Tow dinghy

[rsvpasap]

I previously had an inflatable. The best things about it were that it towed easily off the stern quarter, you could deflate it and stow it, or partially deflate it and put it on the bow of the sailboat. The bad things were that it not good for rowing and it couldn't survive the rocks and shells on the beaches. I patched it numerous times and eventually gave up.

A few years ago I got a Walker Bay and my experiences leave me convinced I will always have hard sided dinghies from here on in. The good things about it are that I rigged up a system to attach the stern quarter of the dinghy to the stern of the 26X so it is easy to transfer people and supplies between the boats through the sailboat transom. The dinghy is made of a type of very tough plastic and stands up well to the beaches (I added folding wheels). It tows extremely well. It is 8 ft and fits on the bow of the 26x, although I have only ever done that once. I prefer to row whenever possible and it rows well. The seats are filled with foam so it does not sink even when totally filled with water. Walker Bays are no longer manufactured, but they are widely available used. West Marine now sells a very similar boats from other manufacturers.

I'm underway off and on year round and it rains a lot in my location in the winter, so the dinghy often collects water. I finally just bought a submersible pump (less than $100) which empties the dinghy in just a few minutes.

The only negative issue I'm aware of is that some people say they think small hard-sided dinghies are tippy. They're definitely tippier than inflatables, but I have not found it to be a problem and have been fine in a wide range of conditions. If you frequently have passengers you probably would like to have a 10 ft version. Inflatable flotation rings are available from third party vendors, essentially turning the dinghy into a RIB whenever you need it to be. People create all sorts of DIY flotation (fenders, pool noodles, etc).

Finally, for longer excursions, I power it with a Newport 55 lb trolling motor and a 200 AH lifepo4 battery which gives me a range of about 12 miles at 3.5 knots. It would work well with a 2 HP gasoline motor, but I motor it infrequently and prefer the simplicity and dependability of the electric.

In my experience, the seals have no preference and like to climb into either type when you're at anchor.

[Herschel]

I tried towing an inflatable dinghy with my 2005 today. It did not go well. Too much drag.

I ran a line from the starboard side stern cleat about 25 feet to the bow handle of the dinghy. The bow was too low in the water once motoring.



How would you set it up? Is there any reason why this type of dinghy won’t work to tow? It’s 10x5 and seems too big to tie over the side.

I have not towed an inflatable dinghy behind my X. I did tow a fiberglass dinghy from Sandford, Fl to Jax and back which was about a 300 mile trip.
That dinghy weighs about 200 lbs. and has a bow eye fairly low on the bow. Keeping it on the forward edge of the wake wave kept it towing well with minimum strain. but I am pretty sure that the hull shape of the dinghy and its weight were the main elements that insured a good tow. My Achilles inflatable has a plywood floor and weighs around 45-50 lbs. I have not tried to tow it behind my X although I have been curious how it would handle heavy winds. Or would its flat bottom cause too much drag and put too much strain on the bow eyes? I used to have an Intex, and it was very light. If I were to try to tow one like that, I think I would rig a line from the oar locks and run it under the bottom to a knot tied about under the edge of the bow so the bow would be lifted up and the oar locks would take the strain. Maybe a line from your bow eye to the knot to keep it centered. Good luck.

[Russ]

Seals splashing in the dinghy at night? I think that would freak me out.

I have a small West Marine inflatable. It works well and I can store it on the foredeck deflated. I have a 2.5 Suzuki that is very light and pushes it along nice. My son also "towed" the Mac with it and we got about 5mph out of that little outboard.

Towing an inflatable isn't easy. It needs a bridal and in heavy winds wants to fly. One T-storm popped up and I left the outboard on the dinghy while towing. I looked back and the dinghy was vertical, bow straight up and outboard presumably dunked. I got it pulled in quickly and the motor was fine, but I learned to not leave the motor attached.



I had a couple of Jetskis for a while and towed one of them as a dinghy. Surprisingly it towed fairly well and was fun to explore anchorages "faster" than dinghy speed.

[OverEasy]

Hi Rsvpasap!

Love your Walker Bay dinghy!



It’s sorta like a “mini-Mac”!
It rows, motors, sails, and even is it’s own rolling trailer!

Best Regards,
Over Easy