Dingy Question

S

Sandy K.

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Thinking about adding a dingy with a motor this year. I'm curious, when underway I expect to tie the dingy up onto the swim platform, with it resting against the transom. Is it typical to remove the motor when doing so, or can it be left on? Seems like you would have to remove it each time you get underway, however, I'm just not sure. I'm concerned about having to take motor on and off, as they are heavy and I'd hate for it to slip and fall into the water. What's the typical procedure? Of course, I guess I could add davits tot he swim platform and that would solve the problem. Just not sure about this as it's a new one for me.
TIA
 
I would suggest adding some sort of davit system either way as it is more secure. If you go with the weaver snap davits, you have the option to either remove the motor every time (which we did on our old boat) otherwise you can get the "weaver leaver" which will pivot the motor as you pull the dinghy up. It costs around $600. On our next boat we are going with a system that keeps the dinghy flat such as the Nautley or Hurley systems.

Good luck.

max
 
I have a davit and leave motor on, but for long trips I take engine off and put in cockpit. I do this because I had a bad experience in rough water and davit broke. But I know alot of people who leave motor on and never had problems.
 
heres how i stored mine on my 32 i like it didnt block the view or interfere with the stern lines
 
A four stroke motor can only be stored at certain angles or the oil will run out of the crankcase. Keep that in mind when planning your setup.

I just bought a roll up dinghy and 2 HP Honda 4 stroke. The motor is only 27 lb so it should be easy to install and remove. Obviously, I'm not going anywhere fast, but a friend has the same setup and he once towed an 18' bowrider back to the boat ramp.
 
St Croix makes a variety of products that can help with a dinghy. Many sportfishers here remove the engine and use a davit to lift it and store it on a mounting blobk in the cockpit while under way.

http://www.davit.com/index.html
 
I like Mike McManus's davit. Best I think. The only improvement you could make on that would be to lift it up overhead when your Main-ship is tied up to a dock.
 
Without a davit, you need to stick with a super light motor. Going too heavy is a mistake. Sometimes, it's easier just to row the 40 yards to the dock.
Live aboards usually switch to a hard dink. Long range cruisers add expensive davits. Casual cruisers stick with the light weight gear or Kayaks.
 
The St Croix davits and rollers are nice. Take a look at the Torqeedo - my neighbor has one - light weight electric, I think it has the power of a 5hp - no gas to deal with etc.
 
"Sometimes, it's easier just to row the 40 yards to the dock."

Yep, and the "motor" is a lot less inclined to walk away, too.

Also consider the inexpensive electric "trolling motor". Light and easy to mount, can be stored in any position, and REALLY easy to "start".
 
Willie's right and I have the T-shirt to prove it.
I had a 13' Metzler inflatable. I rowed that thing all over AK and out in the bay fishing too. I have a Row Boat now. I've been rowing since I was Eleven yrs old. It's workable in almost any kind of weather.
My Oars were fixed so they wouldn't ever pop out if you didn't want them to.
You will never ever have trouble getting those Oars started in the Spring.
Nothing at all like getting a Gasoline motor started that's been sitting all winter.

Even if your Main-ship goes down, being at Sea in an Inflatable with Oars is better than being stuck out there with an inflatable with a motor that wont start.
 
We are in a similar situation and did not want to lose use of the swim platfrom, so we ordered one of these:

http://www.boatstogo.com/kayaks_sk430.asp

We intend to deflate it for transport, or store it inflated in one of the walkways on the top deck.

I have a 9.9hp 2 stroke which the web page says it will accomodate. This still seems liek alot of engine to lift on and off.

So, we are torn between a 3.5hp merc 4 stroke which weighs 40lb and a 55lb thrust electric. the electric will reguire a 40lb battery, so the weight will be a wash.

I don't know which will give greater range, I would imagine the gas will be a bit faster.

You have to weigh the hassel of charging the battery vs the hassle of dealing with a separate gas tank and storing a smelly gas engine somewhere.

The torqeedo is nice, but pricey, and I don't know how long the battery will last.
 
quote:
Originally posted by mariner36

We are in a similar situation and did not want to lose use of the swim platfrom, so we ordered one of these:

http://www.boatstogo.com/kayaks_sk430.asp

We intend to deflate it for transport, or store it inflated in one of the walkways on the top deck.

I have a 9.9hp 2 stroke which the web page says it will accomodate. This still seems liek alot of engine to lift on and off.

So, we are torn between a 3.5hp merc 4 stroke which weighs 40lb and a 55lb thrust electric. the electric will reguire a 40lb battery, so the weight will be a wash.

I don't know which will give greater range, I would imagine the gas will be a bit faster.

You have to weigh the hassel of charging the battery vs the hassle of dealing with a separate gas tank and storing a smelly gas engine somewhere.

The torqeedo is nice, but pricey, and I don't know how long the battery will last.

Click to expand...

My thought on electric motors (for what it's worth):

If you run out of gas, you can buy or borrow some. Not so with electricity, you have to get your boat or your battery somewhere where yo can recharge it and it's going to take several hours at best.
 
The electric will be a lot easier to handle than a 40# outboard. Getting the motor on and off the dinghy's TRANSOM without dropping it in the water is the trick, the electric trolling motor only weighs maybe 10# and is easy to handle. Simply setting the battery in the dinghy is not a problem. I use a group 24 as opposed to a group 27, simply because it's lighter. Worried about it conking out? Simply carry a spare battery.

When a gasser runs out of gas, it quits NOW. The electric will just start running slower and slower, giving you plenty of warning before it dies.

If you really want miles and miles of range, the gasser is the only way to go, but for scooting a few hundred yards to the beach or restaurant the electric is a whole lot more convenient.

I charge mine by plugging it into the boat's electrical system.
 
Thanks for all the great replies. My thinking is that we would use it primarily to go from a mooring to a dingy dock. Not looking to use it as an "extra boat" - already have a kayak for that. The issue is we have a 1 person sit-on-top kayak and we typically travel 2 or 4 of us. I may attempt a season without a motor and go with the rowing option - after all, 4-5 days per week at the gym for the past year or so should help to make it not too difficult to manage....
 
Sandy,
Dingys are nothing but a pain in the BUTT!!! I wish u luck. Im tired of busting my butt . Inflating , deflating , washing it , rolling it up. Dont even get me started on the back breaking motor. I wish the kids would forget I ever had it !

Rob
 
No Electrics. They start slowing down long before they quit.
Batteries are heave, the Cables and etc are cumbersome and steering a boat in a wind with the Trolling motor is an unworkable situation.

Row!
 
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