Hello esteemed board participants,
I am moving to a mooring next season which will necessitate that I begin using my dinghy more. I presently have a Walker Bay 8 and am considering buying a 5 HP outboard for it...does anyone have experience with this dinghy and an outboard? Is this the right size? Any recommendations on small outboards? While the Walker Bay is not exactly the Rolls Royce of dinghys, it was dirt cheap, requires no maintenance, and actually rows fairly well. However, should I bite the bullet and get an inflatable? Any help would be greatly appreciated! I have a lot of respect for the opinions I have seen on this board!
Clay Stalker
CD27 SALSA #247
Bristol, Rhode Island
cstalker@cheshire.net
Dinghy Question
Moderator: Jim Walsh
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Larry DeMers
Re: Dinghy Question
Clay,
It depends on your use. If you are rowing the dinghy out to the buoy and leaving it, I would stay with the Walker Bay 8 as it is less attractive to theft than an inflatable. If you are indeed rowing out and then taking the dinghy with you, then the Walker Bay 8 is STILL the best option..at least in the rowing category, but you would have to drag it with you, and that will slow you down unacceptably on long passages. So then the inflatable become smore attractive because of it's portability.
Within the field of inflatables then you get to choose which type best fits your needs and budget. We had a nesting dinghy (plywood -still own it actually, and would love to sell it), but bought an Avon 3.18 Roll-Away inflatable, and have been 98% satisfied with it ever since. It has a locked-in-place floor that rolls up with the dinghy, and makes launching a quick thing, unlike trying to replace those stupid wood floors and the wood fore and aft stringers that hold the floor flat..that is a 30 minute job on some boats.
So you have some decision trees to go through. What is the use, how will it be used, will it be brought with or not, do you want to tow it everywhere, or will you want to deck-it once in awhile? etc.
Cheers,
Larry DeMers
s/v DeLaMer
Cape Dory 30
~~~Sailing Lake Superior but not too much longer..brrrr, snow already!~~~
demers@sgi.com
It depends on your use. If you are rowing the dinghy out to the buoy and leaving it, I would stay with the Walker Bay 8 as it is less attractive to theft than an inflatable. If you are indeed rowing out and then taking the dinghy with you, then the Walker Bay 8 is STILL the best option..at least in the rowing category, but you would have to drag it with you, and that will slow you down unacceptably on long passages. So then the inflatable become smore attractive because of it's portability.
Within the field of inflatables then you get to choose which type best fits your needs and budget. We had a nesting dinghy (plywood -still own it actually, and would love to sell it), but bought an Avon 3.18 Roll-Away inflatable, and have been 98% satisfied with it ever since. It has a locked-in-place floor that rolls up with the dinghy, and makes launching a quick thing, unlike trying to replace those stupid wood floors and the wood fore and aft stringers that hold the floor flat..that is a 30 minute job on some boats.
So you have some decision trees to go through. What is the use, how will it be used, will it be brought with or not, do you want to tow it everywhere, or will you want to deck-it once in awhile? etc.
Cheers,
Larry DeMers
s/v DeLaMer
Cape Dory 30
~~~Sailing Lake Superior but not too much longer..brrrr, snow already!~~~
Clay Stalker wrote: Hello esteemed board participants,
I am moving to a mooring next season which will necessitate that I begin using my dinghy more. I presently have a Walker Bay 8 and am considering buying a 5 HP outboard for it...does anyone have experience with this dinghy and an outboard? Is this the right size? Any recommendations on small outboards? While the Walker Bay is not exactly the Rolls Royce of dinghys, it was dirt cheap, requires no maintenance, and actually rows fairly well. However, should I bite the bullet and get an inflatable? Any help would be greatly appreciated! I have a lot of respect for the opinions I have seen on this board!
Clay Stalker
CD27 SALSA #247
Bristol, Rhode Island
demers@sgi.com
-
Brian
after Labor Day experience, looking for inflatable
Clay,
Do you cruise much or just use it to get to your mooring? We've got a Dyer dink. She's great to look at but after an experience a few weeks back, I'd very much like to get an inflatable for cruising.
On route home from Newport, we were moored in Sag Harbor, outside the breakwater over Labor Day. There were very strong winds as we rowed back late Saturday evening. As we came outside the breakwater we were met with huge gusts and waves bigger than we would have liked. As we tried to make our way back to the boat, waves started coming over the side. As she began to fill with water it became apparent that if we didn't get out, it would sink. We abandoned it and swam, dragging the mostly submerged dink to the jetty. There we managed to empty it out and make it back to the dock.
A woman at a local deli (the only place opened that early) and the Sag Harbor police were very nice as we tried to dry off and wait for daybreak. We were appalled, however, hours later by the Harbor Master who refused any assistance as he sat in his office watching TV. We finally paid someone with a Whaler to bring us back out. We had to move to the back of the Whaler, as it began taking on water as well.
Anyway, after that experience the floatation of an inflatable became very attractive. I'll be searching the classifieds.
Regards,
Brian
CD 33
Do you cruise much or just use it to get to your mooring? We've got a Dyer dink. She's great to look at but after an experience a few weeks back, I'd very much like to get an inflatable for cruising.
On route home from Newport, we were moored in Sag Harbor, outside the breakwater over Labor Day. There were very strong winds as we rowed back late Saturday evening. As we came outside the breakwater we were met with huge gusts and waves bigger than we would have liked. As we tried to make our way back to the boat, waves started coming over the side. As she began to fill with water it became apparent that if we didn't get out, it would sink. We abandoned it and swam, dragging the mostly submerged dink to the jetty. There we managed to empty it out and make it back to the dock.
A woman at a local deli (the only place opened that early) and the Sag Harbor police were very nice as we tried to dry off and wait for daybreak. We were appalled, however, hours later by the Harbor Master who refused any assistance as he sat in his office watching TV. We finally paid someone with a Whaler to bring us back out. We had to move to the back of the Whaler, as it began taking on water as well.
Anyway, after that experience the floatation of an inflatable became very attractive. I'll be searching the classifieds.
Regards,
Brian
CD 33
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Catherine Monaghan
Re: Dinghy Question
Clay,
I wouldn't put more than a 2HP outboard on the Walker Bay 8. An outboard adds quite a bit of weight to the stern of a very light boat. These are great little boats, but they are balanced when weight is kept in the middle. The weight of the outboard and you at the stern will nearly put your butt in the water. They row well, you may prefer to row.
catherine_monaghan@merck.com
CD32 Realization, #3
Rahway, NJ
Raritan Bay
catherine_monaghan@merck.com
I wouldn't put more than a 2HP outboard on the Walker Bay 8. An outboard adds quite a bit of weight to the stern of a very light boat. These are great little boats, but they are balanced when weight is kept in the middle. The weight of the outboard and you at the stern will nearly put your butt in the water. They row well, you may prefer to row.
catherine_monaghan@merck.com
CD32 Realization, #3
Rahway, NJ
Raritan Bay
Clay Stalker wrote: Hello esteemed board participants,
I am moving to a mooring next season which will necessitate that I begin using my dinghy more. I presently have a Walker Bay 8 and am considering buying a 5 HP outboard for it...does anyone have experience with this dinghy and an outboard? Is this the right size? Any recommendations on small outboards? While the Walker Bay is not exactly the Rolls Royce of dinghys, it was dirt cheap, requires no maintenance, and actually rows fairly well. However, should I bite the bullet and get an inflatable? Any help would be greatly appreciated! I have a lot of respect for the opinions I have seen on this board!
Clay Stalker
CD27 SALSA #247
Bristol, Rhode Island
catherine_monaghan@merck.com
-
Bruce Bett
Re: Dinghy Question
I agree with Catherine I think 5hp's a little heavy. Walker Bay say 2hp is the max. <a href="http://www.walkerbay.com/products/boats ... ats_8.html </A> I know a guy who has several that he uses to teach a basic sailing course. I believe he has a Nissan 2.5 on his "crash boat".
Bruce Bett
Sostenuto
CD 25 #496
bettb@macomb.cc.mi.us
Bruce Bett
Sostenuto
CD 25 #496
Clay Stalker wrote: Hello esteemed board participants,
I am moving to a mooring next season which will necessitate that I begin using my dinghy more. I presently have a Walker Bay 8 and am considering buying a 5 HP outboard for it...does anyone have experience with this dinghy and an outboard? Is this the right size? Any recommendations on small outboards? While the Walker Bay is not exactly the Rolls Royce of dinghys, it was dirt cheap, requires no maintenance, and actually rows fairly well. However, should I bite the bullet and get an inflatable? Any help would be greatly appreciated! I have a lot of respect for the opinions I have seen on this board!
Clay Stalker
CD27 SALSA #247
Bristol, Rhode Island
bettb@macomb.cc.mi.us
-
Gary McDonough
Re: Dinghy Question
Hello Clay,
I've had the Walker Bay 8 for three years now and it's a great dinghy for getting to and from the mooring. The Coast Guard has certified it up to a 2HP motor but I've got a 3HP Yamaha on it and it's fine. Anything heavier and you could have a problem though.
It's not a perfect boat but then again it's only about $400.
Good luck,
Gary
garym@taxinvest.com
I've had the Walker Bay 8 for three years now and it's a great dinghy for getting to and from the mooring. The Coast Guard has certified it up to a 2HP motor but I've got a 3HP Yamaha on it and it's fine. Anything heavier and you could have a problem though.
It's not a perfect boat but then again it's only about $400.
Good luck,
Gary
garym@taxinvest.com
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Rich
Re: Dinghy Question
I have a Watertender 9.4($399 2 years ago at West Marine). It does have foam flotation and is very stable. I have a 2hp Johnson that pushes it along at 3.5-4.5 mph depending on tide and winds. The river channel I use to get to my mooring is a 5mph, no wake area. The 9.4 is rated for 5 hp,and I was thinking of a 5hp but with the speed limit, it didn't make sense. I used a borrowed inflatable before I bought the 9.4. With any kind of wake or wave action, water just rolls over the tops of the tubes. Unsinkable but wet. The displacement hull of the 9.4 tends to turn back waves but not spray.
richard_delcolle@hp.com
richard_delcolle@hp.com
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Gary
Re: Dinghy Question
I agree. I used to have a Zodiak but also found that in any kind of waves, etc. it was a wet ride. Also, it's practically impossible to row an inflatable into a strong wind and sea. I found that out one time when my engine wouldn't start. That's why I bought the Walker.Rich wrote: I used a borrowed inflatable before I bought the 9.4. With any kind of wake or wave action, water just rolls over the tops of the tubes. Unsinkable but wet:
Gary
garym@taxinvest.com
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will parker
Re: Dinghy Question
Clay,
I have used several types of dinghy, and offer the following:
There is NOTHING more stable than an inflatable RIB, i.e. an inflatable with a fiberglass bottom. You can stand on the tube to get off and on the mother ship without any risk of capsize. Moreover, it rows as easily as any hard chine dink. Further, they ususally take at least a 5 hp motor. As far as I'm concerned, there simply is no better dink, when used as a dink, than an inflatable RIB.
The one I have is a "Caribe" 8, which has 17" tubes which are raised in the bow. The ride is pretty dry, compared to "roll-ups" or dinks with smaller tubes.
Having said that, I find stowing the dink on my 30 foot CD to be a real challenge, in fact, a "pain-in-the-a--". It means I can't rig my cutter as a cutter. Since I have a 135% genoa, that problem is mitiagated to some extent. But, its also heavy, about 100# which has to be lifted, by halyard and winch, aboard the CD. I don't know what your Walker Bay weighs?
Then again, I only use my dink when I'm cruising. I can't tow it across the Gulf Stream to the Bahamas, and as we all know, it is imprudent to carry it on davits when out at sea. When I do daysailing, the dink is in my garage along with my 8hp Johnson. If you are not cruising, maybe your Walker Bay is just fine.
So I guess the principal question is: what do you plan to use the dink for?
Every dink is a compromise. None are perfect. Decide Which one suits your needs better and use it.
Good luck
Will
"Jambalaya"
Hello esteemed board participants,
whildenp@flinet.com
I have used several types of dinghy, and offer the following:
There is NOTHING more stable than an inflatable RIB, i.e. an inflatable with a fiberglass bottom. You can stand on the tube to get off and on the mother ship without any risk of capsize. Moreover, it rows as easily as any hard chine dink. Further, they ususally take at least a 5 hp motor. As far as I'm concerned, there simply is no better dink, when used as a dink, than an inflatable RIB.
The one I have is a "Caribe" 8, which has 17" tubes which are raised in the bow. The ride is pretty dry, compared to "roll-ups" or dinks with smaller tubes.
Having said that, I find stowing the dink on my 30 foot CD to be a real challenge, in fact, a "pain-in-the-a--". It means I can't rig my cutter as a cutter. Since I have a 135% genoa, that problem is mitiagated to some extent. But, its also heavy, about 100# which has to be lifted, by halyard and winch, aboard the CD. I don't know what your Walker Bay weighs?
Then again, I only use my dink when I'm cruising. I can't tow it across the Gulf Stream to the Bahamas, and as we all know, it is imprudent to carry it on davits when out at sea. When I do daysailing, the dink is in my garage along with my 8hp Johnson. If you are not cruising, maybe your Walker Bay is just fine.
So I guess the principal question is: what do you plan to use the dink for?
Every dink is a compromise. None are perfect. Decide Which one suits your needs better and use it.
Good luck
Will
"Jambalaya"
Hello esteemed board participants,
Clay Stalker wrote: I am moving to a mooring next season which will necessitate that I begin using my dinghy more. I presently have a Walker Bay 8 and am considering buying a 5 HP outboard for it...does anyone have experience with this dinghy and an outboard? Is this the right size? Any recommendations on small outboards? While the Walker Bay is not exactly the Rolls Royce of dinghys, it was dirt cheap, requires no maintenance, and actually rows fairly well. However, should I bite the bullet and get an inflatable? Any help would be greatly appreciated! I have a lot of respect for the opinions I have seen on this board!
Clay Stalker
CD27 SALSA #247
Bristol, Rhode Island
whildenp@flinet.com
-
Chris Scheck
Practical Sailor review of Walker Bay
Clay -
did you see the lengthy "boat test" of the Walker Bay 8 and 10 in the most recent Practical Sailor? They liked it ... they really liked it! If you don't get PS, email me and I'll mail you a copy of the review.
The Walker Bay is like a Timex watch ... it may not have much snob appeal, but if you just need to get the job done it's hard to beat.
By the way, we just sailed into Bristol yesterday. Amazing compared to 10 years ago!
Chris Scheck
RAGTIME
CD33 #117
cscheck@aol.com
did you see the lengthy "boat test" of the Walker Bay 8 and 10 in the most recent Practical Sailor? They liked it ... they really liked it! If you don't get PS, email me and I'll mail you a copy of the review.
The Walker Bay is like a Timex watch ... it may not have much snob appeal, but if you just need to get the job done it's hard to beat.
By the way, we just sailed into Bristol yesterday. Amazing compared to 10 years ago!
Chris Scheck
RAGTIME
CD33 #117
cscheck@aol.com