CD25 dinghy stowage

[Jay B.]

Has anyone ever stowed a Walker Bay dinghy on the front of their CD25 while underway? I'm looking at dinghys and came across a used Walker Bay for a reasonable price and was mulling over the possibility of stowing it up front as opposed to towing it around.

Thanks,
Jay

[Jay B.]

Found alot of info doing a search.

[MoJac]

Jay B.

I have a CD25 and a Walker Bay 8 as well, and have a new mooring location this year. In the past I had "on land" storage for the dinghy at the end of the day, and towed it behind the boat when sailing. Worked great, this year with the new mooring location I'm on a waiting list for "land dinghy storage", but we often anchor and "explore" the islands in our area (three children 6, 4 & 1) so having the dinghy with us at all times is required. So I too am interested if and how anyone stores/lashes the Walker Bay 8 upside down, say on the foredeck?

Comments on the Walker Bay 8
1. If your like me and don't have tons of time or just don't want to do maintainance, the WB8 is the boat for you. I've had mine for 10 years and have done ZERO work to it, and looks pretty much new short of a few scraches.

2. very light can lift it by myself & my six year old can even drag it over land.

3. Very tough I think it might be one of the most durable item on my boat. (As I've said before we use it everytime we go to the boat.)

4. Towes behind a CD25 like it's not even there.

5. As far as loading goes, two adults, three children, small cooler and backpack for the day. From the beach to the mooring and back in protected waters and never had a problem (I would not do it in rough weather) I know its most likely over loaded, but has plenty of freeboard even with wakes from small boat traffic.

Just my two cents... Sooooo has any one out there stored an eight foot dinghy like the Walker Bay 8 on the foredeck of a CD25.

[Joe Myerson]

MoJac:

I've had a Walker Bay 8 for years, too.

Unfortunately, I keep mine tied to my club's rickety little dinghy dock--where it's been rudely shoved aside as more and more boat owners buy those fat inflatables that take up so much more dock space.

Leaving it in the water is a problem, since the plastic won't accept any antifouling paint. So I have to haul it up on the dock and scrape it every week or so.

My only maintenance has been to apply multiple coats of wax to the bottom every spring. I don't really think it does much good, however.

Also, I was cautioned by Darrell Nicholson (now editor of Practical Sailor, but at one time editor of the now-defunct Offshore/Northeast Boating, where I used to work) that the U-bolt in the bow is not really secure enough for sustained towing.

I've been meaning to install a better backing plate at the bow for all these years, but never got around to it.

--Joe

[Jay B.]

Thanks for all the information. Unfortunately I fear the WB8 on CL might have been sold...the ad is gone. However, I am leaning more and more toward the Walker Bay. I think it will fit my needs well. I might have to purchase new though.

How is it when boarding on and off from the CD25?

[MoJac]

Joe,

Good info re: "D-ring / backing plate" although I've never had any problems I'll be inspecting post hast. Nothing is more annoying than losing the dinghy while under way or worst after everything is buttoned up on board and you have to get under power off the mooring to chase it down as its headed at hull speed towards the rocks. Not that this has ever happened to me.... ha ha!

Jay B.

As they say in life everything is a compromise and the Walker Bay is no different. The stability of the WB can not and never will compete with stability of an inflatable. The best that I can offer about boarding the WB from the CD25 is that it can be done even with a dog (60 lbs +/-). I've done it many many times, but when loading or unloading all hands must be "on deck and at attention" as they say, have a plan (order of how and where people and stuff gets loaded) step along centerline as much as possible etc. etc.

I have been thinking about and researching the possibility of adding a removable boarding step to assist in the difference in height from deck to dinghy.

[Jay B.]

I may be back in the game with the WB purchase! The guy just contacted me this evening...we're set up to check it out next Tuesday. Wish me luck!
Jay

[seajunkie]

I had one of these. It was very light and could be put in the back of my Dodge Dakota. I couldn't see hauling this onto my bow and actually sailing it's too big. Getting from the WB to my CD25 was not hard, but I would use something to protect the gel coat on the CD.

[Jay B.]

Well, I have her at home now. She is an older boat, with a rubber foot at the stern keel rather than a wheel. She has a crack on the starboard gunwale that has been fortified with a piece of wood under the gunwale, secured with screws. It doesn't look like it's going anywhere so I will leave that be for now.

One curious thing is that one of the previous owners installed a 2 or 3 inch plastic plumbing thru-hull fitting in the bottom of the hull midship. It is a bulky black thing that is capped off and sticks up at least 4 or 5 inches above the hull. I can only believe that they used it for draining the hull but it would leave alot of water in the boat. I cannot imagine why it was installed, but I'd like to remove it. That leads to the next question...

Has anyone ever performed any plastic repair on a Walker Bay boat? I know they are made from a polypropylene composite resin and that virtually nothing sticks to that. Apparently plastic welding is the only method of repair. I would like to get some similar material and have it welded in the hole. Otherwise I will have to come up with another fix. Unfortunately the hole crosses over the lapstrake so it is not flat.

Any ideas or suggestions?

[seajunkie]

nm

[Joe Myerson]

Wow, who'd have thought about putting a depth sounder into an 8-foot plastic dinghy?

On second thought, maybe it was a fishfinder?

--Joe

[Jay B.]

I agree that sounds odd. Although it seems about the correct size hole. The good folks at Walker Bay suggested I go to an autobody shop for the repair. Apparently plastic car bumpers are made of the same material. Having just had some autobody repair work on my car, I can imagine that the cost would be way more than the boat is worth. I might call them just for a grin...but I cannot imagine they would do it for less than $100...which is more than I want to pay. I might just order some material, which is less than $5 and try to weld it in myself.

[Joe Myerson]

Jay:

Try Googling "Kayak Repair."

You'll find sets of plastic welding gear (more expensive than the WB dinghy), but also various kinds of gunk that might work.

Just a thought.

--Joe

[Brian2]

I bought a Walker Bay 10 new several years ago. Prior to launching it, I put three coats of bottom paint on it, and have put one new coat on every year since. A bit gets scraped off each season due to "beaching" it on the rocky coast of Maine. I have never had a problem with the WB10 accepting bottom paint, but perhaps the WB10 is different than the WB8?

[Joe Myerson]

I bought a Walker Bay 10 new several years ago. Prior to launching it, I put three coats of bottom paint on it, and have put one new coat on every year since.

Brian,

This is AMAZING news!
Please tell me what kind of bottom paint you're using.

When I bought my Walker Bay, probably about 8 years ago, I was carrying a can of bottom paint out of W. Marine, along with the boat (well, the kid from the back room was carrying the boat).

As I got to the counter, the manager warned me that the paint might eat into the bottom of the boat. So I didn't buy it.

After one season, I tried applying some leftover bottom paint. It didn't eat through the bottom, it simply flaked and fell off.

Perhaps either Walker Bay dinghies or bottom paint, or both, have been modified since then.

--Joe