Dinghy Selection Part II

[Bob Schwartz]

Dear CD Board members:

I was looking over the posts that I made and was quite surprised to see that my question on Dinghy selection and the knowledgeable comments of members drew over 1600 hits. So, I thought I would share my experiences, which may be a bit unique.

I was looking for a cheap dinghy that would be serviceable, and time was running out before my departure date for the big trip. I took a chance on a Sandpiper 8, which costs only $400. I called the company that makes the Sandpiper and ask if it would be self-bailing – no one knew. I rolled the dice and bought one. I could tell that it had bottom flotation, and my rough displacement calculations showed that it would self-bail. I noticed an indentation in the bottom of boat and it looked like a spot designed for a drain plug. I called the company, and again, nobody knew what the little indention was for. However, I learned that the boat had been in production for many years and sold thru Sears and one of the leading bass boat outfits. It is a really nice boat for the money.

[img]<a%20href="http://photobucket.com"%20target="_blank"><img%20width="540"%20%20%20src="http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a138/kq5k/Copyof100_1068.jpg"%20border="0"%20alt="Photo%20Sharing%20and%20Video%20Hosting%20at%20Photobucket"></a>[/img]
1070 – indention

[img]<a%20href="http://photobucket.com"%20target="_blank"><img%20%20width="540"%20%20src="http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a138/kq5k/100_1070.jpg"%20border="0"%20alt="Photo%20Sharing%20and%20Video%20Hosting%20at%20Photobucket"></a>[/img]

I thought that if I could get the boat to self-bail and tow from a point at about the water line that it should make the trip. To get the boat to self-bail, I cut a hole thru the center of the indentation in the bottom to the floor. I was pleased to find that there was about 2” of flotation thru the cut. I then sealed in a plastic drain with high quality sealer used to repair tears in the hull. I used a wine cork to plug the drain when needed.

[img]<a%20href="http://photobucket.com"%20target="_blank"><img%20width="540"%20%20%20src="http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a138/kq5k/100_1090.jpg"%20border="0"%20alt="Photo%20Sharing%20and%20Video%20Hosting%20at%20Photobucket"></a>[/img]

[img]<a%20href="http://photobucket.com"%20target="_blank"><img%20%20width="540"%20%20src="http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a138/kq5k/CopyofIMGP1385.jpg"%20border="0"%20alt="Photo%20Sharing%20and%20Video%20Hosting%20at%20Photobucket"></a>[/img]

I could not install a bow eye low to the water line because the double hull is quite thick and curved at that point. So, I constructed a harness with my canvass sewing machine, which is about the most useful piece of equipment that I own. I put 2 Wichard eyelets in the stern and ran heavy-duty parachute cord thru the bottom grove to the bow. At the bow, I made a D ring attached to a 1” strap, which I connected to the parachute cord. I attached 2 small strap hooks under the gunnels and ran a ½” strap to the D ring for lateral stability (keep the line down center). The D ring was just at water line. I tightened the arrangement with a cord that ran to the factory installed bow eye. I made a short pig tail from the D ring to the painter attachment point so that I could detach the painter without reaching under the water (which could have been quite awkward)

[img]<a%20href="http://photobucket.com"%20target="_blank"><img%20%20width="540"%20%20src="http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a138/kq5k/100_1089.jpg"%20border="0"%20alt="Photo%20Sharing%20and%20Video%20Hosting%20at%20Photobucket"></a>[/img]

[img]<a%20href="http://photobucket.com"%20target="_blank"><img%20%20width="540"%20%20src="http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a138/kq5k/100_1091.jpg"%20border="0"%20alt="Photo%20Sharing%20and%20Video%20Hosting%20at%20Photobucket"></a>[/img]

The arrangement was quite a success. The floor of the boat was almost an inch above water line, even with the 2 HP motor attached. The boat towed very well. I used a ½” three-strand polypropylene line for a painter. When the seas got rough, I occasionally saw the boat being jerked over the crest of a wave and become airborne. It would often surf down big waves sideways like a human surfer. However, it never capsized. I watched it for many hours and it was always stable and upright.

The Sandpiper is rated for a 3 HP motor. I have a Honda 2 with a slip clutch. The boat seemed grossly overpowered – even a bit dangerous. I don’t think I ever ran it over ½ throttle. If the motor suddenly turned sideways while under way, it could easily capsize the boat. The boat rowed reasonably well, as much as could be expected on an 8' craft.

I towed the boat all the way from Texas to Key West, and from Key West to Pensacola, where I sold it. As it developed, I did not need the dinghy that much as I stayed at docks. The biggest negative was drag. I estimate that it cost about ½ knot, which is quite significant when, on a good day, the boat averages 4 knots. From my experience, I think towing a dinghy is a good choice when one is voyaging 500 miles or so, but not on very long trips.

The boat was named "Mia" after my granddaughter. Ironically, I sold the boat to a marina owner who wanted it as a toy for his grandson.

Happy sailing,

Bob