Watertender dinghy

[jackie m]

Aya,

I made a "swim platform" that can be mounted to the side or stern of the Mac (it's a "prototype" so I have some more work to do on it like, install SS chains to replace the line). The PB is quite stable and if I need height from stepping from the PB to the Mac, I use the adjustable swim platform.




Also see - Stability: http://www.portabote.com/stability.html

As for the banging sound of a dinghy at night (or any time) that would probably drive me nuts (we've always had the PB onshore at night so I haven't had to resolve that nuisance yet). Seems the foam pipe sleaves would do the job... either that or the Mac's fenders).

Regarding surgery for the poor girl with the pink nose... I know, it's a travesty. Unfortunately, I can't help as I have no idea who she is.


TT, thanks for the info about the new oarlocks. It is one of the features that seems to be most-often changed by frequent Portabote owners and I also hate it and intend to make that change. Factory oarlocks are very wimpy.

Portabote folks have a forum very similar to Macgregorsailors. They love their little boats and there are always modifications going on (similar to here). Some, like here, have come up with some great mods.

Duane, I've watched Bob put the PB together (I am usually hanging onto the "kids" while he does it). Not sure why your dad would have so much trouble but anyone who has rigged the Mac for sailing, setting up the mast, etc, would find assembling the PB a piece of cake in comparison. Honestly, it only takes Bob about ten minutes. Bob is pretty sure he can assemble it on the bow of the Mac. I dunno but I will have my camera ready if he ever tries - as well as MOB equipment . But you are right about the payload. A 10' 8" Portabote payload is 585 lbs, enough for us and our five "kids." But would not do for you (what kind of motor do you use to move five or six people about in an inflatable?) Good inflatables do have higher payloads for the size but don't offer the room we need inside. While humans can sit on the inflated tubes around the edges of an inflatable while in motion, that's something our westies have not mastered. We also were interested in the "puncture resistant hull" http://www.portabote.com/puncture.html I know of "holey" inflatables that, when in storage, have had attempts made to turn them into nesting material. Same has been said about the foam floatation around the inside rim of the PB.

I have no idea how the PB compares to an inflatable in gas mileage. It has a 10 year limited warranty (you should see this photo of a PB loaded with 600 lbs of concrete bags being dropped 21 ft http://www.portabote.com/warranty.html ).

For sure it is not the dinghy for everyone. But it works for us. And it's fun to play in aside from its use as a tender.



And this is an accessory I'm really looking forward to:



http://www.portabote.com/sail.htm



jackie m and fuzzy crew

[aya16]

I dont think the porta boat would be a bad choice at all. I have seen them and it does work for you. Its just the inflatable was made just for me as Im mostly full of hot air anyway.

[jackie m]

I dont think the porta boat would be a bad choice at all. I have seen them and it does work for you. Its just the inflatable was made just for me as Im mostly full of hot air anyway.

Then you must come with us when we get our sail for our PB!!

jackie m

[aya16]

Haaay speaking of come with, i see your in oc ca. and you didnt come to the Mac get together? Did you? Well it isnt too late we all get down to MDR some time or another why dont you guys join us sometime?

[jackie m]

Hy speaking of come with i see your in oc ca. and you didnt come to the Mac get together? Did you? Well it isnt too late we all get down to MDR some time or another why dont you guys join us sometime?

Haven't been able to make any of the gatherings yet but it's definitely part of the plan

jackie m

[Frank C]

Mike - Understand completely about the benefits of those big pontoons. That's why I'd actually want a Walker with the optional flotation kit, about $650 on top of the Bargain Blow Out for the dink - $350 - total is another Boatbuck. The problem with WB is where to carry it !? It fits on the foredeck, but that becomes mandatory cargo, kinda a hassle. Your and Duane's points about collapsing it - makes a lot of sense ... jury's still out, but I'd also want that Suzi 2.5 to partner with my 60.

TT - you must spend every non-working hour searching Google for this stuff!? Great feedback here on Duane's pump, and elsewhere ... thx.

[They Theirs]

Frank
I claim little benefit for the ratings, the wife found them on Duanes shortcut. Thinking it might be incorrect we made a second observation. I was looking for an upgrade, or recall, but could not find any. Of coarse the respondents are a bit dated 03 04 and 05, but there was a comment from 06 asking for information on upgrading.

We purchased a foot pump, still performs.

Also liked the Walker Bay, and read several reviews, but one gave up the Walker Bay for a Watertender Of coarse we are not talking the "Deluxe Model" with the "Boat Buck" inflatable add-on to enhance stability
Sail Magazine Perry

Submitted by n/a Date Reviewed:
2006-01-16 12:12:55
Strengths: nothing
Weaknesses: everything wobbles ,tippy ,,just plain bad
Review Summary: spend the extra bucks and get a watertender
Overall Rating: * *

[Duane Dunn, Allegro]

You were however a bit selective in your selection of the reviews. If you scroll down to the very bottom on the West Marine review section you will find that all the issues mentioned in the earlier posts are no longer a problem. The gears in the pump are now brass and the problems are gone. Mine has been in service 2 years with no issues. I don't know if I have a plastic gear or brass gear one but it works great for me.

If mine ever dies, I'd probably buy another one knowing I'd now be getting the brass gears. The pump makes a huge difference.

Another choice with an air floor is a special foot pump made for them.



Bravo 10

They are hard to find in stores, and for some reason the mfg don't include them as the should, but they also can solve the problem of getting enough pressure in the floor. They have a special 2nd stage that is low volume and higher pressure. Once you have the bulk of the inflation done, you switch the output hose to the high pressure outlet (the one higher up in the center) and bring the floor up to the higher pressure. They also make a similar pump in a hand pump format which seems to be the style pump prefered by the river rafting community.

[They Theirs]

There well may be a benefit for having a powerful 12volt blow-up dinghy inflator.

from:Introduction to Cruising
ANATOMY OF A CRUISING YACHT
BruceWalker
"Revolution"

Dinghies and Outboards. In dinghies the choice is between inflatables and hard dinghies. One dark night I put my yacht on a lee shore sand bar on a falling tide. The plywood dinghy was thrown over the side and an anchor rowed quickly out into deep water. Time was of the essence. We managed to winch ourselves off in about fifteen minutes. In fifteen minutes I would have only just finished pumping up the inflatable and putting in the seats. And inflatables dont tow well and dont row well to windward. That experience has convinced me that a hard dinghy is essential for serious cruising.

I also dont think you should put too much effort into maintaining your dinghy. People pinch dinghies and they will nearly always pinch the spiffy dinghy in preference to the crappy one. For pinching, inflatables are favoured over hard dinghies except if the dinghy is aluminum and then it is favored most of all.

A hard dinghy should be as large as the crew is able to manhandle on and off the deck. Too small and fitting all the crew in becomes a trial if youre anchored a long way offshore. Finding the perfect dinghy is as hard as finding the perfect yacht. Some small catamaran or cathedral hulled dinghies are very stable and row and motor very well although tend to be a little heavy. Pram types are the best load carriers. Dinghies need to have metal strips on the bottom so they can be dragged over rocks, sand, etc.

Inflatable dinghies come in a variety of types. The donut has an air tube all around it. A special bracket is used for the outboard. Some have timber transom for mounting the outboard and some have a rigid fiberglass bottom. Inflatable dinghies are made out of nylon material which has a layer of water impervious substance calendared onto each side. The combinations are Hypalon/Hypalon, Hypalon/Neoprene, and modified PVC/PVC. Many of the more modern brands are of this latter construction. PVC, accelerated by the sun ultimately hardens and cracks away from the material. But modified PVC dinghies havent been around long enough to see what the expected age may be. Some of the Hypalon types have lasted thirty years so far. If you look at it from the manufacturers point of view, youll see that PVC is cheaper (with the possibility for greater profit margins) and if lasts ten years, nobody will mind paying for a replacement, hence they can sell more boats. So, if you were an inflatable manufacturer, wouldnt you switch to PVC ?

Its enormous fun to scream through the anchorage with a ten or fifteen horsepower outboard on your dinghy. Even more fun since its illegal in Australia without a license and boat registration. But if you are cruising, whats the need for the hurry. If you feel a need to rush everywhere Id say you shouldnt be cruising. The perfect outboard can be raised over your head with one arm. This limits you to around two horsepower (cheaper to buy, cheaper to run). If you cant lift it with one arm then theres a strong likelihood youll overbalance at some stage and give your motor a dunking, maybe even lose it if the anchorage is deep. If the yacht you choose has davits on the stern and you can leave the outboard on the dinghy then you could get by with a slightly larger outboard say up to 6 hp. If your crew has more than two people then the outboard size can go up accordingly with the size of the dinghy.
It all comes down to money. If youve got lots, buy whatever you like but you dont need it.

Arthur Bieser, who wrote a book in the 60s or 70s called The Proper Yacht used a 5 hp British Seagull to power his dinghy and also to move his 45 engineless yacht Minots Light around anchorages.

In fifteen minutes I would have only just finished pumping up the ... A hard dinghy should be as large as the crew is able to manhandle on and off the deck. ...

Lin and Larry Pardey in their first cruising book advised Go small, go simple, go now. That advice still holds true. Keep within what you can afford and dont load yourself down with money wasting paraphernalia. Sterling Hayden, another great sailor, wrote that a person can become buried beneath a pyramid of time payments and useless gadgetry. The years thunder by and the dreams of youth lie caked in dust on the shelves of patience. Before you know it the tomb is sealed. Life isnt a trial run. If you want to go, just do it.

[Frank C]

Mike - that story is valid for a distance cruiser, and particularly compelling for that guy cause he was aground. But the Mac wouldn't be aground~! ... and Rich & Lori's ketch isn't in shoal waters.

The Mac is the smallest boat that I'd want to own - always a bit pinched for space, but that's what makes it easy to transport and quick to launch. Since the Mac is so small it needs an especially compact dink; and since it's so versatile, a Mac's dinghy has a much more narrow service envelope.

I like very much both the WB (for price) and PB (for compact storage). Just one opinion - while I agree with your larger principle, I'll probably go with an upgrading my current Sevylor to some better choice of inflatable. The air-floors from China look very good - but I think I want an Air-kayak to add a bit of sporting potential - max crew of 2 works for me.

[They Theirs]

Fully agree Frank. We have pups like earlier posts, and want to make the most of bringing along the Kids like Bob & Jackie (The wife has been on me since Jackie m posted the first photo of their family outings, for new infield) Recently we acquired three new Bichons, and Ill probably follow up with a pup friendly dinghy. Thanks Jackie!
I believe the larger boats have obvious advantage for carrying their dinghy, soft or hard, ready on deck, but the article brings the reality of choice without favoring behemoths or trailerables regarding dinghy's. The example of quick setting an anchor to pull off a shoal grounding less aptly applies to the Mac, but we all have our preferences when it comes to size and applications. They also backed what I believe is your premise with the 2.5/60 auxiliary, not to compromise the MEGA power tender.... for the Mega Powersailor and their Bad Boys image shared from Jackie ms post. (Long load, click on Pic)

Waternwaves also made preference for the venerable kayak or two for those sporting a capt & crew of 2 mates..Lucky guy

[Dimitri-2000X-Tampa]

The most simple Mac tender is no tender! With such a shallow draft and by using stern-to anchoring, you can really put a Mac very close to the shore. Close enough to not get your pants wet if you are wearing shorts. By the time you deploy a dink, I'd be half way through my dinner. I have yet to bring one on a trip, although I do have two Sevylor inflatables and a 9 ft fiberglass sailing dink that I let the kids play with around the house. I guess with such a large family, there is already so much stuff to take on even a 2 day trip, that we never get around to packing a dinghy.

In their first few years of global cruising, Lin and Larry didn't even have a motor onboard, they sailed in and out of every harbour.

[Terry]

I must be reading about the experiences of feebs when I read of the whining about how hard it is and how much time it takes to inflate them. I have the 10' Maxon/Titan and one day I put it to the test to see how long it would take to deploy in an emergency (without the engine) Well it was two minutes per tube (3) to inflate those and another two minutes for the floor and keel, but I figured in an emergency with the adrenelin pumping it could be done faster. I will confess though, that I was a bit winded and breaking a sweat when done, but it was doable in less than 10 minutes, no big deal. I don't make it a practice to do this, on the contrary, I take my time so that I don't get winded and break a sweat. My point is, that it is not a big feat to deploy an infaltable. Duane made strong argument for the inflatable with its' carrying capacity, 1100 lbs let's see a comparable hard boat do that. The ones with the inflatable floor & keel are the way to go for ease of deployment and good performance, the keel helps them track well. I paddled mine the first two seasons with no problems, but laziness and the desire for a toy prompted me to buy an engine and now I enjoy it even more. In the northern climes PVC is not an issue since we don't get the same amount of sunshine or long sailing seasons of southern sailors so exposure is much less. I also spray mine with SPF sunblock for your toys to keep exposure even more minimized. I suppose in reef/rock/barnacle infested waters it could be a liability, but I would not be interested in going to such shores, I look for something more inviting. Sometimes on a windless sunny day I will take the dink out for a spin a mile or so out from the marina, shut the engine off and just drift about and soak up the sun/water. This is where the inflatable really shines, soft comfort, recline with your back & head against a soft tube, your butt relaxing on a soft inflated bottom, legs and feet up on the side, very comfortable, I could lay there for hours with a fishing rod in hand. Of course one could choose to sit bolt upright on the hard seats of a hard boat and suffer tired bum, but not me. I think it comes down to what you want to use it for, I tend to want mine for more than just ship to shore. You could not give me a PB or walker bay for free, I simply have no use for them.

[mallardjusted]

Terry and Duane,

I think you've pointed out the key if an inflatable is the choice: it should be the fully inflatable boat. I just know from experience (and $$) that the ones with boards and runners to install are a pain!

Each of the types has their pros and cons, mostly limited by the amount of space we have. If being able to get it installed on deck is prime, some brands of inflatables are going to be ok. This has a great advantage, obviously. If one just needs to store it on board but can live with installing it onshore or towing it, the PB shines. Who knows, I may just want to do both!!!

When the 28' wide beam Mac powersailer comes out (ok, I'm not holding my breath), we'll have room for all sorts of different dinghies!!

[jackie m]

I suppose in reef/rock/barnacle infested waters it could be a liability, but I would not be interested in going to such shores, I look for something more inviting.

I think you made the strongest arguments against inflatables.

I also think inflatables can be pretty tough......

(6MB mpg file - fun to watch)
http://www.creaturecraft.com/_cms/Media ... i5O_G2.mpg

more here:
http://www.creaturecraft.com/eyecandy/

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Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge
"World famous for its oyster beds and clam shoals

jackie m