Dinghy choices

[Joe Sankey]

We have owned a Seaworthy 9.2 w/8HP Johnson, which came with our last CD. We liked it, but it went away after we sold the boat. We wish to have a dinghy for our current vessel, and have looked some, including at used ones. There is currently a used Avon Redcrest for sale for $500 at a consignment store. It appears to be in good shape but older and perhaps well used. I understand that Avon's command a premium, but I am not sure why. Any ideas as to what to a.value, b. what to look out for, c. personal experiences with a Redcrest would be welcomed. Thanks.
Joe Sankey
CD 30 Slow Dance
Magnolia Springs, AL



sankey@gulftel.com

[John Nuttall]

.......then my advise is to pass on it.

I bought a used Redcrest, added an air floor and use it w/ a 2hp Honda. I love it. But the black rubber oarlocks and other black rubber fittings make marks on my hull. Drives me nuts. I will probably sell it and buy a new one. Avon has changed to grey, which I hope is non-marring.

I will stick w/ Avon. Good stuff. Easy to patch. Higher resale.
I like hte Redcrest because w/ air floor it's only 48lbs or so.
Honda 2hp weighs 28.

John
s/v Aimless
CD31 #28
Oriental, NC

[will parker]

Joe,
The Avon's had their reputation because they used to be the only manufacturer which would give a 10 year warranty. I would suggest that you consider what you will be using your dinghy for. IF you are going to do extensive cruising and will be shuttling back and forth from ship to shore and from ship to ship, and you are carrying more than one person, plus groceries, etc., you might want a better designed dink than the Avon Redcrest. You might consider one with a blowup bottom and an inflatable keel. You might also want one that would take a bigger outboard than will the Avon Redcrest. I have a 8.5 foot Caribe, with fiberglass bottom. It has 18" tubes and gives a fairly dry ride, especially when compared to my old AVon Redrest.
However, it is a pain in the *** to carry on the mother ship. It's really too big and I am forced to deflate the bowtube so I can put it between the mast and the traveller. And then my vision is blocked.
Probably not a good answer to your question, but I don't think there is a good answer for the owner of a small sailboat. One important thing: whatever you get be sure it is manufactured from hypalon and not pvc. The pvc just won't stand up to the relentless sun.
Will Parker
"Jambalaya"
CD 30

We have owned a Seaworthy 9.2 w/8HP Johnson, which came with our last CD. We liked it, but it went away after we sold the boat. We wish to have a dinghy for our current vessel, and have looked some, including at used ones. There is currently a used Avon Redcrest for sale for $500 at a consignment store. It appears to be in good shape but older and perhaps well used. I understand that Avon's command a premium, but I am not sure why. Any ideas as to what to a.value, b. what to look out for, c. personal experiences with a Redcrest would be welcomed. Thanks.
Joe Sankey
CD 30 Slow Dance
Magnolia Springs, AL

whildenp@earthlink.net

[Paul Hierstein]

.......then my advise is to pass on it.

I bought a used Redcrest, added an air floor and use it w/ a 2hp Honda. I love it. But the black rubber oarlocks and other black rubber fittings make marks on my hull. Drives me nuts. I will probably sell it and buy a new one. Avon has changed to grey, which I hope is non-marring.

I will stick w/ Avon. Good stuff. Easy to patch. Higher resale.
I like hte Redcrest because w/ air floor it's only 48lbs or so.

I too have been looking at dingys and was thinking about a noninflatable. I'm averse to the idea of inflating, deflating,
and assembling and disassembling. I can't get too excited about an injection molded plastic boat either. A Fatty Knees sounds great, but oh, the cost! I am also looking at a Boatex which is made in Canada. It seems like a pretty good deal in a fiberglass dingy with flotation to boot.
Can anyone comment on these boats and/or offer suggestions as to other possibilities? I really appreciate your input.

Sinsailorly,
Paul

Abre Alas
CD30C
Galveston, Texas

Honda 2hp weighs 28.

John
s/v Aimless
CD31 #28
Oriental, NC

paulhstn@aol.com

[Ken Coit]

John,

Parfait's dinghy stays mostly in her bag, so I can't say that I am doing a very serious test of the problem, but for what it is worth, our Avon Rollup has grey fittings and I don't think they mark the hull at all, but certainly not in black.


Keep on sailing,

Ken Coit
CD/36 Parfait
Hailing Port: Raleigh, NC
Sailing from: Beaufort, NC



parfaitNOSPAM@nc.rr.com

[Joe Sankey]

Joe,
The Avon's had their reputation because they used to be the only manufacturer which would give a 10 year warranty. I would suggest that you consider what you will be using your dinghy for. IF you are going to do extensive cruising and will be shuttling back and forth from ship to shore and from ship to ship, and you are carrying more than one person, plus groceries, etc., you might want a better designed dink than the Avon Redcrest. You might consider one with a blowup bottom and an inflatable keel. You might also want one that would take a bigger outboard than will the Avon Redcrest. I have a 8.5 foot Caribe, with fiberglass bottom. It has 18" tubes and gives a fairly dry ride, especially when compared to my old AVon Redrest.
However, it is a pain in the *** to carry on the mother ship. It's really too big and I am forced to deflate the bowtube so I can put it between the mast and the traveller. And then my vision is blocked.
Probably not a good answer to your question, but I don't think there is a good answer for the owner of a small sailboat. One important thing: whatever you get be sure it is manufactured from hypalon and not pvc. The pvc just won't stand up to the relentless sun.
Will Parker
"Jambalaya"
CD 30

We have owned a Seaworthy 9.2 w/8HP Johnson, which came with our last CD. We liked it, but it went away after we sold the boat. We wish to have a dinghy for our current vessel, and have looked some, including at used ones. There is currently a used Avon Redcrest for sale for $500 at a consignment store. It appears to be in good shape but older and perhaps well used. I understand that Avon's command a premium, but I am not sure why. Any ideas as to what to a.value, b. what to look out for, c. personal experiences with a Redcrest would be welcomed. Thanks.
Joe Sankey
CD 30 Slow Dance
Magnolia Springs, AL

Thanks all for your responses. I especially appreciate the reminder about the black fittings; that's one of the main complaints I had about the Seaworth we owned.



sankey@gulftel.com

[John Nuttall]

........this winter. Quite an experience.

After dozens of Google searches and e-mails and info packets from the likes of Boatex, Fatty Knees, Bauer & Trinka I finally purchased a used CD10 !!! Can you believe that? (fyi: Spartan is not making the CD10 anymore)

There are a ton of Dinks out there, and I learned the hard way that my first choice 3 years ago was a poor one. Just because it's the most popular dink on the dinghy racks doesn't mean it's any good. It did not perform, and that's where it spent it's time - on the racks !!! Lucky for me I sold it for what I had in it and moved on......

After all the research this winter, trying to find a quality fibreglass dinghy that would take decades of use and abuse (kids) I narrowed the search to Trinka, Bauer, and Fatty Knees. (Paul, I eliminated the Boatex because it is not built to the standards of the others.)

They are all expensive. By the time you fit them out with sailing rigs they are fairly close in price. (the 10 footers seem to center on the $4K mark). They are all well built. They weigh the same. They all perform well - rowing, sailing, towing, load capacity, etc. I think you would be pleased with any one of them. The mfgs of each are happy to take your calls and explain their merits.

This is where the decision got tough. I eliminated the Fatty Knees from the running simply for esthetic reasons. (IMHO: a Lyle Hess lapstrake dink doesn't complement a beautiful Carl Alberg hull).
This left the venerable Trinka - Great reputation for performance and quality - and the Bauer - a newer design, with improvements.

At this point it was a toss-up. Either one would do. I was leaning toward the Bauer for some reasons (better shape, more freeboard), and the Trinka for others (proven design, single wall hull- easier to repair).

I never had to make that choice.....

Right about this time there was a post on the CDBB about a CD10 for sale so I followed up on it. Wound up getting a CD10 with new sailing rig & new trailer for $1200. No regrets.

If I had to make the choice between Bauer and Trinka.....

Bauer 10. With the teak trim, Tanbark sails, mahogany transom. Looks very shippy !!!

G'luk
John
s/v Aimless
CD31 #28
s/v ??? - to be named
CD10 #??? - don't know
Oriental, NC

[Carl Jones]

We have owned a Seaworthy 9.2 w/8HP Johnson, which came with our last CD. We liked it, but it went away after we sold the boat. We wish to have a dinghy for our current vessel, and have looked some, including at used ones. There is currently a used Avon Redcrest for sale for $500 at a consignment store. It appears to be in good shape but older and perhaps well used. I understand that Avon's command a premium, but I am not sure why. Any ideas as to what to a.value, b. what to look out for, c. personal experiences with a Redcrest would be welcomed. Thanks.
Joe Sankey
CD 30 Slow Dance
Magnolia Springs, AL

Joe,

You can't go wrong with a Redcrest. As for quality and durability, they just can't be beat. I just sold my 20+ year old Redcrest at a swap meet about a month ago for $625. It is still in excellent condition. No leaks, no repairs. They're practically bulletproof.
I also own a CD30 and the only problem with the Redcrest on a CD30 is assembling it on deck. It is a bit of a chore trying to put in the floors and wrestle it around on our small boats. And the only way you can stow it without having to disassemble it each time is to deflate the bow section and fold it back over the still inflated stern section. Then it will stow upside down between the mast and traveler. All that is needed after that is to reinflate the bow section, which only takes a few minutes. However, it is a very large bundle on the cabin top and is not very attractive or seaman-like looking. Towing is not a very good option.
Having said all that I still think the Redcrest is one of the best inflatables made and I know it will serve you well for many, many years. I don't do the kind of sailing that requires a dinghy anymore, but when I'm ready for another, I'm going to try to build a nesting dinghy.

Good Luck,
Carl Jones
s/y Spanish Eyes, CD30
Gulf Coast Fleet



GreatCells@aol.com

[Gary L.]

I have used the Britannia Yachts 8' Sea Scamp. It is a folding marine
ply sailing dink. Only weighs about 40- 50 lbs; takes about a minute to set up; and I used to do it in the cockpit of my CD 26. Folded it creates a package 8' long by about 18" by 6". Seats, tiller, daggerboard and mast fit into two bags, which can be stowed below or in cockpit lockers. Varnished it adds to the boat, and receives compliments whereever I go.



dory26@attbi.com

[Ann and David Brownlee]

We have a New England Skiff Builders "Puddleduck," an 8-foot sailing pram that tows and rows very well. We've towed her under very arduous conditions on Chesapeake Bay, first with our CD27 and now our CD31. We row and sail her and don't have a motor.

Ann and David Brownlee
"Windrush"
CD 31 #1
Havre de Grace, MD



dbrownle@sas.upenn.edu