Leaving dinghy on mooring for weeks at a time...

[roland stockham]

I would tend to go with a rigid unsinkable tender, either molded plastic like the Walker Bay or aluminum. The real trick though would be to make up a decent cover, probably with a frame over the cockpit so that is is absolutely taught and has a decent pitch. That should stop 90% of the water then a small pump with a solar panel for drips/condensation etc. Leave some ventilation open

[Slainte1]

A dingy with the watertight floor above the waterline can self drain

[Mike Banks]

I would never leave my Polycraft unguarded, but if I were to do so I would use anti-fouling on the underwater surfaces and make up and fit a sun cover of 90% shade cloth mesh over the top to protect it from birds etc. I know a lot of rain water goes through this 90% mesh, but if one removes the drainage bungs from a Polycraft, it floats with the bungs screw outlets just above the unladen water line, so rain water will not accumulate therein.

I think it would be possible to make a tinny self-draining by putting a second waterproof foam and fibreglass sole in it--but it is an expensive folly. I suppose the idea of a dinghy permanently on a mooring is some form of mooring-minder.

In which case, any damn thing that floats would do--just cover it so with a plastic waterproof tarpaulin so that it will not fill up with rainwater or spray, and anti-foul the undersides using ALUMINIUM anti-fouling if it is a tinny. Copper anti-fouling will eat holes in it.

[joelhemington]

Originally Posted by basssears

Sounds nice, but unfortunately I don't have a dock, just a shared island dock where I can't leave a dinghy. Ideally it would be nice not to have to go to the dock at all anyway, as it can be a non-starter at low tide with my draft, and if the wind's howling it's a pretty tricky in and out with full keel pilothouse.


Of course, if dinghy's on shore (on dock or just on beach) then I still have to be able to get it the first time I arrive, which means either slinging the Walker Bay off (defeating the whole purpose), or using the shared community dinghy that lives on the dock (an option, but still requires going to dock), that's why it would be nice to have a boat waiting already tied to the mooring (which I realize complicated grabbing the mooring ball quite a bit).


A good, tight rain cover that overlaps the gunwales nicely would go a long way to protecting the boat I would think, thanks.


-- Bass

I'm trying to wrap my head around how you'd actually get in a boat with a nice tight rain cover over it - short of jumping in (in which case , you might as well swim to shore and get your bigger dingy) In this situation I'd launch the small dingy from the fore deck with a halyard, take it to shore and grab your bigger dingy for hauling stuff. You could even make a rickshaw to haul the dingy from your cabin (Aluminum poles with the biggest fattest tires you can find) No way would I leave something usable on mooring unattended.

[Disailor]

Two clothesline pulleys, an endless loop of line & gunnel to gunnel cover with PVC backbone. Sail up to the mooring, pull on the endless line to drag the dink down to the water n out to the mooring. Remove cover, Row ashore, turn over. Row back to mooring, install cover, use endless line to run dink up the beach.

[winschwab]

Here it is:

Osculati Drainman Bilge Pump ($80.99 on Amazon)

I bought one, but haven't tried it yet. If you're mooring out from shore isn't there slim chance of the intake becoming clogged? If you're worried about it, attach a screen to the intake hose.

[basssears]

Thanks for all the great ideas everyone, much appreciated.


Couple of things I hadn't considered yet but have seen in the past... sit on top kayak might be the easy way to go, paddle that to shore to get a bigger dinghy to do the main haul... I had sort of forgotten about it but the last lap we did through the Gulf Islands I saw a few people who had a small dock attached to their mooring ball, that could be a good way to go both for access and to get the dink out of the water.


Thanks!


-- Bass

[skipperguy]

left our 13' boston whaler on docks and moorings for years. had only a simple staring battery for our 30hp Johnson and connected a small Rule "timed" bilge pump to it with pump placed in lowest spot at stern. this pump actuated automatically appr every 3 - 5 minutes and immediately stopped if no load (bilge water) was sensed. worked well for a long, long time. caution - keep bilge and pump screen clean and change out pump ever 3 seasons or so.

[rvich]

Perhaps select a dinghy that floats high in the water when the plug is removed. The downside is that when you arrive, someone has to climb in, place the plug in the boat, while getting wet and then pump it out. But it won't sink while you are away.

[MJH]

Originally Posted by basssears

Anyone leave a dinghy on a mooring for long periods of time? I'm not overly concerned about theft (this is an area with a caretaker who keeps an eye on things, and I would be planning on more of an old beater style dinghy), more concerned with how to keep it afloat.

Other people in the mooring field leave dinghies on their mooring balls but they're often out there half sunken, half deflated, blech... last thing I want to do is arrive and first have to fish the slimy dink out of the water.

I imagine I could rig up a small bilge pump with battery and solar panel, but I worry about clogging and then not only does my dinghy try to sink but there goes my panel and battery.

I imagine an "unsinkable" dinghy would help but I still don't want it sitting there awash.
Maybe there isn't a great solution, but if you have one please share
-- Bass

I still don't have the total picture of your issue, specifically the distances involved: to the dock, dock to cabin, mooring to cabin.

I moor my boat to a buoy 24/7/365 and access it by dinghy from the HOA beach...distance is about 200 yards, and I have to time it with the tide. When I sail away during the summer (perhaps for 60+ days) I tow that eight foot Walker Bay dinghy to the city dock and truck it home, my last action. To leave it on the buoy invites the seagulls, herons, etc. to crap all over it and to get tangled around the buoy by the wind and tide or maybe stolen...it is the lesser evil I have learned, a dinghy cover won't solve all those issues. On return I go to the city dock, truck the dinghy (still in the truck) back to the dock, unload the dinghy, and tow it home to the buoy where I need it to get ashore. Not the most convenient setup but just one of the sacrifices I make to sail my boat.

Perhaps you could make an initial trip to the dock on arrival to unload crew, dog, groceries, etc. and then go to the buoy and row the dinghy to the cabin...doing the reverse on your return home. Leaving a dinghy with outboard for any length of time only invites theft.

"Life is tough and then we die."

Good Luck.

~ ~ _/) ~ ~ MJH

[hpaabor]

Small frame and cover would be my thought.

[JordanH]

Originally Posted by basssears

last thing I want to do is arrive and first have to fish the slimy dink out of the water.

That is the last thing we want to do. Please don't fish out your slimy dink after you arrive...


I think what you want to do is this... but use it in reverse.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63ShKwldmUg

Keep in mind, any floating mooring, or nice big flat floating surface, will attract all kinds of birds and their associated excrement. If you do not have cormorants or Canadian geese where you are, then good luck ever wanting to sit in that dinghy ever again.

[Old fella]

Originally Posted by basssears

Anyone leave a dinghy on a mooring for long periods of time? I'm not overly concerned about theft (this is an area with a caretaker who keeps an eye on things, and I would be planning on more of an old beater style dinghy), more concerned with how to keep it afloat.

Other people in the mooring field leave dinghies on their mooring balls but they're often out there half sunken, half deflated, blech... last thing I want to do is arrive and first have to fish the slimy dink out of the water.

I imagine I could rig up a small bilge pump with battery and solar panel, but I worry about clogging and then not only does my dinghy try to sink but there goes my panel and battery.

I imagine an "unsinkable" dinghy would help but I still don't want it sitting there awash.

Maybe there isn't a great solution, but if you have one please share

-- Bass

Google Takacat lite inflatable, can't fill with water, only 19kg so you can pick it up with one hand, very quick to deflate and roll up if you want. Also for leaving it on the mooring just buy a cheap garden trailer tarp and cut it in half, glue some Velcro to it and wrap them around the pontoons to keep the bird **** off and also act as a bit of sun protection.

[PuttingDoctor]

Originally Posted by basssears

Thanks for all the great ideas everyone, much appreciated.


Couple of things I hadn't considered yet but have seen in the past... sit on top kayak might be the easy way to go, paddle that to shore to get a bigger dinghy to do the main haul... I had sort of forgotten about it but the last lap we did through the Gulf Islands I saw a few people who had a small dock attached to their mooring ball, that could be a good way to go both for access and to get the dink out of the water.


Thanks!


-- Bass

I keep my Zodiac Yachtline 12’ side console on a PWC floating dock beside my 46’ Irwin. I’m pushing my luck and limits on H dock where if the dinghy was up on the davits I’d be way too long.
I already have a bilge pump so after a rain before launch I just pump out.
I also have a Spot Trace hard wired to the battery for security. If “Grace Too” ever strays I should be able to locate her quick.
I have wondered about hard wiring the bilge pump to bypass the battery switch to save time when launching but have not added a solar panel yet.
I am looking for a small trickle sized panel to mount on top of the 30 hp Nissan, and any ideas on a decent model would be appreciated.

[TravelinLight]

Have you looked at these? They have peddle power options.

https://www.nucanoe.com/pivot-drive/