I'm thinking about getting a dinghy-tow for my '79 CD28. This is the brand name of an apparatus that allows for towing an inflatable with the stern out of the water and has a storage position with the dinghy completely out of the water. The web site (www.dinghy-tow.com) makes it seem like a great solution to the dinghy/life raft on a small boat problem. Any comments?
rbtfsh@utb1.utb.edu
dinghy-tow
Moderator: Jim Walsh
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Larry DeMers
Re: dinghy-tow
The CD28 is far too fine in the rear for there to be a dinghy hanging off it's stern. The longish overhangs of the CD design makes them poor candidates for much weight applied to the stern railing or transom. I sure would not put an inflatable there..even if half of it was still in the water.
By the way, someone in our area had their dinghy up on the rail like the web site shows. They got caught in 50 kts. of wind, and that dinghy was actually picked up and thrown at the backstay..hard. They were forced to puncture the dinghy with a knife and pull it into the boat for storage.
In my opinion, an inflatable should be towed only on short trips, with no exposure to high winds. Otherwise, it needs to be deflated at least partially, and stowed on deck or in a locker if there is room.
Cheers!
Larry DeMers
s/v DeLaMer
Cape Dory 30 ~~~~~~Sailing Lake Superior~~~~~~~
demers@sgi.com
By the way, someone in our area had their dinghy up on the rail like the web site shows. They got caught in 50 kts. of wind, and that dinghy was actually picked up and thrown at the backstay..hard. They were forced to puncture the dinghy with a knife and pull it into the boat for storage.
In my opinion, an inflatable should be towed only on short trips, with no exposure to high winds. Otherwise, it needs to be deflated at least partially, and stowed on deck or in a locker if there is room.
Cheers!
Larry DeMers
s/v DeLaMer
Cape Dory 30 ~~~~~~Sailing Lake Superior~~~~~~~
I'm thinking about getting a dinghy-tow for my '79 CD28. This is the brand name of an apparatus that allows for towing an inflatable with the stern out of the water and has a storage position with the dinghy completely out of the water. The web site (www.dinghy-tow.com) makes it seem like a great solution to the dinghy/life raft on a small boat problem. Any comments?
demers@sgi.com
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Neil Gordon
Re: dinghy-tow
I agree with Larry.
If it's a long trip, deflate the dinghy and store it. Short trip with good weather likely, just tow it.
With mostly short coastal trips, I tow my dinghy... a line each from the port and stbd rings on the dinghy through the port and stbd chocks and to a cleat. I keep the lines short enough to stay out of the prop and use poly in any event, so it floats. If one breaks, I still have a dinghy behind the boat.
Regards, Neil
s/v LIQUIDITY
Cape Dory 28 #167
neil@nrgordon.com
If it's a long trip, deflate the dinghy and store it. Short trip with good weather likely, just tow it.
With mostly short coastal trips, I tow my dinghy... a line each from the port and stbd rings on the dinghy through the port and stbd chocks and to a cleat. I keep the lines short enough to stay out of the prop and use poly in any event, so it floats. If one breaks, I still have a dinghy behind the boat.
Regards, Neil
s/v LIQUIDITY
Cape Dory 28 #167
neil@nrgordon.com
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Jerry Axler
Re: dinghy-tow
JerryI agree with Larry.
If it's a long trip, deflate the dinghy and store it. Short trip with good weather likely, just tow it.
With mostly short coastal trips, I tow my dinghy... a line each from the port and stbd rings on the dinghy through the port and stbd chocks and to a cleat. I keep the lines short enough to stay out of the prop and use poly in any event, so it floats. If one breaks, I still have a dinghy behind the boat.
Regards, Neil
s/v LIQUIDITY
Cape Dory 28 #167
I stopped towing my inflatable after two bad experiences on the enclosed waters of the Chesapeake. As per Murphy's law, the wind and seas always pipe up and get you when you are vulnerable and usually shorthanded. I have a high speed inflator which I use, if I need the dinghy. If the trips are short between ports, I'll haul the dink and store it on deck between the mast and the traveler. This is a little extra work, but it sure beats retrieving the dink in a squall.
cutter36@erols.com
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TWM
Re: dinghy-tow - positive response
Robert:
I have had a Dinghy-Tow on my CD 36 for three years now and short of trans Atlantic crossings would recommend it highly. I have used it in Lake Ontario and Chesapeake Bay one season each, as well as a one year circumnavigation of the Eastern US via Great Lakes, river system, Gulf of Mexico, Keys, Bahamas, and some off shore back up to the Chesapeake.
We tend to leave the dinghy in the "down" position for most of the time. For long tacks, you can level the dinghy since the arms are independent. You can also adjust the rise of the stern of the dinghy depending upon wave height.
The dinghy is extremely secure, and I have never backed over the painter!!
I did reinforce my dinghy transom, both across the the back and added diagonal supports back down to the floor. It's a standard issue Boat/US 9.2. With these additions, we left the 5 Hp Nissan 2 cycle motor on the dinghy for the entire year trip. It made life a whole lot easier not having to put the motor on and off and having to fear dropping it in the drink.
If you anchor out a lot, it make a lot of sense. It is held very secure so getting in and out is easier. Since you can haul up the nose of the dinghy, you can dump out ALL of the accumulated rain (or wash) water, prolonging the life of the floorboards.
If the weather was getting high, or we were out in some serious water, we did raise the nose up and lay it on the backstay. We would also throw some extra lashings around it to further secure it. We survived (nicely) 35 to 45 knots gusts at anchor and nearly that under sail during our long trip.
No one bothered attempting to swipe the dinghy since when it's up one has to know how to get it down to the water.
Drawbacks: I don't think it will do well for a dinghy / motor combination much bigger than the one we have. A hard bottom dinghy would more than double the weight. A four stoke engine usualy adds another 50%. A motor with an external gas tank would pose the dilemma of what to do with it when the dinghy is tipped up.
TWM
P.S. I did install it myself. The directions were more than adequate. But you do have to think long and hard before drilling those holes in the transom!!
tommor@toad.net
I have had a Dinghy-Tow on my CD 36 for three years now and short of trans Atlantic crossings would recommend it highly. I have used it in Lake Ontario and Chesapeake Bay one season each, as well as a one year circumnavigation of the Eastern US via Great Lakes, river system, Gulf of Mexico, Keys, Bahamas, and some off shore back up to the Chesapeake.
We tend to leave the dinghy in the "down" position for most of the time. For long tacks, you can level the dinghy since the arms are independent. You can also adjust the rise of the stern of the dinghy depending upon wave height.
The dinghy is extremely secure, and I have never backed over the painter!!
I did reinforce my dinghy transom, both across the the back and added diagonal supports back down to the floor. It's a standard issue Boat/US 9.2. With these additions, we left the 5 Hp Nissan 2 cycle motor on the dinghy for the entire year trip. It made life a whole lot easier not having to put the motor on and off and having to fear dropping it in the drink.
If you anchor out a lot, it make a lot of sense. It is held very secure so getting in and out is easier. Since you can haul up the nose of the dinghy, you can dump out ALL of the accumulated rain (or wash) water, prolonging the life of the floorboards.
If the weather was getting high, or we were out in some serious water, we did raise the nose up and lay it on the backstay. We would also throw some extra lashings around it to further secure it. We survived (nicely) 35 to 45 knots gusts at anchor and nearly that under sail during our long trip.
No one bothered attempting to swipe the dinghy since when it's up one has to know how to get it down to the water.
Drawbacks: I don't think it will do well for a dinghy / motor combination much bigger than the one we have. A hard bottom dinghy would more than double the weight. A four stoke engine usualy adds another 50%. A motor with an external gas tank would pose the dilemma of what to do with it when the dinghy is tipped up.
TWM
P.S. I did install it myself. The directions were more than adequate. But you do have to think long and hard before drilling those holes in the transom!!
Robert wrote: I'm thinking about getting a dinghy-tow for my '79 CD28. This is the brand name of an apparatus that allows for towing an inflatable with the stern out of the water and has a storage position with the dinghy completely out of the water. The web site (www.dinghy-tow.com) makes it seem like a great solution to the dinghy/life raft on a small boat problem. Any comments?
tommor@toad.net