A Photo & Discussion Forum for Wharram Design Enthusiasts

Dinghy for T30 or similar

What are you folks using for a dinghy and (even more important) where/how do you carry it? I am nowhere near completing my T30 and the dinghy questions is not one that needs to be solved soon.................... just thinking ahead a bit.

I want to avoid an engine on the dinghy so I am thinking of a rowing plywood nesting pram 8 or 9 feet (nesting in less than 5 feet). I would carry it on board in the cockpit behind the mast which reduces the available cockpit space to about half, but that is still a good size cockpit. It would probably be completely hidden behind the central crossbeam and cause no extra windage.
Any ideas for good/easy/quick to build designs?

Has anybody tried inflatable kajaks?

Input please!

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Budget Boater on February 10, 2009 at 9:48am

We were completely opposite of your point of view for our TIKI 30.

We had a 10' Caribe Light RIB that weighed about 90 lbs (41 kilos) and a 15 hp Mercury 2 stroke that weighed about 78 lbs (35 kilos)

For short tips (12 hours or less) we stored the engine in the cockpit at the base of the mast and towed the dingy. For everything else, we stored the dingy on the front tramp upside down and partially deflated.

On other boats, we had a Bolger Nymph. It was a good load carrying craft and was very light weight. It was not the best rower, but I did have occasion to row it across open water for more than 2 miles.

Permalink Reply by Bertrand FERCOT on February 10, 2009 at 2:42pm

I built a Crayfish tender : http://www.sailingcatamarans.com/crayfish.htm

She is very light about 20kg, 2.4m x 1.2, I only replace the previous bottom in plywood by a 20 mm honey core I have bought for the sandwich of my Tiki 30 roofs.
The first years I fixed it in front of the central cabin along the anchor box even during our Atlantic crossing, and now I put it behind the cockpit on the trampoline.
I'm very satisfied with no engine at all, only rowing. Now I want to add a rudder and a center board to try it under sail.

Bertrand

Permalink Reply by boatsmith on February 25, 2009 at 11:50am

We built a 14' periauga to Reuel Parkers design. 70 lbs, rows very nicely, stows across the foredeck, large capacity for people and/or gear. Very happy with it. That being said i would probably shorten to 12' next time for lighter weight and easier stowage. David

Permalink Reply by Robert Sheridan on September 5, 2009 at 12:48pm

We have an inflatable dinghy which we carry in the forward Port cabin/locker. It is 8' I think and easily fits on the fore deck when inflated, but we only sail with it inflate if the conditions are benign and we wont be anchoring as it rather gets in the way there.

Your suggestion of a pram behind the mast sounds as if you could get it to act as a basic sailing shelter as well.

Permalink Reply by WaveDancer & Bella on May 22, 2010 at 12:15pm

I use a 2.60 meter inflatable dinghy with a 2.5 HP Suzuki 4 stroke outboard. It fits neatly between the tillerbars but as usual small inflatables are not very good for rowing.
I rarely tow it. It takes me less than 10 minutes to get the dinghy on board, tie it up and stow the outboard away.
I also study now the possiblities to fix some mounts on both sidedecks to store 2 nu-canoes, These sit on top canoes are good value, you can sail them, paddle them, they are practicable and provide lots of fun. Maybe even a slight shortened Melanesia or a small dory could match on the sidedecks.
Wave