# Sailing dinghy recommendations



## Minnewaska (Feb 21, 2010)

We hang a typical RIB from the davits and will continue to, but I’ve always wanted to bring a sailing dinghy along as well. I could fit one up to about 10ft, upside down on the foredeck. 

My first sail ever as a kid was in a Dyer. I see an old Eli available on Craigslist. Any recommendations, 
particularly if still made? Any warnings? 

I’m looking for more of a bath tub to gently cruise around anchorages, maybe even row for exercise, not a SunFish. Saw a Trinka 10 that looked really nice. Are they worth the $$?


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## svHyLyte (Nov 13, 2008)

Minnewaska said:


> We hang a typical RIB from the davits and will continue to, but I've always wanted to bring a sailing dinghy along as well. I could fit one up to about 10ft, upside down on the foredeck.
> 
> My first sail ever as a kid was in a Dyer. I see an old Eli available on Craigslist. Any recommendations,
> particularly if still made? Any warnings?
> ...


You might care to look into the Tiwal or the Ducky 13 (for the less limber!). Fun boats.


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## Minnewaska (Feb 21, 2010)

Thanks. Neat ideas, svH. Looking more for the bathtubs that could be rowed too.

p.s. I’m familiar with the Walker Bay. It would work, but think I prefer bronze attachments to plastic.


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## Arcb (Aug 13, 2016)

If you are up for a winter build project the kit boats from Chesapeake Light Craft are pretty nice boats, I have been around quite a few. For your purposes the Passage Maker Nesting Pram would be pretty slick; quick, stable, beautiful, sails and rows.

https://www.clcboats.com/modules/ca...assagemaker-take-apart-dinghy-wooden-boat-kit

At any rate, in the 10 ft range I personally would steer clear of the pointy bows and go with a pram bow. Climbing down from a 50+ ft boat into the bow of a fine bowed dinghy might not be a lot of fun. In that size range the extra stability, space and load carrying capacity of a pram bow is well worth the trade off. I do not have a specific model in mind, but something along the line of a Mirror would be nice.


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## Rezz (Oct 12, 2012)

As @Arcb suggested, CLC boats are awesome. They're some of my favorites, and if you like assembling boats, they're great.

something completely the other direction may be a Portland Pudgy.

Sailing Dinghy | Portland Pudgy

It does everything you want, and even looks like a bathtub! :-D


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## capta (Jun 27, 2011)

I had a Trinka and loved it, but it wasn't a good primary dinghy. If you want something with enough space for two (10' is a bit small for two adults) you could consider a nesting dinghy. There are some really nice ones out there that sail and row well.


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## blobaugh (May 26, 2011)

I have and love my Minto. It is a beautiful hard shell dinghy that both rows and sails well. You can see photos and adventures with it on my website at https://ben.lobaugh.net/?s=minto.

*What I love about the Minto*
- Elegant, classic looks in the water. 
- Proven design. The Minto has been around for a long time. It was _the dinghy_ to have in the Northwest till RIBs became popular. It is still a more common dinghy to see.
- The wife thinks it is cute and loves it.
- It rows exceptionally well. Smooth and easy through the water. We rowed a mile out from a marina to our anchorage and it was a piece of cake. Good speed while rowing too.
- It sails like a boss! I regularly get it into the 4 knot range. The Minto is amazingly stable under sail. The wife and I love to go out sailing in it. You sit on the bottom, not on the benches.
- It easily accommodates my wife and two dogs (Lab, Boxer), and myself.
- Easy to get in and out of. Sure it is tippier than a RIB, but once you know how to get in it is easy. I life my dogs by hand over the transom of my Lancer 36 and plop them down into the Minto no problem.
- Super tough fiberglass shell with teak railing.
- Sail rig is easy to set up, can be set up in a couple minutes. 
- Sail slides up a track, not a sock! You can raise and lower the sail on demand. There is also a lot of tweakability on the sail, which the racer in me likes. In fact there is a small collections of Mintos on Lake Union, Seattle and we race each other when we are not on our "big boats".
- If desired you can put an up to 4 hp motor on the back.
- Neutrally buoyant. Yes, I filled one to the gunwales with water to test it. The Minto on the back of my neighbors boat .
- Tracks really well when towed. Hardly feel any pull when it is behind my big sailboat.

What I do not love about the Minto
- It can noisily bang the hull. This is not truly a detractor from the boat itself. The issue is endemic to any hard shell dinghy. Figure out how to tie it up properly and there will be no issue. That first night on anchor that is smacked the hull was like an alarm waking me up! Now it is a non-issue.
- Tippier than a RIB. Duh, this is by design of most hard shells vs RIBs. Spend some time with it and you will quickly learn how to deal with the tippiness. Non-boaters get nervous getting in and out of the boat the first few times. I have a RIB also, which I recommend you keep around. It provides a lot of flexibility when cruising when you can decide which dinghy to bring based on wh will be with you.
- Space it tighter than a RIB. Even the smallest RIBs let you sit right on the gunwale without issue. In the Minto you have to be inside. I mentioned my wife, two dogs, and myself fit but there is not much room left. It is not uncomfortable, just full. This is an issue with any hardshell.

Overall I highly recommend the Minto. Great boat. Rows and sails awesome. Looks great.

Here is a pic of my buddy sailing it in the infamous Seattle Duck Dodge race


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## jephotog (Feb 25, 2002)

Another cool self build dinghy is the Port Townsend 11 or PT11.

buy_a_pt11

The thought of building my own dinghy appeals to me but the idea of adding yet one more project to complete does not. There are schools that you can attend that will walk you through building your own in a week.

https://www.thewoodenboatschool.com/boatbuilding/tenderly-dinghy.php

https://www.clcboats.com/boatbuilding_classes/


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## ThereYouAre (Sep 21, 2016)

Not that I'm biased or anything but you should take a look at a Spindrift. If you're not into building there are used ones for sale. No problem carrying two people while sailing and can be rowed and motored as well.

2013 10? Spindrift ? Wilmington ? NC ? Boats | B&B Yacht Designs


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## aa3jy (Jul 23, 2006)

Love our (8ft) Fatty Knees.. ! 

Fatty Knees Dinghy Design: A solid dinghy that's fun to sail


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## Minnewaska (Feb 21, 2010)

Love the suggestions. Jus dropped the hook, so heading in for a beer and will check links later.

Just some clarifying points to help filter.......

This will not be our primary dinghy, quite the opposite. An anchorage sailing toy. 

I want to be able to row for exercise, not necessarily to land on shore. Or row back if wind dies.

I can board it from the bottom of my sugar scoop, if that’s easier than climbing over the side.


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## roverhi (Dec 19, 2013)

Montgomery made some nice dinghys in various sizes. Have an 8' that rows and sails well. One thing to be conscious of is weight. You'll have to get it back on board and doing it without a tackle hoist can be an issue if it's too heavy. Another thing is are you interested in some friendly or serious racing. Might want to research the type of dinghy they are using in the local racing scene. In SoCal its the Sabot, El Toro in SF and possibly the Ranger Minto in the PNW. They've got a reasonably active old farts racing fleet in Sabots in my marina which is impacting my Dinghy choice.

I've had 6' dinghys as small as 6'. That one rowed adequately with two people aboard and actually had 4 people in it to get from one side of the marina to the other but really was a one person boat. An 8' would definitely be better for two. Once you get larger than that the weight and storage room will be an issue on a smaller boat. The 10' or longer dinghies will be easier to row, up to a point, and probably more comfortable to sail. Might also look at dinghies that are built in two peices and can be bolted together especially if you want a longer boat. Many of the kit and boats built from plans offer that option.


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## Hudsonian (Apr 3, 2008)

We carried a home-built El Toro on the foredeck, 55lbs with a 49 sq ft sail, as I recall. it was a lively performer under sail and rowed well. 11,000 built but they're mainly on the west coast.


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## Arcb (Aug 13, 2016)

The sugar scoop will make a great staging dock from which to step the mast and rig the boat from. 

Whatever you get, you are going to have a lot of fun with this. Sailing a small dinghy around anchorages and up creeks is an entirely different feel. Very social too, you are in and amongst the other boats in a way you can't really get with the mother ship.


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## Minnewaska (Feb 21, 2010)

Great ideas here, some I’ve not heard of. Love the look of lapstrake! 

I would love to build my own, but I don’t have the time or space to do it this winter. 

No doubt, I will want to let guests take this sailing dingy out by themselves at anchor. That raises a couple of critical must-haves that some of your replies inspired. First, it must be neutrally buoyant. I want to be able to go get it back in the RIB, if someone swamps it. Secondly, it needs a soft gunwale cover for when she may come in contact with the mother ship or other surfaces. I like nice things, but I should avoid a museum piece or I’ll get nervous lending it out and guests would get nervous they might damaging it. 

My plan is to hoist her on deck, with a halyard. We easily do so with our current aluminum RIB, which weighs 117 lbs. That weight range works. The halyard will hoist all you’ve got, it’s manipulating her on deck that is the issue. 

I don’t think I see a need for a nesting or take apart. I have the room for a 10ft, although taking up less room is always helpful. It just seems like one more thing to do to go play and the interior bulkhead takes up room. Does that makes sense, or am I missing an overwhelming advantage?

Thanks for the input.


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## Arcb (Aug 13, 2016)

Yes, neutrally bouyant or better is absolutely essential in this size range, however, this can be acheived in different ways. Some boats have built in bouyancy tanks/air boxes/ water tight bulkheads or whatever you want to call them.

My Walker Bay has an inflatable air bladder that goes under the middle seat and one in the bow. The boat doesn't get used much these days, but when it did, I left it inflated for the season. Some boats (Optimisists) will some times use pool noodles on the gunwales as both extra bouyancy and for soft fendering.

The nesting thing is really just a compromise to allow more boat to be stored in less space. You should be fine in a 10 footer for the usage you are describing.

The boat I am currently building (my own design) for example nests to fit in the cargo area of a Grand Caravan with the middle row of seats in place. The forward and aft nesting sections become the bouyancy tanks when assembled. 

Lots of fun different ways to skin this cat.


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## ScottUK (Aug 16, 2009)

Arcb said:


> My Walker Bay has an inflatable air bladder that goes under the middle seat and one in the bow. The boat doesn't get used much these days, but when it did, I left it inflated for the season.


Any reason why you are not using the WB Arcb? I have recently acquired one cheaply for the exact same purposes as Minne. I am looking forward to trying it out and would appreciate any suggestions you may have. I believe I have seen your YT video with your son, if I am not mistaken.

Cheers


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## Arcb (Aug 13, 2016)

ScottUK said:


> Any reason why you are not using the WB Arcb? I have recently acquired one cheaply for the exact same purposes as Minne. I am looking forward to trying it out and would appreciate any suggestions you may have. I believe I have seen your YT video with your son, if I am not mistaken.
> 
> Cheers


Scott, I love my WB. I bought it for the same reason as Minne, to use as an auxillary sailor on my 35 footer. I think the last couple of seasons I owned the big boat I actually sailed the WB more than the Fantasia. I stowed on foredeck and used a spare halyard to launch it.

However, I have changed up my fleet a bit, sold the big boat and now only have small boats. A sharpie for cruising and a beach cat for racing. I just do not really have a niche for the WB now. I have it stored in my side yard for my sons first sailboat when he is big enough (maybe next year).

I could use it for car topping, but have decided to build the nesting dinghy because it will fit inside my Van, which is easier on my back than trying to get the WB on the roof on my own. Plus my nesting dinghy has nearly double the weight carrying capacity the WB has due to being a box boat. However, I don't think Minne, or probably yourself need 600+ carrying capacity.

One tip on the WB, is get rid of the factory oars and replace them with 6.5 ft solid ash.


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## Minnewaska (Feb 21, 2010)

I hate to be one of those posters, who asks for input, only to come back to their own idea. Lots of this discussion really helped me think through my needs/desire. The Trinka 10 seems to be checking a lot of the boxes. Just looked it up and found it’s positively buoyant. 

My big question is whether it’s worth the $6Kish to have one made.


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## SeaStar58 (Feb 14, 2018)

How about a portable lateen sail kit that could be used on any rib, kayak, etc? Many come in a carry case thats small enough to carry on a commercial jet and folks bring them all over the world with them to put on any small RIB, rental canoe, kayak, row boat, etc that's handy.

https://www.sailboatstogo.com/

Here's an example:


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## ScottUK (Aug 16, 2009)

Minnewaska said:


> I hate to be one of those posters, who asks for input, only to come back to their own idea. Lots of this discussion really helped me think through my needs/desire. The Trinka 10 seems to be checking a lot of the boxes. Just looked it up and found it's positively buoyant.
> 
> My big question is whether it's worth the $6Kish to have one made.


That's a bit of money Minne. My thinking, for me, is to go cheaply at first and if it works out and is to my liking I will move up. The WBs have a spotty rep but am glad and take comfort Arcb enjoys his.

Another point that may have an effect is where you will sailing, I know I would be more reticent to use it in colder waters but plan to be mostly in warmer waters.


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## capta (Jun 27, 2011)

SeaStar58 said:


> How about a portable lateen sail kit that could be used on any rib, kayak, etc? Many come in a carry case thats small enough to carry on a commercial jet and folks bring them all over the world with them to put on any small RIB,rental canoe, kayak, row boat, etc that's handy.


Have you ever rowed a RIB for exercise? lol


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## Minnewaska (Feb 21, 2010)

ScottUK said:


> That's a bit of money Minne. ....


Wait a minute, no one comes here for a sober, rational answer. That's what we have wives for. 

Ironically, my wife likes the idea, even after I had her guess what a new one costs and she was 3x off. That reception is almost as good as her being willing to stand a night watch!


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## ScottUK (Aug 16, 2009)

Minnewaska said:


> Wait a minute, no one comes here for a sober, rational answer. That's what we have wives for.
> 
> Ironically, my wife likes the idea, even after I had her guess what a new one costs and she was 3x off. That reception is almost as good as her being willing to stand a night watch!


Obviously you must of plied her with drink before popping the question. To you I say - Well done, sir! (watch out when she sobers up)


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## Arcb (Aug 13, 2016)

Minnewaska said:


> I hate to be one of those posters, who asks for input, only to come back to their own idea. Lots of this discussion really helped me think through my needs/desire. The Trinka 10 seems to be checking a lot of the boxes. Just looked it up and found it's positively buoyant.
> 
> My big question is whether it's worth the $6Kish to have one made.


I am not at all surprised by the price. In the spring I priced out a 12 ft Welsford SCAMP and the price was about $16000 US. A close acquantance bought his and hers matching kayaks this summer for $13000. Nice, built in North America fibreglass sailing dinghies are expensive.

For comparison I checked a new Sunfish is $3700. A new WB 10 is $2800, however, the WB is a plastic, not a fibreglass boat and doesn't have the nice water tight storage lockers.

Cool the Twinkas are Bruce Bingham designs. Never seen one in person.


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## capta (Jun 27, 2011)

Arcb said:


> I am not at all surprised by the price. In the spring I priced out a 12 ft Welsford SCAMP and the price was about $16000 US. A close acquantance bought his and hers matching kayaks this summer for $13000. Nice, built in North America fibreglass sailing dinghies are expensive.
> 
> For comparison I checked a new Sunfish is $3700. A new WB 10 is $2800, however, the WB is a plastic, not a fibreglass boat and doesn't have the nice water tight storage lockers.
> 
> Cool the Twinkas are Bruce Bingham designs. Never seen one in person.


I got my 10' Trinka for $3500 with a trailer, which of course I didn't need. It was immaculate; even the varnish was perfect.
If you are patient, you could do better.


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## RegisteredUser (Aug 16, 2010)

Just throwing something else into the ring....

If your wife also likes to paddle and poke around you could do twin kayaks with a sail rig.
Maxing versatility...

Weight and size of the individuval components easily handled and stowed.
Solid platform and some of them will really scoot.
Scoot or poke...


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## Arcb (Aug 13, 2016)

Minne, kids are off to bed so I decided to do some comp digging for you.

The Minto dinghy that was mentioned earlier is still made by Whitehall, new price is $6559 here Minto 9? Rowing Tender ? Whitehall Rowing & Sail

GHboats offers a boat they call the Navigator, looks kind of like a Trinka (not John Wellsfords Navigator, a 10 footer) $3395. https://www.ghboats.com/ordering/prices/ Go up to their 12 footer and you are looking at about $7k, so it might be worth putting the micro scope over the GHboats Navigator and comparing it to the Trinka.

Portland Pudgy is cheap, less than a WB. Looks like an interesting boat, but maybe not quite what you have in mind. Portland Pudgy Prices | Portland Pudgy

The small ply wood designs all seem very practical and cheap, but I get the impression you want something more traditional in appearance and I kind of think you don't mind spending a few bucks more for something that really blings.

The Kayak argument is valid. Hobie Tis and AIs are crazy fun and quick enough. I raced against this catted up Kruger and man were they fast, nearly kept up with my P16, but I am thinking you are not looking for ripping fast and more thinking lazy Saturday afternoons maybe with a beer or two and some stern chatting.


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## blobaugh (May 26, 2011)

Excellent Arcb!

A note on the Minto, Whitehall only makes the rowing version. The fellow who was building the sailing model has stopped making them recently. There are usually a few available on Craigslist though, at least in the Puget Sound.

GH Boats makes some fantastic dinghies too. Their 9' dinghy is similar enough to the Minto that they can be confused from a distance. They have several great models in various sizes. In fact, when the family gets a bit bigger I may spring for the 12' model. Or possibly the PT11 ( PT11Description ), but that would be a boat I built myself.


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## jephotog (Feb 25, 2002)

Another portable sailboatstogo option uses an inflatable kayak. The Sea Eagle 420 is nice little vessel. I bought it for a cruise last year and used it to explore the anchorages each morning to take photos. I can attest to Arcb's story of exploring a harbor in a small boat, being a very social thing. Paddling around desolation sound got us invited aboard a 50' Valiant for happy hour.

I have used it locally to explore mountain lakes and can even take it in whitewater. I bought it with a full upgraded sail package, cost was around $2 thousand with shipping. I can't attest to the sailing qualities because the sail package is still in the box unused.


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## Minnewaska (Feb 21, 2010)

You’re all the greatest. Thanks for all the links and ideas. I have to give the sailing kayaks some thought. I’ve never used one.

I don’t need bling, but I have contemplated that it will live on the foredeck and prefer that it not be an eye sore. The local used Eli would look rough, so I’ve moved on from it. 

There were two Lasers in the anchorage yesterday afternoon, doing exactly what I wanted to be doing. Just poking around, with nowhere to be. They launched from a 108ft sailboat! If we took the mothership out day sailing, we would lose our spot on this busy holiday weekend. I don’t think a Laser will fit on my boat quite the same.


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## TakeFive (Oct 22, 2009)

If you're looking for the ultimate anchorage sailing toy, and want to get some exercise, then look no further:

Mach2 Foiling Moths - Home


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## SeaStar58 (Feb 14, 2018)

Minnewaska said:


> You're all the greatest. Thanks for all the links and ideas. I have to give the sailing kayaks some thought. I've never used one.
> 
> I don't need bling, but I have contemplated that it will live on the foredeck and prefer that it not be an eye sore. The local used Eli would look rough, so I've moved on from it.
> 
> There were two Lasers in the anchorage yesterday afternoon, doing exactly what I wanted to be doing. Just poking around, with nowhere to be. They launched from a 108ft sailboat! If we took the mothership out day sailing, we would lose our spot on this busy holiday weekend. I don't think a Laser will fit on my boat quite the same.


The SailBoats to go Kayak/Canoe kit includes outriggers for additional stability and can be used with any kayak even the modular ones that break down into small sections for easy transport and storage.


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## capta (Jun 27, 2011)

We'd also love a pair of lazers, but they are seriously heavy!
We are in much the same boat, wanting a sailing dink for the two of us to play in, but cannot give up the foredeck because of the chartering.
Our davits are actually strong enough to put a fairly light dink 175-200# on top of, with the Zodiac slung underneath. Of course, we have the mizzen boom to sling it aboard with, so that's easy.
Something like a 12 to 14' wooden (because they are much lighter) nesting dink could be the right move for us.


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## TQA (Apr 4, 2009)

I have often dreamt of getting a Hobie 16 or similar as a sailing dink. It breaks down to separate hulls which could be stored on deck amidships along the lifelines. [ I think ]

If I am going to be sailing around I want to be the fastest kid on the block.


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## Minnewaska (Feb 21, 2010)

If I could think of a way to get it on top of my davits, that would be a winner. They are definitely strong enough. 

I was measuring my foredeck this morning. Lengthwise, 10 ft works fine. 8 would be better. It’s the width that is a small issue. Plenty of room, but it will overlap two hatches and prevent them from opening. I’m wondering, if I made a cradle, so she sits upright, if the curved hull shape would at least allow those hatches to crack for air. Of course, the dink would then need to have a rain cover.


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## Arcb (Aug 13, 2016)

TQA said:


> I have often dreamt of getting a Hobie 16 or similar as a sailing dink. It breaks down to separate hulls which could be stored on deck amidships along the lifelines. [ I think ]
> 
> If I am going to be sailing around I want to be the fastest kid on the block.


The 27 ft mast could be tricky to store.

What you need is Hobie AI. No problem to store. Might work for Capta too. Give his guests a little bit of freedom maybe.

Not as fast as a Hobie 16, but guys regularly seem to claim top speeds in the *10-12 knot range range.

User freindly, easy to sail, hard to dump, if you run out of wind you can paddle it or pedal it home.

https://www.hobie.com/kayaks/mirage-adventure-island/


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## Minnewaska (Feb 21, 2010)

Another factor I’ve realized is the need to stay fairly dry. Water temps here are brutal through about the end of June (we splash Apr 1) Not too interested in donning a wet suit for a leisurely harbor sail.

I’m now also wondering if an 8 ft would fit inside my 10.5 RIB for storage. Hmmmmmm.


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## Attikos (May 26, 2018)

B&B Yacht Designs |

Graham Byrne's company. He designed the Spindrift. There's a nesting boat in the line. You can buy a kit and build it yourself, or they'll do it for you. Rows and sails well, takes a small outboard if you want.


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## Arcb (Aug 13, 2016)

I find my WB8 to be a fairly dry boat. I have had her out in some snotty stuff, a couple of times loaded right to capacity with camping gear. I am guessing most of the more traditionally designed 8 ft boats are similar, fibreglass, plywood or plastic. but I can only speak from the experience of my own.

You do have to be a bit of a contortionist when sailing such a small boat. For sailing I will either sit on a lifejacket in the bilge or in lighter wind, I will sit on the middle seat and steer with my tiller extension. This is one of my reasons for thinking a pram bow might be nice for you, they sometimes seem to have a little more room.

Here is a 30 second clip of mine motoring directly into a snow storm. It was breezy, estimate 15-20. There is very little spray. Many of the more performance oriented small boats might be pretty wet in this stuff.


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## asdf38 (Jul 7, 2010)

Maybe not ideal for this use case but I think the Portland Pudgy is pretty neat in general. Self-bailing plastic dingy/lifeboat/sailboat which uses the internal cavities for storage of all the sailing gear.
Dinghy | Lifeboat | Yacht Tender | Sailing Dinghy | Portland Pudgy

Here is an inflatable that's purpose built for sailing:
DinghyGo product

The walker bay's are plastic but I think they're decent looking boats actually.

I also like CLC and have a life goal of building one (in the meantime I actually bought a Jimmy skiff but haven't had time to use it).

In my daily craigslist browsing I also see tons of no-name decent looking sailing dingies scroll by.


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## ThereYouAre (Sep 21, 2016)

A kayak/tri rig is going to be longer than 10' if that still matters and then you've got to put it together. Could you hoist a tri back onto your deck or would you have to take it apart? Would you have to this everytime you wanted to use it ? The tri might also be tricky to get into without getting wet and would be a wet ride.

Not that I hate the idea of kayak tri or anything. I'm actually building my vaka now 

The Gig Harbor Navigator and Captain's Gig look very nice. If they don't already come with gunwale protection adding rope gunwale guards shouldn't be too hard and they would look classy.


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## Arcb (Aug 13, 2016)

ThereYouAre said:


> Not that I hate the idea of kayak tri or anything. I'm actually building my vaka now


I think I missed this, whats your tri build?

I'm building today too, just ran out of nails and the hardware store is closed (internal chine log). Fortunately there is still lots of beer in the fridge and I have a dagger board trunk to contemplate.


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## ThereYouAre (Sep 21, 2016)

I'm currently building a Wood Duck 12 from CLC. I exchanged emails with John Harris of CLC and that was what he recommended for use with their kayak sail rig. It definitely has trimaran proportions and less of a kayak with outriggers look which I really like.

I'm still in the stitching phase.


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## Minnewaska (Feb 21, 2010)

Kayaks are too long for my purpose and seem like too much work to assemble the outriggers, etc, but they look fun. 

I might be back to a nesting concept, as it might fit between the foredeck hatches, although, it’s not as exciting to have to assemble the boat first.


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## Arcb (Aug 13, 2016)

Minnewaska said:


> I might be back to a nesting concept, as it might fit between the foredeck hatches, although, it's not as exciting to have to assemble the boat first.


I do think your specific situation would benefit from nesting, because it is not your primary dinghy.

In order to design my own nesting dinghy I have studied quite a few nesting designs. Often there are only around 4 bolts(2 near the Gunwales and 2 near the Chines) to hold the whole thing together, not really much work. The nesting portion often seems not to be in the significant load carrying portion of the hull.

There is a whole world of difference in sailability in a 12 fòot boat and an 8 foot boat. Its 50% difference in a size range where every foot counts. Think %50 on your current boat. She would be something like 81 ft going up or 36 ft going down.

The other thought I had, is if you can go with a 10 footer, covering both hatches, might you still be able to open the hatches for airflow? The inverted boat might just act as a convenient rain cover.


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## Arcb (Aug 13, 2016)

From a strictly sailing perspective, for one person, I personally think 14-17 is ideal. Nearly every serious sailing dinghy falls within this range; Lasers, Finns, Hobie 16s, Fireballs, Wayfarers, Albacores, 420s to name a few. 12 feet is still decent, 10 ft is getting pretty small, but 8 ft is tiny (says the guy with 2 8ft boats and a third on the way).


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## ThereYouAre (Sep 21, 2016)

Nesting dinghy assembly from being stored on deck.






At least with the Spindrift design the nesting version has much less reserve buoyancy and the seating is also compromised. If you can figure out how to store a non nesting dinghy I think you'll end up with a better boat.

From the B&B sight
"We generally encourage our builders to think seriously about what their needs are before committing to the nesting version. Some flotation is lost in the nested configuration and will require more bailing after a capsize. Generally the completed hull is slightly heavier and more setup time is required to join the halves. In addition, a suction bailer can be installed in a standard hull to empty the boat while sailing but the nested variant typically will not have a bailer because there are essentially 2 separate hulls."


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## RegisteredUser (Aug 16, 2010)

Sounds like you are interested in just a fun fart-around the anchorage sail dinghy.
Cool.
Think about the compromises need ed on the mother boat and how often you would use the toy.
If its a flighty interest right now maybe consider just renting from shore a few times and see how that goes. And your wife is interested...or not.
Its weighed on your own personal scales.....
The more experience..the better the judgement.

But guessing and jumping off can be a lot of fun in itself.


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## Arcb (Aug 13, 2016)

I have an older vid that shows some pretty good 8 ft anchorage sailing, my WB of course. Its a little bit dry, but is pretty topical. Its an island circumnavigation so it shows the boat on all points of sail. Starting off beating up wind, up current. I think it also shows scale. I am about a 200 lb guy, so it can be seen how much of the cockpit I take up, and what its like to tack. I also ground twice.

In the interest of cutting out the driest bits:

-The sailing starts at about 1:15
-Hit my first rock at about 1:30 (pretty hard)
-A tack in decent wind at shortly after 3:00 (maybe the most useful shot, because it shows the ducking involved)
-Honestly, it gets pretty slow at about 3:50, but at about 7:25 I can be seen losing ground upwind against the current (which I eventually beat)
-Another slow speed grounding at about 11:20 (but I was making enough leeway with the current I still nearly dumped)
-Sailing stops entirely at about 14:00

Any way; 
-you can take my size @200 lbs and imagine yourself comparatively in the same cockpit.
-The groundings give a small indication of stability under sail
-You can see the boat sails surprisingly well upwind and up current for a small, plastic, cat boat.

I think the WB is typical of auxillary sailing dinghys in this size range (8ft, pointy bow).


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## TomMaine (Dec 21, 2010)

I haven't read all the responses but for a fun sailing and rowing dinghy, you're right, the bigger the better. At least 9'+ with a blunt bow (Dyer Dhow) or pram bow, more than 10' for a Vee bow. 

The fun factor starts to wane fast when I imagine launching it from deck. There are some clever nesting designs too, but the idea of launching, assembling from on deck -again, I wonder if you'll go through all that just to take a row around and anchorage, much less a sail. 

What about just borrowing (rent?) a good sailing dinghy and use your davits. Heck, if you're on the coast, most good hard designs tow well(not all). Bring them both to use in sheltered areas you want to explore. 

We've nearly always had a good rowing/sailing dinghy as a tender. We tow it everywhere (we're coastal sailors) so it's ready to row, anytime, which we all love. 

Even though we stow the sailing rig on deck making it easy to rig and go sailing, I don't rig it unless conditions are perfect and we'll be using the sailing rig for a day or so (usually several). It's a bit of a chore to get the rig out and in, pull the rudder and centerboard out of cockpit lockers, etc. 

If I had to launch it (and the reverse) from deck as well, I think the novelty would wear off fast.


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## Minnewaska (Feb 21, 2010)

I've not rigged a sailing dink in a thousand years, but don't recall it taking much effort. I figured, with a halyard harness, it wouldn't be all that tough to bring up on deck from the side. We do it with our inflatable from time to time and don't find it all that time consuming or difficult. My concern remains how it will store on the deck, so as not to be annoying, when not in use. A nesting dink may be a slam dunk to store inside the RIB and hoist onto the davits. 

I'm having difficulty identifying many nesting dinghy options that aren't home built, which I do not have the time to do.


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## ThereYouAre (Sep 21, 2016)

Minnewaska said:


> I'm having difficulty identifying many nesting dinghy options that aren't home built, which I do not have the time to do.


I couldn't find any nesting dinghies for sale in the USA. If price isn't too high maybe you can get one shipped from the UK. 
https://nestawayboats.com/


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## ThereYouAre (Sep 21, 2016)

The 8' porta-bote thread reminded me that they make a sailing rig. This could solve your storage issues and would be easier to launch then a nesting dinghy. https://www.porta-bote.com/the-sailboat/


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## fallard (Nov 30, 2009)

We’ve got a 40+ yr old Dyer Dhow that we’ve had The Anchorage (Warren, RI) repair (gunnel, tabbing) and provide upgrades (cover, kick-up rudder) over the years. It has flotation and the spars can be stowed inside the dinghy. They are fairly indestructible and can be found used. We’ve had ours for at least 35 years. We actually towed ours in lieu of the dink that came with a charter way back when the Americas Cup was held in Newport. We really enjoyed sailing it in the Block Island Salt Pond.

Mystic Seaport has had a large fleet of Dyer Dhows for at least 50 years that they’ve used for sailing classes and the annual Corinthian frost bite event.


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## MikeOReilly (Apr 12, 2010)

ThereYouAre said:


> I couldn't find any nesting dinghies for sale in the USA. If price isn't too high maybe you can get one shipped from the UK.
> https://nestawayboats.com/


I was just about to suggest the same. I was just sailing our 10' portabote while hanging out in a remote anchorage.

The sail rig is pretty flimsy; it's really just a toy. But it's still fun, and she'll move pretty good with 10 knots of wind.










http://helplink.com/CLAFC/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/IMGA0655_2.mp4


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## Arcb (Aug 13, 2016)

MikeOReilly said:


> I was just about to suggest the same. I was just sailing our 10' portabote while hanging out in a remote anchorage.
> 
> The sail rig is pretty flimsy; it's really just a toy. But it's still fun, and she'll move pretty good with 10 knots of wind.
> 
> ...


That looks a lot like a Sunfish rig, right down to the number of sail panels.


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## MikeOReilly (Apr 12, 2010)

Arcb said:


> That looks a lot like a Sunfish rig, right down to the number of sail panels.


I'm sure you're right. You're the small boat expert :svoilier:.


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## Arcb (Aug 13, 2016)

Hardly an expert, just an enthusiast, like most on here.


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## MikeOReilly (Apr 12, 2010)

Arcb said:


> Hardly an expert, just an enthusiast, like most on here.


I just meant I trust you &#8230; I don't know squat about small boats. :wink


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## Arcb (Aug 13, 2016)

I put this together this morning for something to do. I just used an old Coleman Canoe that I had more or less forgotten in my side yard and bits and pieces of boat parts and a sail from my garage. And a power drill and sabre saw. Had the boat assembled in my yard by noon. Loaded it on the roof of my van, took it down to the river, sailed 6 miles and was back in time for dinner.


I was surprised how fast it was with the little 34 sq ft sail, but it was quick in just a breath of wind. Sailed upwind okay too, but tacking was a bit of a pain with the single leeboard design. If you feel like paddling, its a simple matter of dropping the rig into the boat and paddling. The advantage of a sailing canoe, is it can be stored along your life lines and it wouldn't cover either of your hatches.

Mine was just cobbled together from spare parts, but there are professionally made kits you can buy, complete with outriggers if you don't feel like swimming part way through your sail.

I actually used this same Coleman Canoe as my primary dinghy when I lived aboard on Toronto Island, took it every where (including to work) in most weather conditions, and canoes can carry lots of weight, this 14 footer is rated for 715 lbs.


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## Minnewaska (Feb 21, 2010)

Going to look for options on the boat show circuit. My latest thinking is back to a full length sailing dinghy, like the Trinka, but tie it up to the dinghy dock at the marina. Load her aboard for the occasions she would be useful. Today would be perfect. We’ll head off the dock this morning in zero wind. There will be light winds this afternoon, which would have been perfect to have this for, in whatever anchorage we end up in. 

I’m sure the right answer will be at the bottom of a few margaritas.


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