Avon redcrest suitable for strong tidal river?

[GrahamM376]

This is what I'm thinking of doing now tbh. I made a ply stitch and glue pram dinghy so may use this but would need the transom reinforcing to take an outboard.

Would definately not recommend a pram dinghy. Some days can be nice and calm but wind over spring tide can kick up nasty waves in Conwy and on occasions I've been well soaked driving the club launches. Much of course depends on where your mooring is going to be and where you will be parking. We used to park at Benarth Rd (it's free 24/7), and leave the dinghy on the beach there so had to cope with the overfalls coming under the bridges. A Yam Malta is barely adequate to push the tide there so you soon learn where the back eddies are.

 

[Bosun Higgs]

As you can probably see from my fully battened thread pay day has arrived

We are thinking about moving our hunter horizon 26 to Conwy this season (currently moored in caernarfon on the trots). we currently own an Avon redcrest to get to our boat, the row it self is about 15-20 metres and zilch tide.

If we plan to move to Conwy we'll need an outboard. I have seen a Honda 5hp outboard on eBay locally. Will this be suitable for a red crest? And how do these inflatables handle with around 5 knots of tide.

Thanks

Dont know whether ours is a redstart or redcrest but either way there is but a foot between them. Our dinghy is wet in a fast flowing river with any sort of breeze - the tubes in Avon dinghies of that age are too small to keep you dry. I would have thought a 5hp 4 stroke Honda to be a bit big / heavy to manhandle off the transom unless you are big and strong / young and fit. I struggle with a 3.3hp two stroke.

For the above reasons I am planning on changing this year to a modern dinghy with big tubes and a v deck floor.

As another thought, do you have anywhere you can store a rigid dinghy ashore? Way better than anything you will blow up, and as it happens I have one surplus from when we had only a river mooring before we went pontoon.

 

[tom_sail]

Thanks for all the replys. I think my best option will be to get a cheap tatty hard dinghy and leave it on the beach or dinghy rack where ever easier. I can leave the redcrest in the boat.

 

[Boo2]

I've used one with a 2Hp Yam. It worked well. I can't remember it planing with me in but it was quick enough. The rigid floor helped with rowing too.

Thanks, can you tell me what it was like fitting and removing the outboard ? I've bought one intended as a tender but the talk in this thread about the difficulties of using an o/b in an Avon are giving me second thoughts...

Boo2

 

[Tidewaiter2]

Re Tinker tRAMP

Thanks, can you tell me what it was like fitting and removing the outboard ? I've bought one intended as a tender but the talk in this thread about the difficulties of using an o/b in an Avon are giving me second thoughts...

Boo2

We have a old Tramp too, use a 3.5 Tohatsu 2 stroke, usually lower it by hand, but using handy billy attached from end of boom for safety, tie off Tramp fore and aft alongside so that it's transom is under the boom end. SWMBO above, self in dinghy to swing o/b onto transom.
Did it with our small Avon too, but Avon oh so tippy wth o/b!

Method OK, if no heavy swell or big wake hits you midxfer- inconsiderate A27 refugee flybridge thrust captains should be shot

Must confess, I like rowing most of the time, anyway

 

[Chris_Robb]

Thanks, can you tell me what it was like fitting and removing the outboard ? I've bought one intended as a tender but the talk in this thread about the difficulties of using an o/b in an Avon are giving me second thoughts...

Boo2

The problem with the Avon Redstart type is that the engine is hung over the back, as opposed to a transom a foot in from the back. You have to be really careful in any wind and chop that the wind does not get under the bows whilst you are in the delicate act of leaning over the back.

You just need to be aware and plan accordingly - like tying off low to the transom of your yacht, or placing a weight in the bows.

 

[aquaplane]

What TW said, except across the stern tight up so the dink is a stable(ish) platform. I always tie the o/b on.
The Yam is just about the lightest little outboard there is, that's probably the biggest factor in managing the transfer easily.
It's still a relief when the outboard is on and screwed on tight without it having had a bath.

 

[rob2]

There doesn't seem to be an absolute between the offerings so far. A round tailed dinghy like the Avon Red**** series can be flipped whilst attaching the outboard or motoring into the wind in rough conditions. A rigid dinghy is much better, but doesn't have the stability whilst alongside - you can't stand on the gunwhales like you can stand on a tube! To really get to grips with a 5 knot tide, a small rib with adequate outboard would be the ideal, but requires secure storage and is vulnerable when left on the mooring.

I sailed for years from a swinging mooring and used a scruffy hard dinghy, kept in the racks at our sailing club. Now on a pontoon mid-river mooring I use a solid transom inflatable, but have to deflate it and carry it home every time. I feel for you, but access to an exposed mooring is really restricted to times when the tide is not running that strong!

Rob.

 

[doug748]

I use a big old Avon, with inflatable keel and floorboards, to get to the boat, I guess it is about 10/11 foot. It was very cheap as nobody is particularly interested in them and it probably will not be nicked for the same reason. A 2,5 hp engine pushes it along it fine style, tho not, perhaps, 5 kts. These are the sorts of thing that were used for light dive boats and they are very, very stable. When I am away for a few days, it is light enough to turn upside down on the mooring to prevent gulls tom titting on it.
I keep the Redcrest on board.