How do you ride in your dinghy

[waterman46]

Originally Posted by 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.

A good and true answer. Also:

Inflateables have made people insensitive to any need for weight distribution in small boats. Before inflatables came along and all outboards were used on small hardshell boats, it was important to keep your weight in the center of the boat, especially if you were alone. If you want your weight to be in the middle of a boat, you can't do that by steering with your right hand.

At speed I always sit on the floor of my RIB, on a cushion when solo. So I have to steer with my left hand. Could not be done with right hand.

Most surfers and skateboarders are "regular foot" not "goofy foot". Leading the forward motion with the right side of body and steering with left side is more natural, maybe that's why outboards were set up that way in the beginning.

[danielamartindm]

I try to keep my center of gravity low in tenders. What good will holding onto a line from the bow do if a wave or wake slaps you sideways? Is this a macho thing or something?

[danielamartindm]

[QUOTE=Sailing Drummer;2610403]Specifically, if you have an inflatable or RIB without the center console. I've noticed this year that more cruisers are using what I call the St Augustine dinghy technique. And I've seen this all the way up into the Chesapeake. This is where you stand up facing forward instead of sittingwhile holding a line for balance and your partner does the same, to avoid spray. And they rarely look aft.

If this is you, I hope my story will make you rethink your technique. This is what happened to us today.

We were coming out of Georgetown Exuma Lake Victoria. We sit on the tubes of the dinghy. I'm aft to port and Barbara is forward to starboard. I usually face forward and starboard, she faces Port and aft. We're going slow as to not create a wake around the anchored boats - something that is becoming more and more foreign as we see more cruisers show no courtesy to anchored boats.

I hear a loud scream. I have no idea what she said but I turned around to see about 20' of the underside of a hull coming at us fast. Fortunately I reacted quickly enough. I gunned it and turned to starboard. He was slowly turning to port. He missed us by literally inches. His bow wake threw a ton of water into the dinghy and the wake almost turned us over. We were both able to stay in the boat, unharmed. Immediately after that another cruising couple comes blasting by in their dinghy throwing a tremendous wake on our other side. They had to have seen what just happened to us but obviously they were in too much of a hurry! Didn't slow down, stop or ask if we were ok. A woman was standing in a dinghy next to her anchored boat about 30' to starboard and did ask us if we were ok. And the first boat came back to apologize and make sure we were ok. He never saw us until I turned away from under him. He was a local in a fast "take tourists out for some fun" type boat. He apparently came out of the govt dock area and was going around the point to head north.

If we rode in our dinghy the way we see many do, I wouldn't be here to offer this caution! If there are 2 if you in the dinghy, make sure one is always watching aft. If you are alone, be vigilant and keep a sharp lookout.

Larry[/QUOT

There are "no wake" signs everywhere in my area, but they seem to be almost universally ignored.

[alansmith]

Originally Posted by Jason Flare

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.

Jason, your wife and my wife must be cut from the same cloth. They both agree how smart we are if we don't say a thing....he he he...that was very fun

[Pelagic]

Originally Posted by 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

I agree....plus sitting on the starboard tube you are best situated to monitor the CPA of another stand on vessel, who expects you to adjust your course.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by Pelagic

I agree....plus sitting on the starboard tube you are best situated to monitor the CPA of another stand on vessel, who expects you to adjust your course.

Umm... when I sit on the PORT tube I face to starboard, and that's the side that stand on traffic comes from, isn't it? (One of the reasons that I sit there!)

Jim

[boatman61]

LMAO... and so it goes.. The CF justification for personal habits and why its the best and only way.
Theres many ways to ride a dinghy.. and as many ways to ride it badly.
How you ride one matters not..
How well you ride it does.. and I've seen crap riders in every variation thats been posted..

[Pelagic]

My neck and torso are not quite so rigid yet Jim.... [emoji4]
I'm mostly oriented and looking forward and I would say, more aware of what's on my starboard side, if alone

[Sailing Drummer]

Although there have been times I've sat on the starboard tube, the natural position for me is on the port tube. I'm right handed. My natural tendency is to react much quicker with my right hand/arm. Also, sitting on the port tube gives me a better view of any boat coming from my starboard. Similar reason as to why most power boats without a center helm have their helm on the starboard side - so they can see boats on their starboard side when the bow is up. Good visibility, especially to starboard, is very important!

Someone said they've only seen outboards with shifters on the starboard side making it difficult to shift reaching over from the port tube. I guess they've never had a Honda. All that I've had have the shifter on the port side.

Bottom line - we would not be alive today if I had been sitting on the starboard tube. My left hand/arm could not react that fast. And there's no way I would have been able to push the tiller far enough over to get out of the way, nor accelerate fast enough. The tiller on the Honda 15 is slightly pointing to port, not center. My guess is they make it that way so you have full range of turning to either side from the port tube.

Obviously, everyone has their own way of doing it. Sitting on the port tube gives me better control and a better/safer view. I never stand up, even though I have excellent balance and coordination (I'm a nationally/internationally ranked jumper and hurdler - balance and coordination are critical). If it's really rough I'll get on the floor and slow down.

Interesting - this is almost as much fun as asking about anchors!

Larry

[waterman46]

Being able to easily check for stand-on traffic to starboard is a good reason for using a tiller extender. Provided the extender is very firmly attached to the handle, it is safe. When using a tiller extender I can have my body facing directly forward, kneel on a cushion just behind the thwart, and with a little turn of the head I can check off to starboard for stand-on traffic quite easily. If I'm having to sit on the starboard tube then I must twist far to see to starboard.

[james247]

Originally Posted by danielamartindm

I try to keep my center of gravity low in tenders. What good will holding onto a line from the bow do if a wave or wake slaps you sideways? Is this a macho thing or something?

I learnt to scull a carvel dingy standing. Like many fishermen I used longer oars and did this standing. With a 2 Hp seagull I loaded passengers on the mid thwart and put supplies etc in the aft third is the dingy. I stood up mainly for better vision
As dinghies got lighter and outboards bigger I continues to stand. Albeit painter in hand for better balance. Seems natural to stand for me. Using an extended tiller makes it all comfortable.

[ArmyDaveNY]

Originally Posted by boatman61

LMAO... and so it goes.. The CF justification for personal habits and why its the best and only way.
Theres many ways to ride a dinghy.. and as many ways to ride it badly.
How you ride one matters not..
How well you ride it does.. and I've seen crap riders in every variation thats been posted..

Spot on!

[Gene Neill]

Originally Posted by ArmyDaveNY

Spot on!

Indeed. I read through the whole thread, thinking no one was gonna say it.

[Pelagic]

Originally Posted by boatman61

LMAO... and so it goes.. The CF justification for personal habits and why its the best and only way.
Theres many ways to ride a dinghy.. and as many ways to ride it badly.
How you ride one matters not..
How well you ride it does.. and I've seen crap riders in every variation thats been posted.. [emoji3]

Too true Boatie and guilty as charged of voicing my preference.

But are you sure you've seen every method? [emoji4]

https://youtu.be/QIYfN62NpGA

[danielamartindm]

If you do the St. Augustine thing, remember to clip the outboard kill switch to yourself.