Advice on dinghy for CD25

[Vern Campbell]

When I bought my CD25 five years ago, it came with an old plywood dinghy that the previous owner told me towed like a dream. She was right, it tows well and has served me well. Unfortunately, it suffered from limited maintenance in the past, and despite annual repairs it is time to put it on the front lawn and plant flowers in it. I have been looking at a Walker Bay, a Puffin, and have done some limited exploring of inflatables. Would some of you other 25 owners give me some advice on a durable dinghy that will tow well with my boat? Thanks in advance for your help.

Vern Campbell
1975 CD25 Teacher's Pet
Hull #324



sailingteacherspet@hotmail.com

[chris d]

I am currently building a chesapeak light craft made Eastport Pram. It's a great buy at $575.
it weights under 50 pounds.

When I bought my CD25 five years ago, it came with an old plywood dinghy that the previous owner told me towed like a dream. She was right, it tows well and has served me well. Unfortunately, it suffered from limited maintenance in the past, and despite annual repairs it is time to put it on the front lawn and plant flowers in it. I have been looking at a Walker Bay, a Puffin, and have done some limited exploring of inflatables. Would some of you other 25 owners give me some advice on a durable dinghy that will tow well with my boat? Thanks in advance for your help.

Vern Campbell
1975 CD25 Teacher's Pet
Hull #324

[john doyle]

When I bought my CD25 five years ago, it came with an old plywood dinghy that the previous owner told me towed like a dream. She was right, it tows well and has served me well. Unfortunately, it suffered from limited maintenance in the past, and despite annual repairs it is time to put it on the front lawn and plant flowers in it. I have been looking at a Walker Bay, a Puffin, and have done some limited exploring of inflatables. Would some of you other 25 owners give me some advice on a durable dinghy that will tow well with my boat? Thanks in advance for your help.

Vern Campbell
1975 CD25 Teacher's Pet
Hull #324

There is nothing like an inflatable to be able to store or tow, but remember to remove the outboard when towing or anchoring. A good wind will lift it out of the water, outboard & all and it usually comes down upside down after several revolutions. A hard dinghy is wonderful, but hard to carry on anything under a mid 30 footer. Depends on your sailing trips & if you can always tow.
John CD31 #18 Bonnie Blue



redzeplin@yahoo.com

[Jon]

Vern,

The smaller roll up inflatables do fit into the lockers on a CD25. After towing my glass dinghy for many years, I bought a Bombard AX3. It doesn't row or tow worth a diddle, but with a small motor it's a lot of fun - wet ride though. It's very easy to carry around on your shoulder and put in the car trunk too.

Jon
CD25 Sovereign

[Douglas]

I recomend that you purchase a Walker Bay. They are plastic and easy to clean. They are light and have a roller/wheel built into the sturn. I sail a C-25 and it fits on the foredeck, but it tows even better. It can be had in several lengths. I paid 375$ New in Friday Harbor San Juan Islands Wa.



dgyoung_2000@yahoo.com

[len]

vern

if you plan to do any distance cruising, e.g. anything longer than a roundtrip day sail from your home port, i recommend having a dinghy that can be stowed on board in an emergency - hard dinghys have a nasty way of swamping under adverse conditions and are then not easy to get on board; inflatables get airborne - in a pinch, a hard dingy can be lashed on top of the companionway

len



md.frel@nwh.org

[Brad Smith]

When I bought my CD25 five years ago, it came with an old plywood dinghy that the previous owner told me towed like a dream. She was right, it tows well and has served me well. Unfortunately, it suffered from limited maintenance in the past, and despite annual repairs it is time to put it on the front lawn and plant flowers in it. I have been looking at a Walker Bay, a Puffin, and have done some limited exploring of inflatables. Would some of you other 25 owners give me some advice on a durable dinghy that will tow well with my boat? Thanks in advance for your help.

Vern Campbell
1975 CD25 Teacher's Pet
Hull #324

I use the Walker Bay as tender to get out to the mooring. It rows reasonably [tends to wander a bit], is cheap; has a sailing kit optional; can be pulled out on the dock by one person; accomodates two adults and is maintenance free. It is probably best for this use and/or short cruises. I would not like to set the genoa with it on the foredeck.

Good luck.



Thirdsmith@aol.com

[Eric]

While I don't doubt a crappt tender would have troubles, I've never seen or heard of a quality dinghy swamping while being towed. I've towed a glass Dyer Dhow imitation (Pete's Plastic Boats) for several seasons and grew up with the same. We're talking dozens of multi-week cruises to Maine. I'd expect my dinghy to stay afloat longer than Allia would in serious blow.


ew

vern

if you plan to do any distance cruising, e.g. anything longer than a roundtrip day sail from your home port, i recommend having a dinghy that can be stowed on board in an emergency - hard dinghys have a nasty way of swamping under adverse conditions and are then not easy to get on board; inflatables get airborne - in a pinch, a hard dingy can be lashed on top of the companionway

len

[Jim Stull]

I second Jon's suggestion.
We did an intensive search for a lightweight easy to stow dinghy and the little Bombard fit the bill. It is very light weight (28# or there abouts)but made to the same quality level as the large models. We have the model with the inflatable floor. We can quickly pump it up with it crosswise in the cockpit and drop it over the side. The Italian, hi quality pump fills the boat in less than five min.
We keep in the port lazzerette. We purchased the little 2 HP Honda 4 stroke, aircoled outboard. Again, something like 28#. Dinghy will go like stink with this little engine on just a thimblefull of gas.
We keep the little Honda on a bracket on the stern rail.
Downsides: Two people only and unless you just want to putter it can be a wet ride.
Jim



jtstull@earthlink.net

[Vern Campbell]

Thanks to everyone who responded for your input and sage advice. Now the fun begins--checking out all your suggestions, and ultimately buying a new toy!

When I bought my CD25 five years ago, it came with an old plywood dinghy that the previous owner told me towed like a dream. She was right, it tows well and has served me well. Unfortunately, it suffered from limited maintenance in the past, and despite annual repairs it is time to put it on the front lawn and plant flowers in it. I have been looking at a Walker Bay, a Puffin, and have done some limited exploring of inflatables. Would some of you other 25 owners give me some advice on a durable dinghy that will tow well with my boat? Thanks in advance for your help.

Vern Campbell
1975 CD25 Teacher's Pet
Hull #324

sailingteacherspet@hotmail.com

[mott blair]

When we had our Cape Dory 25, I built a Nutshell pram. Plans and kits are available from Wooden Boat. There is a short model (Using standard 4x8 marine plywood and a longer model. We built the short pram. It was functional and at the time I could row our small family 2 children and wife easily. Drawbacks-the obvious is stowage on deck. To be honest though It towed well even in choppy conditions here along the Carolina coast/pamlico sound. Now our family is bigger and we sail a CD 33-we use a shellback dinghy (another Joel White design), a great rowing and sailing dinghy also available from Wooden Boat- a little big for a CD 25 however.




mblair@coastalnet.com

[MIke Thompson]

WaterTender-9
This is a good strong dingy that rows well and can comfortably
carry gear out to a mooring. Ir is extremely strong - made of a
polyethylene laminate I believe.
I found it far better than the 8 foot dingy it replaced.

I towed it behind my CD-25 for some years and now tow it behind
my CD-28. Try to buy a used one.

Mike Thompson
HAVEN CD28

When I bought my CD25 five years ago, it came with an old plywood ...

tmike@ma.ultranet.com

[Jim]

I have been using an inflatable Stearns Kayak. It just fits me and one of my kids on my lap. A little wet ride but fun and very easy to deal with. Fits in either side locker. Tows as easily as anything you will find.



jmyers@styluscentral.com

[john]

When we had our Cape Dory 25, I built a Nutshell pram. Plans and kits are available from Wooden Boat. There is a short model (Using standard 4x8 marine plywood and a longer model. We built the short pram. It was functional and at the time I could row our small family 2 children and wife easily. Drawbacks-the obvious is stowage on deck. To be honest though It towed well even in choppy conditions here along the Carolina coast/pamlico sound. Now our family is bigger and we sail a CD 33-we use a shellback dinghy (another Joel White design), a great rowing and sailing dinghy also available from Wooden Boat- a little big for a CD 25 however.

I second the nomination of the Nutshell Pram. I just built one (the 8 footer) as a tender for my Typhoon. Though I haven't had occasion to tow it yet, the descriptions of it say it both rows and tows well. Since I've verified that it does, indeed, row well (even with 2 adults, an adolescent, and an 8-year-old - total about 400 # - aboard), I'm very ready to believe that it tows well. It also has very nice lines for a small pram (at least to me).

I built mine out of standard CDX plywood with, so far, no regrets. It weighs 100 # or so, which is easy enough for a small guy like me to launch and beach, though I'm not sure I could haul it up on deck.



john.hoft-march@appleton.org

[Bruce Janssen]

When I bought my CD25 five years ago, it came with an old plywood dinghy that the previous owner told me towed like a dream. She was right, it tows well and has served me well. Unfortunately, it suffered from limited maintenance in the past, and despite annual repairs it is time to put it on the front lawn and plant flowers in it. I have been looking at a Walker Bay, a Puffin, and have done some limited exploring of inflatables. Would some of you other 25 owners give me some advice on a durable dinghy that will tow well with my boat? Thanks in advance for your help.

Vern Campbell
1975 CD25 Teacher's Pet
Hull #324

I recently built a teak and aluminum rudder for my 8 ft inflatable, as I'm finally going on a long trip (two months in the Sea of Cortez)and I don't want to take my outboard, it makes it so much easier to row. The rudder is fixed, but hinges up out of the water, wieghs almost nothing, and I think it will make towing much better, can't tell as all the water around me is frozen- I live at 8000' in the mountians. I sail a CD25D From Now On home port Lake Granby, Co.



bvj@rkymtnhi.com