what is the best way to carry dinghy/inflatable on CD31?

[Russell Johnson]

Just recently purchased a CD31 and need to buy a dinghy or inflatable. I would prefer RIB but don't think the CD31 would support mounting it on the stern and don't think I can carry it on the bow because of the staysail boom and innerfore stay. I would tow it most times but am concerned about towing it offshore. I am new at this - have sailed most of my life but not with my own boat and dinghy. any suggestions? before i make the wrong move. How much does towing an inflatable slow the boat? I would like to keep the boat inflated to use as emergency life boat, also I need to take my dogs to shore as often as possible. Thanks, RJ



rajarch@bellsouth.net

[Tom]

Just recently purchased a CD31 and need to buy a dinghy or inflatable. I would prefer RIB but don't think the CD31 would support mounting it on the stern and don't think I can carry it on the bow because of the staysail boom and innerfore stay. I would tow it most times but am concerned about towing it offshore. I am new at this - have sailed most of my life but not with my own boat and dinghy. any suggestions? before i make the wrong move. How much does towing an inflatable slow the boat? I would like to keep the boat inflated to use as emergency life boat, also I need to take my dogs to shore as often as possible. Thanks, RJ

RJ, I've got a CD31 and have used an inflatable extensively. There are basically 3 ways to do it - well four if you include deflating and stowing it. Towing works OK and the drag is negligible, but in winds and waves it tends to go airborn and turn turtle. I ultimately pulled the towing rings through the rubber. YOu have to get it in going into a marina because backing you can get the painter tangled in the prop or it always in your way when backing. At night you have to haul it aboard anyway because it bangs into the side of the hull and keeps you awake. I finally got away from towing but it's OK in the right conditons.

The second way it to hoist it up on the cabin top athwartship. You can tie it down to the handrails. It gets in the way of the deck going forward because it hangs over the lifelines on both sides, but it's OK for short hauls in nice weather. If you're at anchor and just want to get it out of the water for the night so it won't bang into the hull this is the best because it's quick and the next morning you give it a shove and it's right back in the water. Not good for long hauls or heavy weather.

The third way is the best I've found for longer hauls or if you might get some nasty weather. I have an 8 foot Achilles. It will just fit under the staysail boom, upside down with the aft tubes straddling the mast. If you can picture this the side tubes stick under the bottom life line just a little bit. This keeps the wind from raising it up and turning it over. It can't be forced out on either side because it raises up over the cabin and the tubes straddle the mast which hold it. The staysail boom keeps it from flying up. With it upside down like this you can still open the forward hatch even when it is raining. I still lash it down well to the bow pulpit. In an emergency you can walk on the bottom of it if the floorboards are in place. Not ideal but really out of the way and very secure.

I've seen people pull the bow out of the water and lash it to the stern pulpit so that only the ends of the tubes are in the water. That doesn't work for me because I have a Monitor wind vane there, but it seems like a good alternative. If you're thinking about the foredeck method you'll want to measure the distance between the transom of the dinghy and the bow to be sure it will fit in that space. A larger dinghy won't. Remember you can also partially deflate it so you can fold it and stow it. Partially inflated it will still hold you if you have to use it as a lifeboat until you get it pumped up full.



TomCambria@mindspring.com

[Fred]

Tom,

Sounds like you have the dingy problem solved for a CD 31. I've just bought one too, and am looking for a dingy.
Would you tell my exactly what model Achilles dingy you have? Do you use an outboard or row? (hard work!)
I really like my 31.

Thanks,
Fred



fnav@digital.net

[bob pence]

Just recently purchased a CD31 and need to buy a dinghy or inflatable. I would prefer RIB but don't think the CD31 would support mounting it on the stern and don't think I can carry it on the bow because of the staysail boom and innerfore stay. I would tow it most times but am concerned about towing it offshore. I am new at this - have sailed most of my life but not with my own boat and dinghy. any suggestions? before i make the wrong move. How much does towing an inflatable slow the boat? I would like to keep the boat inflated to use as emergency life boat, also I need to take my dogs to shore as often as possible. Thanks, RJ

Train the dogs to do their thing on board as our 2 do and that will eliminate a lot of dinghy runs, at least 2 a day



sixpence@dmv.com

[Tom]

Tom,

Sounds like you have the dingy problem solved for a CD 31. I've just bought one too, and am looking for a dingy.
Would you tell my exactly what model Achilles dingy you have? Do you use an outboard or row? (hard work!)
I really like my 31.

Thanks,
Fred

Fred, I've got a about 10 year old Achilles that they call an 8 foot model. It has an inflatable seat in the middle and a wood plank that goes across the back. I use it with both a motor and by rowing, but if you're going to row you've got to get rid of those toy oars. I bought some standard length wooden oars and then drilled a hole in them so they will fit over the pins that the collapsible aluminum ones went on. Drill the holes so that the ends of the oars won't hit each other in the middle of the boat when you row and I drilled mine so with a slight angle so that the blades tilt slightly forward and thus dig in when you row. Since they are on pins you can't feather them or twist them to bite in as you would with real oarlocks. The Achilles comes with plywood floors in four pieces that are a pain to get in. To deflate it and fold it you have to take the floors out and there is never a good place to store them. Achilles has come out with a new model that has inflatable floors so it can roll up without taking the floor out and it's lighter too. I'd already have one except that they cost $ 1,600. and my old one is working fine. Maybe some day.

When I use a motor I have an Evinrude 4 hp two cylinder. It will just barely plane the boat with one aboard if you get your weight forward. The trick to getting it to plane is to put stringers on the floor boards. Normally when it starts to go up on a plane the floorboards buckle up and kill it. If you you put a 1 by 2 along each side and bolt them to the floorboards, they will keep the bottom flat and it will snap right up. Most people use a piece of pvc pipe that fits over the throttle handle so that they can sit forward and still control the throttle.

That's the good news the bad news is that the engine weighs about 80 pounds and you have to take it off and hoist it up on deck when you're going to pull the dinghy up. When the waves are up this is a real feat because you're standing up in a bouncing boat with an awkward 80 pounds in your arms and the dinghy is crashing against the hull and then shooting back and jerking to a stop while you're tryng to lean the engine over and slide it below the lower lifeline onto the deck (which is about chest high) without pinching a finger or stubbing a toe. If I had it to do over again I'd get a lighter maybe 2 or 3 hp engine with an integral tank and forget about planing.

I usually row, but there are times when you have a two mile row into the wind and chop to get back to the boat or waves are breaking onto the beach where you want to land and you have to come in quick between wave sets and you can't do it rowing. The Achilles ships some water over the bow when it's choppy and the Metzler looks like a good design the way the bow turns up so high, but the skin is suspect. People seem to have a lot of leaks with the Metzlers. You want something with Hypalon material in spite of the ads that say we're old fashioned. It really holds up. BTW I'd avoid the West Marine Brand of hypalon inflatable. They look good in the pictures, but in real life the tubes are smaller in diameter than the Avons and Achilles. They sit much lower in the water, are a lot wetter, and don't have the carrying capacity of the name brands. At first glance it looks like you're getting a hypalon boat just like an Avon for less money but they aren't just like an Avon.

That's about all I know about dinghies and it's just my opinion but it works for me. CD 31's are great boats you're going to love her!

Tom Coons
CD 31 #15
"Heiress"



TomCambria@mindspring.com

[John Sill]

On my CD31, Beholder's Eye, I have a small roll-up (8') that can be tied down athwart ships in front of the cabin, under the staysail boom. If it's rolled tightly, it doesn't extend much outside the cabin, leaving a clear walkway forward. Good tie-downs are vital and a bag or cover is useful. This is a good position for serious sailing, doesn't block anything, including vision. Of course, there's no quick launching.

A second position might be a set of brackets for the stern, such that you can drag the boat or flip it up to the backstay. This would be convenient for quick launches, but I wouldn't recommend it for rough weather sailing. These devices are on the market. I've got info around here somewhere....



jesill@erols.com

[DAVE]

On my CD31, Beholder's Eye, I have a small roll-up (8') that can be tied down athwart ships in front of the cabin, under the staysail boom. If it's rolled tightly, it doesn't extend much outside the cabin, leaving a clear walkway forward. Good tie-downs are vital and a bag or cover is useful. This is a good position for serious sailing, doesn't block anything, including vision. Of course, there's no quick launching.

A second position might be a set of brackets for the stern, such that you can drag the boat or flip it up to the backstay. This would be convenient for quick launches, but I wouldn't recommend it for rough weather sailing. These devices are on the market. I've got info around here somewhere....

ON OUR CD28 DERBY, WE TOW 13'AVON RIB W/25HP EVENRUDE OB. BECAUSE THE TOWING RING IS MOUNTED IN THE FIBERGLASS HULL WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY PROBLEMS MENTIONED REGARDING PULLING THROUGH THE RINGS. AS FAR AS THE DINGHY BANGING AGINST THE HULL WHEN AT ANCHOR TRY TYING THE DINGHY TO THE END OF THE BOOM AND TIE OFF THE BOOM SO IT STANDS OUT ENOUGH TO ALLOW FOR SWINGING. WE SAIL TO ALL THE ISLANDS IN LAKE ERIE AND ENJOY HAVING A DINGHY READY TO USE AND IT ALSO DOUBLES A LIFE BOAT. REGARDING THE DOG OUR GERMAN SHORTHAIRED POINTER THINKS THE AVON IS HER BOAT AND OFTEN PREFERS TO RIDE IN IT BEING TOWED WHILE WE ARE SAILING. GOOD LUCK.



DERBY@rrcol.com

[Larry DeMers]

On DeLaMer, our Cape Dory 30, we use an Avon Roll-Away 9ft. inflatable dinghy. This dinghy is stowed in a wood "cradle" attached between the mast and dodger, where it fits nicely and is out of the way. Inflating it manually and then putting it in the water takes 10 minutes from fully packed for travel, to sitting in the water with oars and motor mounted.
We use a small rope bridle attached to the main halyard to lift the dinghy to and from the water. This works very well, and saves your back too.

Cheers!

Larry DeMers
s/v DeLaMer

On my CD31, Beholder's Eye, I have a small roll-up (8') that can be tied down athwart ships in front of the cabin, under the staysail boom. If it's rolled tightly, it doesn't extend much outside the cabin, leaving a clear walkway forward. Good tie-downs are vital and a bag or cover is useful. This is a good position for serious sailing, doesn't block anything, including vision. Of course, there's no quick launching.

A second position might be a set of brackets for the stern, such that you can drag the boat or flip it up to the backstay. This would be convenient for quick launches, but I wouldn't recommend it for rough weather sailing. These devices are on the market. I've got info around here somewhere....

demers@sgi.com

[Olli Wendelin]

Russell,

I currently use a 8'6" fiberglass dinghy with a 3 HP Yamaha. We tow it behind our CD30 ketch most of the time. In the rivers and harbor I leave the outboard on. In rough weather (rivers) or calm offshore I tow the dinghy but keep the oars and outboard on the CD30. If chop is more than a foot or three offshore I store the dinghy on the cabin top. It will fit with just a foot of the bow protruding to stbd of the main mast. The ketch rigs main mast is ~ 18" fwd of the placement on the cutter rig, giving me the clearance. Not sure about the CD31. I can launch or recover the dinghy by myself (if I have to) from this location. It weight about 100 lbs.

My main problem is capacity. My dinghy capacity plate says 395 lbs. With my wife, two standard poodles, outboard, and yours truly, we are about 100 lbs overweight. I will probably shift to a 10 ft dinghy next year. Capacity is much better, but weight is doubled and much harder to store. I have seen dinghys stored on the fordeck. This makes it much harder to handle headsails and impossible to use my jib boom. Maybe I will keep both dinghys and use one or the other, depending on the trip.

I owned a 14' Zodiac inflatable with 40 HP outboard for many years. Used it mostly for diving. It had great stability and capacity. Its problems were lightweight handling, cut resistance, and lifespan. Inflatables handle better the more they are loaded. When minimally loaded, the wind tends to catch under them and try to flip them. A single oyster can cause a leak. I had to patch several just from rubbing against pileings. I used carpet on the interior for protection. Also, this was an industrial model, with much heavier hypalon fabric and reinforcment than is sold for sailboat tenders. The worst problem is lifespan, about 10 years. Then you start to wonder if you can trust it. Sun exposure and age start to take its toll. The fabric may look good, but the glue in the joints just dosn't hold as well. I retired mine at 15 years. A friend's 19 foot zodiac of the same age had a 4' joint seperation while under way. Instant deflation. Fortunately it was one of six compartments, so they were able to make it back to the dock. Normal life of a fiberglass dinghy? Longer than yours or mine, I expect.

Just my 2 cents.

Olli Wendelin
BLUE MOON
Charleston, SC



wendelin@spawar.navy.mil