suffolktim
Active Member
Hi guys...
Well, I have been looking for something smaller than the yacht I had, but safe to take out on the river and occasionally around the inshore coast in flat calm seas and I managed to get the 14ft boat in the pictures below for £200 quid! I call it a boat rather than a dinghy, as the pics are quite deceiving! It is absolutely huge, and was built by the original owner from scratch with a brand new hull, which the second owner (guy before me) believes was made by island plastics. The lay up of the fibreglass is very, very thick, and the boat was designed as a proper work boat for punching out to sea off beaches and laying pots etc...and this is what it has been used for for a long time.
As you can see from the pictures, the original owner added extra free-board by adding the extra wood above the gunwhales, which look like they are still in tact, with the wooden extra piece just being screwed to it, and extra supports/seat knees etc helping to make it very rigid. The whole thing has been done very well, and I can see it adds extra safety......but is it really necessary?
As well as extra safety (which I am happy with, especially as I will be taking the kids out with me) it also adds extra weight (quite a bit) and is obviously more susceptible to catching any cross winds etc.
I am considering removing it and taking it back to just the original gunwhales and adding some rowlocks, as I would loose the holes for the oars.
What do you lot think would be best - should they stay or should they go!?
I look forward to your help and comments!
Cheers!
P.S - it will mainly be used on the river, with the occasional trip on flat calm conditions out the front from felixstowe and possibly round to the Deben. I have a freshly serviced 6hp longshaft suzuki and a 3.5hp auxillary yamaha malta to power it.
Well, I have been looking for something smaller than the yacht I had, but safe to take out on the river and occasionally around the inshore coast in flat calm seas and I managed to get the 14ft boat in the pictures below for £200 quid! I call it a boat rather than a dinghy, as the pics are quite deceiving! It is absolutely huge, and was built by the original owner from scratch with a brand new hull, which the second owner (guy before me) believes was made by island plastics. The lay up of the fibreglass is very, very thick, and the boat was designed as a proper work boat for punching out to sea off beaches and laying pots etc...and this is what it has been used for for a long time.
As you can see from the pictures, the original owner added extra free-board by adding the extra wood above the gunwhales, which look like they are still in tact, with the wooden extra piece just being screwed to it, and extra supports/seat knees etc helping to make it very rigid. The whole thing has been done very well, and I can see it adds extra safety......but is it really necessary?
As well as extra safety (which I am happy with, especially as I will be taking the kids out with me) it also adds extra weight (quite a bit) and is obviously more susceptible to catching any cross winds etc.
I am considering removing it and taking it back to just the original gunwhales and adding some rowlocks, as I would loose the holes for the oars.
What do you lot think would be best - should they stay or should they go!?
I look forward to your help and comments!
Cheers!
P.S - it will mainly be used on the river, with the occasional trip on flat calm conditions out the front from felixstowe and possibly round to the Deben. I have a freshly serviced 6hp longshaft suzuki and a 3.5hp auxillary yamaha malta to power it.
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