2" bung in the dinghy would it be safe enough?

I only store the dinghy upside down becuase thats what everyone seems to do?

Cheers

Of course! I don't, my boat's too small but I've seen it done often on the bigger, older boats with big decks and small dinghies, and modern big boats with big RIBs and engines attached! Those are the bigger yachts of course, with cranes. The dinghy sits in its own chocks on deck or the cabin.

[TeddyDiver]

On my 35'er I'm having a dinghy bay for 10' nesting dinghy. Anything else is a PITA.

[Fore and Aft]

DON CL, great photos. I survey plenty of power boats that have the dinghy the right way up but I can hardly recall any yachts that do it over here? After I squashed the wifes fingers turning the dinghy over I started to think why I store the dinghy upside down? I suppose it is easier to lash it down and thats the way my dad did it on the trawler so I suppose I just followed what I learnt.... But really for the sailing I do it would be so much easier to have it right way up.
Cheers

[GRIT]

We met folks on a Valiant 40, in Grenada, back in 2001, and they stored their dinghy on deck, upright. If you google "foggy mountain, valiant 40" you'll see it, and their old blog.



We kept our dinghy upside down on deck, first a boatex 8, then a Caribe 9, on our Hughes 35.
We also kept it on deck, deflated, and upside down, on our Corbin 39, when doing offshore passages. It was also a Caribe 9. The windvane paddle wouldn't fit under the dink, while on the davits. The Corbin was a cutter, so the dink had to be deflated to fit between the mast and the inner forestay.

For shorter passages, below 6 days, we'd just tie it to the davits, as the bottom of the dink was more than 2 metres above the water.


The new boat's a cat, so the dink (caribe 12) will live on the davits, full time. The 20hp outboard's bolted to the dink, so it would be a pain to do otherwise. Even though the bottom of the dink will only be 1 metre above the sea, the sterns are quite long, so we don't expect to have any problems with pooping the dink.

Cheers.
Paul.