Dinghy for a Typhoon

[seadug]

Does anyone tow a dinghy behind their Typhoon? I'm looking for something practical. I currently have a 14' Recreational kayak a 16' dory and a catspaw dinghy that needs work. It seems a little impractical to tow a dinghy almost as long as my boat so I'm thinking of getting a SUP. Has anyone else tried that? Thanks Doug

[Dick Kobayashi]

When I owned a Ty, I had a light weight 8' dingy that towed well, didn't weigh much and was really crappy looking (theft proof). It was a semi-cast off. i got a beat up pair of oars (also theft proof)...and that was that. Quite a few years of good service out of it.

[Markst95]

I use an older 8' tri- hull that worked pretty well. I liked the stability when bringing stuff out to the mooring. Towed pretty well.

[Steve Laume]

Does anyone tow a dinghy behind their Typhoon? I'm looking for something practical. I currently have a 14' Recreational kayak a 16' dory and a catspaw dinghy that needs work. It seems a little impractical to tow a dinghy almost as long as my boat so I'm thinking of getting a SUP. Has anyone else tried that? Thanks Doug

The easy answer is, yes, lots of people tow dinghies with a Typhoon.

The question you need to ask yourself is how do you intend to use your boat. If you are only going to day sail and keep the boat at a dock or have reliable launch service, that runs as late as you may be out, you could get by without a dinghy. If you have the above conditions and would only want to go ashore during the summer while single handing the SUP would work. We towed a windsurfer on a calm day with a few kids on it and they had a blast. I don't think I would want to tow a SUP in rough weather in case it might turn into a diving plane.

The size of the mother ship has little to do with the size of a towed dinghy. We once towed a CD-14 to Block island with our Typhoon. It might have looked odd to some but it towed great and was a lot of fun once we got there.

If I were you I would be working on the Catspaw and plan on using it. It will tow well and you can haul things back and forth to the Ty in comfort instead of trying to go minimal, Steve.

[Joe M]

We towed an 8ft Walker Bay but it was too light when the seas got up and with two adults and gear was probably overloaded. I found a 9 ft. Boston Whaler Squall that was waterlogged and got it for nothing. We cut out the saturated foam, put two layers of fiberglass mat and resin over the bottom, painted it with some left over rustoleum and have been using it several years now. Its the perfect tender. Sold the sailing rig for a $300 profit.

I'm currently restoring a CD 10 which may replace the Squall... a CD towing a CD isn't a bad thing.

[Markst95]

That sounds like alot of work, I had a waterlogged squall awhile back, the thing must have weighed 350#'s. Did you cut the whole bottom off and scrape out the foam?

[seadug]

I will start working on the catspaw. It is just a fiberglass hull with no wood. I would love to know it's history. I caught the intact hull in my net 80 miles south of Montauk. The only info I have is it's name on the stern. HMS Guppy