......the black oarlocks and rub strip marr my hull when they bump up against it. Short of a black Awlgrip job, does anyone have any suggestions as to a cure? Any accounts of first hand experience with a solution would be greatly appreciated!
John
s/v Aimless
CD31 #28
Inflateable dingy oarlocks marring my hull...
Moderator: Jim Walsh
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Bill Goldsmith
Re: Inflateable dingy oarlocks marring my hull...
This is a solution that I saw in Cruising World that looks promising, and I will try this year (I use a CD10 as my tender). (It's to keep the dinghy from bumping up when at anchor).
Buy two "pool noodles" that are hollow in the middle. (They are long tubes of flotation foam, about 4 feet long, for playing around in a pool). Make a special painter for the dingy about 30 feet long, with a snap shackle tied in the middle, leaving two 15 foot ends. thread a pool noodle on each end. Snap the shackle to the bow of the dinghy and tie each end of the painter to the port and starboard stern cleats. Pull it tight enough so that the pool noodles, although flexible, act to push the dinghy off and away from the boat. This may also work while towing a dinghy underway, but I have not tried it yet. I believe the article mentioned that if you need more length you can super-glue or epoxy the noodles end-to-end to get more length.
As for coming alongside to take on or discharge passengers from the dinghy, a couple of well-placed dinghy-sized fenders should do the trick. I've also thought about taking ANOTHER pool noodle and slicing it like a hot dog bun and slipping it over the dinghy gunwale when coming alongside, to prevent marring.
Bil Goldsmith
CD27#173
Second Chance
goldy@bestweb.net
Buy two "pool noodles" that are hollow in the middle. (They are long tubes of flotation foam, about 4 feet long, for playing around in a pool). Make a special painter for the dingy about 30 feet long, with a snap shackle tied in the middle, leaving two 15 foot ends. thread a pool noodle on each end. Snap the shackle to the bow of the dinghy and tie each end of the painter to the port and starboard stern cleats. Pull it tight enough so that the pool noodles, although flexible, act to push the dinghy off and away from the boat. This may also work while towing a dinghy underway, but I have not tried it yet. I believe the article mentioned that if you need more length you can super-glue or epoxy the noodles end-to-end to get more length.
As for coming alongside to take on or discharge passengers from the dinghy, a couple of well-placed dinghy-sized fenders should do the trick. I've also thought about taking ANOTHER pool noodle and slicing it like a hot dog bun and slipping it over the dinghy gunwale when coming alongside, to prevent marring.
Bil Goldsmith
CD27#173
Second Chance
John Nuttall wrote: ......the black oarlocks and rub strip marr my hull when they bump up against it. Short of a black Awlgrip job, does anyone have any suggestions as to a cure? Any accounts of first hand experience with a solution would be greatly appreciated!
John
s/v Aimless
CD31 #28
goldy@bestweb.net
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John Nuttall
Re: Inflateable dingy oarlocks marring my hull...
Hi Bill,
Good suggestions re the noodles as standoffs. I just bought a CD10 so the "10" will become my primary tender.
But the kids love the little Avon. It's got the air floor and it makes a great swim raft when we are on the hook. They jump in and out and splash and play. It's soft so they don't get banged up.
[I like it because it only weighs 48lbs and folds up and fits in a locker. With my 2hp Honda it will actually plane off with just me aboard!]
What bothers me are the marks that the black rubber parts make on my hull. I have noticed that Avon switched to grey and white rubber for these parts in recent years. Guess they had complaints?????
I have seen some products in the catalogs for rubber refinishers / restorers etc. I was wondering if they are any good and would solve my problem?????
It might just come down to selling it for a couple hundred bucks and getting a new one with non-marring fittings.
Thanks,
John
s/v Aimless
CD31 #28
Hmpt: Oriental, NC
Good suggestions re the noodles as standoffs. I just bought a CD10 so the "10" will become my primary tender.
But the kids love the little Avon. It's got the air floor and it makes a great swim raft when we are on the hook. They jump in and out and splash and play. It's soft so they don't get banged up.
[I like it because it only weighs 48lbs and folds up and fits in a locker. With my 2hp Honda it will actually plane off with just me aboard!]
What bothers me are the marks that the black rubber parts make on my hull. I have noticed that Avon switched to grey and white rubber for these parts in recent years. Guess they had complaints?????
I have seen some products in the catalogs for rubber refinishers / restorers etc. I was wondering if they are any good and would solve my problem?????
It might just come down to selling it for a couple hundred bucks and getting a new one with non-marring fittings.
Thanks,
John
s/v Aimless
CD31 #28
Hmpt: Oriental, NC
-
Bill Goldsmith
Re: Inflateable dingy oarlocks marring my hull...
John,
When I wrote about the noodles I wasn't focussing on the inflatable aspect. Yes, the standoff will work (although not as crucial with an inflateable--definitely neeeded with the CD 10--you should see my transom right now after towing it last summer in Block Island Sound!). The cost of a new inflatable is pretty high. How about encasing the oarlocks in some of that self-amalgamating rigging tape? You may have to redo it a couple of times a season, but it's cheaper than a new dinghy! Keep us posted.
Bill
goldy@bestweb.net
When I wrote about the noodles I wasn't focussing on the inflatable aspect. Yes, the standoff will work (although not as crucial with an inflateable--definitely neeeded with the CD 10--you should see my transom right now after towing it last summer in Block Island Sound!). The cost of a new inflatable is pretty high. How about encasing the oarlocks in some of that self-amalgamating rigging tape? You may have to redo it a couple of times a season, but it's cheaper than a new dinghy! Keep us posted.
Bill
John Nuttall wrote: Hi Bill,
Good suggestions re the noodles as standoffs. I just bought a CD10 so the "10" will become my primary tender.
But the kids love the little Avon. It's got the air floor and it makes a great swim raft when we are on the hook. They jump in and out and splash and play. It's soft so they don't get banged up.
[I like it because it only weighs 48lbs and folds up and fits in a locker. With my 2hp Honda it will actually plane off with just me aboard!]
What bothers me are the marks that the black rubber parts make on my hull. I have noticed that Avon switched to grey and white rubber for these parts in recent years. Guess they had complaints?????
I have seen some products in the catalogs for rubber refinishers / restorers etc. I was wondering if they are any good and would solve my problem?????
It might just come down to selling it for a couple hundred bucks and getting a new one with non-marring fittings.
Thanks,
John
s/v Aimless
CD31 #28
Hmpt: Oriental, NC
goldy@bestweb.net