towing walker bay 8

[Joe Myerson]

Hi Robert,

I've still got my WB8. I've had it longer than I've owned my Cape Dory (that's 11 years now).

It was among the cheapest dinghies when I bought it.

It tows easily. It is light enough out of the water that I can move it myself either atop my Prius (with a carrier) or, for short trips, jam it partway into the trunk.

Cons: It is tippy, it won't hold more than two smallish people (Lynne and I are smallish, or just plain small). Mine has some ugly black marks on the topsides from rubbing against black inflatables at the dinghy dock. I have not been able to remove them.

I'd like to supplement my WB with something that I could carry onboard (I'm still fantasizing about building a Stasha two-piece dinghy for cruising), but I'll certainly continue to keep the WB8.

--Joe

[Sea Hunt Video]

Cons: It is tippy, it won't hold more than two smallish people

When you say "tippy" is that with or without the flotation tube

As you know I ain't "smallish". The Admiral is. Mostly it would be me solo but sometimes the Admiral will be aboard. Thoughts

[Jim Walsh]

The floatation tube is almost as expensive as the tender itself.

[Sea Hunt Video]

The floatation tube is almost as expensive as the tender itself.

Actually Jim, more expensive.

My notes say WB8 is $750. The tube is $999 (if you get the Hypalon/CSM). The tube is $699 with PVC. Oars are $170. Total is about $1920.

On the other side of ledger the cheapest comparable AB dinghy I could find (Russell recommended AB) was from Defender at $3,670 for the AB 8 UL RIB; Jamestown quoted $3,540. This is with Hypalon/CSM.

You can almost buy two (2) Walker Bay 275s (the WB 8 w floatation tube) for one AB (1) 8 UL RIB.

I am still looking for a "gently used" WB 8. I will also check prices at Strictly Sail Miami in a few weeks. My primary concern right now is dinghy stability. I saw a video of a person (looked tall but thin, skinny) standing on one of the flotation tubes of a Walker Bay. I'm not sure if it was a WB 10 or a WB 8. Still the video looked impressive. Having done a small amount of "video deception" I would prefer to gather honest, practical, real world experience from fellow CDers.

[Sea Hunt Video]

Here is the photo (not video; sorry, my error ) of the guy standing on one of the Walker Bay floatation tubes.

The article does not appear to be dated but I do not think it is a recent article since it refers to Walker Bay as a company only five (5) years old. Their website says "since 1997 . . ." It also uses the apparently older designation for the WB 8 with the floatation tube (RID 270).

[Jim Walsh]

Just helping Roberto post a couple photo's. One is a gent standing on the flotation tube showing the inherent stability. The next one is the same model with the optional graphics package and trailer.

[Sea Hunt Video]

Jim:

Thanks very much. Sorry about confusion.

This is the accompanying article I forgot to post above with the photo Jim found and posted:

http://sailingbreezes.com/Sailing_Breez ... walker.htm

[Joe Myerson]

Roberto,
I do not have the flotation tubes and, yes, the boat is pretty tippy.
--Guiseppe

[gates_cliff]

I can attest to their being tippy. I had a small outboard on mine once and was going from a mooring to shore. Didn't have any kind of extension on the handle so was sitting in the stern, at some point, and for some reason, I felt the need to adjust my seating and literally flipped myself out of the boat. Depth of the water was about 4' at that point so I just grabbed the boat and walk it to shore. Fortunately there wasn't an audience to watch the fiasco. I learned a very good lesson though! I quit using the outboard, in fact, can't remember why I felt I needed it then anyway.

I also ran across a site for "dinghy dogs" same principle but les money.

dinghydogs.com

[Sea Hunt Video]

Cliff:

When you decided to go for a swim to cool off ( ) [this is what I always tell people when I fall in the water ] did your Walker Bay have a floatation tube Also, was it the WB 8 or WB 10

I talked with Walker Bay customer service today to see what they planned to bring to the boat show next month. Very nice guy. He said the floatation tube makes it "very stable" (his words). When I told him about seeing a photo of a tall, skinny guy standing on the floatation tubes, he said he had done the same thing to test one of the rigs.

It may well be a mistake but I am strongly leaning towards a WB 8 with a floatation tube. I have never seen a WB in the water. The other day I saw one in our mooring field for the first time. I talked with the guy operating it. It was not his but belonged to one of the sailboat owners. He was using it to do some work on sailboats. Yesterday, I saw a second WB 8 A young lady was motoring through our mooring field. I think she's a live-aboard on the hook just outside of our mooring field. She had a small motor and no floatation tube. I tried to hail her but failed. Either she could not hear me over the O/B or, more likely, she was avoiding talking to someone who looked like a reprobate.

Anyways, after years of not seeing even one WB in the water, to see two (2) in less than one week is a coincidence I cannot ignore. And I do NOT believe in coincidences.

[gates_cliff]

Yes, the "dip" in the water was just what I needed on a somewhat warm day!

Mine is a WB8 and does not have the bouyancy tubes. I will say since then I've used it a number of times, rowing of course, and even thoug it's still tender it rows well. I plan to add the tubes though. Someday!

I've owned mine about 10 years now and other than the propensity to amuse bystanders, I'm very pleased with it. I have to replace the little whell on the skeg but otherwise it's pretty maintenance free.

[Bill Coogan]

I've had a Walker Bay 8 for around fourteen years. It rows well when I'm in it alone, but it sinks at the stern when carrying more than one person. Last summer I added oarlocks forward so that I could row from the bow seat with two people aboard. Adding that second set of oarlocks has made all the difference--and it took me just fourteen years to fix the problem!

[Joe Myerson]

Bill,
How difficult was it to add a second set of oarlocks? Can you cut into the poly without damaging it?

Thanks,
--Joe

[Klem]

We have a Walker Bay 8 as well and adding forward oar locks was on my list for this fall and never got done so hopefully I will get to it in the spring. In the meantime, I will often sit in the stern with my wife all the way in the bow and then row "backwards". It is nice to be able to see where you are going and the boat goes much better this way but it is tiring if it gets rough.

I find the comments on the Walker Bay being tippy to be interesting. I used to use a kayak as a dinghy which definitely was tippy (I used to competitively race kayaks so I thought that it was fun to stand up and try to paddle rec boats, kind of like paddleboarding before it was a sport). My personal favorite dinghy for the way we cruise is Ian Oughtred's Acorn Skiff which you can buy plans for in Wooden Boat. It tows and rows incredibly well but it is definitely a lot less stable than a Walker Bay.

[Bill Coogan]

The new oarlocks were easy to install using a Forstner drill bit. http://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-a-forstner-bit.htm

In fact there is a reinforced area at the appropriate distance back from the bow seat in which to install the oarlocks. A pair of Walker Bay oarlocks is available from Inflatable Boat Parts, a Walker Bay supplier for $21.95. http://shop.inflatableboatparts.com/pro ... =13&page=4

I don't know what took me so long to get to this relatively simple job!