How do you ride in your dinghy

[Tayana42]

Originally Posted by Woodland Hills

How do I ride in my dinghy?



Tenderly......

Your dinghy must be a pun-t.

[Woodland Hills]

Originally Posted by Tayana42

Your dinghy must be a pun-t.

Thank yawl, I'll be here all week.........

[StuM]

Originally Posted by StuM

Facing East? But it's late afternoon, so why is the bright sky behind them

Doh! Just noticed the compass rose on that map. Up is East, so you are correct about the perspective facing South.

[boatman61]

Another thing.. I dont buy ribs just slat floored inflatables with 5hp 2x outboards.. find standing and transfering my weight from one leg to another helps manouvering.. can achive faster turns.. jump others wakes.. and planing I leave barely a wake.
Sitting on the tube unbalances the dinghy and gets me bum wet... but then I'm a smoker and drinker as well..
Fill yer boots boys..

[Jason Flare]

Originally Posted by StuM

Doh! Just noticed the compass rose on that map. Up is East, so you are correct about the perspective facing South.

I just told Mrs. Flare I won an argument without saying anything.

If anyone knows I’m smarter with my mouth shut it is she.

[waterman46]

Originally Posted by InTheDish

Part of the standing up method is to move the weight forward so you can get on plane easier.

We don't do it.

I don't see why on earth you need to stand up to move weight forward. Just sit forward. I think they stand to avoid spray but of course that's not really possible.

When I drive alone I have a tiller extender and can kneel on the floor far enough forward to see over the bow, and that gets weight far enough forward to get on plane faster. And when conditions are rough we both kneel on floor of dinghy on float cushions. If you sit on tubes you *will* get your butt wet.

[CaptTom]

I sit so the throttle works "correctly" like a motorcycle. Otherwise I twist the wrong way and end up revving up when I meant to slow down.

Around here, it's the fishermen who use the standing position. Works better in a loaded (and usually wooden) skiff, especially one with no seats. But I notice even in a RIB, they still stand. Just habit I guess.

I never had a motor on my dinghy when I fished, so I never developed that habit.

[Zven]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

But you can NOT keep a good 360 watch while operating a tiller-steered outboard powered dinghy alone. I don't know any solution to that.

You are welcome...

[jibstay]

Originally Posted by Sailing Drummer

Most of the cruisers I've seen standing rarely look behind them - I've watched and wondered! And also because there is no way we would have been able to remain standing - getting thrown down and hurt or overboard. That's why I mentioned the caution. As for using my right hand - I have sat on the starboard side using my left occasionally. It's very uncomfortable to me. And it's also not natural to me. If I had been on the starboard side there would have been no way I could have reacted in time. I'm right handed and my right hand has much quicker reflexes than my left. I didn't have time to think, only to react. However, there are times when I do that if I need to be on that side for docking. But to use my left hand I have to lean quite far if I want to turn to starboard. The motor is a Honda and the tiller does not come straight forward, it is pointed slightly to port. I sit far enough forward so it is easily swung to either side.

Larry

I have an ePropulsion Spirit electric outboard and two of the nice things about are that the tiller comes straight out from the center and the twist throttle also controls forward and reverse.

It’s also pretty easy to start.

[jsc7]

I always sit in the bow and direct the crew who are, of course, facing backwards because they are rowing. It looks like the attached image.

If some addlehead comes athwart my beam I have at him with my pea popper. Should that not turn him awry, I stand proud and go down with the ship.

[mikedefieslife]

Is it an American thing to sit on the starboard tube of the dinghy when the tiller is on port? I've never seen it at all in the Med, and surely would limit you pushing the tiller to port as you've already had to reach across the motor.

Most outboard tillers are short as it is, and you're giving up reach in this case.

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by mikedefieslife

Is it an American thing to sit on the starboard tube of the dinghy when the tiller is on port? I've never seen it at all in the Med, and surely would limit you pushing the tiller to port as you've already had to reach across the motor.

Most outboard tillers are short as it is, and you're giving up reach in this case.

With short tiller, reach isn't much of an issue on most small dinghies but if you sit on the port tube and try to turn hard to starboard, the tiller hit's your knees.

If you have short arms, you can always choke up on the tiller by holding it so your hand is just on the twist part of the handle. That will cut the amount of reach by around half compared to holding the very end. For a small motor maneuvering around the docks, doesn't take a lot of force to turn the tiller so the reduced leverage isn't an issue.

In reality, other than to claim you do it better, it doesn't really matte

[mikedefieslife]

See I find the opposite. Because the tiller is short is doesn't come anywhere near your knees unless you've sat on the transom which would be weird. Just seems odd to me that people reach across the engine to get to the tiller, but then some people hold their fork in the right hand which is a much worse sin. (just kidding).

Anyway, as you say doesn't much matter just interesting given the same machinery the different way people will go about things.

[NoahTreat]

Tillers are designed to be driven with the left hand. For many reasons it is unsafe to drive with the right hand. This is a pet peeve of mine. I see a lot a people on YouTube driving with the wrong hand. Thanks for listening. That’s all

[valhalla360]

Another thing is the gear shift on all the small outboards I've used is on the starboard side. I know some have it built into the tiller but the typical is on the starboard side.

If you are sitting on the port side, you have to reach around the engine head to shift which is even more awkward.