# Walker Bay Dinghy



## mad_machine (Dec 16, 2012)

Been seeing a lot of them on Craigslist and I need something for when I go to florida. Anybody have any opinions on them? I was thinking of mostly using them with oars.. but sharing the small outboard from my boat might be nice too


----------



## chef2sail (Nov 27, 2007)

mad_machine said:


> Been seeing a lot of them on Craigslist and I need something for when I go to florida. Anybody have any opinions on them? I was thinking of mostly using them with oars.. but sharing the small outboard from my boat might be nice too


Is it he sailing one, or a regular one. We have a Walker Bay Odessey. Air floor, carries 1100 lbs, 16.5 tubes keep you dry. Not a speed demon but a good solid construction. Great lifting rings.


----------



## mad_machine (Dec 16, 2012)

I see the sailing ones. I do not want an inflatable. I rowed in Competetively in HS and College and I prefer that method of locomotion.. rowing an inflatable is more an exercise in futility


----------



## jgeissinger (Feb 25, 2002)

I have had a 10ft. WB for 8 or 9 years. I also have another brand air floor inflatable. The inflatable is stable to board and great to use as a dinghy. The WB is much better and dryer motoring against any sort of chop, and the payload is amazing, Yes, it can be rowed just fine also. It has also been dragged up on many a rocky beach and over the edge of rough docks, and it is simply indestructible. Each has its own merits, but I have nothing but praise for the WB.


----------



## T37Chef (Oct 9, 2006)

If you want a rowing dingy I think there are ones much better for that than the WB, I bet you could find a nice one on Craigslist or in a local penny saver or just talk around the marina


----------



## zeehag (Nov 16, 2008)

my walker bay 8 rows decent, sails crappy, and is in general a few steps above a toy. is indestructible and makes surf landings fun.
i do not know if i would deliberately buy one--this one came with boat, therefore essentially free, as boat was decent price. 

i can pack up to one of the 5 gallons water bottles and laundry in this thing, but no surf landings when packed well..lol.....


----------



## TQA (Apr 4, 2009)

As others have said there are better rowing dinks than a WB. 

There are some 2 part nesting dinks that row well and might suit you.


----------



## zeehag (Nov 16, 2008)

actually, wb8 rows well ..in up to 17 measured knots of wind and seas to 1 ft. 
after that, it goes sideways and not fun to try to control. btdt.....la cruz de huanacaxtle and their nonanchorage anchorage is not the place to test it, but is as good a place as any....upwards of 15 kts with any kind of seas, was most difficult to manage wb8--actually took me 30 mins to row 10 ft in those conditions.


----------



## mad_machine (Dec 16, 2012)

T37Chef said:


> If you want a rowing dingy I think there are ones much better for that than the WB, I bet you could find a nice one on Craigslist or in a local penny saver or just talk around the marina


been scouring CL and they seem to be all I can find in the way of dinks aside from inflatables. When the nicer ones do show up.. I might as well buy a nice gig-harbor dink new for what they want for them


----------



## BarryL (Aug 21, 2003)

Hey

My water tender dink was stolen and I replaced it with a walker bay 10. My oday is on a mooring and I use the dink to get from beach to boat and back again. I am on my 4th dink: an 8 foot fiberglass sumner dink that I rebuilt, an older water tender 9.4, a new water trender w cathedral hull and now the walker bay.

The web rows the best and holds a lot of people and gear. It is reasonably stable. But it's heavy. I have to drag my dink up a sandy beach to store in a rack and the wb is a real pain to drag. The water tender was much lighter and easier to drag. 

Barry


----------



## T37Chef (Oct 9, 2006)

I picked up a plywood dingy that was built very similar to an Opti, for $40. I painted it and did some.teak work to it and it looks like a $500 sailing dingy. Came with a new sail.

That's all I was trying to say. 

If you see a lot of something for sale maybe that a good indication in itself? Just sayin.


----------



## PBzeer (Nov 11, 2002)

What I found with my 8' WB is that it isn't that stable getting in and out of. Uses a very small motor. Rows well.

I bought mine mainly because of the weight. If I buy a new one, it will be a RIB with a decent motor.


----------



## Mongo (Apr 2, 2009)

The 8ft rows well enough with a single person, or with very carefully balanced nominal additional weight. Slows down considerably with any other loading configuration. Not enough bouyancy in the front in my opinion.


----------

