NEWS AND NOTES
Blue Water Sailing
JANUARY 7, 2010
Fitting Out for World Cruising – Part IV: Dinghy and Outboard
This month, we continue our Fitting Out For World Cruising Series of interviews with West Marine Outfitter – Pam Wall. So far we've covered the basics: Rigging, Ground Tackle and Comfort and Safety Below Decks. This week, our series continues with your Dinghy and Outboard.
CC: Why is it so important to choose the right dinghy?
Pam Wall: Your tender is your car. It is the way you get to and from your home to the places where you can't take your home. So it's got to be comfortable, safe, have good cargo carrying capacity and it's got to stow somewhere on your boat for crossings. You cannot rely ever on towing it. So to be practical about it, it's got to be a good boat that tows but it's also got to be the right size to stow either on deck or on davits. You have to keep in mind that a lot of boats have big inflatables on davits have blocked their view aft from the cockpit. This is potentially very dangerous. You have got to have a 360 degree view from wherever you do your watch at night and during the day. I have seen so many boats with big inflatables on davits. How would you know that there's a big ship out there, if you can't see what's behind you unless you climb up the mast!
My stand is "Bigger is Better, Faster is More Fun!" Try to get the biggest you can fit on your boat and the highest horsepower outboard that is appropriate for it, and that is still within your cruising budget. You want to be able to go as fast as you can but still have the tender that's appropriate to the size of the mother vessel.
Most cruisers today go with the RIB or Rigid Inflatable Bottom tender. This type of tender is fantastic because they
- weigh less
- are more buoyant
- easy to board when diving or swimming
- get up on a plane faster
- easier to launch from mother vessel
CC: What should folks take into consideration when choosing a RIB or inflatable?
PW: In high latitudes where there is no tropical sun with accompanying ultra violet rays, you can get away with a less expensive PVC inflatable. However, if you're sailing in the Tropics the only choice is to get Hypalon which resists UV deteriorization, and abrasions much better than PVC.
CC: Other things to consider about inflatables?
PW: If it's a rigid inflatable bottom, that's the one with a fiberglass bottom, or if it's high pressure floor one, that's the kind where you pump up the floor and you don't have the fiberglass underneath it or it's one with floorboards that you have to install the floorboards before you can inflate it, those are more like a roll-up type. It all depends on where you will store it and how much space you have. The RIB takes up the most space because you cannot make it smaller except to deflate the pontoons. The high pressure floor is great if you don't have a lot of space because you can deflate the whole dinghy. However, they are very light weight and flip over easily in a strong wind. Floorboard bottoms are good too because they have a nice solid bottom, however, they take time to put together. And the last of them is the roll-up which is kind of a combination of high pressure and floorboards. It's a solid bottom that rolls up. It's more expensive of course and it takes up more space. And another thing, it's much heavier.
If I had a boat that I could stow a RIB type tender on, turning the RIB upside down on the foredeck and deflating the pontoons would be my first choice for stowing. My second choice if I had room for it would be a roll-up. My third choice would be floorboards because it's a nice solid bottom. My last choice unless I had a very small boat would be the high pressure bottom. It's the lightest weight and takes up the least amount of space, but it has a terrible propensity for flipping over in strong wind. You can not leave it behind the boat at night while leaving the outboard on it or the fuel tank or oars in it because if a squall comes up, it could easily flip even with all that extra weight in it.
Photo: www.nestawayboats,com
CC: What about hard dinghies?
PW: Of course that's the other alternative for a tender. I like sailing dinghies like the Walker Bay, Trinka, Jolly Boat, Dyer Dhow, etc. All of these are really good if you have the space to stow them on deck or have davits that are appropriate for stowing a hard dink. My ultimate choice, if I was doing blue water cruising, would be to have one of each; an inflatable tender and a hard tender! There are numerous reasons why, but suffice to say, there are times when an inflatable tender is best and times when a hard dinghy is the only kind you want to use, like when you are sailing in coral or rocky shorelines. If you have a hard tender it is really a good idea to have a sailing rig for it. There's nothing more fun that jumping into a sailing dinghy when you are at anchor and out there exploring by sail! Also it's a great way to teach children how to sail.
CC: Tell us about choosing outboards.
PW: Today, you will not be able to find new 2-stroke outboards, nor do you want to pollute our oceans with 2-stroke motors. So even though the 4-stroke engines are heavier it's much better to get 4-stroke and then of course you don't have a mixture of fuel. You need carry oil separately from the gasoline. It is much easier to find gasoline rather than a mixture of gasoline and oil. And of course it keeps the planet green!
My choice would be to get the biggest outboard that is appropriate for the tender, allowing you to go further and faster from the mother vessel. Also, don't forget you need a way of getting that outboard motor on and off of your tender easily with an outboard motor davit or something. You don't want to have to be lifting that aboard without the use of a tackle. Consider where you will stow the motor on board your boat. Remember; never stow an outboard motor below because of gasoline fumes. Never!
Also, consider your space on the tender and whether you will need an external tank that carries say six gallons of fuel or an internal tank which might carry less than a gallon of fuel. But if you do have an internal tank, be sure you have a jerrican in your tender should you ever need to refill the reservoir. Don't forget that depending on the tender you choose, you may need a short shaft, which is 15" or a long shaft that is 20". Every manufacturer will tell you which is appropriate. You don't want to have too short a shaft or too long a shaft for your tender.
One last thing is the equipment for your tender. Always have an anchor. Always have enough rode to anchor in the deepest place you may take your tender and then always have safety equipment like life jackets, air horns, flares, a flashlight, and I always carry a handheld VHF and a portable depth sounder. You'll want to have an extendable tiller handle for those long dinghy rides so that you can stand up and hold on to the painter like reins and be able to see more.
I highly recommend a floating painter. New England Ropes makes a perfect one that is floating double braid and is International Yellow. This keeps you from inadvertently backing down and wrapping your painter around your propeller. Many people will want to have a way to lock their dinghy and outboard. Unfortunately with the increase in cruising boats, there is also more dinghy thefts. You'll want to have a way to lock your tender to the dock as well as the boat. You can make a good wire locking painter out of 3/16 inch plastic coated stainless steel lifeline cable (West Marine carries this). Buy about 12-15 feet and make a large eye in each end. Then buy a large brass lock. With it you can lock both the outboard and the dinghy to your stanchion, the dock, a tree or whatever else is available. It’s best to have a revolving code type of lock then you do not need a key to open the lock.
Here's a great tip for modifying you inflatable for cruising: If your inflatable has a thwart seat in it, you can usually replace that thwart seat with an ice chest which is really handy for a great waterproof stowage area for all this extra equipment plus it’s a great seat and cooler for anything you want to keep cold while in your tender!
You can contact Pam directly with comments or questions on outfitting your boat: pamw@westmarine.com.
Outfitting Check List:
Image courtesy of West Marine.
Next week, our interview continues with Pam discussing Electronics.
